Silver Carousel: Volume 6

Act 3: Into the Night

     "Hello? Anyone home?" Lilia calls into the hut. The old man doesn't answer.

     Lilia walks in, pulling away the curtains. She looks around. Everything was the same, except for a filled bottle of pills on the table. She hears laughing from the back room, and she follows the sound.

     "It was funny. I thought Blade was going to have his lights knocked out," Yukio says, smiling. The old man sits across from him, wheezing and laughing. His face is red.

     "Oh! Lilia!" Yukio sees her and throws his arms around her. "I missed you, Lili."

     "I missed you too," she says, smiling.

      "Oh, Yukio, is this your girlfriend?" the old man asks.

      "No. This is my friend, Lilia."

        Yukio smiles and turns to Lilia, who is blushing. "Yeah, whatever. Did you get your medicine, Yui?"
     "Why, of course I did. I wouldn't be myself if I hadn't taken them."
     "What story were you telling him, Yui?"
     "Oh, the time in Jestare when Blade was chasing you with a skirt. That was funny."

      "What?! Yui, that was embarrassing! I didn't even see you!"
      "Oh, but I was there. I hid in the ceiling rafters, because I knew you would try to murder me if I didn't."

      Lilia and Yukio discussed this for a while, Lilia explaining that it was definitely not  funny, and Yukio replying with the fact that he was still laughing about it. Eventually, Yukio took his bottle and left with Lilia. They walked down an empty street quietly.

     "It's just me and you again," Lilia says. "We've had people all around us for the past month or so. It's so weird to think that it was just me and you...."
     "And Boni," Yukio adds. "I couldn't leave my baby there alone. Gerrard isn't very fond of her. Or Kaitens. Or animals, really. But it is hard to remember when we started our journey, in Carnevale. How you didn't want to come. Now here we are."

Lilia stays silent, looking at the ground.

"Lili...do you miss your mother?"

She looks up and nods. "She's probably worried sick....they play the recording of the Extravaganza every year on the radio..."
     Yukio puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Once we find the Silver Carousel, we can take your mom to earth and get her help."
     "I guess you're right," she says. "We can help her. But only if we find that Carousel."
     "Oh, that's the spirit I like to hear!"

     Lilia and Yukio arrive at Nana's house near the first sundown. She's busy in the kitchen with Koji, cooking. Koji happily stirs a pot, humming. Blade is relaxed on the sofa, reading the comics he packed from Kazuki's place. Cicero curls at his feet, sleeping quietly. Boni is nowhere to be found, but is most likely hunting (she can smell a mouse from a mile away).
     Yukio puts his bottle in his bag, keeping sure that he'll be able to find it. Lilia looks down the hall. Kazuki is staying in the room at the very end, his bedroom door closed. the light seems to be off.

     "Say, where's Kazuki?" she asks, turning to Blade.
     "He said he was going somewhere," Blade replies without looking away from his comic.
      "So you just let him roam in an unfamiliar place? He could get lost! You know how... awkward  he gets around new people. If he's lost, he probably won't tell anyone."

Master.

Kazuki? Lili is looking for you.

And I am looking for you. Come to me.

     Yukio stands up and opens the door. He knows where he's going.
      "Yui?" Lilia calls.
     "I'll be back." He shuts the door behind him and peers out into the night. The familiar blue luminescent bugs fly around, creating an eerie glow on the ground. The giant moon shines bright in the sky. A few Bons call in the night. Yukio's own eyes glow in the dark, shining a familiar cerulean and crimson. His silver-white hair shines blue in the light.

Come, Master.

     Yukio looks into the distance and sees Kazuki in his black cloak, gazing ominously at him. He holds a scythe. Its long metal blade gleams.
     The fluffy-haired boy walks towards Kazuki, smiling slightly. Kazuki's face is blank. He gazes into Yukio's mismatched, fluorescent eyes.

     "Master," Kazuki says in a strange voice, creepy yet soothing. "Come with me."
     "Where are we going, Kazuki?"

     The freckled boy stays silent and treads through the brush. He sways his scythe ever so slightly to cut away any plants in the way. Yukio follows him to the middle of the woods, the beyond filled with thick vines hanging low.

"This is the place."
     Kazuki cuts the vines away and enters the beyond, Yukio following close behind. The place glows a lavender color, a pool of warm water in the center. Luminescent plants of all colors glow, blue insects flying about. A few Ploogs sit at the bottom of the pond. Kazuki turns to Yukio.

     "Kazuki, why are we here?" Yukio asks, genuinely curious. He looks around, picking a red Ploog from the pool. It jiggles in his hand.

"Ploooooooogg."

     He laughs and strokes the things' gelatinous body. It snuggles against his thumb.

    "Master...."

     Kazuki holds the Ploog with one hand, Yukio holding it with another.
     "Do you like this?"
     "I do. It's very cute."

     Kazuki takes it in both hands and takes out a glass jar. He fills it with water and puts the Ploog in it. The tiny thing swims around, then settles at the bottom of the jar. He hands it to Yukio.
     "A gift for you, Master."
      "Thank you," he says and gazes into the jar. The red Ploog rests quietly.
     "He will be here soon."
     "Who?"

     A whooshing noise comes from above. A celeste-colored horse lands before them, a long horn protruding from its head. Two wings come from its back, folding gently against its body. It looks at the boys.
     "This is Lancelot, Master. He's a alicorn, but a normal horse in Silver."

     Yukio smiles. He strokes the creatures soft, silky ultramarine mane. 
     "I've heard of these. Horses affected by the Silver grew horns and sometimes wings, making them unicorns, pegasus, or even alicorns. He's beautiful, Kauzki. I still don't understand why you brought me here."

     Kazuki gets close to Yukio, gazing into his eyes. He slowly drops his scythe, not breaking eye contact.
     Kazuki leans on Yukio's chest, closing his eyes as Yukio wraps his arms around him gently. Yukio looks down, slightly confused.
     "You're warm, Master." He leans closer, Yukio up against a small tree. Kazuki looks into his eyes again, smiling slightly. His eye looks empty, the shine in it gone. He removes his patch.
     "Look at me, Master. Deep into my eyes."
     Yukio looks into Kazuki's eyes as his pupil appears. They flash quickly, then fade away. Kazuki stares at Yukio, and his eyes become blank, too.
     "Come with us, Master. Someone is looking for us." Kazuki takes Yukio's hand and mounts Lancelot. The alicorn spreads its soft, feathered wings and takes flight, soaring into the night.

"My Lord, Lancelot has retrieved the children."

"Yes, excellent! Now I can breed the most advanced Silver of all my creations....and this one won't become a failure."