Relearning

Chapter 1: A Dream Away

EDIT: (June 9, 2017) I Rewrote a majority (okay more like entirely) because I didn't like it. I added a few details that are important and made a majority of this chapter similar to that one paragraph I wrote in "Just For A Moment" (you'll know what I mean if you read that). I basically liked that idea better. 

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Chapter 1: A Dream Away

Ace was tired.

Though he was alive, it hurt to breathe.

It hurt to stay awake.

It hurt so much, he could barely tell what happened. He heard Cater call out to him, telling him to wake up. He blinked once, then twice, the light blinding him as he opened his eyes. He saw Cater standing beside him, exhausted just like him. Her voice was heard, but he could barely understand what she was saying. He turned a little in his chair, groaning under the pain. He heard the others talk, but he couldn't tell who said what.

Then he heard someone crying. Tears filled the corners of his eyes as he forced himself to get up. Each step was agony, cringing at every shot of pain that he felt, and his head was spinning with nausea and dizziness. He didn't know how, but he finally managed to fall to his knees near Cinque. He couldn't hold himself up, placing his hands on the ground to support himself. He heard his classmates follow, eventually making their way to the front of their destroyed classroom. Cinque's cries easily merged with the cries of his classmates.

They were all crying.

His chest burned and he felt too heavy to carry himself anymore. Even so, he took a breath and sang.

"Walk on wandering souls for your respite we pray..."

It hurt to sing. It burned his throat and his chest was so damn sore; it ached painfully. And yet, Ace focused on lessening the cries of his siblings. He paused, taking in another searing breath.

"Let out humble song clear your hearts of dismay," Ace gradually heard the cries die down, but Cinque was still sniffling.

"Rekindle the flame in your souls and set you free," his voice nearly cracked, but he kept it steady. It was hard to keep the pain out his tone. He honestly tried to stop his voice from shaking, only quivering at the held notes. He no longer heard anyone crying as he sang the last line he knew, "So walk on and become the light that guides the way."

There was a moment of silence, and Ace coughed just a little. He closed his eyes and sat on his heels, feeling the heavy weight of exhaustion.

"You... never sang past that, have you," he heard someone say. Ace couldn't tell if it was either Sice or Seven.

"That's the... only part that Ace knows," said another.

King. That had to be King. Ace huffed a little, knowing that it was true.

"Heheh, and we're not crying anymore..." If Ace were to guess, that would've been Eight.

"It's... finally over right?" Ace asked, his own voice barely over a whisper. He opened his eyes to see his siblings share a look amongst themselves. King answered him, "Yeah, it's over."

Eight looked up, "Well, then... Let's think about what comes next."

"What comes next?" Cinque asked, wiping her tears away, "we don't have a next."

Trey looked at her, "But we're free to think about it, Cinque."

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right," Cinque said. "Let's-ink of...un -re..."

Ace felt Deuce move a little closer and he leaned against her. She didn't seem to mind as the words of his siblings went through one ear and out the other. It was so hard to concentrate on their voices, so he settled to just listening to the sound of it.