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It wasn’t long after Niko’s return that Edwin started acting strange. It started with him rubbing his chest at moments. Then he would excuse himself from the group and return later not acknowledging his absence.
Niko thought it had something to do with the Cat King. He’d snuck away to see him before so it would make the most sense for it to be him again. Maybe they had finally kissed.
Crystal said it was just Edwin being Edwin but Niko didn’t believe that. It had to be something more. He’d taken to spending their movie nights running soothing circles on his chest before he inevitably rushed out a mirror throwing her a poor excuse.
Charles was determined to get the truth out of Edwin. He often tried to work a question into conversation or a statement about Edwin acting weird, but he was never good at being subtle so Edwin always caught on enough to avoid giving himself away.
-
It was at one of Edwin and Niko’s movie nights that the truth came out. He’d been fidgeting the whole night, as soon as he’d gotten up to leave the coughing started.
“Edwin! Are you alright?” Niko asked as she rubbed circled on the boys back.
“I’m fine.” Edwin pushed out. The coughs got stronger and more violent. The boy’s whole body shaking until whatever was in his throat finally shifted out.
Edwin collapsed forward panting. His position blocked whatever he’d spit up from Niko’s view.
“Lay down you’ll feel better.” Niko pulled Edwin back to her bad. He rested his head as Niko finally turned her attention to what he coughed up.
It was a flower. A Violet surrounded by a few leaves and coated in ghost saliva.
“Did you eat some flowers” Edwin shook his head at Niko’s question. “I’m going to go get Charles.” Edwin didn’t bother responding as the girl rushed out the door.
When she’d explained the situation to him he immediately turned to the other boy.
“So this is what’s been up with you.” Charles accused. Edwin didn’t meet his eye. “What the fuck mate. How long has this been going on.”
“Six weeks.” Edwin kept staring forward, his voice empty of emotion. It scared Niko how easily he could detach himself from the others. She knew him well enough to understand why he did it. Coughing up flowers sounded like something out of one of her books. Of course it confused the Edwardian boy and he had always refused to let others take care of his messes. He wouldn’t worry anyone until he had an answer. That didn’t mean the secret didn’t hurt.
“Bloody hell Edwin. When were you planning on telling us?” Edwin still stayed quiet. “You weren’t going to were you?” Charles let out a sick laugh.
“What’s going on.” The commotion finally brought Crystal into the room.
“Edwin coughed up a flower.” Niko supplied, pointing at the flower still sitting on the floor. “And he didn’t eat any flowers. I already asked. “
“Oh fuck.” Crystal replied.
“You’ve been doing research?” Charles’ eyes never left Edwin’s as he asked.
Edwin cleared his throat. “I have not found anything of relevance.”
“Well now we have all four of us working so we’ll find the answer.”
“I have already read through all my books pertaining to magical illnesses as well as flowers.” Edwin argued.
“Then we’ll read through them all again.” Charles rebutted. “We’re going to find an answer to this.”
“You two can start on that while Niko and I visit Tragic Mick and see if he knows anything about this.” Crystal suggested.
“Ooo yes! I need to talk to him him about the lucky charm.” Niko pipped up. Her smile subdued when Charles sent her a glare, likely upset at her peppiness during such a dire situation. Edwin smiled at her so it didn’t really matter anyway.
-
Tragic Mick was pleased to know that the good luck charm had saved Nikos life. He had also given them a single book that he thought may by helpful. Judging my Edwin’s face as he read it, it wasn’t had helpful as he needed.
-
Edwin had changed again after that. He’d somehow latched further onto Niko. Charles was running himself ragged trying to find the answer and Crystal was chasing after him trying to keep him sane. Edwin was more tired than his usual self so he spent a lot of time in Nikos bed.
Within days Edwin seemed completely withdrawn from his case. He was fake reading the books that Charles brought him. Niko’s finally had enough of his secrets and sat down to confront him about it.
“I know you aren’t really reading that” Niko stated. Edwin gave her a skeptical look. “Your eyes aren’t moving. You’re staring at the same spot on the page and then turning it.”
“You really are an incredible detective Niko.”
“Why aren’t you looking for an answer anymore?” She said it more like an accusation than a question. You’ve given up on yourself. On all of us. She might as well have said.
“I believe I have found what is wrong with me. There is nothing to be done.”
“When’d you find out?”
“There was a footnote about it in one of my books. Hanahaki. The book you and Crystal got from Tragic Mick went into more detail. There is not cure.”
Niko let the information settle within her. She was already sad about Edwin leaving her for London but this was so much worse. Edwin leaving permanently. No hopping through a mirror or on a plane to visit, he’d just be gone.
Niko and Edwin had a special understanding of each other. Niko knew she was weird. She saw it in peoples eyes when they look at her. Hell, it’s been said to her point blank that she is weird. But Edwin was weird too.
“Why haven’t you told anyone yet.” Niko asked. Charles hadn’t let up on his search. It was the first time Charles took full advantage of the fact that ghost don’t need sleep. She figured Charles would be the first to know if just to calm him down.
“I do not want you all to feel hopeless until the end.”
Niko’s eyes welled up with tears. “What is ‘the end’ going to be.”
“Ok Niko…” Edwin pulled the crying girl into a hug, brushing a calming hand through her hair.
“I can take the truth Edwin. I’m stronger than I look.”
“I know.” Edwin let out a sad laugh. “I believe I will meet a similar fate to the victims of those fungi in the forest.”
“So you’ll just… stop existing?” Niko gasped out.
“Please do not be sad. I won’t be in any pain.”
“But I will be!” Niko shouted out.
Edwin laughed “I am sorry Niko. If I could stop it I would.”
“I know you would.” Niko wiped her tears “When are you going to tell Charles.”
Edwin sighed “Think it would be best if I didn’t tell him.”
“Because he’ll just try to fix it?”
“Yes, and when he can’t he will just become more upset. I only have a week left. I do not want him to be so desperate in our last moments together.”
“Okay, I won’t tell. Do you wanna watch Scooby Doo?”
Edwin smiled “Yes please” he said as he wiped his own tears.
The next week pasted far quicker than Niko wanted. They spent it in her bed working their way through as many Scooby Doo movies as they could and cuddling.
Charles was upset anyways. He’d noticed the two of them giving up. He’d tried to talk them into more research but it of course didn’t work. On one memorable day, Charles walked in on Edwin and Niko cuddling just to walk out right afterwards.
Crystal always redirected him to the office. She had caught on to what the other two were preparing for. She thought Charles had too but thought he would cope better if he was being productive still.
“Niko?” Edwin asked towards the end of the week “I put the book under your bed so that Charles wouldn’t find it during his studies. Will you make sure he does not come across it once I am gone either?”
“Okay” Niko didn’t like when he talked like this. She liked to continue as if she wasn’t loosing her best friend soon.
-
When the end came Niko was asleep, cuddling Edwin. She was awoken by the sick boys coughing. This time it didn’t let up when the violets were released.
“Charles!” Niko screamed “Charles you need to get in here!”
Edwin was convulsing as the other boy rushed into the room.
“Hey mate,” Charles sat next to the coughing boy, “It’s gonna be okay.”
Except it wasn’t. Edwin still couldn’t get a breath in. It was cruel that even in death he couldn’t get in the breath that he required.
Then Edwin started flaking. Piece by piece he was falling apart, floating to the air, and disappearing into the air.
“What the fuck.” Charles tried to grab Edwin but the boy crumbled in his hand. “What the fuck!”
Tears fell down Niko’s face as she focused on her friend’s face. At least he’s not scared she thought.
The rest of Edwin disintegrated quickly after that. It almost felt anticlimactic. There friend died again, leaving nothing behind. Not even a body.
“What the fuck” Charles said one last time.
-
Both the girls had hoped that after Edwin’s second death, Charles would calm down a bit but he didn’t. He redirected himself to find a way to get back a spirit that has ceased to exist.
Niko still stayed in bed. She read a lot to distract herself. Specifically Edwin’s books. A few days after he had passed she remembered the book under her bed.
She crawled out for the first time in days and found it. Opening it, she looked at the table of contents and found Hanahaki. The pages on it were long and confusing, but she understood that it was caused by unrequited love as the bodies final effort to be loved back. Charles.
Niko didn’t want to break her promise, but she is really bad at keeping secrets. She blamed that on how Crystal ended up in her room reading the book instead of helping Charles.
“So he was killed by unrequited love?” Crystal questioned.
“Yes. Edwin was so desperately in love with Charles that his body started killing itself in hopes that the thought of losing him would make Charles realize his feeling for Edwin. Usually I’d say that’s romantic but it didn’t really work out in this case.”
Niko has started getting used to being sad again.
“But Charles does love Edwin back. I mean you saw how he reacted.”
“Yes but it’s not the romantic love his body was craving.”
“And Edwin knew the whole time?”
“Only for the last week.”
“He never confessed to Charles.”
“Edwin didn’t want him to worry.” Niko didn’t like where this conversation was going. Like she was going to break seriously her promise to Edwin.
“He still deserves to know.”
“I promised Edwin I wouldn’t tell him.”
Crystal sighed “Edwin Payne. Still making my life harder in his second death.” Crystal paused in consideration. “I guess he really doesn’t need to know. It would only upset him more.”
-
That lasted about a week.
Niko had read through the passage about Hanahaki dozens of times trying to find any way to help Charles search. On this particular reread, she had fallen asleep with the book open.
“What the fuck Niko!” Charles yelled at the girl. “This has all of his symptoms in it. Why didn’t you give it to me earlier?” Charles had gotten like this since Edwin’s second passing. Urgent and angry. It wasn’t the first time he’d yelled at her about research.
“Edwin didn’t want me to!” It slipped out before she could stop herself.
“What do you mean by that?” Charles questioned already starting to read the passage.
Crystal walked in ,also awoken by Charles screaming. “What’s going on?” She asked before spotting what book Charles was reading. “Oh shit.”
“Why is this talking about unrequited love?” Charles asked. His jaw was set and he shifted from foot to foot as he stared waiting for his answer.
“Charles just give Niko the book back.” Crystal reasoned.
“Did you know about this too?” Her silence was enough of an answer. “What does it mean?” Crystal looked at Niko for an answer and Charles followed suit.
“I don’t want to tell you.” Niko blurted out.
“Well too bad.” Charles responded
So Niko explained. Both the girls kept a weary eye on Charles as they did. He stood in silence long after Niko stopped talking.
“I rejected him.” Charles finally said.
“What?” Crystal questioned.
“When we were walking out of Hell, he told me he was in love with me and I said I wasn’t back.” Charles eyes were welling up with tears.
“Edwin wasn’t upset you rejected him.” Niko assured the crying boy. “After you guys got back he told me he confessed and he was happy because did because it made you two better friends. He would never hold that against you.”
“But it’s a disease caused by unrequited love. I rejected him and then he died.”
“Neither of you had any control over who you fell in love with.” Crystal responded.
Charles’ tears doubled. “Why didn’t he tell me?” He fell to the ground gasping for his breath.
“He didn’t want you to blame yourself for it. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I do love him. I’m just confused. I’ve been confused for so long and now he’s gone and I don’t know what to do with myself.” Charles wrapped his arms around him self, desperately trying to regain some control.
“Maybe it’s time to pass on.” Crystal suggested. “The whole reason you stayed on earth was to be with him and now you can pass on without worrying he’ll be in Hell.”
“We’re supposed to do that together.” Charles cried out.
“Niko put her hands on Charles shoulders. “Edwin can’t come back, but he really wanted you to be happy. Will this make you happy?”
“What about you guys?”
Crystal smiled”we have each other now. And Jenny. We’ll be ready for anything that hits us”
“Okay. Okay I think you’re right.” Charles nodded not looking either of the girls in the eye. “I’m still scared.”
“Charles Rowland. You are the best person I know. You are going to an after life of eternal tranquility and it is going to be amazing. And then in many many years Niko and I will join you. But you can’t just wait around here for Edwin to come back.”
“You’re right. It’s time to go.”