Chapter Text
A huge amount of people were over in the palace's gate screaming like fangirls who discovered the place their favorite idol is staying. (Something he thought to be impossible.)
"Ghueek! Guess the rumor was true." The ash haired man whined pathetically.
"Brotto! Less whining and more roading!" Garfiel screamed. He was standing in front of the chariot opening the path.
"Eh! What rumor?" Subaru asked, confused.
"O-h-o hohohoho~! Our dear internal minister is talking about the rumored iridescent!" Roswaal is always in its jesterly ways.
"Like a tarot, 8 ball lady?"
"Natsuki-san, I don't have any idea what you just said!"
"I heard that she could predict the future with exceeding precision." Silver bells chimed in with excitement.
"Yes, I suppose she called herself a Stargazer."
"Wh-what! A seer that calls herself a stargazer... she's an astrologer!" He concludes.
"An... as-tro-go-ler?" Emilia says confused.
"An astrologer! Someone that sees the future through the stars… it really takes me back home."
"WE ARE IN!"
//
"I don't think I ever got to enjoy the capital without a death theater looming over." Subaru mused out loud. "I've had the company of such cutie while I was~" *Pat* *Pat*
"Obviously, Betty is the best one." Beatrice inflates her chest proudly.
It had been a relaxed day. He accompanied Emilia and Roswaal to some business on the castle, he had gotten excused earlier because there was nothing to do, so he decided to let Emilia and Otto shine, Ros-chi did... whatever his thing was.
"Uhm! What's happening there?" He put Beatrice over his shoulders as it would be difficult to walk at such a crowded place with a kid.
POW! "Whoa!"
"You thought of something infuriating in fact!"
"Sorry— Sor—"
.
.
.
I recognize this
Just 8 normal points. It would mean nothing to everyone else, but for those who liked stars. Stars from earth.
"—aru, Subaru!" Beatrice was calling him to no avail. He walks until he is just a few meters away, the bustling mob that was in front of the stand begins quieting down as the stargazer and knight enter a stare contest.
"Aquila... The eagle." He squinted his eyes.
"...Pleiades; of seven." She had her face completely covered by a cape, but was definitely staring at him.
"...Betty doesn't understand…" She had a frown and was looking at both as if to get an explanation.
"I... didn't expect to see another of my kind here; not like I could ever predict someone with a better hold of the future, ha!"
"I just didn't try to see... I like surprises! But; please call me Subaru, it's how I prefer." Shrugging his arms he says the last part.
"And so I ask you to call me Altaira like everyone else."
"Really?" He asks to confirm his ears who are deceiving him, he had an incredulous face.
"Hey! I really like Aquila!" She points at the colleague's good hearted teasing. "Now with the introduction out of the way... why did you come here? Wanna me to peak at your love life, hwe~ hwe~."
"Nah, thanks but I would like just a tarot session more. My Beako might like it—! Ouch." Someone tapped his head with force.
"That's what you get for ignoring Betty!" All the mob was only whispering as to not interrupt whatever the hero of Pristella and the seer are doing.
"Beako~!" He cries "I'm sorry. It's just that seeing someone from my hometown and especially a stargazer too, plays some strings in my heart." He cluches his heart and falls slowly.
"Fu! You two really got a good compatibility."
"Humph; you just now saw? Maybe you really are a fraud." Beatrice mockingly replied.
"What is the number?... Oh! 3 for the first day; 4 for the first week; 5 slothfulness ends for the month and 5 more for the tea party to end." Golden light reflects in two circles as she pulls her hood down.
Her face was old, wrinkles that proved her age adorning her white skin, that contrasted with her black long hair where white strands could be seen; evil yellow eyes that seemed to direct every detail of the world as if it saw beyond everything and everyone.
"W-what are you even talking about?" "Beako! please..." Beatrice fell silent as her contractor words felt heavier than even his worst night.
"Why?*" Subaru uttered something, no one understood... well no one except the destined one.
(English*)
"I think you should be more specific my dear.*" People were looking confused as the rest responded in the unintelligible tongue too.
"You know damn well! Aquila.*" His words dripped with venom and anger with a tinge of fear and anxiety.
She takes a notepad and a ballpoint pen and starts writing down, not looking down. "Now; you should compose yourself. This is no place for this conversation. But it is what it is.*" She flips the notepad to him.
**[She is hearing. Do not react.]**
The familiar symbols make the knight's eyes start to water. But he didn't. ‘Japanese, hun. It's been some time’
"Hai. Hai! Sorry I overreacted." He picks up the pace and the pen. "But hey! You spying a little, my future is still on the table?"
| How? |
He wrote messily as he was trembling.
"Of course dear, for a colleague like you it's always on the table." Her expression
showed happiness and maternal care for the youngling.
| I don't even know what those words that I said and wrote really mean. But I can see beyond the masks. It tells me everything I need to know for now. |
"Thanks Gram-Gram!" He happily replied. Beatrice is confused and frustrated but still maintaining a face.
| How do I look? Without it.|
Altaira looks at the notepad and then at the boy.
Broken black shards are still maintained only by a possessive purple string that seemed to claim every piece of his body, as if jealous of the soul itself for touching what it possesses. Another, light purple string, straight from the boy's heart to the start of a child's silhouette made of... books that form a spectrum of happy to sad, the further it gets from boy.
.
.
.
| Broken |
She places the deck down on her side.
"Now I am going to take 3 cards, and they will tell me your fate!" She pulls out the first card, puts it in front of herself and turns toward Subaru.
"18", "The Moon, upright."
| Fitting |
"Second card." She pulls another.
"13, Death, upright." The image of a skull with a bright latent came into view. Everybody was holding their breathing, everybody minus the one reading and the one being read.
| You really are more relaxed and natural than you should. |
"Third card." The last card is pulled.
"12, Hanged man.”
The image of a man trying to reach a woman sprawled on the ground as strings involve him, him being tied up on a hand bigger on the upper part of the card
| Just a part of living with it. When should we meet to speak more freely? |
| 15 days on the Southern Tower. 17:30 |
"Now I am going to explain the cards.
Moon; delusion and lies.
Death; end.
Hanged man; sacrifice, new perspective.
**Natsuki Subaru.**" Her yellow eyes start to glow and a blood tear rolls down her left eye.
"You will die in the span of 14 days, counting today. In sacrifice for what you love the most."
The cards rise above her head and start shining. The figures before undetailed now had begun to take form. The skull gained its dark luster inside the silver helmet that now had an orange plume.
The animals on the moon card fused to form a familiar silhouette touching the moon reflected on the surface of the dark lake.
The woman on the hanged multiplied, one had silver hair with golden chains linked to the darkness with a purple hint. The other was smaller with golden twin tails and ropes around her hands linked to nothing and tips burning up, the last one had small blue hair and was in maid outfits silver chairs linked her hands with her head.
| **See you there.** |
"Sniff... sniff—" "N-No! Subaru can't die! You promised B-Betty!" The great spirit hugged him tight. She knew the seer reputation. 100% precision. She said it happened. No one received death and survived.
"The Hero..." "...dying?" “ wasn't he the one who survived the fight against the archbishops?" "...It must be a joke!" "...But isn't her prediction always right?" "...So, that would mean that he…”
Is going to die.
The mob were in various degrees of disbelief, fear, dread and despairing.
"Any luck numbers?" He jokingly said as he picked up and started walking her crying figure.
"Just one, don't dwell too much."
"See you in 15 days, Gram!" His face had the same defiant grin since his first day in the capital, just as naive.
"See you, fool." A hint of warmth could be felt in her stone voice.
//
In the shadows someone lurks, his pristine white clothes weren't made for stealth, but, as if the world itself wanted to hide him.