Chapter 112: Tick tock

The life is like a coin that has two sides. It could go right, or go wrong, there is no in between. But when certain people are born, with the coin already tossed before birth, then their lives cannot be changed from its set course. And people call it 'fate'. It is what people found, a reason to blame something, whenever things go wrong, once they feel that they have been defeated. 

But King Aenon was not like that. It looked like he wrote his own fate, chose his own path,  and led people through the same road. 

Aenon stood with tear in his eyes. He was satisfied that he has saved all his children. Queen Rivera, King Aenon, Adrien and Krystal looked at each other. 

"They will survive, they will," Krystal said and looked at everyone. Adrien was worried sick. And scared. 

"Am leaving, do not lose your faith," Master Bo Hai said and took off as if nothing is going on. Only man to whom the ward around the palace was not applicable, breaking through very easily. King Aenon nodded and walked out of the chamber holding his wife's hand. She was crying silently. 

"They will be fine, as long as they don't cause trouble, and fight for their right," he consoled Rivera. King Aenon looked around for one last time and walked towards the lotus pond. He took out a tiny jewellery box he had hidden in the pond. He opened the box and stood looking at them. There were eight pills in them. Six large brown coloured atropa belladonna pills, the special medicine of the Earth King. 

"Will it work? Rivera asked.

"We have to trust, we have got no other option," King Aenon replied.

"It's time, it's almost dawn Aenon," Wind King said. He looked upset but he carried on with his duty. Ash looked pale and nodded at the Water King. 

"Have one each, chew then well and swallow," King Aenon gave instructions. Ash and his father stood waiting at the entrance leaving the family to have their last minutes together. They did not see the royals taking the pills against the protocol.

The four of then chewed well and swallowed them. To Krystal, the vision went instantly blurry. 

"Is this normal brother?" Krystal asked. 

"Huh, worried about vision when life is hanging on the edge, worry not, eyes goes with the head, let us haunt them later," Aenon consoled his sister, trying to cool off every one, joking. 

"But we cannot come back as ghosts, we were bathed in holy water, when we were born, we will be holy ghosts, brother," Krystal said back playing along with her brother.

"Tell me your highness, have you seen any other soul with an ability to crack a joke before death other than our better halves?" Adrien asked Queen Rivera. 

"Never nor will ever," she said watching Aenon putting his arms around his darling sister's shoulders and laughing along with her. "If not for them, and our children we bore, would we have survived this thousands of years of immortality alone?"

"I doubt that," Adrien said. 

"But I know I have wounded you in many ways Adrien," Krystal said. She heard the conversation and replied back. 

"Nothing matters more than our family," Adrien smiled. 

"I know Aiden met Aizen, I know he kept it from me, but I promise I will never hold you back again, never," she said. "I also witnessed something I shouldn't have,"

"It's alright, it's all for Aiden, I never felt angry at you for that," he said and assured her. 

Aenon called the fake Aiden and Milan they had created using the wood puppet. He tested them before they surrendered. Things look perfect that no one would be able to find the difference between the fake and real. He thanked the sculptor a thousand times over and presented him with an official status. 

"So, let's go," Queen Rivera said. There were many guards and maids looking at them. All in tears, weeping silently. 

"Hold my hand," Prince Ash said. And they all apparated to Celestial Palace together. Wind King then put the cuffs on them. There were thousands of people standing to watch the scene. The famous Water King held as a prisoner along with his family. Aenon asked Ash and his father to leave their side immediately.

There were people shouting and screaming at them, scolding them while a few shared their sadness upon hearing the news. Those who supported him were dragged away instantly by the Celestial guards under the strict orders from Emperor Tai. 

"Aenon has still got a nerve," Emperor Tai told Empress Lihua, putting her under the spell tying her up, forcing her to watch everything from the terrace. "But I have listened to your request and am giving them a lighter punishment. Lihua looked at him in surprise. "Surprise it is," he said and laughed like a devil in Heavenly King's robes.

"You bastard," Lihua said and spit on his fave straight when he leaned down looking at her face. She was sure what he had decided to do. He slapped the Empress and wiped the saliva using her gown and turned away. 

Aenon and the family were led straight to the execution platform. There were six individual platforms built for six of the Water Royals to stand on during the execution. The Celestial Palace looked polished and too clean that day. Too bad it is going to be the dirtiest place for people to clean hard, spilling all the blood of the powerful immortals that would stain the place forever. 

Aenon climbed the steps and stood on the platform bravely. In the terrace of the Celestial palace opposite the execution platform sat the royals of all the Kingdoms in heaven. Water Roylas refused to bow and oay respect to anyone. But Aenon found his the Star Kingdom was missing. 

"Time for your final words Aenon," The King of the Sky Realm said with confidence, and in excitement, happy to becomes the most powerful Kingdom once the Water Realm hits rocks bottom.

"Thank you," Aenon said and looked at his wife nodding. 

"For those who call me King, I am grateful to all of you eternally, and for all those who wait to see the tragedy, remember this mess only a beginning.  I know what my life has been like and how transparent it has been, do I need to prove that? No," he continued. 

Meanwhile, Aqua found out the truth from Huo in the moutians. She dropped the parchment on the floor, and stood shocked. Tears whelming in her eyes, while hatred grew in her heart. 

"Listen, King Aenon trusted me and let you stay with me, to keep you safe, don't go, am sure they will find a way, please don't go, listen to me, do what your parents wish for you," he kept telling her, reaching for her. She shook off his hands. She came back to her senses. "Why? Why?" She screamed that it shook the woods. She breathed fast and got on her feet. Huo hurried along with her and held her hands at the right time she apparated. They stood in front the Water Palace when Huo opened his eyes, he felt sick to his stomach as the teleportation went a little wrong. Aqua tried to enter the palace but was pushed back away by the wards set around. She took out her power. The silver blaze around her. Huo couldn't touch her, cutting his fingers a little. The blaze wounded him when he tired to touch her shoulders. She raised her right hand extended them towards the front, the turned the palms in anti lock wise direction and broke the ward like breaking a glass. The ward was taken off that instantly sent an alarm to the Celestial Palace. 

She ran inside and looked around the palace. The guards and maids sho assembled before and knelt down, touching their head on the ground. 

"Hail the New Water Queen," they said. "Save us from the doom," they requested. "We will take care of you as we promised to your father," Aqua stood there crying, shaking her head.

"Am not the queen,  not when my parents are around, I will save then, I promise," she said. 

"Please don't leave, please," the people begged her. "I will not return without them," But she did not listened to their words and apparated straight to the Celestial Palace's gates. They did not let her in. But Emperor waited for her happily, expecting her, his speculations coming true. Aqua bought the guards breaking their legs in one snap trying not to harm their life and walked into the Palace towards the exec platform bravely. Huo reached the palace and followed her. He had made up his mind thus time. "You are not alone in this,' he said. "Trust me," 

She looked at him for a second. "Kill some people for me, will you?" She asked him. He was hesitant.  But he drew his sword. 

"Anything for you," he said. He felt the crystals inside him charging up. Aqua walked forward and psuhed open the tall doors. She saw the thousands of people waiting to witness  the extermination. 

"How impudent Crown Princess, " Emperor Tai called out. "I was sure that you will never miss this historic mass slaughter moment," he said, choosing his words to hurt her, "And welcome back Demon King". Aqua stepped inside with Huo on her side. The wind blew her hair. Her white gown, and her sword hung on her hip, she shocked everyone by her entry, back from the dead, bolder than before, powerful as she always was. The eyes held a deep emotion. that also scared the people. On the right side of her stood her family, holding a drink in their family. 

"Pa noo," she screamed. 

"Leave," that was his last words as the glass fell from his hands.