Song recommendation: "Destroy me" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FSVPnVLUUQ&list=RDdRMaf5mgCZc&index=4)
By the time Ace reached the tower, it was already dark. Michael had left him sitting by the seashore all day. It was a little past noon when Bird came to get him. Bird was strangely quiet on the way back. Ace wondered if Michael had located Clover already.
The fire was roaring and candles were already lit inside. When Ace entered the little cottage, he found it wracked with as many documents and books as the office. Michael was intently studying a large volume when they came back. His eyes slowly came up as they entered.
"I have good news and bad news," he said unusually pacified.
Ace inhaled deeply as he braced himself for whatever it was this time.
"I found Clover," Michael said slowly.
Ace's brow furrowed, "What's bad about that?"
"They're in the demon world," Michael added soberly.
"What but you said.." Ace began.
"I know. I know!" Michael said brusquely, "Clover knows what's going to happen. I don't know why they would go back there. We can try and summon them back here but I don't know if Clover will answer now,"
"Let me try," Ace said resolutely.
That night they gathered in the jungle. Once more, it was a relentlessly clear night. The animals cried from the shadows. Ace still recalled the ritual from the first time he had called Clover. He set the altar and knelt down beside the stone.
As he dragged the blade across his hand the blood trickled down, his heart was racing. He still didn't know what he would say. It was loud in the jungle. It never seemed to sleep. Ace waited with bated breath. How much longer?
As the minutes passed, nothing happened. Ace stared up at the forlorn moon. He heard a stir. He turned back, but it was only Michael retreating back to the tower. Bird placed a hand on Ace's shoulder.
"I think we should go back in," he said with a sad smile.
"I want to wait a bit longer," Ace replied.
He continued to wait under the moon's pale glow. Before he knew it an hour had passed. A sinking feeling told him the answer he already knew. Clover wasn't coming. Ace stood up and looked at the altar once more. What now?
When he reached the tower he could hear Bird arguing back and forth with Michael.
"It's the only way!"Michael exclaimed.
"No!" Bird returned with unusual severity. "You can't ask Ace to do that!"
"Ask me to do what?" Ace said upon entering.
Bird's head dipped in defeat. Michael inhaled sharply with his arms crossed in front.
"There's one other way we can get to Clover," he announced.
"How?" Ace said slowly.
"We have to go there,"
"Go back to the demon world?" Ace felt sick to his stomach. The idea filled him with more dread than he anticipated. It wasn't so long ago he never dreamed of anything else. Now just the thought of it sent chills down his spine.
"It's a ridiculous idea!" Bird said cuttingly, "What would we do when we get there?! It's a suicide mission,"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Michael turned to Ace, "There was a time you lived in the demon world when you didn't have that necklace to protect you. You survived. That means your body has some resistance to the effects of the demon world..."
"Don't listen to him, Ace." Bird interrupted, "Just because you won't die doesn't mean that the demon world won't affect you. Your body will go through demonification. Not to mention the fact, we don't know how long it will take before the Empire completes the device. They could deploy it at any time!"
"What other way is there?!" Michael shouted, exasperated. "We don't have a choice!"
"You're saying we but you mean him!" Bird snapped, "I said No! No! NO! Out of the question!"
"I'll go," Ace said quietly.
The pair continued to argue between themselves. This time Ace said the words with more force:
"I said, I'll go,"
Bird's face dropped and he stared at Ace in disbelief. Michael let out a sigh. Ace stood silently under their eyes for a moment then he forced his eyes to meet theirs.
"Let me go," he said, "If we're all going to die anyway, what difference does it make?"
Bird started to shake his head, "We don't know what will happen on this side if the demon world is destroyed, but if you go there, it will mean certain death,"
"Only if I fail, right?" Ace replied sheepishly.
"Then we have to go back to the northern temples," Michael asserted. "I set up portals there before we left,"
"Why do we have to go there?"
"There's a demonic door there," Bird frowned, "We sealed it when we were last there, but it's the only way to cross without the devices or Clover's magic."
"I can undo the seal," Michael insisted, "The problem is while it's open, demons can come through,"
"Close it once I'm through," Ace said resolutely.
"But.." Bird began.
"It's okay," Ace reassured, "IF Clover says no, there won't be a reason to come back anyway,"
"Then it's settled," Michael said slowly.
However, Bird kept shaking his head. He left the room heatedly. ACe watched him go but said nothing. What could he say? After failing to call Clover, his chances looked slim. Still, he would go.
Everything in his life seemed to be leading to this moment. Everything he had gained and everything he had lost would be nothing if he failed. Albaric. Bird. The rivers. The mountains. Even that village in the East he had never laid eyes on. They were all so fixed in his world now, he couldn't imagine his life without them.
And Clover...Would he be able to make them love him again?
Ace eventually followed Bird down the hallway. He left Michael to his planning and took a candle down the hall. He knocked at the door, seeing light come from the crack.
"Come in," Bird said in a muffled voice.
Ace opened the door. It was a small but exuberant room filled with colourful trinkets and miniatures. It suited Bird well. Ace sat beside him on the bed. He looked over at Bird quietly. He had evidently been crying. His tear-stained cheeks were illuminated by the light of Ace's candle.
"You know I have to go," Ace said gently.
"You don't. You don't!" Bird's voice rose, "Demonification is a terrible thing, Ace. It changes you. You become a different person! It can turn a good person into a bad person,"
Ace inhaled deeply, "Then it's better that I go,"
"What?" Bird gasped.
"I'm...not as good as you think, Bird. The demon world might not have any effect on me at all. I'm already..."
"Don't say that!" Bird exclaimed, "It's not true. You always think the worst about yourself."
"It's because you don't know the things I've done, " Ace rejoined, "I've done a lot of bad things,"
"You did that to survive," Bird grabbed his hand ardently.
"I don't know anymore," Ace confessed, "All this time, I thought I could become good just by trying, but maybe we can't change our nature. I think it was always going to be this,"
"I don't believe that," Bird countered, "You're giving up. You can still fight, no matter what happens! Don't give up,"
"I'm tired," Ace sighed, "No matter how hard I try, it's always wrong. I think this life doesn't allow us to be who we want to be, only who we are,"
"Then I'm telling you," Bird maintained, "You are good! You've been a friend to me when no one else would. A real friend. You see people for what they are, good or bad but you don't judge them like everyone else here. I only wish we met earlier. Things might have been different,"
"What do you mean by that?" Ace's brow furrowed
Bird swallowed hard, "I.. I didn't realise it before but I..."
"What is it? " Ace asked worriedly.
"I care about you..a lot," Bird replied.
"I know you do. I care about you as we..."
Bird leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ace's. It was soft and trembling. Ace's eyes widened in surprise. Bird pulled back sheepishly.
"Bird..." Ace started.
Before he could say anything, Bird threw his arms around his neck.
"I know you don't like me like that. I know," he breathed uneasily, "but I...I just wanted you to know that...I care about you," Bird's voice broke.
Ace nodded patiently. He didn't know what to say. Bird had already started to cry once more. Ace patted him on the back warmly. This could be the last time they ever see each other again. As that thought sunk in, Ace's composure wavered. The truth was he felt uncontrollably afraid. It was all he could do to comfort Bird.
"It's okay," he said softly.
His own heart would have to find its resolution alone, as it always did.