(Leo)
***
"What are you going to—"
"I'm right here," Akiyoshi said to cut off his father, revealing himself from behind the wooden door.
From the floor, I peered up at him. "How did you just arrive?"
I shouldn't have questioned his habit.
"It's funny when anyone assumes I've just arrived any place," Akiyoshi snapped back. "Though that's closer to correct than most times here." Voice turning flat and unamused, he paused. "Why am I wanted here?"
Algor glared at Sinclair, who practically growled back at him while their scarlet eyes raged.
"Since *some* people can't act like the better people and get off their moral high horses," he spoke, not even trying to be subtle, "I'll be that person myself. I can at least admit when I'm wrong."
Suspiciously, Hikaru and Inei stared at him.
"Hurry and proceed," Inei demanded without much force. He had been unusually silent, but any mention of his son knocked him back into reality.
Algor rolled his eyes at the Moon King before saying, "Young prince, I want you to come over to me and take my hand for just a moment."
"I don't trust this," Sinclair whispered to me, muscles flexing under my touch. I still had my arms around them, keeping them secure and out of trouble. "I don't trust a word from that man anymore."
"I don't either," I muttered behind them. "But I just think we need to keep watching," I continued while gesturing towards the exchange. "If we need to stop something, we'll do it."
Akiyoshi was leery of Algor but walked in his authoritative manner to the man. He paused, looked the fairy in the eyes, and took his hand like a vice-grip. Someone needed to remind the prince this wasn't a summit, but it was reasonable to approach such a fiend with caution as he had done.
When he took the fairy's hand, a storm of white powder left Akiyoshi's body in a soft cloud that was nearly opaque—swirling, surrounding him like a hurricane. It spiralled and spiralled, making me queasy with its constant motion until it thinned out.
Then, it was gone without a trace.
Not knowing what to say, Akiyoshi stared at the man for several lingering seconds.
*What was that stuff?*
"You weren't ever the one who deserved that. Not your sister either," Algor told him almost softly, sensing the boy's disbelief. He patted his black hair to provide him comfort. "The curse, I mean."
The whites of Akiyoshi's eyes must have become more visible under the shadow of Algor's arm. Mine did, too.
"You're kidding."
He was so surprised that he couldn't even be angry at Algor for admitting to cursing him in the first place.
Before starting to stroll off, Algor took his hand away and shook his head. Both kings were dumbfounded.
"I'm not at all. Go find yourself someone, and get out of the castle for once."
Akiyoshi cautiously nodded before swivelling his head, uncovering the once green eyes that finally glowed their beautiful natural amber. They made him appear less cold and more mystifying.
Expression mostly blank by then, Algor peeked over his shoulder at everyone.
"Good day." He snarled, "Most of you."
As he fully mended the canyons beneath everyone, his bare feet only made the slightest of wet noises against the stone floor of the cellar. His pastel wings were much louder and more resonant when he flapped them, shortly letting him make his way to the top of the basement. Nobody knew what to say as he did that, and we all just stared at his magnificent departure—unsure when or if we'd see him again.
BANG!
Everyone, even Algor who was nearly out, glanced at the top of the hatch. The whole castle quaked violently before stopping prior to anyone saying a word.
My sickly feeling returned, but more than anything, I was thoroughly jarred by both the action and my emotions. Everything played out like a horrendous horse ride with motion sickness.
I then heard some distant shouting, the cheering of voices blending so elegantly that they were almost musical. The incoherent noises were vaguely familiar, but I didn't want my ears to deceive me. It had to have been wishful thinking, right?
My trembling hands wouldn't take that for an answer.
The same chorus of voices drew closer, and I shook my head, becoming stunned once more.
*Huh? But it can't be…?*
I took flight as soon as I heard them the third time, not trusting what could not engage every sense (barring, perhaps, taste when it came to people).