The Shadow Of Zaun

Crystals Are The Answer

               I guess I could've handled things differently, but finding out that there was a possibility that the person you cared for the most was the reason the other people you cared for died, then you'd realise it isn't really something that just comes up naturally. It's like ripping off a band aid, it'll hurt for a bit but once it's out in the open it'll start to heal. Or it will get even worse, but you won't know till it's happened.

Jinx started to get engulfed in fear, she was trembling in Shirou's hold. Was the last person she cared about going to leave her as well. "Woah, chill, I'm not mad. Just, curious." he started, pulling her closer to him. "Were you the one that caused the explosion?" he asked her. She didn't say anything for a while, she still didn't like coming to terms with the fact that she was the reason most of her family was dead. So instead she just nodded. It was once again silent for a while. "I didn't mean too." he heard her speak. "I just. I just wanted to help." she softly spoke, looking up at him.

"It's alright, we all make mistakes, usually on a slightly smaller scale, but they're still mistakes. It's how we deal with them that shows us who we are." he told her. Silence ensued and the both of them sat there. Not doing anything other than sitting in each others embrace. Shirou looked up as he started to notice the place around them was getting darker. "C'mon Powder, I'll take you home." he said before freezing and slowly looking down at Jinx. Seeing her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling  peacefully. Releasing the breath he didn't realise he was holding he picked her up and put her on his back. "Thank god she's asleep. Don't wanna find out what she would do if she heard me call her Powder."

"C'mon ominous light, you haven't failed me yet", walking in the direction that trail of light lead, it took him a long while before he came across an abandoned factory. Slowly opening the large door, he peeked inside. No one was around and in the middle of it all was a large pit with a giant propeller hanging loosely over it. four different sections for each blade and the giant part in the middle keeping it all together. Walking across the one that was closest to the entrance, he stood in the middle and looked around. How she lived here he couldn't even begin to guess.

Finding the one propeller that held any semblance of a bedroom, he walked across it reaching the end, setting her down on the matrass that was laying on the floor. Standing back up he decided to look around the place, see what Jinx had managed to do with the place. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to look around at, one of the propellers held her sleeping area, the centre seemed to be where she would create new things. The most popular on the board being her new explosives.

But the place that disturbed him the most was where she had placed her couch. Sat on it was a doll of someone they both knew. Mylo, and not just your everyday doll. This one was made out of scraps and anything else she could find. It was just sitting there with it's legs up as though it were lazing around. But he couldn't for the life of him figure out why she would do something like this. Maybe it was a way to remember him, or maybe it was her way of atoning for what she had done. A sort of, mental torture, if you will.

It just got worse when he saw a small stuffed clagger doll hanging from the roof, wearing the same goggles that Clagger wore, she must of gone back for them after everything had happened. "Why are you doing this to yourself Pow." he muttered to himself.

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Slowly Jinx's eyes fluttered open, the various patches on her roof allowing the sunlight to pierce through. Grabbing her blanket she threw it over her face as she rolled over onto her side. Realization started to settle in as she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes 'How did I get here?' she questioned herself. Standing up she stumbled forward before regaining her balance.

Now wide awake she walked around to find the door. Stopping and looking to her right she saw someone laying down on her couch. Grabbing her gun she slowly walked over, her gaurd raised and ready for a fight if there was one.

The silence was deafening, each footstep echoing across the warehouse, The sound of her heartbeat constantly in her ear. Getting as close as she could gun aimed at their face, she stopped herself from pulling the trigger as she spotted who it was.

Holstering her gun and walking over, she gently shook "Shirou wake up." she whispered in his ear. Hearing him groan she continued. "Wake uuuup." opening his eyes and turning his head, he squinted to see who woke him up. "Jinx?" he asked. "mm-hmm" she hummed. "Why are you so close to my face?" he asked again. "What, is having a girl this close to your face getting you all flustered?" she asked with a smirk.

"That depends, why are you in my face exactly?" he asked. "Well you just looked so comfy over here that i had to get a closer look." she answered. Sitting up and slinging his legs over the edge he stared into the distance and contemplated existance for a couple of seconds. Every males morning routine. "Anyways, I'm gonna have to leave soon." he said whilst standing up.

Jinx seemed to lose all joy in her face, "Wait why?" she asked. Walking over and hugging her again he started "Jinx, I'm not strong enough at all.", "I gotta learn to control my magic." he finished. "Will you at least visit?" she asked looking up at him. "Sure, and if it helps. Why don't I move Krug over here so I have two reasons to visit?" he asked looking down at her. Meekly nodding her head she broke the hug and walked over to her desk.

Sitting down she started to play with a crystal that looked very familiar to him. Walking over and standing over her he got a closer look at it. "Is this one of those crystals from before?" he asked her. "Yeah, it's the last one." she told him. Reaching for it, the spark appeared again making him stop. "You mind if I use it?" he asked staring straight at the crystal, not taking his eyes off it for a second. Jinx saw the look in his eyes and remembered what happened last time he came in contact with one of these things.

"Sure." she said whilst nodding her head. Standing up and moving back she tried to find any sort of cover to hide behind. But unfortunately for her, as soon as the word left her mouth Shirou grabbed the crystal. She threw her hands up in front of her face to block her eyes. Yet, nothing happened. No explosion, no bright colours. Just nothing, slowly lowering her hands. She saw Shirou grunting in slight pain as a swirl of grey light went up his right arm.

This went on for about ten seconds before Shirou dropped the now lightless crystal and slouched over her workbench. Running over to him she gently grabbed him and set him down onto her chair. She saw the dazed and unfocused look on his face. "Hey, c'mon Shirou look at me." she told him, "Focus on my face." she said, worry started to creep up as she watched his eyes get hazy, she grabbed his head to try and keep him still.

Watching him try to focus his eyes on her, she in turn tried to keep him as still as possible. "You okay?" she asked him, getting a slow nod from him. "Alright, just sit right here for a while." she told him, once again getting a slow nod. "Do you feel any different?" she asked him. "No. No I'm good." he told her, rubbing his head to try and calm the headache he had gotten.

Feeling his headache go away, Shirou slowly stood up. His hand on the desk to keep his balance, a step forward towards Jinx and *Blink*, he fell down onto Jinx. She had managed to catch him and hold him up before he fell. He regained his balance once more and stared down at his hands, "You alright?" Jinx asked him. "Yeah, It's just, that usually makes me tired." he told her. She looked at him confused before *Blink*, he did it again, *Blink*,*Blink*,*Blink*, over and over again before coming to a stop. "I could never do it this many...."

Jinx looked on with dissapointment as she watch Shirou vomit over the edge. "Idiot." she mumbled waking over to him. "This is your own fault." she told him. He sat down and held his head once more, the headache was back. "I know, but atleast we know what the crystals do." he told. Jinx walked over and sat next to him. "Alright, pretend I'm stupid and don't know how magic works. But could you tell me what they do?" she asked him.

he looked over at her before talking "They seem to be able to enhance my magical energy, or atleast how much magic my body can hold. I have no idea if it has made any of my powers stronger or not." he told her. They both sat there in a comfortable silence, but Shirou knew he was going to have to leave soon, so instead of delaying the inevitable. He stood up and made his way to the warehouse entrance.

"Where are you going?" Jinx asked him, "Gonna go get Krug for you." he responded, leaving Jinx all to herself.

Yo sorry for this taking so long, kinda forgot how long it was since my last update, thought it was only a week ago. I was wrong, but anyways heres the next chapter. Hoped you liked it.