"Stop," The cloaked figure demanded. Things were getting out of hand, even she could see that. Sacha was covered in goop, and stood on wobbly legs. Luke was cradling his now bruised sides, and Gary...she was screaming the most odd of phrases, profanities, and were those even threats? She watched blankly as her friend shoved Jasper to the ground and strode towards the scene, pipe still held tightly in her hand. "Gary," she placed a hand on her friend's head, almost as if she were petting a crying sheep or skittish puppy. "Stop it," she reached for her friend's hood and gave it a soft tug.
??? sighed then gave the humans a worried glance. Didn't they understand? Didn't they realize the urgency.
They needed the list. She couldn't remember why at the moment but it had been for something
very important . She focused her eyes on Jasper before glancing at each of the humans. Eventually, her gaze landed on Harper and the boy froze, his hands clenching into fists. "Tell me, when were you born?" Her voice had a certain confidence to it and it scared Harper, confused him, and made butterflies flutter inside his stomach.
"What?" Harper snapped. He had battled a chaotic star, had shot strawberry tarts down its throat, and had nearly drowned! This wasn't funny at all. They wanted out of Nowhere and to do that they needed the living list. It was the only way out, the only thing that would get them home. "Is this some kind of joke to you?" He brought a hand to his cheek and winced when he felt a slight sting. The girl had punched him hard...he was sure to get a nasty bruise later, but it was Hakuren that concerned him the most. The boy's head was bleeding and he was still smiling! How much blood had he lost, and would he be alright? "Listen, this might be some sick game to you...but to us it isn't." He was trembling with rage. "We have family and friends waiting for us, but we can't see them, not till we complete this list."
"When we're you born?" The girl repeated, and this time Harper noticed the sympathy in her voice.
He let out an exhausted sounding laugh. "I was born on the--" he didn't remember. "W-What?" The boy's eyes furrowed in confusion as a wave of panic shot throughout him. He tried to remember but all he could come up with was a blank. His head began to throb, "I-I don't know! I really don't."
She frowned then looked to the others. "When we're you born?" Not a single one of them could remember. "That's right, none of you can answer."
Luke frowned, he actually looked sympathetic. "In Nowhere, time is the first to go." He paused to let out a low whistle, "there's really no rush."
"No rush?" Harper exploded. "We need to finish that list
soon. We're running out of time!"
"No," she sounded almost sad when she responded. "We have all the time in the world."
Who were these people, and why did they look so human? They scared him more than the chaotic star ever could and more than the siren's eerie song. He was so angry, yet for some reason, a part of him felt sorry for them too. "Really, who are you?"
"I do not know." Came a soft reply.
Harper turned to look at the others. What were they supposed to do now? Attack? They had the list, but the four cloaked figures were blocking the entrance. Well, until Songbird strode past them without so much as a struggle. The fluffy nobody made his way towards Jasper and helped the girl to her feet. Not long after, all the other guides came waltzing in, putting an end to the cloaked figure's reign of terror.
"You're all here," Serenade let out a relieved sigh. She glanced at the humans and noticed that they were all worse for wear, but they were alive and that was what mattered the most. "Why didn't you return to the meeting place--" The black rabbit froze when she noticed
them. Cycles could fly by, but she wouldn't forget. "You..." Those four were somewhat a ghost story in Nowhere. They appeared in the most random of places, havoc trailing in their wake. The queen's guards could never find them, but here they were, face to face with the wanted criminals.
“Welp, no matter, lez go guise!”"Yes, it'd be best if we left." Before the guides could react, ??? walked out, just like that. Gary followed after her, assisting a wobbly and goop covered Sacha and Luke he stayed behind for a little while and even had the audacity to smile. "Long time no see, Serenade. Songbird, you're looking just as grouchy and...who are you again?" He let out a hearty laugh as he gave them all an energetic wave. He heard his friends yelling at him to hurry up and after a few more seconds jogged out the door with the silliest smile stuck to his face.
The cave went quiet, the enemies walked out the door and the guides made their way in.
"Haaaaakuren~!" The bleeding boy was tackled into a hug. "Oh, golly! You're bleeding! Is Haku okay?" The white rabbit circled around him, looking him up and down. She'd make sure to coddle him later. "Who were they? Do you want me to go after them!" The white rabbit pulled down on both her ears and let out a loud sigh. How could they hurt such a pretty face?
Cello noticed how Leon and Ace weren't much better, but neither looked hurt. "Hey...good to see you guys are okay? I guess we came just in time huh?" The nobody walked towards the fallen Leila and offered her both a smile and a helping hand.
Serenade however remained fixated on the cave's entrance. "It really was them...Songbird, I recognized them too. This isn't good." She shook her head before looking at the humans. "I'm glad you're all here and I'm sorry we couldn't have come earlier. Those people are bad news, I didn't know they'd be here...it's been so long since any of them made an appearance. Really, I apologize." She walked towards the humans. "Let's go--" the guide's eyes went wide, and a sad humming filled the room.
She had been waiting in the pond all along, waiting for them to find her.
The siren sangIt was a different song, an invasion of the senses that rendered them unable to move or utter a single word. It brought them to their knees and even the guides couldn't do a darned thing about it. Flashes of Serena's past came to life before them and the singing painted pictures of that dreaded day.
"Please, we need all the help we can get." It was ???
A beautiful nobody with lights in her hair and stars in her eyes frowned. "I can take you and your friends in."
Another cloaked figure appeared, this time a boy with black hair and an air of confidence to him. "Really? I mean we don't wanna get you involved or anything, but we really need a place to stay. Gary and Sacha are trying to ask the cakesmith..."
"You can stay," and with those words Serena sealed her fate.
"I heard from a certain crocodile that you've been housing criminals?"
"Of course not, mayor. I've done no such thing." Serena flashed him a smile.
Mayor Spicy Tuna rolled his eyes. "Men, search the house."
Serena bolted the door shut, and the Mayor knew it was true.
"I...I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The boy in the cloak was hysterical.
Serena was smiling. "Just...just go, all of you...go now!"
Four cloaked figures, one decision. If they left they'd be condemning her to death. If they stayed they'd be found.
"You didn't have to help us," the girl sounded just as desperate.
"I didn't have to, Caitlyn. I wanted to."
The girl froze, the boy pulled her away and the four cloaked figures made their escape through the window, the darkness swallowing them whole.
"Serena! They can't take you away. Oh, please, oh, please don't leave me." Marina clung to her friend's arm, desperate.
The woman ran a hand through the child's hair. "I'm so sorry."
The cheering of a crowd.
The coolness of the water.
The stillness of her heart.
Serena was drowned, but not for being a witch. She was drowned for being a traitor.
The singing ceased and Harper regained the ability to think straight. He was curled up on the ground, hands over his ears and eyes shut tight. He couldn't understand what had happened and he didn't really want to. He remained on the ground until Serenade yanked him up. The stern guide looked horribly pale, in fact, the song had affected everyone in the room. "We need to leave, now."
"W-What about them? What about the siren?" His gaze fell onto the list, the second item, the siren's song, it was gone.
The siren's song was her life.
