The waiting was the hardest part. Cricket didn't sleep. He didn't sit. He didn't rest. He dressed his wound, ate a light meal, practiced his sword forms. And he waited. For the sun to rise. For Tochtli to reappear. For the torture of that damnable repeating day to start over again.
It seemed to drag on, the moon inching across the sky little by little. But eventually, the sun peeked over the horizon, and Tochtli returned. Cricket wasted no time making his way back to the center of town to find Ignacia speaking with the apple vendor again. He grabbed her wrist, and dragged her away without a word.
"Cricket! Don't be rude! I was just—"
"There isn't time. We've got to make it to the witch's shop, and talk to Abner before Yoshi gets it into his head to attack early again." He didn't feel like explaining this all over again, but he knew he was going to have to. He knew that without the explanation, Ignacia wouldn't understand what was going on, and she wouldn't be able to help.
"Cricket." She dug her heels into the cobblestone street, using her weight to pull him to a stop.
Ignacia was quiet, patient, as Cricket took his time to draw in a breath. And then he spoke. He told her everything all over again. What he knew, what would solve this, what they had to do. It was a lot, and by the time he was finished his throat was dry. But that was all right, because Ignacia nodded in understanding.
"So, we just have to convince a thirteen-year-old to give up his amplifier, and a stubborn warrior not to run him through. How hard could that be?" she asked, making light of the situation.
"A lot harder than it sounds." Cricket laughed hollowly, shaking his head.
"How many times?" She sounded worried, and he didn't like that. He didn't want her to worry, not about him, not now. There were more important things than how he was fairing in all of this. Far more important things. He squeezed her hand, hoping to reassure her, but she just looked at him, brows knit together in concern.
"It doesn't really matter. This will be the last time. I'm going to fix this." He sighed, and the set his shoulders. "We'll deal with Abner first."
The open sign swayed in the breeze, mocking Cricket as they approached the shop. He lifted his chin, pulled out his watch to check the time, and nodded. They had eight hours to make this right, maybe less, if something changed. Cricket sent up a silent prayer to Selene that things wouldn't change. That they still had plenty of time. He knocked on the door lightly, and waited for the young boy to come to open it.
Abner looked just the same as he remembered, perhaps a little more tired, with the too-big hat sliding down his forehead as he looked up to assess Cricket critically. "You're the prince."
"I am." Cricket smiled, giving the boy a little bow. "And you're Abner the witch's apprentice. I've heard a lot about you."
This seemed to take Abner off guard. He blinked, lips falling open in surprise. "You have?"
"I have." Cricket nodded. "Do you mind if we come in? We'd like to chat with you."
"Yeah. I guess." Abner moved out of the way to let them into the shop. "I don't have any seats."
Ignacia opened her mouth, likely to point out the two stools sitting beside the work bench, but Cricket shook his head.
"That's all right. We'll stand."
Cricket waited, looking around the shop for anything that seemed amiss. Something that didn't fit in with the rest of the items. A book. A candle. A talisman. Something that screamed amplifier. There was nothing. He looked back to Abner, trusting Ignacia to continue searching, and smiled as the boy climbed back up on his stool to gaze at them imperiously.
"What can I help you with, You Highness?" Abner asked, the cloak on his shoulders sliding down. He grabbed it, pulling it tighter, and there...that was it. How hadn't Cricket noticed it before? The brooch pinning the two sides of the cloak together. It was clearly an addition the boy had made, all gaudy and too big. The witch wouldn't have chosen it for herself. It stood out too much, and witches were known, ironically, for their subtlety.
"We heard from some of the people in town that there's been some strange magic floating around. Chicken pox, lips fused shut, allergies to water, the like. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" It wasn't terribly subtle, but Cricket (unlike witches) wasn't known for his subtlety. He tended to face a problem head on, and he didn't think they had time to talk in circles.
Abner stiffened, his eyes flashing to the exit as if he'd make a run for it.
"We aren't here to punish you," Cricket said holding up his hands to show he meant no harm. "We just want to understand why you did those things to them. And maybe help you."
"Help me." Abner repeated his voice hollow.
Cricket nodded. He looked to Ignacia to see if she'd seen what he had; her eyes were fixed on the brooch. Good. Now, all they had to do was get it away from Abner.
"Yes, help you," Ignacia agreed. She gave Cricket a look as if asking what his plan was, but she wouldn't move until he gave her some kind of signal. He sighed, relieved. He didn't want to set Abner off.
"You know what I think," Cricket said, walking closer to the table, his arms folded behind his back. Abner stiffened further, but then relaxed when he saw that Cricket wasn't reaching to touch, or grab for anything. "I think they were bullying you."
"And what if they were?" Abner frowned, clutching the brooch more tightly. "Maybe they got what they deserved then."
"Maybe." Cricket shrugged. "But that's not really for you to decide is it?"
"What?" Abner's dark eyes narrowed, a faint glow twisting through his fingers around the brooch. Danger. Cricket was pushing him to the edge, he needed to pull back.
"It's just been my experience," Cricket said taking a step back. "That bullies always get what's coming to them in the end. But by punishing them yourself, you're really no better than they are. Are you?"
Abner slumped, the glow fading away. "No. I guess not."
"And that's not what your mistress would want you to do, is it?"
Abner shook his head.
"So maybe you should lift the curses you placed on them?" Cricket let his voice flow softly, leading Abner to the right decision, not forcing him to make it. It was better that way, if Abner pulled the magic back himself. If not, Cricket worried the kind of damage they could do to the poor child by ripping the brooch from him. They might leave him powerless entirely, and that was not Cricket's intention.
Abner nodded with a heavy sigh. Then he murmured the incantation to undo all of his spells, the brooch glowing brighter as he worked. Once it was done, he slumped forward against the bench, breath coming in hard pants.
"It's hurting you," Cricket said, voice still soft. He stepped back towards Abner, telegraphing his motions slowly and deliberately so the boy would see him coming. "Isn't it?"
"I need it." The words were a ghost of Abner's voice. Tired, drained. Maybe drained enough that he wouldn't be able to enact the curse that would make the day start again, but Cricket wasn't going to take that chance.
"Why?"
"I..." Abner sat up, chest still moving too hard, eyes a little hazy. "Without it..."
"You're lonely." Ignacia stepped up to stand beside Cricket. She held out her hand for the brooch. "Lonely and powerless?"
Abner nodded, swallowing loudly. His eyes shimmered in the faint light now, tears sticking to his dark lashes.
"I know what that's like," Ignacia whispered, but she didn't move. She waited, with her hand outstretched, and her eyes firm.
"You do?"
"I do." She offered him a soft smile, one of the ones she reserved for children and bunny rabbits. The ones that Cricket rarely saw. "Why don't you give the prince that ugly bit of kit, and I'll tell you about a little girl who didn't have any friends, and lost her daddy to the war."
"What happened to her?" Abner reached for the brooch, his fingers fumbling with the clasp. Cricket wanted to help, but this was something Abner had to do. He had to give it up on his own, or it might attack them all. As was, he kept his eyes fixed on the item to make sure it didn't lash out at the boy.
"She met an idiot prince."
"Hey." Cricket grumbled. "I'm not an idiot."
"Foolish then?"
Cricket huffed, blowing a raspberry at her.
There was a soft wet, laugh, and when they looked back Abner had divested himself of the brooch, and was scrubbing at his eyes. "Was he always like this?"
"Oh no, he was much worse when I first met him." Ignacia grinned. Her fingers closed around the brooch, and she held it behind her back for Cricket to take and tuck away into one of the magicly sealed pouches Anstice had packed for them. "Come on, let's go grab some pastries from the bakery, and I'll tell you all about it."
Abner nodded, sliding off his stool.
"You got it from here?" Cricket whispered.
"Yeah, go hunt down your knight." Ignacia gave him a knowing smile. The three walked to the door, and then they parted ways. Ignacia shooting him a wink over her shoulder, and Cricket turning to head towards the inn. It was nearly lunch time, and he knew he'd be able to catch Yoshi there.
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