“One wish?” Yuki repeated, “Why are there not three wishes?”

Death sighed and shook his head. He looked towards the frozen Messengers and nodded at Key. “He is mortal now; Fate got part of her wish.” Then Death turned his dark eyes towards Yuki and told him with anger, “But of course it didn’t suit my purposes to let her have everything. That is why you succeeded. It is because I allowed it – and you must not forget that.”

Yuki quickly nodded his understanding. Death was clearly displeased about something and had interfered enough so as to be satisfied with the results. Yuki did not want Death to be angry at him too, not before his wish was granted. But what wish would he ask for, now that it was reduced to one? He felt conflicted at the news that Key was no longer supernatural – he was not sure what will happen to him, if it meant that he could now go back to the mortal world.

“Mortal,” Death commanded his attention, “What is your wish?”

Yuki looked at the scene in the middle of the tent. He saw that they were not entirely frozen; rather he and Death appeared to be stuck in a time-suspended bubble and the world outside of them was moving at a distorted pace. It was like watching a cartoon in a flip notebook – their movements were both fast and slow and abrupt. Onew had gone to Taemin’s side and was performing as much First Aid as he could while they waited for him to return. Key had stirred awake and shot up away from Jonghyun to look for Yuki. Yuki saw his face crumble a little before he took in a deep breath and resettled his features. He gave a nod towards his general direction, sad but also proud. He nodded in return even though he knew that Key would not be able to see him.

“I wish for you to protect my family,” Yuki asked from the god.

“Family is such an encompassing concept,” Death told him.

“Family is what it is,” Yuki vaguely replied.

Death was quiet as he thought through the implications of the wish. There were so many dangers and wrongs made against Yuki’s family – extended family, since Taemin had claimed him as his Uncle and the other Messengers had accepted him into their unit. Family was such an amorphous and yet clearly-defined relationship. To fulfil the wish, Death would need to put an end to Fate’s interference on the child, Hiro. He would keep an eye out for Key as he transitioned back into the mortal world; a task that he would do for his pup’s sake too. Taemin and Onew will also be protected from the wrath of their respective goddesses for their defiance. At the end, Death nodded his agreement to Yuki’s wish.

He raised his walking stick and brought it back lightly to the ground. From the gentle tap came a loud clap of thunder and the bubble about them shattered into 1000 golden cranes. The cacophony of sound was deafening and Yuki felt himself be pushed and pulled by their wings and claws.

In the middle of the storm, untouched, Death whistled a low tune. “With these 1000 cranes, your wish will be granted. And you will repay me with 1000 years of service.”

“Mama!” Hiro called out as he ran towards her. The back of his shirt was grass-stained. He had been rolling down the hill in the park where they went out for a picnic. He dropped onto the rug next to her and grabbed one of the sandwiches they had made together earlier that morning. Hiro ate with a young boy’s enthusiasm for food.

“Hiro, slow down or you will choke on your food,” Saki admonished him. She poured him a cup of juice to drink with his sandwich. And it was with a mother’s love and pride that she pushed him away to continue playing in the park after he had finished his meal.

The doctors were amazed and could not explain his sudden turn for the better. Saki was sleeping in a chair by his bed when she heard her son call out her name. She had thought she was dreaming; she would often dream of hearing his voice and not the rattling of his lungs. But Hiro had gotten out of his bed and was shaking her awake, calling out her name. She opened her eyes and saw the glow in his pink cheeks. Her heart soared as she embraced him and heard his complaints about being hungry.

Saki thought back to the happy day that Hiro was released from the hospital. The young boy was bouncing with energy and had ran outside whilst she filled out the last of the paperwork. When she found him, he was surrounded by five black cats. One of them was in his lap, nuzzling at his hand. Hiro was laughing with delight and tried to pet all five animals. Saki, however, was shocked and tried to shoo away the strays. Hiro had just gotten better and she did not want him to become sick from whatever disease those cats carried! Hiro only pouted and obeyed his mother when she told him to wash his hands.

An hour later, Saki walked home from the park with Hiro and an empty picnic basket. They passed the burnt remains of the circus; the frame of the Main Tent stood ugly against the horizon. It still hurt her to see it and she began to walk faster. Hiro ran after her with a questioning glance. She had not told him about how Papa had died, only that he had passed away and missed Hiro as much as they missed him too. Hiro didn’t want to see his Mama hurt anymore and accepted her brief explanation for his absence. He made her a promise that he would be like Papa and be strong and look after her too. “I would like that,” she had told him with a strained smile.

They reached their home and Saki began to prepare their dinner. Hiro was in the front yard, playing with some black cats. Every now and then the cats would visit their home and Saki had given up trying to chase them away. They usually did nothing except sit to the side and watch them go about their day.

“Mama,” Hiro called out from the front door, “We have a visitor.”

Saki wiped her hands with a tea towel and went to meet their guest. An old man in a suit was shuffling down their walkway, a top hat covering his grey hair and a walking stick in his hand. The black cats were following him, two were at his side and the other 3 slightly behind them. Saki went down the front steps and stood next to Hiro as they waited for the man to reach them. One of the cats bounded up to them and stood next to Hiro.

Once they were finally face to face, their guest bowed slightly to Saki and tipped forward his top hat in greeting. Saki returned with a bow and Hiro smiled brightly at the man.

“I am sorry to disturb you, but I had written to you that I was coming tonight?” he said to Saki in a slow yet clear voice.

Saki nodded her agreement. “Yes, welcome to our home,” she said and then turned to Hiro. She urged him to give their guest a proper greeting, “Hiro, say hello to your grandpa. He will be having dinner with us tonight.”

“Hello,” Hiro said to him, looking up and meeting his vibrant brown eyes.

“Hello, Hiro,” Key said to his grandson as he knelt down and gave him a hug. “You look so much like your father. He is so proud of you.”

Saki helped Key back to his feet and guided him inside their home. Hiro ran ahead to wash his hands and set their table. He then directed Key to sit next to him and brought him a cup of tea whilst Saki brought out the side dishes and filled bowls with rice. They spent the time talking; sometimes they would share stories about Yuki. When Key mentioned that Yuki loved bedtime stories, Hiro’s eyes lit up and told him that he loved them too. At the end, Saki watched Hiro lead Key to his room asking for a story, one that he used to tell to Papa when he was a child.

And from the window of Hiro’s room, looking in, rested a black cat. Its ear was pressed against the glass, the better to listen to the telling of a fantastical story of a world where there were dragons and ghosts and magical people that could change into animals.

- END -