Shadowbound - 1st Anniversary
On this day, a new story was born
The following story takes place after the events of the novel, Shadowbound
This is non-canon
Read yourself, or let me read to you:
The cycle closes yet again, and so too does The Magic Cone. Jake flips the sign, broom already in hand, as Kimberly gathers the empty ice cream tubs. Just because they're no longer serving customers doesn't mean that their work is over.
Especially not for Kimberly. A being had come in earlier that cycle to request a special order for an upcoming birth celebration. The list isn't long, thank the stars, but it's still a huge hassle. The important part is the timing; she doesn't want all the ice cream to melt before they're even picked up.
Lost in thought, she trudges her armful of empty tubs into the back room.
“Do you need any help with that?” Ethan asks. He's posted in the darkest corner of the room, a book open in his hand. She can just barely see his eyes staring at her expectantly. She knew he was a reader, but this is the first time she's actually seen him with something other than a school textbook.
“No, I got it,” Kimberly replies. Ethan nods and returns to his reading.
She approaches her large sink and sets the tubs aside, reaching for the tap to begin filling it with water.
“Hey, Ethan. Have you ever had a birth celebration?” she asks as she waits for the sink to fill.
“Why are you asking?” the Husk inquires, his gaze transfixed on his book.
“We got a special order for a birth celebration earlier, and it just occurred to me that we've never had one for you.”
Ethan closes his eyes for a moment. “No. I don't even have one.”
“Really? But-”
“We are created and age with time. There is no 'birth' to celebrate among the Fragments.” He raises his arms and lowers his head to shield his face from her view. His cold assertion makes Kimberly feel sad for him. Free at last with nothing exciting to look forward to. Not even a cycle to celebrate... well, himself.
The gears in her head start to turn. Wouldn’t it be nice to throw him a little party? He’s done so much already; he deserves a celebration at least!
“I'm back!” Amber's light chime announces, the distant tingle of the front door’s bell her backdrop. Kimberly can't help but perk up with excitement. Perfect timing!
Kimberly rushes out to the front. Amber is letting herself behind the counter, a basket full of fruit swinging merrily in her hands, ingredients for Kimberly's cold treats.
“Here,” Kimberly speaks, stepping forward. She plucks the basket from the Healer's hands and smoothly slides it under the counter. Then, with a smile, she extends her arms to guide Amber back to the other side, much to the Healer’s confusion.
“H-Hey,” Amber stammers, “w-what-?”
“Jake, step outside for a moment?” Kimberly says, gesturing for her two employees to head to the front door. Jake nods, regarding her with a curious gaze as he quickly sets his broom aside.
The little bell rings as the three step out into the chill of the oncoming evening.
“Boss?” Jake hums.
“What's going on, Kim?” Amber asks with mild worry.
Kimberly takes in a deep breath. “This is going to sound sudden, but... I want to throw Ethan a... creation celebration.”
The other two stare back at her, momentarily stunned.
“A 'creation' celebration?” Amber finally echoes.
“This evening?” Jake adds.
Kimberly nods. “He deserves to have a cycle to look forward to, too. He's still a being, Divine or not. So why not this evening?”
With luck, she's met with understanding looks.
“It won't be anything big or fancy,” Kimberly adds. “Just a cake and a few streamers.”
Amber's eyes light up, and so too does the air around her as sparkles glitter in the fading light. She bounces on her toes eagerly, her interest more than piqued.
Kimberly can't help but laugh, amused by her burst of energy. “I take it you already have ideas?” Amber nods back, a bright smile on her face. She doesn't explain herself; her enthusiasm speaks for her. “I guess I'll leave the streamers to you, then,” Kimberly says.
“How much paper do you have?” Amber asks.
“There's a box of scraps in the back you can use.”
“What about presents?” Jake inquires.
Kimberly pauses. She wasn't even thinking about presents. She glances up at the darkening sky where the stars start to twinkle back at them. Most stores are closed by now. Though, she doesn't want to get him nothing.
“I... don't know,” she admits. “It's probably too late for all of us to find something for him.”
“I don't really know what he likes,” Amber mutters. Kimberly casts her a sympathetic glance. To be frank, she has no idea what she'd get for Ethan, either. Though they've been friends for a while now, she doesn't actually know much about his interests. Her first ideas are accessory items for Mediums, like scented candles or a fancy kneeling cushion, but she doesn't think any of those are a good fit as a gift for Ethan.
“Hey!”
Snapped from their thoughts, the group spins around to face the being that called. Blaze tromps down the Straightway with a stormy scowl, hands shoved deep in his pockets. His goggles can't hide his sharp glare as he approaches.
“Hi, Blaze,” Kimberly greets him with some lingering cheer. “We're-”
“Where's Ethan?” the Naturist butts in. When he receives no reply, he turns to look into the shop, grumbling, “We were supposed to meet up.”
“Oh,” Kimberly hums. “Well, we're actually trying to throw him a little party this evening.”
Blaze turns back to Kimberly, an eyebrow arched high in confusion. “A party? Now?”
The three wizards nod back at him.
“We were just talking about presents,” Kimberly adds.
Jake snaps his fingers, and a flurry of embers curl their way up into the cold evening air. “Hey, you know Ethan better than us. What does he like?”
Blaze stands before the group quietly, taken aback by the sudden question. Jake is right, though; Blaze and Ethan have been tied at the hip since the beginning of their first terms. If there's any being on all of Astria qualified enough to give them ideas for presents, it's Blaze.
As the request starts to sink in, Blaze shifts his weight uncomfortably. His gaze falls to the ground as he lifts his hands from his pockets to fold his arms. His lips purse. He shakes his head. The longer the silence drags on, the more upset he grows.
“To be fair,” Amber speaks up, “none of us knew he was a Fragment Shadow.”
His mouth stiffens, taking in her words. It takes him another long moment of contemplation before he says, “He likes to learn. His latest fascination has been the Great War. He's a bit of a foodie, too. I... don't know how he'll react to presents, though...”
“What do you mean?” Kimberly asks.
“He's never expressed much interest in owning things,” Blaze answers. “I've seen his dorm before. All he has is school issued furniture. If you plan to get him anything, it better be something he'll actually want to keep around.”
The others are silent as they contemplate Blaze's answer.
“I like the idea of throwing him a party,” the Naturist adds, “but I wouldn't worry about presents. He's perfectly happy spending time with us. That's all he really wants.”
“I still want to get him something small,” Jake replies. “It could be from all of us.” The others nod in approval. Getting Ethan one present from all of them sounds better than trying to scrounge up individual presents this late into the cycle.
Jake lets out a thoughtful hum as he closes his eyes, racking his brain for any possible gift ideas.
“I’m making a cake, too,” Kimberly says to Blaze, catching him up with their plans. “I’ve got an idea that I’ve been dying to try lately. I think Eth will like it. In fact, I’m sure he’ll have never seen a cake like this one before!”
“Oh?” Blaze hums curiously, tilting his head.
The Cryomancer laughs back at him. “It's a surprise! You'll see it soon enough.” The Naturist rolls his eyes back at her, though a small grin flashes across his face briefly.
“If Eth’s into the Great War, I think I might have an idea for a present,” Jake then announces. He opens his eyes with a lack of enthusiasm as he adds, “I can't guarantee I'll be allowed to give it to him, but it's worth asking...”
“What are you thinking?” Kimberly can’t help but ask.
Jake shakes his head. “I need to ask first before I tell you what it is.”
“Alright,” Kimberly responds with disappointment. It’s probably for the best if Jake keeps his idea to himself anyway. She doesn’t want to curse it.
With everything they need finally agreed upon, she turns to Blaze. “Can you keep Ethan distracted while we set things up?”
The Naturist nods, giving her a confident grin. “Just leave him to me.”
Kimberly waves eagerly back towards the shop. “Go get rid of him so we can get started, then!”
The wizards promptly scatter. Jake rushes off down the Straightway, his fiery presence disappearing into the cold evening. Blaze takes a confused and startled Husk by the arm, hauling him out of the store to go on a small adventure of their own. Kimberly rushes to the kitchen to start on her surprise cake as Amber begins to fold and cut the discarded paper scraps at her disposal.
This is the time for all of them to shine.
* * *
The light has completely faded from the sky by now, bathing the island in the glory of the stars that sparkle with untouchable beauty. Ethan holds his hat in place on his head as he stares at the sky, keeping Blaze in the corner of his eye to avoid wandering off. They seem much brighter now. Maybe it's because he's finally allowed to enjoy them again.
“You never took me as a stargazer,” Blaze comments.
“I avoided being out at dark for a long time,” Ethan replies. Shadow swirls within him, unsettled by his statement, knowing full well the reason behind it. He pats his chest in an attempt to comfort it.
“You have a favorite spot?” Blaze asks.
“We have a few,” Ethan answers. He brings his attention back down to Asandra as his neck starts to ache. Every time he blinks, the starry night sky flashes before him, dancing across the quiet Straightway. Late night restaurants fill the air with delicious smells that makes Shadow stare at them longingly, its gaze a pair of cold pinpricks that dance across Ethan's body.
“So what was the hold-up?” Blaze inquires as they stroll, his gaze fixed on the street ahead.
“Sorry. I was reading...” Ethan mutters.
Blaze huffs and gives him a dismissive hand wave. “I was just curious.”
Still, Ethan can't help but feel bad. He had made a promise to meet with him, and he broke it.
“What's the book this time?”
Ethan's hands stray to his cape, drawing it close to him as he answers, “It's an art book. Mostly landscape sketches of Korodon before the War.”
“And?”
“What?”
“How much as the island changed since then?”
“Well...” Ethan hums, his gaze falling to the ground, “it was strange seeing Pravon before it became a crater. And Ica... it used to be quite impressive.” He falls into silence as he ruminates on the drawings. All the villages on Korodon right now are new. The old ones from the War Era were all destroyed or had to be torn down and moved inland. Ica especially was hit hard, with it being the islands major port back when the Void was still an ocean. A lot of the buildings collapsed when the Border Barrier came into being.
“We're back,” Blaze finally announces, shaking Ethan from his thoughts. Look up, he can see The Magic Cone standing only a few feet away from them, though it's changed in the time that the two wizards have been gone. The windows of the shop have been blacked out, albeit rather crudely, by a layer of black papers stuck to one another. Even the front door has been covered.
A small pit of dread sinks in Ethan's gut.
{What's going on?} Shadow asks.
[I don't know,] Ethan replies. He can't help but brace himself the closer they get.
Blaze casts his gaze to his friend momentarily before giving him a firm pat on the back. “Relax. I'm sure it's harmless.”
“I think we-” Ethan starts, only for Blaze's hand to clamp down on his shoulder and guide him to the blacked-out storefront.
“Trust me, you'll like this,” is his friend's response.
Together, they approach the door. The paper glows as they draw closer, the lights still on inside. Shadow squirms with worry, and so would he if Blaze weren't here, if this wasn't Kimberly's shop, if he wasn't friends with Jake.
{They wouldn't...?} Shadow mutters.
[No,] Ethan answers hopefully. Still, he can't help but dread that something is going to go wrong.
Blaze opens the door with ease. It's not locked, with the 'Closed' sign still hanging where it always does, the paper having been hastily stuck around it. Before Ethan can survey the room, his friend shoves him inside with a hefty push.
The front of the shop has been turned from a regular dine-in seating area to a “spooky” – by regular Medium standards – party room. The small tables cluster in the center of the room to form one decently sized eating surface. What chairs aren't in use have been stacked in one of the far corners of the room. Paper cut-outs of white skulls and black Death symbols hang across the walls in long streamers.
Before he can even ask what on Astria is going on, Amber and Kimberly spring up from behind the serving counter, yelling with arms stretched high into the air, “SURPRISE!”
“W-What-?” Ethan stammers.
Blaze laughs, gesturing to the room. “It's for you, man!”
But his confusion remains. All of this, for him? What does that mean? Why? What's the occasion? This hardly looks to have been thought out in advance.
The girls come out from behind the counter, Kimberly gesturing to the table glob and chairs in the center of the room. “Why don't you take a seat, Eth?”
“Sure...” he replies beneath his breath. He slowly staggers over to one of the chairs, Blaze not far behind him. Amber plops into the chair across from Ethan, smiling as bright as the stars in the sky, her enthusiasm radiating a comforting warmth. Kimberly sits on her left. Blaze stands on Ethan's left, his hands placed on the back of the chair he intends to take for himself.
He gives Ethan a reassuring nod. Almost in sync, the two plop down into their seats. Blaze leans back, kicking his heels up onto the table, much to Kimberly's dismayed glare. Ethan, however, perches on the edge of his seat, not quite ready to settle in.
“What's going on?” he finally asks. The question comes out more accusatory than he intended. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to make the moods of his friends waver.
“I was thinking,” Kimberly replies merrily, throwing her arms out wide, “since we’ve never had a birth... well, creation celebration for you, why not throw you one?”
He can't help but chuckle in amusement. A creation celebration, she says? What an interesting way to frame it.
What is he supposed to say back? He doesn't want to dismiss the efforts of his friends. He also doesn't believe they needed to do... well, any of this. Especially not for him.
“Where's Jake?” he inquires instead. It's odd to have a party without him present.
“He's not back yet,” Kimberly replies with a shrug. “He didn't say it'd take him this long...”
“What's he doing?”
“That's a surprise, Eth!”
He only nods back. His eyes wander away from the table and his friends, searching for small talk to busy himself with. He turns to the room hastily decorated with paper symbols.
“Did you decorate, Kim?”
Kimberly shakes her head, waving a hand at Amber. “Nope. Amber was the one in charge of that.” The Healer shrinks into her seat ever so slightly and blushes.
“Do you like it?” she asks quietly.
Ethan takes one more look around the room. To be frank, he's seen this sort of decoration many times before, but it's not like he's going to say that. Just because it isn't anything new doesn't mean he can't appreciate it for what it is.
A pair of cold hands clamp down on his shoulders as Shadow materializes behind him at last, an air of happiness radiating from it. It’s already taken a liking to the idea of a party being thrown in their honor. I do! it answers. Amber smiles back at it thankfully.
“What about you, Blaze?” Ethan asks.
“What about me?” he chuckles, giving Ethan a good punch on the arm. “I was the distraction.” Ethan can’t help but smile along. Because of course he was.
Slowly but surely, he starts to unwind. The weight of his cape presses his shoulders down as he shifts in his chair, trying to relax. If it’s just a party, there’s no reason to be so guarded around his friends. It seems like all they’re waiting on now is Jake.
“Oh, there he is!” Kimberly suddenly announces just as the little bell rings of the new arrival. She rises from her seat as Ethan spins around to greet his friend. Only Jake hasn’t come back alone.
“Azna!” Ethan exclaims in surprise. The head Healer stands in front of the doorway, his bent ears bouncing straight up now that he’s past the frame. A small rectangular object is held gingerly in his hands as he gives the gathering of young wizards a quick once-over. Jake stands off to the side with a proud grin across his face.
“I heard you were having a celebration thrown,” he says, finally stepping forward.
“I guess so,” Ethan answers slowly.
The old Feni holds the object out to him. “This is for you.”
Seeing no other option, Ethan takes the object from the Feni. It's surprisingly weighty in his hand, despite its small size. Whatever it is has been wrapped in a length of red cloth, held together by a silver string. He can only smile and shake his head as he unties the knot. Even the present must have been unplanned.
He parts the cloth to find a leather-bound book beneath it. Curious, he picks it up and inspects it. Is this a novel for him to read? A blank journal for him to use? A simple brown string holds the cover closed, squishing the pages held within. There's so many of them crammed into the little thing, he's surprised that the book isn't bulging.
He fumbles with this second knot, which unties much harder than the silver one. It's an old knot, a stiff string. The book itself smells musty, he notices, thick with the dust of old age. It only makes him more intrigued as to what it is.
The stiff string falls away, and the pages spring up as they are freed. Ethan wastes no time turning to the opening page. 'The Transcribed Journal of Captain Edwin' is handwritten in flowing black ink.
Time seems to stop as he sits there, staring at the eloquent title. His jaw almost drops. Azna still stands before him, hands folded behind his back. The calming glow of the head Healer negates much of Ethan’s shock.
It takes a while for Ethan to find his voice again.
“How...?” he breathes at last. He looks up to meet Azna's eyes, searching for answers.
{What is it?} Shadow asks, peering down at the book over Ethan's shoulder.
[Captain Edwin was friends with the General of Illusion,] Ethan explains. [But the contents of his journal were only ever transcribed for those that the General trusted. There aren't many copies of it.]
{Oh!} it hums, not seeming to sense the weight of the matter. How on Astria did Azna manage to get his hands on this? Sure, he's old, but...
The head Healer lets slip one of his rare smiles, a ray of warm light beaming down on the astonished Husk. “I thought you'd get more use out of it than I ever have.” Jake's chest puffs out with pride.
“I-I can... keep it?” Ethan stammers. Azna nods.
He looks back down at the journal once more, his fingers stumbling to find the first page. He can't wait to start reading-
“Hey!” Kimberly huffs, drawing the attention of the gathered beings. “Don't you want your cake first?”
Cake? Shadow asks, its eyes practically sparkling at the prospect of devouring a sweet treat.
“One moment!” the Cryomancer says. She skips around to the backside of the serving counter and dips her hands into the ice box where her ice cream tubs are kept for the customer's viewing pleasure. After a moment of fiddling with whatever is inside, she slowly lifts into view what appears to indeed be a circular cake.
She hefts it to the table, placing it down in front of Ethan and Shadow with a wide smile. A knife rests on the side of the platter, clearly intended to be used for cutting. Staring at it up close, there's something... off about this cake. It glistens back at him, but that's not frosting. Dare he say, it appears wet.
“Well, Eth?” Kimberly asks, giving him a nudge. “You get the first slice.”
Ethan is almost speechless. It looks so delicious that it doesn't seem real.
{Is all of this really for us?} Shadow asks as it, too, eyes the suspicious cake.
[Yes,] he replies.
Spending time with his best friend. Sitting in a room surrounded by hand-crafted decorations. Being gifted a rare book. And now presented with a cake he’s never seen before. All the while being surrounded by the beings he cares for the most. All this work...
“If you stare at it any longer, it'll start melting,” Kimberly eventually warns.
“Melt?” he can't help but echo.
Kimberly nods back. “It's a cake made out of ice cream, after all.”
A genuine, merry smile finally worms its way across Ethan’s face as he raises the knife. It slides smoothly through the cake, the misty chill of the ice cream licking his fingers. Kimberly pushes forward a stack of small plates as he works to retrieve the first wedge.
Azna pulls up an extra chair, inviting himself to the table, as Kimberly passes around the slices of cake as Ethan cuts them. He doesn’t mind the Feni’s presence. He would have asked Azna to stay anyway.
“This looks delicious, Kim!” Amber comments in awe.
Kimberly grins back at her and gestures to Ethan. “We should let him take the first bite.”
All eyes turn once more to Ethan expectantly. A small nervous chuckle escapes Ethan’s mouth as he reaches for his fork. It stabs through the cake with ease, as though the slice was made of air.
He looks up at all who have gathered and gives each one of them an approving nod. “Thank you,” he says, right from the core of his being. He turns to Shadow, who smiles back at him with its own bite at the ready. They reach out and tap their forks together before taking a taste of Kimberly’s gift in unison.
{[Here’s to us.]}
* * *
Lukri stares out at the dark horizon as the cold night air washes over the dunes. Guards patrol the palace walls not far away from his balcony, their torches flickering in the night, thin wisps of smoke trailing off into the sky above. Despite the cold, he fights back the urge to sleep as best he can. In part, this is training. He also doesn’t want to go to bed just yet. He’s waiting for someone to pay him a visit first.
“What a night, huh?” a voice asks from behind. Lukri turns with a smile as Ethan steps from the shadows. His cape flutters behind him, waving back at the Serperas in greeting.
“Hello!” Lukri greets him. The Husk walks right up to the balcony railing and leans forward, eyes on the sky above. The stars sparkle and dance, making his onyx eyes glow with the warmth of life.
“How hungry are you?” Ethan eventually asks. Lukri blinks back, mildly confused. What an interesting way to start a conversation.
“A little,” Lukri replies. “Why?”
Ethan laughs back. He straightens and holds out a hand. The darkness of night rushes to his wordless call, and in a puff of black smoke a plate appears in his palm, complete with a fork and what looks to be a slice of cake. He holds it out to Lukri expectantly.
“For me?” Lukri asks. Ethan simply nods back.
He takes the plate and fork from his hand. The plate itself is chilly as he holds it, with some strange ghostly mist rolling from the cake. Is this normal for wizard cake to do? he can't help but wonder as he drives the fork into it, more than ready to give it a taste.
The cake is cold on his tongue, akin to that ice cream that Kim-bie makes, and very sweet, too. He can taste a tinge of fruit somewhere in there as the cake rapidly melts in his mouth, but he can't say what it could possibly be. It must be a wizard fruit.
Still, he smiles in delight as he goes for a second bite. Whatever this cake is, it's delicious!
“You like it?” Ethan asks. All of a sudden, he, too, holds a plate of his own. He has a bite poised on his fork, but he appears to be waiting for Lukri to answer before digging in himself.
Lukri nods back vigorously. The Husk can only laugh and finally starts to eat his own treat. They turn back to the empty dunes and sparkling stars as they dine, enjoying each other's company.
~* Happy First Anniversary, Shadowbound! *~
