There was something wrong in the air, Daisuke could tell as soon as they arrived in the new world. Everything seemed to be colored a dark gray, a thick fog hovering around the ground as far as the eye could see. With the fog came a dark, putrid stench that grabbed at his stomach. "Where is this?" Fia asked with a frown, putting a hand to her mouth. "It stinks here!"
"I don't know, this is really weird," Daisuke said with a frown. "'kado, what is this place? 'kado?"
"Nikado!" he heard Keisuke shout in alarm. Their guide was crumpled on the ground, eyes closed and not responding as the younger boy shook him. "Nikado, what's wrong?!"
Emi had a hand to her face as well, the color drained from her skin. "I don't feel so well. Something's really wrong, Lord Daisuke."
"Brother?" Daisuke asked as he knelt next to Nikado, looking at his twin.
"We have to find a place to take him," Keisuke said urgently, pulling the taller man onto his shoulder with a lot of difficulty. "A cave or something. Do you see anything?"
"No. I can't see anything in this fog."
"Then I guess we'll just have to try a direction and hope we get lucky," Keisuke said. "It's too dangerous to split up in this fog."
"But what if this is like that muddy world?" Daisuke asked, furrowing his brow in worry as he took Nikado's other arm, helping to support the man's weight. "What if it just keeps going forever?"
"Then we'll just have to do our best and overcome it so someone can rescue us," Keisuke said firmly. "Come on, Fia, Emi. Keep an eye out for anything that looks like a cave."
Luck was with them, for shortly after, they did indeed find a cave, nestled in a rock formation rising from the ground. "We need to put up a barrier and see if we can't get some of this fog out of here," Keisuke observed. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
The barrier was slow to form, but form it did, pushing itself to the edge of the cave and surrounding them in an amber-colored bubble. "There, that should do it," Keisuke observed. "It'll stay in place until we dismiss it, so we should be safe."
"What do we do now?" Daisuke wanted to know.
"I'm going to try a purification spell and see if it helps. Emi, try one on yourself," he told her. "If it works, help Fia out. Daisuke, do you feel okay?"
"Yeah. I mean, it really smelled bad out there but I'm okay now," he told his brother, watching as Keisuke gathered silver under his fingertips, letting it hover above Nikado's chest. "You?"
"I feel fine. I mean, I could tell something was wrong, but I don't feel sick," Keisuke said, holding the spell in place.
"What do you suppose that was?"
"I don't know. Nikado will probably know more than we do. Ah!" The older man let out a quiet groan, putting a hand to his face. "Nikado, are you all right? You collapsed all of a sudden after we got here."
He opened his eyes, looking around his hand at the fog outside the barrier. "Miasma," he murmured to himself, rubbing his face.
"What's a miasma?" Daisuke asked. "Are you feeling okay, 'kado?"
"No, but I'll live," he said in a whisper. His skin was pale under its usual olive tone and it seemed difficult for him to sit up or keep his eyes open. "I'll explain. This world...is one doomed to die."
"Doomed to die?" Keisuke echoed.
"You mean worlds can die?" Daisuke said at the same time.
"Yes. If a world falls victim to evil and darkness, it will die. This is what could have happened on Aenurdil," Nikado told them. "It's what will happen to your world if you don't win."
The words were like a freezing hand clutching at the younger twin's chest. "But...why? Then why did we even come here?"
"There must be some reason," Nikado said slowly, Keisuke helping to pull him into a sitting position against the back wall. "There is something that we need to do here, something we must find."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Keisuke said with a frown. "You're very sick and Emi and Fia both feel ill as well." He glanced over at the two girls. Emi seemed to be doing a bit better, and was now attempting to purify Fia. "Daisuke and I are the only ones that don't seem to be affected. Why is that?"
"Most likely because you come from a world that is dangerously close to this," he told them. "Your bodies are accustomed to the sense of dread in the air. Plus...Keisuke, draw your dagger."
He did so, eyes widening as the dagger. The blade, which was normally not a particularly noticeable sight, was now lit up with a powerful silver light, enough to fill the entire cave brightly. "Nikado, what's this?"
"The special property of your weapon, Keisuke," Nikado said with a slight nod. "As I thought. It has the power to repel evil. Keisuke...this time, it's going to have to be up to you."
"Me? Why? What do you want me to do, Nikado?"
"I don't know what it is," he said, "but I suspect you'll need to find someone. Someone we have to save and take away from this place. You're the only one that can leave this place and not succumb to the miasma. Daisuke will have to stay here and guard the place."
Daisuke frowned at that. "But it's too dangerous. We shouldn't be apart."
"It's a risk we'll have to take. Get some food from the bag, Keisuke. We'll have to hold out until you return."
"Nikado, this is too dangerous. We should just leave this place and go to another world."
"We can't do that. Even if I wanted to, I won't be able to use the passage between worlds until it reactives," he said, giving his arm a tap. "Which we won't be able to do until we do whatever it is we have to do. So the sooner you leave, the better."
"But what if something happens to him? We'll have no way of knowing," Daisuke protested worriedly. "Brother, don't leave."
He shook his head. "It's a risk we'll have to take. We have to trust what he says, Daisuke."
"You have a way of knowing," Nikado told Daisuke. "You two are twins. You two should already have a sense of safety or danger regarding the other. Now you need to develop it into a proper link that you can hear each other through. Try it. See if you can hear each other."
"I'll give it a try," Keisuke said, shutting his eyes. Daisuke, can you hear me? entered the boy's mind a moment later.
His eyes widened in shock as he gave his brother a look. "...I guess that's a yes," Keisuke said. "You try."
"I, uh, okay," he said, staring at his brother. CAN YOU HEAR ME?
Keisuke winced, holding his head. "Yes, you don't need to shout."
"See? Easy as pie," Nikado said with a slight smile. "Now gather what you need. Whatever else you need to know, you can ask Daisuke. I'll tell you as much as I know."
"Tell me about worlds dying, Nikado," Daisuke said, taking a seat next to him. "Is it because there are bad people?"
"Yes and no. People going bad is certainly a cause of worlds dying, but no world will last forever. Same way no soul will last forever, even if it's born again and again," Nikado sighed. "Everything has a lifespan. Worlds die when their balance is tilted too far to the side of evil. It corrupts, and the world collapses, much like how this one is doing now. Eventually, a world will fall, but good people can keep that fall away. Who knows, maybe if people were eternally good, worlds would be eternal as well. But that's impossible."
"Why is it impossible?"
"Because utopia isn't permanent. It has to change, otherwise it grows stagnant. Even the Nexus doesn't keep the same people around for long. They come and go as their needs require. It's much the same as anything in life, you'll find. Things come and go."
"But what if you don't want them to go?"
"Well, they will eventually, but in the case of your world, it doesn't have to go right now," Nikado said with a reassuring smile. "There's no reason that your world can't stay around for many generations after your lifetime."
"Will there be a lot of monsters out there?" Keisuke asked Nikado nervously. "I don't think I can handle one on my own."
"Possibly, but I doubt it. This world is in such a state of decay that I doubt much is left alive, human or monster. But be careful. The miasma can be misleading."
"How will I find my way back?"
"That's what your link is for," Nikado told the older brother. "You should be able to tell where the other is, once you're aware of it. Are you ready?"
"I'm going to do my best," Keisuke said, expression serious. "I said I would. You guys just hang on until I get back." Tightening a hand on the grip of his dagger, he turned and exited the barrier, quickly vanishing into the fog.
Big brother? Are you okay out there? Daisuke asked worriedly.
Yeah, he got a response. I mean, I can tell that it's very wrong out here, but I feel fine. I'm going to try walking for a bit.
"He'll be fine, Daisuke," Nikado reassured. "Just have faith in him."
"I do. I do, but...I wish there was something I could do."
"He's trusting Emi and Fia to your care," Nikado told him. "And me as well. That's something, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but still. Dumb 'kado," he said, putting a hand on the man's forehead. "What'd you have to go and get sick for?"
"Sorry," he chuckled. "It wasn't intentional, I assure you. I had no idea that Tornelika was such a place. If I had...well, we would have had to come anyway, but I would have complained about it, that's for sure."
Daisuke managed a slight smile. "Emi, Fia? How do you feel?"
"I certainly feel uneasy about this place, that's for sure," Emi said with a frown. "I don't think I'm going to faint or throw up, though. Lady Fia?"
"I'm fine," she reassured with a shaky smile.
"Sir Nikado, how long do you think this world has?" Emi asked. "How long do we have?"
"I have no idea, to be honest," he sighed. "I've never been on a world that has been this poor off before. I'm none too eager to find out what the dying stages of a world are like, either. You two should get some food and rest. Save your strength."
"Here, let me get something," Daisuke said, reaching into the bag. "I don't like this, 'kado. I just don't."
"I know, Daisuke. Just be patient for a while, okay? You have to be the man of the group now," Nikado said with a slight smile.
He wasn't too pleased at the idea, giving Fia a piece of bread, which the girl accepted and nibbled on. Emi curled up on the floor of the cave, placing her sword within reach. "Let us hope Sir Keisuke is successful."
He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking in the endless fog when he heard it, a sort of shuffling of footsteps in the dirt. A person? he thought to himself hopefully, running after the sound.
Thanks to the fog, he didn't see the club swung at his head until right before it connected, knocking him down swiftly. Brother! he heard Daisuke's alarmed voice in his head, jolting him away from unconsciousness but doing nothing to decrease the stars swimming in his vision.
I'm okay, just stunned, he managed to reassure as he saw a figure looming above him. It didn't seem to be human; the shoulders and arms were far oversized and massive, combined with a jutting jaw and burning eyes. On the other hand, he didn't really think it was a monster, for it walked on two legs, evidenced by the shuffling he had heard, and still seemed to have working hands, as demonstrated when it grabbed him by the leg, dragging him behind it.
Now he was sure it wasn't a monster, for it hadn't actually tried to kill him yet. Deciding to play dead for the moment, he reached out to his brother's mind. I'm okay. Something just attacked me, but I don't think it's a monster. It's walking on two legs and it just hit me in the head. Now it's dragging me somewhere. Ask Nikado about it.
He says it's probably a corrupted human, Daisuke answered after a moment, pausing in his speech as he relayed what Nikado was saying. It's not yet a monster, but it's not fully human, either. It's probably evil, so be very careful.
I see a fence, Keisuke observed after a moment. I think it's taking me to some sort of house. Ow! He tried not to yelp aloud as the back of his head caught the doorstep. The creature finished its drag with a throw, tossing him down a set of stairs. Keisuke winced as he turned the fall into a roll, landing on his back and looking up. Above him, he could see the thatched roof of a cottage, the creature now more visible in the light. He almost wished he hadn't seen it, for it was even worse up close, the skin leathery and scarred, eyes sunken, hair reduces to scraggles of oily clumps. Staying very still, Keisuke waited until he saw it move away, hearing the footsteps go elsewhere before he sat up.
Keisuke?
I'm fine. Give me a moment to take stock of my situation. He looked around. The basement he seemed to be in was not terribly big, a pit hemmed in by wooden walls over a dirt floor. Above him, he could see a grate which provided access at the top of the stairs to the floor above. Creeping up the stairs, he looked around the grate as best he could.
The house seemed very neat and normal, and Keisuke began to suspect something was amiss. Why would a half-sentient corrupted human be preoccupied with housekeeping? The grate was made of metal, and fastened down with a heavy lock--not something he could get around easily. There was the possibility of trying to pick the lock, possibly when the creature left again. If he lived that long.
Stop being so pessimistic, he ordered himself. Hearing the footsteps return, he moved back down the stairs, placing a hand on his dagger. If it was coming for him, he didn't like his odds of fighting in the small, enclosed space.
Fortunately, the thing seemed distracted by something else. Keisuke could hear the door open, and then a female's voice spoke. "I'm back, Grandmother. Oh...did you go outside? I told you you should stay inside, Grandmother," the girl's voice scolded gently.
There was a grunt, and then Keisuke could hear a low thrum, one he had come to identify with magic. "I'm sorry, darling," an older woman's voice spoke, and the footsteps moved toward him. "You hadn't come back, and I got worried."
"There's no need to worry about me, grandmother," the voice continued. Looking up, he could see a new figure--no, it was the same figure, for it wore the same clothes, but the terrible proportions had been reverted, revealing a normal looking older woman. Was this girl a noble magic user?
Nikado says she's probably a 'pure soul', Daisuke answered for him, having caught the question. Whatever that is.
A pure soul, huh? Someone who was probably sent to save this world. But obviously, they hadn't succeeded. Keisuke crept back up the stairs a little.
The girl came into view just then, a short thing with her mousy brown hair in braids. She seemed a bit on the chubby side, which surprised him a bit. But it was the expression he noticed most, the sunny, cheerful look even among the poison that lurked outside their windows. Come to think of it, he hadn't noticed any of the ill fog inside the house. Could a pure soul ward it off like his dagger could?
The girl stepped over to the grate, and he moved back, watching up warily. "Oh grandmother, you found someone out there?" she said in surprise. "Poor thing, he looks shocked. Let's let him out and he can have dinner with us."
"I'm not letting him out," the older woman said stubbornly. "I caught him snooping around. He's going to try and take you away from me, I just know it."
"That isn't why I came here," Keisuke called up. "Believe me, I didn't even know she was here. I'm just looking for some help. I have some sick friends who need me to bring them aid."
"There isn't any aid for you here," the old woman said firmly. "We barely find enough to fend for ourselves. He can sit there until we're sure he's not a danger." Keisuke heard her footsteps move away, and then a door shut.
The girl sighed, kneeling by the grate and peering down. "I'm sorry, she can be a bit stubborn sometimes. I'll get her to let you out later. My name's Brigitta Wolfe, what's yours?"
"I'm Keisuke Satoka. It's nice to meet you," he told her, "although I wish the conditions were a little different. Is your grandmother...normally like this?"
"Well, not all the time. It got worse after the fog started," the girl said with a shrug. "Sometimes when she goes out she comes back a little weird. I'm sorry. She didn't hurt you, did she?"
"I'm fine," he reassured. "What do you mean by 'a little weird'?"
"Oh, well, sometimes she looks different and she gets a little short-tempered," Brigitta said with a shrug. "It's okay, she calms down once she's back around me."
"Um, Miss Brigitta, I could be mistaken, but when I saw her she was on her way to becoming a monster. That's not 'a little weird'," Keisuke said slowly.
"Don't be silly," the girl said with a frown. "She's not a monster, she's my grandmother. Oh, your head...Let me get you something for that." She disappeared from sight.
He touched a hand to his temple, finding some blood there. Daisuke...Ask Nikado what's going to happen to that corrupted human.
It'll probably get worse with time, Daisuke relayed after a moment. The miasma will get more powerful as the world decays, and eventually that girl won't be able to change her back.
Is there any way we can take her and her grandmother with us when we leave?
This time there was a long pause, presumably as Nikado considered the question. He says he doesn't think so. She probably wouldn't survive the trip over here, even with Brigitta. Unlike you and her, she doesn't have any protection against the miasma. And we wouldn't be able to make it to you, either, he says.
What about a barrier? If we made a barrier big enough to encompass here and there, then it would be safe.
Brother, I can't make it out there.
Then I'll come back to you. I'll get back and-- He bumped his head against the grate, and sighed. Well, I'm working on it. Just hang on until I get back.
Nikado says to try and convince her of what's going to happen, Daisuke told him after another pause. She needs to understand. There's probably not a lot of time, she can only delay the inevitable at this point.
All right, I understand. We'll give it a try.
"Here we are!" the girl said cheerfully, sitting down next to the grate. "Let me just reach...There we go," she said with a smile, dabbing at the injury with a wet cloth.
Keisuke winced, but forced himself to stay where he was. "Brigitta, I need you to listen to me for a moment. What's happening to your grandmother isn't normal. It's going to kill her. The only way we can save her is to get her away from this world."
She gave him a look, then frowned. "I'm not going to help you if you're going to be mean and tell lies," she scolded, but continued dabbing at the wound anyway.
"I'm serious," he told her. "Listen, Brigitta, I'm not from this place. I'm from another world. And this planet is seriously sick. It's going to die soon."
"That's just crazy," she insisted. "There is no such thing as other worlds, and planets don't just get sick and die."
"I'm not lying. Normal planets aren't like this," he told her. "They have trees and grass and blue skies."
"That's not possible! And besides, this is my home, I can't just leave!"
He reached through the grate, grabbing one of her hands. "Please, Brigitta. You have to believe me. We have to get you and your grandmother off this planet, and we have to do it now. Otherwise both you and she are going to die."
"But that's...I'm...." Brigitta met his eyes for a long moment, biting at her lip. "Grandmother has to come with me."
"That's my intention," he told her, "but we don't have any time to waste if we're going to save her. I need to get out of here and get to my brother so we can make a safe way for her to get to them and away from here. Can you get her to let me go?"
"I'll do my best," she promised. "I'm sure she'll listen to me. Oh, here, the food," she said, passing some dried vegetables down through the grate. "It's not much, but I hope it's okay."
"Oh, you don't have to. I brought a little food with me," he said, breaking off some of the loaf and handing it to her. "Here, have some."
She hesitantly took it, taking a bite. Her eyes widened. "It's good!"
He smiled at that. "There are lots of nice things to eat on other worlds. My home's actually in danger of becoming like this, that's why we're on a journey to try and save it. But it still has nice things to eat and kind people."
Brigitta thought this over for a moment. "Keisuke...can I come see your home, when we leave?"
"Of course you can," he told her with a smile. "You can meet my mother. She's the strongest and kindest of everyone back home."
"I'd love to meet your mother," she said with a return smile. "What's a mother?"
He looked at her for a moment. "Well, uh...it's the person that gives birth to you, that gives you life. They're kind and gentle and they protect you when you're young."
"Hm, I don't think I ever had one of those," Brigitta mused. "Maybe this world doesn't have them."
"Maybe," Keisuke said softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "It's okay, now that I'm here, I'll protect you. Okay?"
She gave him a bright smile. "Okay, Keisuke. Let me go talk to grandmother now."
Had he fallen asleep? It was odd, that, given that he simply couldn't fall asleep anymore. Yet here he was, and the afternoon sunlight was in his eyes.
"Are you going to sleep all day? Honestly," a female voice complained from behind him. "I have to do everything around here, lazybones."
He sat up, identifying the voice before his eyes confirmed that the woman was standing in front of him. "You're...."
"Well, just don't sit there," she chuckled, putting a hand on her hip. "Flowers. You promised, remember?"
"Huh? Oh, right, flowers. Sorry, honey," he apologized with a lopsided smile before looking up at the sun, shining merrily above. This is real? It isn't an illusion? I'm...home again? Or was everything that came before just a dream instead?
She sighed at him. "Fine, if you don't want flowers, let's just go, Nikado. We should get back, anyway. Our child's waiting on us, and I trust your twin as a babysitter about as much as I trust you not to be an imbecile."
"That's so cold," he complained, but noticed her smiling anyways. "I'll bring you some later today. I haven't forgotten. But...I think I'd like to see our child first."
"Then come on," she insisted, turning and walking ahead. "Otherwise I'll just leave you behind, how about that?"
"I said I was coming," he laughed, following along. As he did so, he abruptly ran into something: an invisible wall which blocked his path. Feeling a cold knot in his stomach, he tried banging on it, calling to her. "Hey, wait up. There's something here."
She didn't seem to hear him, continuing to walk ahead with her back to him, off into a distance that seemed neverending. He tried banging on the wall, shouting to her, but she continued to move away, and his heart sank as he realized he was losing her again. In desperation, he called her name.
"Nikado?"
The man's eyes snapped open, looking around wildly before finally settling on Daisuke's face. The boy was leaning over him with a concerned expression. "Are you okay? You sounded like you were having a bad dream."
"I'm fine. Sorry to worry you." He was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He glanced over at the barrier. The miasma was still leaking through it, which probably meant it was getting more intense. They didn't have a lot of time. I need to pull myself off the ground and get some fresher air, he thought to himself, drawing himself up with some difficulty.
Daisuke gave him a hand. "Are you sure? You said something. I think it was 'don't leave me'."
"It was just a dream. How are Emi and Fia doing, are they hanging in there?"
"Better than you, I think," Daisuke told him. "They sleep a good bit but they seem okay when they wake up. They've been eating and drinking a little. Should I wake them?"
"Let them rest. It'll help them keep up their strength."
Daisuke looked at him for a long moment. "What were you dreaming about?" he asked, offering Nikado a canteen.
The guide thought about it for a long moment before accepting the drink. "The family I left behind."
"The family you left behind?"
"Yes. My wife and child. At least, I think I have a child," he said slowly. "I was taken away from them before the child was ever born, so I don't know if they're even still alive. I never got to see them being born, or watch their first steps or hear their first words."
"You must really miss them, huh," Daisuke mumbled, looking down at the ground. "Why were you taken away from them?"
"More than anything in the universe," Nikado said softly, setting the canteen down. "I think it was because I was supposed to die."
"What do you mean?"
"That that's what fate planned out for me. But I survived somehow, though not really in a way I expected. When Mist offered me a chance to go back to them, she knew I'd do anything."
"Huh. I didn't know that about you, 'kado," Daisuke said softly. "So I guess you'll go back to them after you finish your jobs, huh."
"That's what I hope to be able to do. I don't even know if it'll work," he sighed. "Fate is not an easy thing to defy. But I'll take whatever chance I need to. How's your brother doing?"
"That girl went to talk to her grandmother, so he's taking a nap right now. He's a bit tired," Daisuke told Nikado, getting up and taking a new seat by the entrance to the cave. "I'm gonna keep watch for a bit."
"Okay." The boy mumbled something else that was inaudible. "What did you say?"
"I said, do you know what day it is?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't. I find it easy to lose track of time. What day is it?"
"I kept a careful count," Daisuke said. "It's our birthday today, 'kado."
Nikado looked over at him in surprise. "Happy birthday, Daisuke. And tell your brother I said happy birthday to him when he wakes up. How old are you?"
"We're fifteen."
So young. Too young for this sort of thing. Nikado shook his head. "What would you like for your birthday?"
"I want to go home," he answered in a small voice. "I want to go home and see my mom and aunt and grandpa and everyone else again. I want our world to be safe from monsters and have pretty skies again. And...."
"And?"
"It's a secret," he said, resting his chin on his knees.
Nikado looked over at Daisuke with a frown. The boy had fallen silent, with an unfocused look in his eyes that meant he was probably talking to his brother. "Say, 'kado. What's your family like?"
"My family? Well, I've never seen or met my child, but my wife...She's very strong, and fierce, like a great wind. She tries to never doubt herself, and people look up to her because of her unwavering support. But she can be gentle and kind as well."
"She sounds nice," Daisuke murmured.
"She is. You'd like her, I bet. Well, maybe not. I doubt she'll let you get away with much mischief," Nikado laughed.
"Yeah," he mumbled, drawing his arms around his knees tightly. "My brother's awake, I'm going to listen to him for a while now."
"Daisuke, is something bothering you?" Nikado asked directly, watching him with an even gaze.
"Of course there's something wrong. I hate this world, 'kado. It's dark and it's dangerous and it makes everyone sick and now my brother's been locked up by a crazy lady who turns into a monster."
"Well... I did mean beside that."
"Don't worry about it, 'kado," Daisuke told him. "I just want to be left alone for a little while."
Nikado watched him for a moment, then got to his feet with a grunt, using the wall for support. Stumbling over to Daisuke, he half-sat, half-fell on the boy, pulling him into a hug. "Can't do that~"
"Let me go!" he protested, but Nikado had a surprisingly strong grip for a sick man, and held him firmly to the spot. "I said lemme go."
"Shh," Nikado soothed, pulling the boy to his chest. "It's okay. Things will be okay, Daisuke. Your brother will return soon, and then we'll see if we can't leave this place. Things will be fine."
"It's not okay. Stop lying," Daisuke insisted, letting his head rest against the man's chest. "I don't like it when you lie."
"I'm not going to lie to you, Daisuke. What happened to all that confidence you had? You're growing by leaps and bounds, Daisuke. You've made great progress, you and your brother both. And Emi and Fia will be great assets to you, as well as good friends. Everything is happening the way it should. You will save your world, Daisuke. I believe in you, more than I've believed in anyone I've worked with all these years."
"'kado," he murmured, sniffling as he clung to the other man. "That's not what I'm afraid of."
"Then what is it you're afraid of."
"I'll tell you later. Okay?"
Nikado let out a soft sigh, putting his hand on the boy's head. "All right, if you promise."
It was his fault, Keisuke thought to himself as he rested in the small basement, leaning against the wooden wall. He had known that Nikado had another family somewhere, but hadn't mentioned it to his brother. And that was why Daisuke was upset, why he couldn't tell Nikado that he wanted the man as his father. Keisuke sighed to himself. It wouldn't have been an objectionable idea, particularly given how close Daisuke had become to the man, and he couldn't really blame him. Daisuke hadn't known a father of his own, and only had the words of his friends to go on, to wish for. But eventually they'd part ways, and Keisuke suspected his brother already understood that.
It's not his fault for wanting a childhood. Even as childlike as he still is, he's had to grow up too fast. Keisuke sighed, looking down at his hands. Not that I'm one to talk. I feel like I've been an adult my entire life. Where did my childhood go? Why didn't I ever want to play and have fun and be with a complete family?
He sighed to himself. So many broken families. At this point, Daisuke and I are the only ones that have a parent at all. It's not fair. Is this what the world is like to people that are supposed to save it?
Noise caught his attention from above, and he moved to the top of the stairs. "Grandma!" he heard Brigitta's voice scold. "I told you not to go out, it's dangerous. Now, I need to talk to--"
Her words were cut off by an unearthly roar, and he heard a crashing noise, accompanied with the girl's cry. "Brigitta! What's happening?" Keisuke shouted from his pen. There was no response.
Something moved in front of the grate, and Keisuke shrank back as burning eyes stared at him around a monster's massive set of teeth, and then it reached out a hand, ripping the grate off its hinges. Keisuke tried to dart back, but it caught him easily, grabbing him by the throat and pulling him up. He gasped for air, drawing his knife and stabbing the thing in the hand.
With a roar, it let him go, and he dropped to the ground, panting for breath as he tried to scramble away. It caught him by the foot, and he twisted, stabbing at it again, and it let out a snarl, stomping on him. He let out a cry as he felt something in his chest snap.
"Stop, Grandma!" Brigitta said as she stood above Keisuke, spreading her arms. "It's me! Don't you recognize me! I'm trying to help you!"
Stumbling to his feet, Keisuke backed away, coughing painfully. Brigitta grabbed onto one of the furry, pawlike hands, but the monster only swatted at her, drawing blood as it flung her across the room. "Brigitta!" Keisuke shouted, rushing to her aid and pulling her out of the baskets she had landed in. "Are you all right?"
"She's not listening to me," the girl whimpered. "She always listened before."
"Try again. Try as hard as you can, Brigitta," he encouraged as the monster dropped to all fours, moving toward them.
She nodded, holding out her hands and building up a silvery light, touching it to the monster as it got close. For a moment, it seemed to stop, and then it swiped with its paw, discarding the light. "It's not working!" she shouted in alarm.
"Get down!" He pushed her to the ground as it swiped at her again, getting back up quickly and dragging her toward the door. Daisuke. Daisuke, ask Nikado if there's anything we can do, he said urgently, although he had a sinking feeling that he knew the answer.
Brother...Nikado says that Brigitta's powers are stronger than yours. If she can't do it, then....
"Then let's try together!" Keisuke looked over at Brigitta. "It's our only chance, let's both hit her with all of our power. We have to change her back."
Brigitta managed a terrified nod, holding her hands together again. Keisuke did the same, the room filling with a soft, gentle light. From somewhere among the power of the pure magic, Keisuke could hear an inhuman wail. "We're doing it, keep going!"
She nodded, increasing the intensity of her own power, and he followed suit, drawing on everything they had. Finally, the spell ended, the boy dropping to one knee as she leaned against the wall. "Did we do it?"
"Keisuke!" Her voice was panicked as the monster emerged from the light, snarling as it charged them again.
He suddenly felt calm. It was the only thing left to do, and with the choice made, he suddenly didn't feel worried anymore. Turning to Brigitta, he gave her a shove, sending her out the door. "Stay out there!" he ordered, locking it from inside.
"Keisuke! Keisuke, what are you doing?" she said in alarm, banging on the door.
"I'm sorry," he murmured quietly, looking up at the beast approaching him.
It was a short bit later that he finally unlocked the door, stepping out and shutting the door behind him. His side ached from whatever had been broken before, and there was a nasty tear down his shoulder and chest from the monster's claws, leaking blood all over his torn clothes. "Keisuke!" Brigitta said in alarm, reaching a hand out to his injured shoulder. "You're hurt, what happened? Where's Grandma?"
He shut his eyes for a moment, putting his good arm around her and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, Brigitta. I'm so very sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" she asked, panic creeping into her tone as she moved toward the closed door.
"Don't go inside!" and there was a panicked tone to his own voice for a moment, a tone of sadness and desperation. "Don't go inside, Brigitta."
"But why not? What happened, where is my grandma?"
"You can't go inside," he said softly. "We need to leave now. Come on, Brigitta."
"No, we can't leave Grandma!" She tried to move past him, and he stood in her way, not meeting her eyes. "Why isn't she coming out? Tell me, Keisuke!"
He stayed where he was, keeping her from entering and shutting his eyes for a moment. "No," she said in horror, taking a step back. "You couldn't...you didn't...You promised me, Keisuke!"
"I had every intention of keeping that promise, Brigitta. I really did. You can hate me if you want...but we need to go now. We need to leave this place."
"No! I hate you, you're a liar! You lied to me!" she shrieked, trying to shake off his hand as he grabbed her wrist. "I hate you, Keisuke!"
"We're going now," he told her quietly, not looking back as he moved forward into the fog, pulling her along. It was the only option he'd had left, he knew that. If she had been so far gone that Brigitta couldn't save her, it was best to end things there and give her a chance at redemption in her next life than leave her to be destroyed along with this world. It was what had to be done, and he knew Nikado would agree. It didn't stop the tear that rolled down his cheek as he refused to look back at her.
This is why I can't be a child. I can never be a child.
Brigitta refused to speak to him further, and Keisuke left the silence unbroken until they got back to the small cave. "Brother!" Daisuke shouted with joy as he saw him, running through the barrier to grab onto him. "Brother, you're really hurt. Come in and lay down so we can fix your arm."
"We may as well wait until we've left," Nikado said from his position against the wall. "We shouldn't stay here any longer than we have to. Any moment this place is--"
He was interrupted by the ground shaking, pitching the twins to the ground from the force. "Like I said, we haven't got much time," Nikado said. "Come on, Brigitta. We're going to leave now," he told the girl gently.
She backed away. "I don't want to go with you. You're murderers."
Nikado frowned, deciding the solution was to pick up the girl and cuddle her. "No let me go," she protested, squirming.
"Not until Brigitta smiles~" he said cheerily, nodding to the rest of the group.
"No, let me go!" she protested as a ray of light circled around them, whipping around as the transporting system prepared itself. "I don't want to go! Grandma!"
The words hung on the air as the group disappeared.
