Just Checking Up! Part Forty-Four: A Difficult Choice!

.Rip:

Gray ash remained where Silks once was, Booksworth flopping to my feet. Kicking him into my quaking palms, a mixture of rage and fear stole my ability to think properly. A flutter of his pages captured my attention, his eyeball snapping up to mine wistfully. Something felt off, the biting sting of approaching loss slapped me in the face.

“I am going to be brutally honest with you. One spell should get you to her but you need the blood of all seven Sins. Alas, it comes at the cost of something dear to me.” He choked out awkwardly, my soul beginning to crack at the puzzle pieces coming together. Refusing to meet his broken gaze, Cal sprinting up to us prevented me from asking the dreaded question. Fighting a wave of tears, a problem presented itself. Where was the last sin?

“Do you need me to find my little sister?” Wolfsbane offered sincerely, his freshly changed boots thudding into the hall. “Although getting her motivated can be a bitch. Let’s just say our parents killed her drive for, well, anything.” Soaking in his tall muscular frame, the others gathered around him ready to fight.

“That being said, would you like the dream team to back you up? Who is Blondie and why does he look more sullen than a wolf on a new moon night?” He continued eagerly, Cal digging at the floor while chewing on his bottom lip. “Dude, we don’t bite. The kidnapper might have the pleasure to experience the biggest bite of his life, but not you.” All eyes shifted to him in his disheveled navy suit, clammy sweat beading on his brow.

“Everyone quit.” He squeaked out oddly, his hands rising in defense. “No one wanted to deal with the demons and cult anymore. The plus size is that we are our own government department now. Do you guys need a job?” Shooting him varying looks of disbelief, disbelief became bemusement. Hitting him confirmations, the prospect of working with her almost everyday must have been the incentive.

“Cool. We need to move this upstairs after we get your little sister. Wolfsbane, can you count on you to pull her out?” He pleaded desperately, the uncertainty in his eyes not quite helping in the heaviness tainting the air. “I suppose we can figure that out when that objective hits us in the face.” Avery bounced up to me, his tear filled good-bye shattering my heart. Giving Booksworth and him a second, the dark hunger of grieving before a known loss chewed on my soul. Cal poked my shoulder, the numbness dying down.

“Silks is most likely holding her own.” He assured me in a brotherly tone, her cries for help echoing in my mind. “Judging by that fuming smirk, time may not be on our hands. Time to hit the road, team!” Realization shut down my twitching smirk, my furrowing brows deepening. Wolfsbane presented me with a piece of light blue waves, images of an oak tree flashed in my mind. A door made of twisted branches rose through his floor, the three bronze branch door knobs clicking open one by one. Groaning open, a field of pale blue grass swayed on the other side. Wolfsbane cursed under his breath, Gier clinging onto his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

“Of course she is in her hiding spot!” He roared thunderously, the lights flickering wildly. “Not that I can talk but she is eating at my damn nerves!” Sprinting into the other side, time slowed down as we all crossed the threshold. Slamming shut behind me, it crumbled to a pile of wooden shards. A quiet fear settled in my eyes, branches cracking had us scanning the nearby gray woods. Harsh biting winds blew our hair back, the rock in my stomach gathering mass. A blast of energy pierced everyone but me, inky blackness staining the grass. Raising their palms inches from their faces, Bookworth absorbed several drops of their blood. Snapping fingers sent chills up my spine, the scene shifting to a tired shack outside of a corn field. A young rabbit demon shivered at the feet of cloaked figures, her light blue waves floating up with every sob. Matching rabbit ears of the same color pinned back, their shining boots clacking away. Pleading for them to stop, her pale blue cottontail stiffened upon being alone. Time to pull some Silks’ style of magic, a snap of the corn stalk brought her to her bare feet. A tattered ivory lace dress hung off of her tiny body, defiant golden demon rabbit eyes shooting me a death glare. Charging at me, her head smashing into my palm gave me her little pause. Wincing at the immense strength, a bruise was sure to form.

“Are you going to throw me away as well!” She barked hotly, her temper matching her brothers. “No one wants me around, so why would you!” Crouching down to her level, midnight black tears dribbled off of her chin. The corner of her jet black lips quivered, her fangs sinking into her bottom lip in an attempt to calm herself down. Reminding me of Silks at her worst, the constant stream of panic attacks were nothing new to me. Digging her dark fingernails into the sea of lace, an abrupt bite on my arm threatened my already lowered patience.

“I may not be Silks but I know how to help her out of busted situations. Shadows haunt us all. If it makes you feel better, life won’t get better until you let people in.” I suggested in a cozy tone, her bite releasing itself in pure reaction. “Let me tell you a little about myself. Making friends was never my strong suit, neither was it for your dear Silks. In fact it wasn’t until she started making coffee for me that I felt a human connection besides my family members and Cal. Quit hiding in this shit show of a memory and pull yourself out.” Growing up to about five foot one, her petite form was hidden in a giant ash gray band t-shirt. The hem brushed against the top of her knees, her solid gray tights. Bells and piercings jingled on her ears, her worn sneakers kicking up a pile of dirt.

“Nice speech, Old Man!” She shouted in protest, her kick smashing into my arm. “No one tells me who to be friends with! Go away!” Dodging attack after attack, raw emotions drove every punch and kick. Feeling the agony traveling through my bones, fighting was getting us nowhere. Tapping my boots twice, a black tree groaned around her body. Struggling in her prison, the struggle to keep my cold expression on my features became a fucking battle. Marching up to her, my arms folded across my chest. At least, Silks never acted this damn stubborn.

“Wolfsbane wants to see you. Yet, you insist on hiding away from your duties and your only family. From what I experienced with him, he is one hell of a brother. Get out of your damn head!” I pointed out in a stressed out tone, Silks’ screams growing louder in my mind. “Silks is trapped in a hell hole, her freaking soul needing you. People need you! When was the last time you went to your territory?” Shame averted her eyes to the dirt, horror joining the mixture.

“My parents torched it before Wolfsbane killed them. You saw them ditching me in these remains. You are standing in it, you idiot.” She whispered darkly, midnight black staining her cheeks. “Why else do you think Wolfsbane went berserk on them?” Soaking in a scene of decayed rubble, a single tent crinkled in the middle. Trauma paralyzed her into the sin of Sloth, my expression softening.

“Did you want to live with Silks and I? Maybe Wolfsbane would take you in?” I proposed sincerely, cracks dancing up the thinning bark. “Some form of company has to beat living with ghosts. Trust me when I say that. I know that my mother was a monster that dragged me along like a doll on her murdering sprees. Does that make me a monster for not being able to stop her? The point is that you couldn’t stop doing what they did, just as I couldn’t stop her.” The protective edges frayed, everyone coming into view. Shutting down my spell, a branch shot from Bookworth’s spine. Cursing under her breath, words whisked us straight into the center of a ceremony. The young blonde child jumped off a simple gray slab, her feet splashing into a rainy night. Bowing down to the Seven Sins, the final one fixating on me. Shifting uncomfortably, dark energy crept out from a cracking floor. Sucking out their life energy, busted walls of an old school building taunted us. Words painted the walls, their bodies turning to stone statues. Cracks traveled up the center of the chalkboard, Bookworth’s energy beginning to flicker out.

“Time isn’t on my hands.” He wheezed dejectedly, ink pooling in his only eye. “Go on through and rescue your queen. Together you can kill this elemental. He isn’t as important as his facade presents. Thank you for this lovely experience.” Crumbling to a pile of ash, a scream of agony burst from my lips. Something had been ripped out of my soul, a piece of it dying. The chalkboard no longer remained. Ash drifted like snow on the other side, a blood soaked Silks yanking herself onto the teachers’ desk whipped me out of my sorrow. Flamios had long since passed, broken sorrow shattering the light in her eyes. Summoning her flames, the sheer power had tripled. Flamios must have imparted his powers to her completely, silent tears barely showing on the mess on her face. Collapsing into a heap, everything pointed to her limit having been met. Cracking my joints into place, the battle became mine. Summoning a forest of trees, a low hiss echoing among my trap. Sneaking up to Silks, both of us had suffered a great loss. My bunny eared friend popped up next to me, her ears drooping at the sight of a twitching Silks. Summoning a medium sized blue bunny with golden eyes, the brand new familiar bonded itself with Silks. A rabbit tattoo glowed to life on her shoulder, a bit of relief stifling the grief in my heart. Thanking her with a tired but polite smile, her eyes darted around the darkening space.

“He isn’t much but he should protect her. Bonus, he’ll send out an alarm to me if she is in a spot of trouble.” She whispered in my ear, her tail wagging. “Forgive me, my name is Harebell Slothana, the lone survivor of the Sloth district. Sorry for being a brat earlier. Wait a second, his name is Lapis. Do you forgive my sins, your majesty?” Smirking warmly in her direction, today’s losses would reward us greatly.

“Call me Rip, not your majesty. Keep up your tenacity, my dear friend.” I comforted her sincerely, her features brightening visibly. “Lapis will make her day, trust me.” Cuddling with Lapis in front of us, pale blue ice began to repair her burns. Wonder twinkled in my saddened expression, Harebell coming up with a most magnificent gift. Parting my lips to speak several times, Cal and the others sprinting up to our sides prevented me from thanking her properly. Orchid scooped up Lapis and Silks, her head nodding towards a Silks’ magic protected tent. How did she manage that? At least her friends adored her, our new team feeling like a better fit.

“Count on me to heal her right up.” She chirped cheerfully, her bright smile fading at the lack of Flamios and Bookworth. “May they rest in peace.” Patting my shoulder, mixed emotions welled up in my eyes. Staring numbly ahead, Silks was whisked away to safety. Rot killed my trees, nothing but empty shadows remaining. A chill ran up my spine, splashes of orange water taunted me.

“Mr. Rip, does that team behind you know about how you went on those hunting trips with your mother?” A cruel male voice mused darkly, a shadow darting about. “Shall we discuss the nightmare of you losing your pathetic friend called a book?" A low growl, Bookworth being a better person than he could ever be. Cocking my head to the left, none of them gazing upon me with disgust.

“So what!” Harebell shot back sadistically, weapons getting drawn. “Seems that our parents all belonged to the shitty parent club. Don’t diss a book that was alive for God knows how long. Time to take you down!” Sinking to my knees, his spell had to have a weak point. Hell, everyone had a crack to widen.

“Do what you have to!” I commanded boldly, all of them nodding. “Please buy me a spot of time.” Taking off in opposite directions, a cut on my palms via one of my claws woke a pot of ink. Focusing on the symbols racing around my head, grief blocked a fair bit of my concentration. A groaning Silks thrust me back into the current situation, different flashes of colors dotting the sky giving me a little bit of hope. Cal skidded to my side, his worried gaze not helping me figure out the spell any faster. Opening his lips, my raised hand shut down any attempt to comfort me. Dipping the tip of my finger into my blood, his own dripped into the mixture.

“How about the strength of a brother to boost your confidence?” He inquired tentatively, his own knees hitting the smooth surface “Looks like they have the fighting down packed. Bookworth wouldn’t have left this realm if he didn’t find you ready.” A point rested in his words, the last spell we created together flashing in my head. Drawing away, my fingertip danced to the song barely keeping me together. Protests fell on deaf ears as Silks stumbled over to me. Embracing me from behind, her chin rested on my shoulder. Pecking my cheek, scarlet flushed my features.

“You have this. I don’t care what I have to do but I will make a new book. Even if it nearly kills me.” She assured me sweetly, her own tears soaking my shirt. “Thank you for rescuing the queen, my dear king.” Basking in her warmth, her love was all I needed at this moment. Finishing up the last symbol, a tremble claimed my hands. Slamming my palms onto the closest symbol, a glow hummed to life. The triple circles spun around me, a thud announcing her swinging her body underneath mine. Smiling up at me, determination twinkled in her eyes. Steadying my hands, her magic combined with mine. Kissing the top of her head, the corner of our lips quivered. Nodding once, the Seven Sins rolled inches from us.

“Silence the shadows devouring the space!” We chanted together boldly, her magic empowering mine. “Purify what took our friends!” Waves of orange fire lilies and the black version of every element shot out from underneath us, vines curling around his body. Glitching in our hold, her fire lilies began to bloom within him. Pouring all we had left, his pleas flowed through one ear and out the other.

“Swallow him whole for what he did to Flamios, my dear blossoms!” She spoke softly, the lilies devouring all that was left of him. “Thank fucking god! Now do one last thing, my darling lilies. Balance the dark and the light so no one bears the burden of what went down today.” Blooming all around us, a flick of a couple of petals secured the world from a secure imbalance. Coughing up an immense amount of blood, her limp body was seconds from hitting the decaying realm. Crumbling to nothing, the original battlefield returned. Catching her in my arms, her head rested on my chest as I collapsed onto my back. Clutching her close to my chest, two family members had passed on. Sobbing uncontrollably, Cal picked up on the pile of Bookworth’s ashes. Scooping them into an evidence bag, I couldn’t help but to be touched by his actions.

“Just because he is gone doesn’t mean that he is forgotten.” He chuckled brokenly, the last piece floating to the bottom. “Cry it out. We lost a great guy tonight. On the plus side, our team has improved greatly.” Laughing between sniffles, he had a way of knowing how to cheer me up in the darkest moments.

“Many thanks for being a true pal in all the madness.” I choked out brokenly, another wave of tears breaking me down. “Why did he have to sacrifice himself! What do I tell Avery!” Exhaustion hung on my eyelids, his gentle smirk refusing to shift. Shaking his head, no answer could be given to me. Both of us knew that, my soul shattering further.

“Get some rest, buddy. We can handle the way home. Let me step up for once, ‘kay.” He chirped with a false smile, his own sorrow staining his cheeks. “Hell, we can throw one hell of a funeral for the two of them. Flamios and I had several conversations, all of them proving to be illuminating. He was quite the gentleman. I am going to miss them both.” Honesty laced those very words, everything began to triple. Praying to God to return a bit of good luck, that price shouldn’t have been paid.