The Forgotten Zodiac

"I didn't leave you, Welk," Werr said quietly, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and trying to clean up the icing mess. "I didn't go far at all. I was coming back. Please, calm down, little brother..." He pried Welk off of his head and hugged him close to his chest, ignoring the icing mess he was making all over his royal clothing. Werr looked up at Cynyr then and shrugged, sitting down so Cynyr could help him comfort their Spectral freind.

((Good morning, pretty Trinny~))

((Hee hee~ Good morning, how's everthang?))

The panther stepped close immediately, flicking his ears back and touching his ripped-up muzzle gently to the back of Welk's tiny head. "Shh, Welk. You'll make yourself sick," he said softly, flicking his long tail frontwards to curl around Werr's leg. He sat back on his haunches and lifted his front paws, resting one lightly on Werr's leg and the other on his arm. Welk sniffled and made general sad sounds as Werr ran the handkerchief over him. "I'm so...tired..." he said, his breath hitching in the manner of someone who had cried hard.

((Goin' good. About to start mai homework. You should be writing. :3))

"You can go to sleep then, Welk. We promise, we won't leave you here. You have to come with us, after all...we're going to put you back into your own body soon. So calm down, Welk," Werr hugged Welk tightly. "I won't even put you down again, if that'll make you feel better..."

((I am~ I'ma doing writin', and talkin' with a bunny, and roleplaying my most favorite rp ever, and and and...yeah. :3))

Welk immediately shook his head, saying "No. No, don't put me down unless you promise to keep close. It was torture to be taken from you both before. My family. I can't survive being ripped away again. The pain...the pain Malice put me through...it was like I couldn't scream loud enough..." He shook his head, pressing close to Werr and holding on tightly to his fingers.

Cynyr frowned sadly, watching Welk for a moment longer before saying "Okay, you need a warm bath in the sink and a nap in Werr's pocket. Come on." He nudged Werr's arm, lightly so as not to disturb Welk, then said "You take Welk, I'll handle the last details." He pulled back and stood up, watching them both quietly.

((xD Yaaay~))

Werr nodded and headed towards his room, where the bathroom sink was big enough to fit little Welk. Nevermind the fact that he had icing all over his clothes, Werr was prepared to give up his entire castle if that would comfort poor Welk. "I know how it feels," He murmured to his friend. The torture Obelisk had put him through two years ago in that final battle with a controlled Obelisk...that had been the worst feeling Werr had ever felt in his life. And now, his dear friend could very well have been through worse...

Welk hiccupped softly, still giving tiny after-sobs once in a while, but when Werr gently lowered the Spectral into the (to him) ocean of warm water, he gasped and clung to Werr's hand, refusing to let go. He was shaking slightly, his ears tucked tightly down against his head, as if afraid of drowning. He dug his tiny fingers into Werr's hand, holding on so hard that he made his own fingers hurt. He slowly began to relax as the warmth of the water seeped into him, helped by small strokes of Werr's other hand.

"It's okay," Werr reassured his friend, using a rag and a little soap to finish wiping the icing off of his friend. After that, he sat there with both hands in the water, holding onto Welk and keeping him in the warm water of the sink. "There you go. All clean. Just relax," He smiled down at his little brother, nothing but gentle.

Welk sighed, slowly loosening his grip on Werr's arm. He was able to rest his head against Werr's wrist and close his crimson eyes, slowly starting to drop off into slumber. He managed to twist his ghostly tail around Werr's finger, murmuring "Don't leave me...brother..." before falling asleep completely. He was limp in Werr's hands, just a tiny little being that had experianced more troubles that his young life had needed.

Werr sighed when Welk was asleep. He pulled him from the sink and drained it, grabbing a hand towel and drying Welk off quickly. He then walked to his bed and slid under the blankets, setting his hand and Welk down on one pillow and resting his own head on another. He wasn't all that tired, but he knew that if he tried to leave the room without Welk, it would only serve to make the Spectral upset. So until Welk woke up again, their trip to Amnairus would have to be put on hold.

((Done with homework~ :3))

It seemed as though Werr merely blinked. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, and when he opened them again, everything had changed.

He was standing in the castle's chapel, surrounded by all of his friends. Everyone was wearing black, and many were...crying? When he glanced to his left, he saw Cynyr kneeling on the ground, sobbing, with Seria bent next to him, holding him close in her arms even as tears poured down her own face. Everything around Werr seemed oddly bright or distorted, like a dream or vision.

Not to mention the large coffin sitting on the altar in front of him.

He wasn't close enough to see who was inside; that required steps to be taken.

Werr did indeed walk forward, frowning. Was this some twisted version of his own funeral? What kind of nightmare was this? He pushed away his nagging questions, fearing the absolute worst inside the coffin. Forin? Nate? No, they were both standing off to the side, comforting their loved ones. Welk? Could Welk be in the grave? Werr had a nagging feeling that whoever it was, it wasn't good, if Cynyr was crying like that...

When he looked in the coffin, Welk's lifeless image met his eyes.

His skin pale and cold, with his arms folded across his chest, Welk was completely and utterly dead. He was regular size again, but judging by the sheer mass of horrible burns on his right arm, he had gone through something bad. There were burns on the rest of his body as well, despite the clean, neat suit he was wearing. A large burn had tore across his left cheek, and the fingers of his burned arm looked twisted beyond any form of repair.

Blood suddenly swept over the side of the coffin in a wave, leaving dripping words on the ground in front of Werr.

What are you willing to lose for the sake of the entire world?

Werr staggered backwards, jerking his head around as someone screamed behind him. Forin? Diana? Both of them were gone...Luen and Luna were next, just...vanishing. And then Nate, Seria -- "No! Anything but my friends!" He threw himself on Cynyr, although the half-cat didn't seem to notice. Just kept crying. "Anything but my friends, please...! I'll give up my throne, my riches and glory! I'll give up any memories I have, all of my knowledge and wisdom, but leave my friends alone! I'll...I'll give up myself if I have to!" He wept bitterly, hugging Cynyr as tightly as he could.

The panther turned bloodshot eyes onto Werr, saying in a haunted voice "We lost him. We'll never see him again." Suddenly, the panther's entire form wavered, arching upwards into a feral purple-black dragon with dripping sinister jaws that roared to the sky, crying out all he had lost. All they had lost.

Then Werr had seemed to blink again and was laying in his bed, Welk still a tiny Spectral and sleeping in his hand, curled up in a small circle and looking as adorably innocent as usual.

Werr shivered, feeling numb. His lips trembled as he thought about what happened. What that twisted dream had brought up. He dragged the pillow with Welk on it closer, holding his dear friend tight. He had spoken the truth, though; he would give his own life if it would secure Welk's freedom. Welk...poor Welk...he couldn't get the image of his friend, burned and killed, out of his mind. The blood, so much blood...Werr was soon crying quietly into his pillow, his hands still around the Spectral.

Welk shifted a bit, unconsciously sensing Werr's despair, then he slowly opened his eyes. He was still very tired, and seemed to be in an almost sleep-walking-like state. He blinked slowly, then climbed out of Werr's hand and made it up to his shoulder, curling close around the boy's neck. He tucked his arms in and rested his head right against Werr's chin, laying a tiny little hand on his throat and stroking ever so gently. "Don't...cry..." he murmured, already going back to sleep. "Because I...cry...too..." He slipped away again, his hold still as tight as ever.

Werr wiped his eyes, shaking his head. "Sorry..." He murmured, trying to stop himself from crying so Welk could sleep on his neck in peace. He eventually did stop, though a few tears slipped out every now and then.

"Knock-knock," Nate opened the door, peeking in. He didn't look on for long. He was just checking in on them, he explained to Werr quietly, then he left again. Sylas came in next, but he took one look at Werr in bed and figured that his son was asleep. He left immediately, probably to explain to the others that Werr was napping with Welk.

Sometime later, Welk sat up, rubbing his eyes wearily. He felt much better having slept, and he discovered that he didn't hurt quite so badly anymore. Perhaps an after-effect of the warm water and Werr's gently caresses, but he didn't feel quite so bad. He glanced around, then looked at Werr and smiled slightly. He leaned against Werr's cheek, gently stroking the boy's skin with his tiny hand. "Are you okay...?" he asked softly, keeping his long tail against Werr's neck.

Werr looked up at Welk. "Yeah...I just...had a bad dream again. Nothing unusual..." He murmured, looking away. "It was...pretty bad. I kind of...I don't know. It was really vivid. And scary...you...you were dead, see." He laughed a little bit at the ridiculousness of such an idea, but he stopped laughing quickly and shivered again. "And there was a question...what I was willing to give up in order to save the world. It's not...it's not going to be you. I won't give you up..." He murmured, stroking Welk gently as he trembled.

Welk closed his eyes for a moment, then his little form shivered and he managed to form himself into a miniature lion, draped over Werr's neck and cheek. He rested his paw against the boy's skin, rubbing his muzzle against the spot near Werr's eye. "It's okay," he soothed. "I'm here, and I refuse to go anywhere. You can't make me, and neither can Malice or the world itself. I'm here to stay, and I'll fight anyone that tries to make me leave." He gave a small flick of his tail, then said "I'll fight until I can fight no more, then pick myself up and make myself keep fighting."