Twelfth Conflagration

[alittleblackmagic]

[private, hackable to family and friends]
Sis . . .

You remember?  When we were younger . . . Back when I first learned to walk.  I'd almost got the hang of it, but I just couldn't stop myself from tumbling over and crashing into things all the time -- Of course, you'd managed it perfectly already.  And even then, you'd already honed your 'Stop that Palom!' expression down to an art.  But you held my hand.  You didn't let me give up.  So we did it . . . together.  We've always done everything together . . . And you promised you would always be with me.  I promised you the same thing.

So how . . . How am I supposed to manage this by myself, sis?  How?

 . . .  You've gotta come back.  P-Please . . . I can't.  I can't do this alone.  I can't!  It's too hard.  It's just too hard . . . Oh, sis!  Why?!  It's not fair . . . We're not supposed to go solo.  Neither of us . . . We're not meant to be alone.  We're twins.  Black and white, night and day, yin and yang!  Snap out of it, Porom!  Wake up!  Stop saying those things!  You can't do this to me; you can't you can't you can't you can't you can't!

Porom!  Porom Porom Porom don't leave . . . Don't leave . . .

Don't leave me alone, sis . . .

((Those in the park about an hour after this phone conversation would do well to avoid the little boy throwing a huge tantrum.))

Comments

[iamtheforest.livejournal.com]

What's this, what's this? The wizard boy lacks his usual composure!

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

I HATE THIS TOWN I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT AAAAAAAAUGHHHHH!

[A few fireballs go whizzing by Coyote. Otherwise, Palom pays him no mind.]

[iamtheforest.livejournal.com]

[Coyote prances between the fireballs, laughing all the while.]

Ahahahaha! Don't we all, boy, don't we all!

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

I HATE EVERYTHING! STOP LAUGHING WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING

[Palom sobs freely, his tears freezing as icicles begin to shoot out every which way.]

[k1-sauce.livejournal.com]

[In the park, likely playing around with his new baseball glove and a ball, probably with a drone kid. Lacking common sense and self preservation, Keiichi notices and goes up to Palom.]

Hey, uh! Palom! That was his name, right? Hey! What's wrong?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

. . . Nothing. Go away.

[His face is tear-stained and smeared with mud; Palom continues to violently chuck sticks and rocks at a nearby tree.]

[k1-sauce.livejournal.com]

Nothing, huh?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Nuh. Thing. At. All.

[Snap! One of tree's branches cracks and smashes to the ground.]

[itwillgrow.livejournal.com]

[ In the park, wandering around and getting used to the town, little eleven year old crusader child thing. ]

What are you crying about?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Everything. Go away.

[A swing of his staff sends a dozen arrows thudding into the bark of another tree; Palom rips one out and continues to stab it repeatedly into the trunk, taking a certain perverse pleasure in doing so.]

[itwillgrow.livejournal.com]

[ And she would, but... ] How the heck did you do that?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Magic. Go away.

[He abandons the mage arrows and settles for chucking a really large rock into the pond and watching them sploosh.]

[snackaholictank.livejournal.com]

Palom?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

. . . What.

[snackaholictank.livejournal.com]

...Are you gonna be okay?

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

. . . Iunno. Maybe. What's OK?

[bustydefense.livejournal.com]

Palom...

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

It's not fair, Mia! It's not supposed to happen to her!

[bustydefense.livejournal.com]

I know.

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Then why?! I hate this place I hate it I hate it I hate it

[rainbowbrush.livejournal.com]

[Relm just watches the scene for a bit before silently walking up to Palom.]

Stop that.

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Why should I listen to you?!

[rainbowbrush.livejournal.com]

'Cause I'm smarter and more talented than you!

[rainbowbrush.livejournal.com]

...And you're not the only person that's lost someone you care about here!

[prodigious-mage.livejournal.com]

Yeah? Well, no one else has lost their twin, I bet. And stop hallucinating.