Chapter 35. Or Else
Libra of course looks confused as ever as he takes in his brother’s shocked face and mine of dread, I haven’t been prepared for this moment.
“Spit it out brother.” Libra demands in an annoyed tone.
“Do you feel weird?” Gemini asks, examining his brother’s face as commotion and playing goes on around us. “Your depths, do they feel weird?” I breath in, standing in front of Libra like a decoration out of place.
“No, bloody hell why would they? Every now and then they’ve been feeling kind of fuzzy but that isn’t at all weird.” He rolls his depths.
“Yes, Libra. If you had ever taken time to read you’d know that fuzziness in your depths is very weird.” Groups of little creatures and gleeful people stop as the two begin to bicker.
“I do read, Gemini but isn’t being a kene your job?” Oh god. Gemini’s face flashes with anger.
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Gemini snaps sharply, the crowd staring at the does nothing. “Maybe if you weren’t so full of yourself and full of her,” his voice is cold as he glances at me, “you’d realize that something as dark and cold as depths don’t get fuzzy, because depths don’t feel things, unless they do.”
“What are you saying then genius?” Libra asks, shrugging.
“I’m saying that maybe you should get your head from up itself, from up her.” Its not hatred that laces his voice but.. jealousy. Still I say nothing, afraid to get in the middle of this. This is between them, not me.
“It isn’t my fault that your obsessed with something you can’t have.” Libra’s voice is ice and even I flinch at his tone, confused by his words. “Why else would you dream of her? You want her Gemini, your the respectable brother right? Isn’t it respectable to tell the truth?” He teases, smirking faintly, I pull away from him feeling uncomfortable and slightly angered that he’d call Gemini out like that, embarrass him.
Though the pieces finally come together as Gemini’s face goes white, as the reason he had a dream of me is revealed I would never want to put anyone on the spot or watch anyone be put on it. “Yes.” He says softly. “That is the truth, brother.” My heart clenches in my chest, with guilt and regret, I caused this- this separation of brothers. “It doesn’t matter much, you have her. I saw that clear as day when your depths were replaced by a glimmering green not too long ago. Weird huh? How they’ve been leaving you this whole time and you never knew, perks of being the kene of the family.” Libra closes his mouth, shock and that familiar anger etching his features.
“What did you just say to me?” His breathing is erratic.
Gemini ignores him entirely. “Where is the Delaware of this lot?” Delaware shows himself and Gemini demands he be let out, and with a few words muttered from Delaware and the entrance opens slightly, revealing the room in the manor we were in earlier. He turns around just before walking out, facing his brother with a sad smile on his lips. “I said, your depths have been leaving you this entire time, and she knew.” Without another word he walks into the manor and the slit closes behind him.
“We have to cut this short, morphers you can all take rooms at the manor tonight until we figure this all out and specters please retreat back to the manor as well.” I say trying to fight my panicked tone. The specters don’t move until Libra commands them to and after that, he stays silent as his jaw clenches repeatedly. The animations say goodbye to their new found friends and soon we’re all back in the manor.
I grab Libra’s arm but he pulls away, betrayal on his face. “Libra.” I say softly, trying to mask the hurt I feel from him not letting me touch him.
“You were wrong to embarrass him like that,” I try and ease in, “you-”
“And you weren’t wrong?” He snaps, and back to square one we go.
“Let me finish. Yes, I was wrong.” Betrayal, something I’ve felt numerous times since I’ve been here radiates off him. “Your eye color has been showing for a while now, Lijen holds your eye color but I kept it from you because.. I wanted it to be special.” This time when I grab his chin and turn his face toward me, he lets me. “For a while it has been buffering in and out at the most sudden times and I just wanted to wait until it was final to tell you.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “If you think that’s wrong, then I can’t change that but to embarrass your brother in front of everyone is very wrong even if you can’t see it.”
“It is wrong.” He whispers lifting his hand up to my jaw, I shudder under his touch sort of stunned that he has admitted that he’s wrong, more so just agitated that we’d start the day like this. “I shouldn’t have called him out but your so clueless, so so clueless love. Its obvious in the way he looks at you, hesitates around you- Gemini has a plan for even sudden things he hesitates for nothing, how he had an entire dream of you that he wants you. I’m selfish.” He drops his hand and my skin burns from the loss of his touch. “He wants you but would let me pursue you for my sake, I’m the most horrible brother, always have been since we were kids. He was right in his dream you know, about our childhood.”
“I want you.” I say quickly. “And no, you aren’t the best brother to him you should- you need to change it because he only ever tries the best for you but I want you.” I throw my arms around his torso. “Its me and you, and I promise not to keep anything else from you if you can promise me the same.” Gemini liking me in that way is still a shock to me, I’d never thought he could even like in that way and this entire time we’ve been making him feel uncomfortable, I need to tell him sorry, I am sorry.
“I want you.” He returns my hug. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve kept from you in the past love, but I to promise.”
“I’ve really got to stop walking in like this.” Callene voices, I pull abruptly away from Libra. “Thought I’d go that soon? No of course not, I’ve just joined the party.” He chuckles is that empty way that he does. “I just thought I’d have a heart and let you have your fun- well I literally don’t have a heart but you understand.” There’s a difference in his tone then his usual one, a sort of malice and impatience is in his voice. “Your mother really spit you, your just like her you know?”
“Don’t ever, compare me to her.” He smirks, Libra pulls me to his side and I don’t object.
“I could be doing anything better, but since my siblings and I plan to take over this world starting with this here manor I’m forced to be here.” He says in the most nonchalant tone. “Emilia has put a kink in our plans, she had something we needed, a double rein- very rare but now there’s only one rein. So you understand why we’re very angry?” Callene sighs. “Angry enough to take a few dozen morphers to a particular volcano and throw them in.” My blood runs cold. “Of course they’re scattered all over this mansion, who’s bright idea was that? Poor things, they don’t even know how to use their-”
“Libra, come on.” I ignore Callene’s whole existence, only my people matter, not him. His mockery of me follows me, as does he, why did I tell them take any room anyways I should have showed them to their rooms, I should have showed them how to use at least a sliver of their power we have threats running all over I-
“Love.” Libra grabs me. “Calm down, we have this.” Or do we have it? This could all go downhill and I’ll lose the pieces of my life in which I just got.
“I have an idea, it involves you.” I try not to panic. “That thing you do with the darkness, how you can-”
“Vader, its when a Depths eyes melt into the place they call home, the darkness of their eyes overtake the place and can only leave when they wish.” I nod rapidly.
“Can you do that but around the manor, and maybe I can make some sort of winds to mix with it so that no morpher can leave.”
“Anything’s possible with you.” He says. “So yeah, I guess so.”
“I hear everything your saying.” Callene taunts from behind us. “Vader will do nothing, my siblings and I have a tremendous ability to disappear that can not be overdid, as you know- but want to see again?” I look back at him and with a snap of his finger I’m not with Libra any more, I should have saw that coming.
“Serenity, hi.” Analexania smiles, giggling while wrapping me in winds. My hands are bound together in seconds. “Sorry darling, we wouldn’t want your pesky hands ruining all the fun.” I growl at her, not able to move nothing other than my neck. “You’ve met Repoeine haven’t you?” The white haired man walks out with a smirk on his lips and two morphers in his hand.
“Baby.” He says.
“I’m nothing to you.” I seethe. “Let them go.” Analexania waves her hand over both their mouths to silence their screams.
“I don’t take orders from anyone.” He pushes them and they fall to the ground.
“He’s a threat, they’re all threats and they want to hurt us.” I rush, trying to give them a summary of what Gemini first gave me. “Remove something from them, remove anything you can do it.”
“Silence.” Analexania smirks, tapping my mouth shut as well. “All that yapping will get you know where.” I don’t waist time mumbling against the wind, I know it will do nothing.
“Where were we? Yes, we’re going to put every morpher in a little bus and drive it right into the Volcano of Ecladen.”
“Which will then free our father just enough so that he may free our mother and then.” Analexania giggles.
“Well we’ll see what happens after.” His eyes blaze green as he raises the morphers up, bounding them as well. I don’t need a mouth or hands to be great though, and for my people I will be great at all costs. Even the cost of my life. I call fire to me, they couldn’t get into Emilia’s cage so maybe they won’t be able to get out of this one. They both are too busy taunting the morphers and I that they jump in surprise when a ring of fire drops over there heads. Its just a ring though, and they stand in it but when they push against it nothing happens.
“You should really let us out.” Analexania seethes, keeping a smirk on her face all the while. “This isn’t too funny to me but when Kelenimen slips and burns this entire manor to the ground with the pathetic morpher queen in it I’ll have a good laugh or three.” I say nothing, I can’t say anything there’s an invisible force pressing against my mouth.
Kelenimen walks in, pushing plenty more morphers in front of him and just like that, a small ring of fire drops over him as well. I will save my people, I will. He says nothing, I see he isn’t quite the talker like the others but a doer. He throws balls of fire at the ring and even tries to pick it up but that doesn’t work and while he does that, and while his siblings tell me how much Daelortoze and Callene will make me pay I undo the winds around my mouth, then around myself. I’m free and in seconds more, so are my people. “Everyone, listen to me.” I say, blocking out the whines of Analexania and the yells of Repoeine. “These creatures aren’t like any you have ever seen, avoid them as much as you can but if you do happen to run into one of them. Morph them. Take off their hands, eyes, heads I don’t care if you squeeze their hearts in their chests but they are threats and we focus on threats until we eliminate threats.” They nod, bowing once to me and I see the weight my words has put on them. The word threats means just as much to them and I’m glad, because we’re about rock these corner’s entire world, literally.
I walk past them, and the few morphers follow me. “I have only trapped three, lurking in the manor there are two more and they are very dangerous.” I open doors and check halls for anyone else. “If you see someone dozing off, wake them up immediately, one of these corners can make dreams come true and you don’t wanna witness it. If you see something that looks out of the ordinary, don’t touch it and do not, please do not wander off because one of them can trap you with a wave of his hand and you will not see it coming. Are we clear?”
“Yes, queen.” Queen, such a simple term that holds so much weight, weight that I have to live up to.
“Look for anymore of our people, if you see them tell me do not run to them it could be dangerous, and look for the lords.” Libra is probably worried sick. I knock to a door.
“Yes, Serenity?” Dorraine drawls out.
“Dorraine we are under attack, let everyone know to meet at the entrance of the manor, everyone, now.” I walk rapidly, looking around for anything.
“Of course, your highness.” She says. “Depth manor,” her voice booms from the ceilings, the walls, the doors, everywhere, “we are under attack. As command of Queen Serenity everyone report to the manor’s entrance, now. I repeat, we are under attack, wake up if your asleep, stop what you’re doing and report to the entrance of the manor, now.” I tell her thank you as the morphers and I make it to the front door and wait for the others. They come in in loads, the people of the manor, the morphers, even children and soon the living room is filled to the stairs.
“Has anyone seen the lords?” I question, standing on the couch so that everyone can look at me. They start to mumble, but the answer i hear most is ‘no’. “There are corners here, three are trapped upstairs and two are free here in the manor. I was taken from Lord Libra’s side and haven’t seen Lord Gemini for a while now, if you have seen them you need to tell me if not we need to leave.”
“Without the lords?”
“Yes,” no “I need to get all of you out of here it isn’t safe, I’ll come back myself for the lords.” What a plan Serenity, the big thing is though, we’re am I gonna put an entire mansion full of people? “If you stay here there are chances of you being hurt and I wont take those chances, is there anywhere all of you could go?”
“No.” Callene’s voice shows out from the crowd. “I think we’ll stay here.” Then he does what I was dreading him too, he waves his hand- eyes blazing black, and traps us all inside. “Or else,” Libra groans as Callene waves a hand and shows his body. “I may be tempted to burn Libra alive.” Gasps follow throughout the room. “This could all be so simple Serenity, we want the morphers so give them to us.”
“I will never, surrender my people to you.” The idea alone makes me sick. “I’d rather die.”
“You might.” He smirks. “Dying for some no one’s you only just met, silly of you. Though I think Libra should die instead.” He applies more pressure to Libra’s throat, the gauge on his face is gone and now the fresh cut caused by Repoeine’s finger is on display and blood trickles from it.
“Everyone move out of the way.” I command, and they do so. I form a ring of fire over him and he pushes away without even looking, chuckling darkly.
“My siblings were quite dumb to fall for that.” With his free hand causes a harsh wind to break the ring in half and fall to the ground. “I however, won’t go so easily.” And with that the entire ring of fire vanishes. “Lets play, yes?” He blows on the side of Libra’s face where his gash is and I see the winds flow into it as Libra screams. “I want you and Libra to play a game for me, I’ll be the referee.” And then he does what he does best, traps me in a clear film, the inevitable. He maneuvers through the crowd with Libra in a death hold, pushing him into the film with me once he’s in front of me. “Please sit down everyone, the show is soon to begin.” They don’t listen, they stand guard like they were taught and I admire it.
“Sit down everyone.” They take sits at my demand, on the sofa, the stairs the ground anywhere there is a seat and I pull Libra to my side. He grips my waist, staring at Callene in a death stare. “So the rules are, I’ll ask a question and you’ll both answer it to each other. Simple, right?” I swallow the lump in my throat that tells me this will be all but simple.