The Metaphorical Key Book III - United We Stand

Chapter II

After what must've been several minutes of just standing in the doorway with his arms around his friend, Aiden heard Rico laugh and loosen his hold.

"We just gonna stand here and hug or are we going to get on with it?"

Aiden squeezed tightly once and stepped back up, scanning his friend.- who was now a month off from twenty-one, if he remembered the birthday right and was doing the math right.

Two years and eight months ago Rico kept his hair perfectly straight, combed meticulously and straightened diligently. Now, though, the sides were shaved - not completely, but the sides now resembled stubble on an unshaved man's face, and his usually straightened locks were allowed to be the springy curls they naturally were. His attire hadn't changed - still formal - although his button-down shirt was now a pastel green with a high volume of white dots rather than an entirely white shirt.

"You've changed," Aiden blurted out.
"It's been nearly three years." Rico cocked his head. "And you have too."

It was true - Aiden had grown taller, as people usually did between the ages of barely-fifteen and nearly-eighteen. He'd grown his hair put, and although it was often difficult with how coiled and kinked his dark hair was, he usually kept it back in a ponytail that touched the back of its shoulders. He still wore turtlenecks, of course. (Viola Leslie had referred to his clothing choices a fashion disaster one day and Aiden had retorted with 'it's never a fashion disaster if I'm wearing it,' which had gotten a giggle from his little sister.)

"So," Aiden started, leaning back on his heels. "Elaborate."

Rico shrugged. "There's not a whole lot to it. Myself and a handful of others who survived the... y'know - we tried to build our forces back up. It was obviously hard, though. But it worked! And guess what?" He didn't wait for an answer. "We've got more people than before! I guess everybody just decided 'fuck it, let's go set something on fire with some rebels and break the goddamn law for shits and giggles. They're calling it The Shattering, by the way - and by 'it' I mean - you know what I mean. The thing where uh - our headquarters exploded and-" the golden undertones in his skin became more prominent. "I'll shut up now."

Aiden quirked one eyebrow.
"You haven't changed, huh?"
Rioc laughed. "Guess not."

Aiden paused. "...Except for the excessive swearing, that's new. Finally figured out how to pronounce the f-word, huh?"

Rico nodded. "It's a beautiful thing," he said, eyes shining as though he'd discovered a chest full of ancient treasure rather than the courage to start swearing at the age of twenty.

A few moments of silence passed before Rico broke the silence. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to rejoin The Ravens? I see you've settled into a life here, so it's fine if -"

"Yes," Aiden interjected. "I've been so bored, I need some chaos in my life or I swear I'll go stark raving mad."

Rico froze in place for a hot minute before laughing to himself and speaking once more. "Y'know, a few times I've wondered if you're even human or like... some sort of chaos god sent to burn stuff down. I'm still not a hundred percent sure."
Aiden shrugged. "It's a very real possibility." He paused before lowering the volume of his voice and steering the conversation back to more serious topics. "I just... I have to say goodbye first. To my family."
"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to."
Aiden nodded. "I know I don't have to. I want to."

He started to go up the stairs but turned back around to face Rico on the second step in order to flash him a wobbly smile.
"I always have."

Aiden woke up every member of his family (they were none too happy about that) and herded them outside where Rico was waiting.

They were all silent for a few moments before the gravity of the situation hit them.

"Again?" Ada croaked out, her voice trembling.
"Again," Aiden said, his mouth slightly agape and his posture stooped as his chin wobbled.
He'd come to finally refer to Ada as mum, and Leslie was his sister and he loved her so, so much, and he knew that people weren't supposed to have favourite siblings but Aiden never did care about 'supposed to' and 'should,' did he now? And Leslie and his mother weren't the only people he'd be missing - he liked Mr. Wilton and he loved all his siblings, including those who didn't live in the house anymore and he'd made friends and oh god oh god oh god.

He choked on the goodbye and he settled for a wave and it wasn't enough it wasn't enough it wasn't enough.

Aiden had aged ten years in three and everything was moving too fast and too much and too little and was this real was this a dream what -

He gasped in a breath and everything spun - he was on his knees when did he fall why were people touching him why what why.

He pushed them all away feebly and got to his feet, brushing away the tears (when did he start crying?) and rubbing his nose (there was snot on his shirt gross.) Practiced routine, muscle memory, lie without saying a word and fabricate happiness or at the very least the lack of sadness.

"Goodbye," he managed.

Leslie shook her head and wiped her own eyes with the collar of her pyjama shirt.

"No goodbyes," she whispered. "I'll see you later, okay? I'll see you later, and we'll have a cake, and if Kev doesn't eat the whole thing we'll have a big party when you come back."
"What if -"

"When you come back."

Aiden found himself walking away from his family with his mouth set firmly into a straight line.

"Aiden?" Rico called out, racing forward to join him. "Aiden! Are you sure you want to do this?"

Aiden stopped in place, took a deep breath, and faced Rico. "I'm positive," he said. His mouth was dry, fingers jerking at his sides and twitching in the air like they were searching for something to hold, something that wasn't there. His heartbeat thumped thumped thumped, his blood roared in his ears. For two years and eight months, Aiden had been lying and lying and lying, but this? This was the truth.

He'd push the limits of endurance and he'd walk through fire and brimstone smiling the whole way and damn it, he was going to do this.

He inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, set, his jaw, and shut his eyes, picturing a peaceful world in his mind's eye.

He opened his eyes. Ahead of him was a city, a world under the control of tyrants, but further in the distance was the peaceful land he'd been dreaming of since he first read about the relative peace in those biographies ten years prior.

"Let's do this," he said, and the two of them started walking towards the train station.