Star Child

Chapter XVII: Wandering

BEGIN ACT 2

Outside the house in which the Tsukino's lived was the light layer of snow that glowed brightly under the surprisingly luminescent gray clouds that blocked out the source of light. The trees, skeletal in the winter sun, were blowing slightly in the wind. Those that had lost their leaves were now juxtaposed harshly against both the snow and the evergreens.

            Her breath shallow, Ms. Tsukino stepped out into the old snow, against the whipping winds that blew her scarf up around her face. She left the cat with a large bowl of food and water, and a clean litter box, since she felt that she wouldn't be home for a while.

Her long, straight black hair was almost tangled with the scarf that was speckled with stars. When looking at the scarf, Ms. Tsukino couldn't help think about Nicolas' father... she had to confront him.

It was apparent to Ms. Tsukino that he had abducted their son, and that just didn't work for her. So she trudged through the snow, following the low glitter of the shimmering remnants of the shooting-star Observatory. It couldn't be seen from here; no, a tower like that was only visible with influence from the magic of the Wood.

She had seen the shooting stars in the sky that night.

Nicolas' father was beckoning him into the woods with some sort of spell; likely it was to take claim of the child. But in the back of her mind, Ms. Tsukino thought about the mythos she had hear of from the strange, dark woods that seemed to set up shop around her house.

The star child... it was one of the myths in the Wood, exclusive to the ears of those who lived in that enchanted forest. She didn't quite remember the details of the story, but she did remember the story consisting of a child made of stars. Because that isn't blatantly obvious.

Closing her eyes, she approached the stillness of the woods around her house, which was odd because the wind had been blowing rather fiercely prior to her approaching. In the distance, a glittering golden beacon shone. Ms. Tsukino opened her eyes and stared gravely at the light of the Observatory.

And she stepped into the woods.

***

There was a light swinging above him, and the walls were a bright white that nearly blinded his half open eyes. He was slipping in and out of consciousness; counting multiple shadowy figures above him, Nicolas heard the mumbling of voices that drowned in and out of existence.

In his ear, he heard Catrina's voice whisper something in its flowery Spanish, though Nicolas couldn't make out any of the words. Even if he had, he probably wouldn't have been able to understand them.

Instead, his mind was filled with darkness and stars as he laid with a bullet wound in his stomach or chest... he didn't quite remember where the bullet had lodged itself. Nicolas' memory was not the most reliable source of recounting events. Of course, he did remember things that have happened. Remembering things and just memory in general, seemed distant to him. Even processing basic information was becoming a grinding, worn machine to Nicolas.

And even now, his thoughts were slipping away as he wandered between the lines between consciousness and unconsciousness. When he was unconscious, he dreamed of a deep voice whispering glittering words at his face with an almost paternal sense that seemed familiar yet distant to Nicolas.

It spoke of the war, but Nicolas couldn't understand the words. The sound sounded familiar, but the words... the words were sloppy and fading in Nicolas. He did make sense of a few words though; war, angels, demons, trust, betrayal, stars and beast. The last word that Nicolas could make sense of was eyes and it echoed in his mind as the moving light became clearer. Nicolas figured that the words would make more sense when he woke up.