Magic From the Sky Pt. 3

Valentina itched to lengthen her stride. Every second away from her brother spiked her worry. It didn't help that the magic behind the magocalypse was doing something new again. The magic falling from the sky had given way to impossibly lightweight pebbles in every color imaginable. Anders gathered every color he could in his hands, stowing them in his pockets and slowing them further. Valentina cut her childhood best friend Jax a sharp look.

Jax met her eyes and tried to silently give her a message in return. She stopped suddenly. "Do you... Is that moving?" 

Anders stopped beside her, covered in a jacket but without an umbrella. His tolerance for the magic was higher than most. "Looks like a picnic basket." 

"I was abandoned..." came a small voice as the basket hopped by. It was a lovely wicker thing with a bright blue ribbon tied around it and a red-and-white plaid blanket peeking out the top. It stopped before them. "Have you seen my people?" They shook their heads. "I was left behind..." It hopped on past them, terribly sad. 

"Oh, no," Valentina said, her eyes glued to the picnic basket as it hopped away. 

The basket stopped a few feet away by a stone statue of an angel cradling a planter of roses. “I can’t take it anymore!” The basket cried. Its top opened and the blanket was forcefully expelled. “I’m tired of carrying you around all the time!” Free of its burden, the basket hopped away at top speed.

“Wait!” The blanket wailed. It slinked after the basket as fast as it could go.

“Here’s a flower for you,” the stone angel called in a sweet tone. It tossed the stone flower to the group, ignoring the fact they were actively edging away. 

Anders knelt and picked up the rose. He carefully sniffed it and peered at it closely. By all accounts, it seemed perfectly normal. Even the stem had small prickly thorns that itched at his skin. He slipped it into an inner pocket of his coat, while Valentina was overcome with curiosity at the sound of gurgling. 

“What is that?” Jax asked, looking around for the source. Valentina noticed it first and edged closer to the fountain in the middle of the park. It was positioned at the end of a cobblestone pathway and was surrounded by grass growing up the sides of the concrete, speckled with weeds. Inside the fountain, several copper coins shimmered at the base of the clear water. 

"Come to throw coins in here?" The park's main fountain cried as Valentina got too close. "See how you like being pelted!" Coins shot out from the water, tiny metal missiles.

Jax dodged, desperately trying to keep the umbrella over her and Valentina. "What is happening?" she shrieked. 

Entirely unbothered, Anders watched the two shriek behind the umbrella as coins bounced off, landing on the grass. "It's the magic..." Anders breathed. He flicked his eyes upward to the sky. "It's bringing everything to life..." 

A blurred frenzy of voices became louder as planters argued over who had the best plant in their pots. “I am the prettiest! Anyone in their right mind can see that,” shouted the planter with geranium as the red flowers fluttered in the black and silver planter. 

“I am the tallest, so that gives me more authority,” said the gladiolus in the square-shaped planter. The light pink flowers shook at the others as if it was wagging its finger at them. 

A small planter filled with carnations jumped up and down, eagerly shouting, “Flowers, flowers!” It continued to bounce until the other two planters broke to turn their attention to the planter in the middle. “We should not argue! We’re all pretty!”

“Oh, shut up!” the two planters said in unison and smacked the small one with their flowers. 

“Hey,” Jax said, picking up the small one, “Don’t pick on her! Them! It!” She hugged the small planter to her, cradling it underneath the umbrella. 

Valentina eyed the planter. "The last thing we need is sentience-granting magic," she hissed. She took Jax by the wrist, stormed over to Anders, grabbed his wrist, and dragged them further into the park toward the exit. They had to get through it and with things coming to life it was past time to wander slowly. They passed a boulder spouting poetry to a scattering of wildflowers that were not sentient. 

Anders felt a thump on top of his head. He looked up with a loud shout. "Are those...?" 

Jax studied the downpour as objects hit the top of the umbrella. She looked through the clear plastic of the umbrella and watched as keys bounced off onto the ground. "Keys," she breathed. "Those are keys." She nudged Valentina who took her arm and the two went underneath an awning. 

“You don’t see that every day,” the carnation commented. Jax and Valentina eyed the flower, then exchanged a quiet conversation through pointed eye contact. 

Anders stood amid the chaos, watching as the keys came down, and flinched when some hit him in the face. He knelt to examine the ones on the ground, picking them up carefully and studying them. 

"Get over here you madman!" Valentina yelled, stamping her foot. 

"They're keys," he whispered. Anders pocketed several before making his way over to them. "Why is it raining keys?"

"Why does anything happen?" Valentina demanded. "It's a magocalypse." She flicked her eyes down to the planter that Jax cradled against her with her free hand. She reached over and took the handle of the umbrella, shifting it into her possession to free up a hand for Jax. 

"I hate that term," Anders muttered, kneeling to watch as the keys rained down. 

"How are you not affected?" Jax asked. 

He didn't answer the question. He was too absorbed by the fact that each key was different. "The ridges aren't the same. Not only is it raining keys but they're each unique." 

"That's because they lead somewhere genius!" 

Valentina whipped around to see a carousel nearby. She gaped at the various animals going round and round, each one stunningly detailed and each made sentient by the magic. A tiger snarled next to a black haired gray horse with a haughty expression. A graceful white rabbit sprang alongside a Chinese dragon all brilliant reds and shimmering golds. A stately giraffe joined the procession beside a zebra that looked to be chuckling. A horse with the lower half of a fish gazed heavenward while at its side a swan with wings tucked neatly against its body kept watch.

"Don't tell them that!" The gray horse shouted.

"It’s not like they can do anything with that knowledge," the giraffe, the first voice said.

"Hush, both of you!" The rabbit groused.

"Oh shut up!" The dragon said, quickly followed by the horse with the lower half of the fish chiming, "All we hear from y'all these days." 

"You've heard nothing," the giraffe declared.

"Ignore them," Valentine said, gathering herself. "Each of these keys leads somewhere? They have to be lying."

Anders stared at the horses going round. "That may be the most disturbing thing I've seen yet," he breathed as the horses began a chorus of 'you move your butt' 'no you move your butt'. 

"Can we please go now?" Valentina asked. "There's no telling how this is affecting Ansel." She glanced at Jax, curiously quiet this whole time. "Did you tell him about Ansel's sensitivity?"

"She didn't have to," Anders answered for her. 

Jax could feel Valentina's look before looking at her friend. "He's good at what he does." 

"And you just... sat on that knowledge?" Valentina alternated staring at Jax and Anders. 

"I didn't tell him anything," Jax said. "He knows things. He's like a freaky magic 8 ball." 

Valentina studied Jax's face. She looked sincere. She may be a good liar when she had to be, but Valentina knew her tells, and trusted her besides. "Why haven't you made a move against my brother?" Valentina said, turning to Anders. "You two hate each other."

"Sure. But that doesn't mean I don't respect him." He stood, watching as the keys slacked in a downpour. "Go on ahead. I need to do something first and then I'll find you." 

"Just be careful." Valentina sighed. She linked hands with Jax and the two hurried back to the bunker.