Star Child

Chapter XII: Invitations to the Party

When Nicolas awoke, he felt clearer than he had been for the past few hours, if they had been hours, which they were. In any case, he felt himself and discovered he was no longer a wind spirit, or in that form anyway. Which was both good and bad for him.

Pro, he began to think of while wandering through the corridors of the prison, trying to piece what he remembered of it back together. I no longer have to deal with the vague and confusing feeling I got from it. Con, I will probably die now. Priorities, priorities.

In any case, as Nicolas was just about to turn a corner, he peered upon a familiar face. Well, it had to be a familiar face, as it was the face of Death. Nicolas let out a meek gasp and jumped slightly, peering upon the painted skeletal face. Not acknowledging any boundaries, she instantly grappled Nicolas in a bony hug and pat his head.

"Hola, mi amor," her voice was shrill in the empty, maze-like corridor. "And how are you, this fine evening?" Rolling his eyes, Nicolas crossed his arms and attempted to pass her. "Don't be so rude, you don't even remember the way out, mi amor! Let me guide you; without others to help you get through, you may find that getting where you want takes twice the amount of work," she chuckled lightly and held Nicolas' shouders. They walked for a ways, passing that weird portal that Nicolas had seen before, and swerving through the catacombs of rusty golden cells.

"Look, I appreciate you helping," whispered Nicolas back, "but I just want to get out of here unseen and meet back up with Theo and Selena, to prove that I'm not dead." As soon as he said this, he realized how hard this would be to do by himself. He was just a human after all; how much could he do? He didn't even know where they were, or how long he had been knocked unconscious. "And I don't want to be a part of any war, so don't ask.

La Catrina adjusted her demeanor as they walked through the halls. "Well el chico de la estrellas that seems like quite a bit to tackle on your own." The clicking of her heels as Nicolas and her sped through the tunnels were muffled by her long, red dress, which left red flower petals as she walked. Luckily there were no more guards down here, for some reason; also, the flower petals dissipated into glittering sparks moments after, which looked nice, though Nicolas couldn't marvel at them for long. "We're here," she whispered in his ear.

Indeed they were; the doors that lead out from under the grand staircase where Nicolas had taken a tumble was right in front of them open widely. Suddenly, he felt La Catrina's bony presence disappear, and he was left alone in the grand foyer of the Du Ciel Chateau. From the foyer, he could hear a large commotion inside, though he wasn't sure where, as the noise echoed in the grand room.

Humming effortlessly, the crystal chandelier hung yards above Nicolas' head, twirling softly and slightly as Nicolas maintained eye contact with it. It was then he noticed some things on his shoulders; an invitation in a crimson envelope, a note that read: 'enjoy the party and good luck, mi amor,' an elegant red mask decorated with small glittering speckles in the shape of stars, and a small bunch of flower petals in a tiny glass bottle, with instructions reading 'blow me.'

That last one sounds kind of if-y, Nicolas thought to himself, and smiled in thought, looking down to his body. There, he found that his sweater and star-attire had been replaced with a polka-dotted white t-shirt; the polka-dots were stars however. His pants and boots had also been replaced with black jeans and blue canvas sneakers.

He then felt his skin, which previously had been grimy with the dirt of his time spent in this strange wonderland. It was now smooth, as if he had showered and moisturized with coconut oil just moments before. Also, that was a strangely specific simile. In any case, he felt his hair, which was slicked back and wavy; not messy like it had previously been.