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The air was thick with anticipation, and Jupiter was trying very hard to ignore it.
The day had been a whirlwind of preparation, practicing his rapid counting, making sure things were all ready for Frank's Hallowmas party, welcoming trick-or-treaters in his fabulous pirate costume, and making a great show of being led away by mermaid-Chanda's siren song so he could change into his Wunsoc uniform.
He was fastening his pin onto his collar when Chanda appeared in the mirror.
“Are you sure you'll be alright?” She said neutrally, leaning forward to inspect her own immaculate uniform.
He pressed the clasp closed, unable to make eye contact, “I'm sure.”
It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either.
He was pretty sure. Things had been good the past year. The cancellation of his search party and having to have a funeral for his maybe-still-alive sister put a damper on things, but he was feeling calmed and better put together than he had since the day she first disappeared.
And yet, there was an itching in the back of his mind.
He had been seeing the Unresting since he was thirteen, they were no stranger to him, but there was a sickness in his stomach. Would seeing them with the power of the Nightbeacon be different? Most people spoke to those they knew who had carried a Nightbeacon before they carried their first, to know what to expect, but Jupiter hadn’t been able to muster the courage to ask anybody about it.
The unknown was his comfort place anyway. He had charged into enough completely random realms to know that things were easier when it was unexpected. There was less squirming, less anticipation.
He turned to face her, plastering a smile on his face, “It’ll be just like any other parade. Just… different.”
—
They walked with Jack and Fen to find the best spot, then bid their farewells.
Jupiter crouched down to fix the tie on Jack’s sailor costume, “Got your patch?”
Jack nodded and straightened it.
“Remember, it stays on for the whole parade.” They'd been over this a million times, but they would go through it a million more if they had to. The idea of Jack seeing the Unresting made Jupiter want to vomit.
“I know.” He rolled his eyes, “I've got it.”
Jupiter nodded, “You know, Uncle Simon will be very pleased to see you wearing that.” He smiled, “Do you remember what to say to him?”
Jack nodded, “Hi, Uncle Simon, I love you.” He signed slowly. “Was that right?” He said aloud, his face twisted into a nervous expression.
“Perfect.” Jupiter grinned, clasping his nephew on the shoulder before straightening up, “We’ll be back after the Black Parade with your other Aunts and Uncles. So you can tell me all about the floats then, okay?”
Jack nodded again.
He waved goodbye, nodded to Fen, and began the walk towards Proudfoot House with Chanda.
As he approached, dread began growing in his stomach, no matter how much he tried to push it down.
It was just going to be like any other parade.
He gave Chanda a fist-bump as they parted, “See you on the other side.”
“Good luck.” She said softly, giving him a reassuring smile.
He nodded back and they split off to find their respective Units.
He wove through the crowd of uniformed Wuns until he caught sight of six familiar faces, gathered around a dead fireblossom tree.
Wait. He stopped, six?
Once he had gained the attention of the rest of Unit 895, he gave them a quizzical look, “Where’s Bertram?” He signed.
Simon returned the look, shrugging his shoulders, “I thought he would come in with you.” He signed back, “He always comes with you.”
Jupiter sighed softly and sat down on the grass, “Things are different now.” He paused, hands lingering close to his chest, “I’m not even sure he’ll come.”
“Wow.” A voice came from a little further off, bitter and angry, “Is that really what you think of me?”
“Use your hands.” Jupiter snapped back.
Bertram sat down as far from Jupiter as possible, between Simon and Katie, “Do you really think I would have missed this?” He signed, gesturing in a circle, “I’m not evil.”
“You seem to think I am.” Jupiter muttered, crossing his arms.
“Now who isn’t using their hands.” Bertram retorted.
Mina held up her hands, “Woah, woah.” She signed, glancing at the both of them, “What’s gotten into you two?”
“He started it.” They both signed at the same time.
“Divine, you two are impossible.” She leaned back against the fireblossom tree in exasperation, “This isn’t the time for petty arguments, we need to–”
Jupiter and Bertram never got to know what they needed to do, because at that moment a Society official cleared his throat, making everybody but Simon jump. Upon noticing the official, Simon reached up to switch on his implant.
“I’m here with your Nightbeacon.” The official said professionally, reaching into his bag and removing a box containing a candle and a box of matches, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
They nodded, shuffling nervously.
“Who will be carrying it?” Straight to the point.
“I will be.” Jupiter stood before anybody else could say a word, holding out his hand for the box.
“Jove-” Katie moved forward to touch his shoulder.
“If Lloyd carries it, he’s going to drop it.” He teased, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.
“Hey!” Lloyd exclaimed.
Katie didn’t laugh, or even smile. “Are you sure?”
The smile slid off his face, “I’ve been preparing since…” He trailed off, squaring his jaw, “Since the funeral. I’ve seen them since I was thirteen, I’m not going to let you see them if I can avoid it. I’m sure.”
He took the box from the official before any more protest could be had.
“Do you understand the obligations this candle places upon you?”
He nodded firmly, “I do.”
“Good. Somebody will come find you when the parade is over to get your count.” The official gave him a reassuring nod and then disappeared into the crowd, probably to deliver more candles.
Jupiter sat back down in their little circle. The rest of his Unit had sat up and leaned forward when the official arrived. Eight pairs of eyes fixed on the Nightbeacon as Jupiter delicately removed it from its box and then removed the box of matches next to it.
They stared for a second at the intricate detailing on the candle, gazes eventually falling on the name engraved at the base.
Rosamund Korrapati
None of them had ever held a Nightbeacon before, and Jupiter could tell his siblings were itching to take it from him, if only to inspect it for themselves, but he held tight. There was no way he was letting them see the Unresting. He could protect him from the horrifying vision that had painted his nightmares for years of his childhood, the same vision that still stalked the edge of some of his nightmares in his adulthood.
He pushed the matchbox open with one hand, the other still firmly clasped around the Nightbeacon, “Who wants to light it?”
The question hung in the air as glances were exchanged, eventually all falling on Angela.
Besides Jupiter, she had been closest to Rosie.
She took the matchbox from her brother and struck one of them, leaning forward to light the wick.
“Wait.” Lloyd held up his hand, then signed, “Should we say a few words before we light it?”
They hesitated.
All the words they wanted to say had been said months ago, at the funeral. Was there even more to say?
“I love you.” Jupiter said finally, staring down at the Nightbeacon as if it was Rosie herself.
The ‘I love you’ spread through the rest of his Unit. Even Bertram said it. Simon signed it.
Angela lit the Nightbeacon.
A chill went up Jupiter’s spine. Something in the air shifted.
His heart skipped a beat, a nervous feeling of wrongness coming over him.
It wasn’t unlike the feeling of being around the Unresting.
His expression must have changed, because Katie put her hand on his shoulder again.
He fixed his expression into a reassuring smile, “I’ve got this.”
Simon waved his hand, “We’ll be right there with you.” He signed enthusiastically, drawing nods from the others, except Bertram.
“Every step of the way.” Mina signed.
“Thanks, everybody.” He grinned.
Just then, the Elders called the group to attention. Jupiter got to his feet, a little shakily without the use of his hands. Gawain helped lift him, expression neutral as always. He gave a reassuring nod, Jupiter returned it.
They lined up between Unit 894 and 896, Jupiter in Rosie’s usual place at the far right end of the line. He needed to be at the edge to appropriately count the Unresting.
His hands shook slightly as the reality of the situation properly dawned on him. They were about to leave for the parade. He was about to see them again.
It never got easier, seeing them. The chains around their arms and throat, the way they reached out, trying to grab at his arms as if they intended to tie him up too. His throat clenched uncomfortably. He hadn't even started seeing them yet.
Usually, in these moments, he would have turned to Rosie for a reassuring smile, or a punch in the arm. She would tell him he’d done this a million times before, that he could do it. He could do anything.
He steadied his hands, took a deep breath, and then began marching.
The moment they passed outside Proudfoot house, it began.
One.
He counted as the first Unresting poked its head around a corner, drawn to the flame on Jupiter's candle.
Two.
A second appeared in the distance, vine covered hands reaching out for him.
Three.
One appeared on the other side, hollow eyes fixed on Jupiter. Not his Nightbeacon, Jupiter himself.
Something tingled in the back of his mind, like déjà vu, but different. Wrong. Like a long forgotten memory of something terrible.
Four.
Jupiter felt a stab of horror in his gut as he realised this was going to be quite unlike any other Black Parade he'd ever marched in.
They crossed into the bustling streets of Old Town, the crowd radiating an excited mist that almost drowned out the uneasy feeling the Unresting brought.
Five.
One pushed out from in between the crowd.
Jupiter wished he could turn his head, if only to make sure that Jack was nowhere nearby.
Six.
The tingling feeling in the back of his mind spread to his ears, a soft ringing descending upon him. Like the warning of an incoming migraine, or what was left after the noise of a League jet taking off.
They slipped out of the crowd and approached Dredmalis Dungeon. His heart leapt into his throat.
Seven. Eight. Nine.
They were almost coming faster than he could count, emerging from the walls of the prison like a moth to a flame.
Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.
The ringing turned to singing.
No rest, the Unresting sung, voices overlapping one another in almost harmony.
Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two.
It could have been beautiful if Jupiter hadn't been so terrified.
Thirty. Thirty-four. Thirty-eight.
One of the first to emerge from Proudfoot house had made its way all the way to Jupiter and was reaching out for the Nightbeacon with one gangly, chain covered hand.
Jupiter bit his tongue to stop himself from screaming, tasting iron moments after.
Forty-five. Fifty. Fifty-five.
He didn't look it in the eye. He couldn't. He kept his gaze firmly planted in the back of the Unit 896 member's head.
Sixty. Sixty-five. Seventy.
It was so close he could almost see the details of the person it had once been.
Eighty. No rest. Eighty-five.
The singing grew louder as more and more Unresting joined the crowd, practically nipping at the heels of the Wuns marching steadily onwards.
Ninety. Ninety-nine. One hundred.
Suddenly Jupiter understood why the youngest Units matched in the front. Those who were less likely to have missing members.
no rest (One hundred and twenty)!
The singing was making it hard to focus at all, let alone count the Unresting.
No (One hundred and fifty) rest.
If he had been trying to remember the path, he would have lost count, or turned his head, or done something terrible that ruined the parade.
Like dropping his Nightbeacon.
Two hundred (NO REST).
His hands were shaking. Hot wax splashed on his hand. It burned.
The taste of blood in his mouth was awful already, but he bit down harder on his tongue. He would regret that in the next few days but it was worth it now, at least while he was unable to run his hand under some cold water.
He tightened his grip, feeling the engravings dig into his skin.
Two hundred and fifty (Please just let us rest).
The singing had become screaming, begging, wailing.
It rang in his ears and created a throbbing behind his eyes that matched his hand and tongue.
Three hundred (PLEASE!).
How long had they been marching for?
DIVINE HAVE MERCY (Four hundred).
His legs were tired, but the scenery blurred together so he had no idea where he was.
Surely it couldn’t be that much further to Eldrich…
Four hundred and twenty.
They were arriving slower now. They must’ve passed over most of the landmarks.
Four hundred and thirty.
Was the walk always this draining?
Four hundred and thirty-five.
The Unresting weaved in and out of the crowd of Wuns, drawn in by one Nightbeacon only to be distracted by another. Jupiter tried not to shiver every time one crossed his path.
Sometimes, their hollow eyes would linger on him for just a moment too long and the air would be sucked out of his lungs. Every time he wondered if this was it, if he had moved his head just a little too far and they were really coming for him, but every time its gaze slid away and it moved on.
Four hundred and thirty-seven.
Was he supposed to be this lightheaded?
Four hundred and thirty-seven.
The parade came to a stop. Jupiter was so lost in his head he almost crashed into the back of the person he was marching behind. He caught himself suddenly, almost losing his footing.
His eyes stung from holding them open in the wind.
“Jove, hey!” Lloyd clicked his fingers in front of Jupiter’s face, making him jump. The expression on his brother’s face made him wonder just how long he had been trying to gain his attention.
“W-what?” He spluttered, clawing at the number in his mind.
Four hundred and thirty-seven. Don’t forget.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the Unresting become drawn to each candle, only to have them blown out, then move onto another. A few were looking curiously at his.
He glanced around, watching the other candle-bearers blow out their candles.
Oh.
Right.
He inhaled shakily and blew a quick stream of air, knocking out the flame.
The singing stopped, only to be replaced by the overwhelming ringing again.
“Four hundred and thirty-seven.” He muttered under his breath, staring at the smoke trails left by the wick.
He could still see the Unresting out of the corner of his eye, but they seemed uninterested in him now, drawn by the few still-lit candles of the Wunderous Supernatural League members leading the Unresting divine-knows where.
“Yoo-hoo!” Lloyd waved his hand in front of Jupiter’s face again, “You’re looking pale, Jove. You alright?”
Jupiter opened his mouth to inform his brother he was actually quite good, all things considered, but had to abort half way through, instead running to the edge of the water, collapsing to his knees, and throwing up.
His body shuddered with exhaustion as he spit out a mouthful of fluid. Spit, vomit, and a healthy amount of blood from his cut tongue. He rolled into a sit, wiping his mouth
That was supposed to make him feel better, and it often did, but there was something about this special kind of agony that was inescapable. Every little footstep, every little conversation as the other Wuns caught up after the Parade bored into his head like a drill, pain rumbling through his head.
Katie crouched down next to him, eyes wide with concern. Though her knack had nothing to do with healing, Katie took her role as the Unit’s designated first aid person extremely seriously.
“Are you alright? What are you feel-”
Jupiter held one finger up to his mouth. She wasn’t being more loud than usual, but even the slight raise of her voice made his head pound harder.
“Shh…” He muttered, “Just gimme… a second… mmmigraine.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his palms to his ears, blocking out as much noise as possible. It made the ringing in his ears a million times worse, but he could pretend it made the pounding feel better.
And for a few minutes he just breathed.
After those minutes, Katie tapped him gently on the shoulder. He cracked one eye to glare at her.
“Where’s your Nightbeacon?” She signed, “The man is here to collect it. And your number.”
Jupiter had dropped it, hadn’t he? He must have, seeing as he wasn’t holding it anymore. Probably in the scramble to not vomit all over his siblings’ shoes.
“I have it!” Lloyd jumped up, squeaky voice making Jupiter wince. He dropped his voice, holding the unlit Nightbeacon high above his head, “Um. I picked it up.” He whispered.
“How many Unresting?” Katie snapped to regain Jupiter’s attention.
He paused for a second, almost unable to remember, but it came to him in a flash, “Four hundred and thirty-seven.” He signed with one shaking hand, keeping the other firmly planted over his ear.
She nodded and stood up, probably to go speak to the official.
He shut his eyes again and clasped his hands over his ears.
He was just so tired.
—
He sat there for a few more minutes, nibbling on the chocolate biscuit he had been given to keep his blood sugar up. Apparently carrying a Nightbeacon was exhausting for everybody.
Jupiter allowed Simon to help him to his feet, ears still ringing painfully.
“We’ve decided something.” Mina signed, once he was upright.
“I’ll carry the Nightbeacon next year.” Angela finished.
Jupiter shook his head with such force that he felt lightheaded again, “No. No. No way.” He almost yelled, curling his hands into fists, “Absolutely not.”
“Well, you can’t carry it.” Mina said bluntly, furrowing her brow, “Do you really think we’ll let you do it? Not after this.”
“You’re going to have to.” He snapped, “As long as we only have one Nightbeacon none of you are going to go near it while it's lit.”
“Jove, come on-”
“Enough!” He raised his voice, sending a painful ringing through his head, “Just- enough!” With one arm still around Simon, he pointed one finger at Mina’s chest, “You have no idea what I’ve just witnessed! What I’ve been witnessing since I was a child! You have no idea how terrifying it is!” His voice cracked, tears springing into his eyes, “There is nothing, nothing! That could make me put one of you through what I’ve just heard! I’m going to carry Rosie’s Nightbeacon for as long as there is breath in my chest.” His chest heaved with effort and he held tighter to Simon, legs no longer enough to hold him up, “I can’t let that happen.”
Mina exchanged a glance with Angela, blinking rapidly.
“Fine.” Mina huffed, voice hoarse. She scrubbed her eyes.
They walked back to Old Town together, Jupiter eventually regaining his strength enough to walk on his own.
“Uncle Jove!” An excited voice cut through the dispersing Old Town crowd as Jack came running up, slamming into Jupiter for a tight hug.
Jupiter did his best to hug him back, but his arms felt like jelly.
“You’ll never guess what I saw-”
Jupiter held up a hand, “Jackie.” He whispered, migraine still thrumming in his head, “I’m not feeling very well. Can we turn our voices down please?”
“Oh.” Jack dropped his voice.
“We’d love to hear about it, Jumpin’ Jacks.” Simon piped up behind him, gesturing for him to come over.
Jack ran over excitedly, leaving Jupiter standing in the silence of the night. He sighed.
Fen padded up to him, head tipped ever so slightly to the side.
“I’m okay, Fen.” He whispered, staring up at the twinkling stars. He closed his eyes and sighed, “I’m okay.”