"W-what do you mean... Gone?"
Ky pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes squeezed shut. "I don't wanna talk about it." Jer tilted his head at her, then sat by her.
"That bad, huh?" he asked. She nodded her head.
"Worse than when dad-" she broke off and clutched at her head. No, she wasn't going to relive that moment.
They sat silent for a minute, then...
"Worse than when you died?" Jer asked. Ky shot up and looked at him. His shoulders were sagging and his face set into a frown. "That was some of the worst news I ever got."
"Jer..."
"Your mom PMed and told me. I actually couldn't do much after that..." He rammed his fist into the dirt. "Why didn't you let me know you were okay?!"
"I'm sorry... After I came here... I couldn't remember anything. My friends, memories..." she whispered.
"Not even me?"
"Nope... nothing. Then, when I came back to Halloween Town, I remembered the real me. I actually, was never meant to be in the human world. But, I'm glad I did."
Jer was silent. Ky pushed herself up and looked at the sky. "Have you seen Ant and Courts?" Jer asked.
BAM!
Jer looked up. Ky had kicked the nearest tree as hard as she could. The kitten stared at her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the tree.
"Yes, I have."
"Where are they?!" Jer asked, getting excited.
"Gone, with the rest of the town. Oogie has them."
"Are you sure?" Jer asked, getting on his hands and knees.
"Positive. I saw them, everyone, disappear." Jer stood up and stared at her.
"Oh..." Jer said. He sat down and looked at the moon.
"I can show you what's left of it though," Ky offered. Jer looked at her.
"Okay."
---
"See?" Ky muttered as they over looked the ruins.
"Whoa..."
"C'mon, let's see if we can find anything interesting." Ky slid down the hill, Jer followed close behind. "Let's start at Skellington Manor."
"'Kay."
They stepped over a pile of debris and looked around at the Manor ruins. Ky knelt down and pulled a loose floor board open. Her eyebrows rose as she saw a small box hidden beneath it. She pulled the lid off and saw pictures and paper's she had never seen. She picked up an aging news paper clipping with two black and white photos. She read it twice.
"Jer! Come here!" Ky called motioning him over.
"What is it?"
"Listen....
'September 3rd is a day no one will forget or want to remember. The death of the Princess. Her's was not the only death that day, either. Several months before the tragic incident, she befriended an outcast boy her age.
Many do not wish to relive what happened, but they agreed to interviews-
'You couldn't separate them when they were playing,' one recalls. 'So it was no shock that they were found dead at the same place.'
'The boy was strange, he was healthy, but he looked as if he needed a hair cut and looked beaten,' another said.
No one claims to know who the boy is. But many agree that he may be an orphan.
Our wondrous Pumpkin King, Jack, says that a broken tomb stone was found nearby...'
The rest was cut off. Ky frowned. "That's funny... I don't remember a boy..." Jer looked at her.
"Wait! Does that mean YOU'RE the princess?!"
"Better believe it," Ky muttered. And reread it. Her eyes fell on photographs. "Jer... Can you stand over there?" she asked, motioning in front of her.
Jer looked dubious but walked over anyways. Ky held the paper up and looked at him and the picture of the boy. "Jer... look at this picture." She thrust the paper at him.
"He looks..."
"He's you," Ky whispered. She stared at his face. "It wasn't just fate that we met in the human world."
---
This was actually a last minute idea!!! GO MEE!!!!
