The Fall of Power

A Fall From Space

"Come on slowpoke!"

"Aren't we getting Canada?" I quietly called after him as we snuck down the hallway.

"No, he'll blab to dad that we were up there."

Once we were outside, Con grabbed the ladder and propped it against the edge of the roof. The small driveway lights cast a yellowish light on our backs, and the stars above shone down on us.

I had always been fascinated by them. The small flickers, the way some nights they weren't there at all. They seemed to listen. I'd always wanted to travel to the stars as a kid, now I know that's impossible, but the moon might still be an option!

I clambered up the ladder behind Confetti and onto the roof. I sat down at the top next to him. The chilled breeze blew past us, my hair seemingly ruffled by invisible hands. It reminded me of the kid I played with when I was younger. I don't remember why we stopped playing, I asked dad what happened to him, and much to my annoyance, all he said was that the kid just stopped visiting.

"Why'd you want to come up here?" I said as I stifled a yawn. "Dad said we could come up here tomorrow."

"Ya, but that's with maple man and mister star face."

"I thought I was mister star face?"

"No, I need to come up with a new one for you."

"Oh. Also, you didn't answer my first question."

"I just wanted to be up here, " he paused for a second, "someone in town said there would be a full moon tonight." He looked down, he fiddled with his hands.

"Aw, you wanted to be a good brother and brought me up here!"

"I'll push off the roof."

I laughed, and in turn, he started laughing with me. I looked up directly at the stars and moon. Like Con said, the moon seemed to glow in a perfect circle. I raised my hand up to cover it.

The stars around my hand glowed brighter and then disappeared.

"Did you do that?!" Com then pointed to the blank area around the moon as he stared at me in surprise, or was that anger?

I was looking at my hand in muted horror, it felt like pins and needles. Small glowing orbs laid in the palm of my hand.

"C-Con, they're in my hand." I let out a whisper.

He roughly grabbed my hand to get a better look, the little stars went flying out and started rolling down the roof shingles.

I let out a shout, no one could know about this! I reached out in an attempt to grab them. They stopped rolling and then zoomed back towards me. I couldn't stop them in my panic and they sliced past me. Blood splattered behind me and onto Con's shirt. The stars had cut through my shirt and covered my arms and chest with slashes. Three had gone through my eye.

Pain was all I could feel, there was faint yelling in the background, some my own and some Con's, but I paid no attention to it. At some point, I had ended up on the ground. A few figures moved around me, but I curled up with my hands over my eye and my knees up at my chest.

The pain started to fade, my body growing heavy. My eyes were already closed, but the light filtering through grew dimmer. I let myself rest, it'd be better than staying awake and in pain.

(Canada's point of view)

Ame and Con weren't exactly quiet when they snuck out. Or at least Ame was quieter than Con. He straight out yelled at Ame to wake up. I'm pretty sure mom and dad are up now too.

My suspicions were correct when dad knocked on my door and opened it.

"Come on Canada, we're going to get your brothers down."

I nodded to him and slipped out of bed. As I followed him down the stairs, we heard screams and thumps down the roof.

"Shit!" Dad then ran the rest of the way down the stairs and out of the house.

What we were greeted with will forever stick with me.

Con was kneeling by Ame curled up on the walkway. Small glowing balls litter the ground around them. The driveway lights along with the orbs lit up Con's expression of horror. Blood splattered his shirt, and Ame was covered in cuts and blood. Some of it leaked onto the concrete. I ran up to them, dad right in front of me.

The rest was a blur, Ame being taken away, Con being dragged by handcuffs and chains as he screamed for Ame, dad yelling at someone, and mom hugging me as I stood there.

The last thing I remember of that night was looking up at my mom's face. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She looked back down at me, our eyes met. She let out a sob and hugged me tighter as I buried my face back into her shoulder.

"M-mom?" I mumbled into the shirt fabric.

"Yes hum?" She loosened her grip and patted my back.

"Ame and Con are gonna be ok right?"

"I hope so."

(Con's point of view)

I thrashed around in my restraints. I had to know if he was ok! Why hadn't anyone answered me! They had put handcuffs on my hands and after I kept shouting for Ame, they added some sort of muzzle. I had been loaded into some sort of truck. There were no windows in the back of this thing and my arms were chained to the floor. As if for a precaution, they chained my legs together. I wasn't going anywhere, I just wanted to know if he was ok, god damn it!

I banged my head against the wall of the truck. I just rested it there and let my tears fall. They fell for so many reasons. I didn't know if my brother was ok, I didn't even know if I was going to be ok.

Why? Why am I chained up in here?

I could feel the vehicle hum to life. It bounced up and down as it went over speed bumps and down roads. Sometimes I'd be thrown a bit to the side if we turned, but I had almost no clue where I was headed. The only two things I was sure of was this was a Cleanser vehicle and I was in trouble. The Cleanser symbol was on the doors of the truck and it seemed too familiar to the one Australia had been taken away in.

By now, I was sitting in the corner of the truck, I was cold and my tears had run dry.

I had been close to Auss. She was chaotic and liked to prank our siblings. She was closer to New Zealand and Ame, but we still got along well. Is that where I'm headed? To the Tainted prison? I wasn't Tainted! Ame was...

Ame was a Tainted.