Power

Demeter’s tears glistened upon the flesh of Nemo’s arms as he shifted his position upon the rooftop’s end. He could have gripped the grey clouds above with his fingertips, should he have extended his hand an inch further upward. He had joined the sky and the world below at its merging line; were all that was solid, and all that remained free to roam by the birds and clouds above, met in harmony.

With his back turned to the pedestrian littered streets below, Nemo inhaled the moist air. It fell heavy in his lungs, as though his body had been aware of his decision and was gripping with every ounce of its resistance the elements which fueled its livelihood. But It had not occurred to Nemo, that his death awaited him on the puddle-spattered pavement. For his only conscious thoughts were of the future for which he craved, but could no longer revisit. He had been shut out of his own doorway to the world that awaited, and it had left him with an uncontrollable longing to return to it. Surely, this act would do as all other of his previous attempts to die had. Surely.

The rain pitter-patted against him as he reached his arms outward at his sides, and not a care for his safety did hinder him. It was only a matter of flying.

After the entire week being all happy and sunny, today was cloudy and gloomy. It had even started to rain. Something about today being like this gave him a bad feeling. Like something horrible was going to happen at some point in the day. The entire morning, he'd been waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. He'd just about gotten over the weird feeling, when he heard some commotion outside the Ministry building. He ran outside, asking what was going on. A man pointed up at the roof of the building and said that it looked like he was going to jump off.

Jake looked up through the rain that had begun to fall and his eyes widened at what he saw. The familiar figure od the man who he'd actually grown somewhat close to. He muttered something under his breath and he took off, back lnto the Ministry building and straight up to the roof. He didn't give anyone any explaination to anyone as to what he was doing. He just ran, barely stopping anywhete along the way, wanting to get to Nemo before he did anything rash. He slammed the door to the roof open, panting for breath as he stared across the roof at Nemo.

"Nemo. Don't." was all he could say as he tried to catch his breath.

Nemo’s next step stuttered with the arrival of another being on that otherwise vacant rooftop, nearly resulting in his lost balance and an unprepared tumble off of the edge on which he stood. He righted himself, before dragging his gaze downward from the heavens to meet Collins’ frantic face. “Nobody…” he muttered the true meaning of the name which his mother had assigned him, with a smile so bitter and sorrowful as to make it appear as though Nemo would cry at any moment, and laugh sarcastically the next. “Mortimer,” he corrected his companion in an uncharacteristically quiet tone.

He upturned his head once more, blinded by that infinite canvas of brilliant white. He basked in the light rain, and closed his eyes to all that surrounded him, before reclining an inch upon the balls of his feat, as though testing the boundaries of gravity.

Though he didn't know what went through the mind of the man in front of him, Jake knew that he had to do something to prevent what he feared was going to happen. In the time since he'd met Nemo, he'd grown used to these times, where he'd tried to do things like this. Everytime, he'd tried to keep himself calm during this, but the fact was that he was always scared that Nemo would go through with what he planned to do. Jake wasn't close to anyone, not even his family, anyone except for this man. It was weird to say that he was close to him, maybe looked up to is a better way to phrase that. Since he was young, Jake had never really had a role model, until he met Nemo. Which is why it frightened him when this happened.

Jake looked around the roof frantically, as if looking for someone to help him. But there was no one there, just him and Nemo. He closed his eyes for a moment, calming himself down so as not to do anything that could ultimately make the man fall. His breathing had become heavy and he opened his eyes to see Nemo reclining on the balls of his feet and his mind began to race. He didn't know if he was actually going to jump or not, but he didn't want to take the risk of finding out. Without much though, Jake jumped forward and grabbed Nemo's arm. "Whatever your planning to do ..." his grip tightened on the man's sleeve. "I won't let you do it." he said, as calmly as he could.

The firm grip of Collins' fingers coiling around his wrist woke him with a start from his stupor, which had consisted of mentally unwinding every care and responsibility that had remained, nagging and picking at the threads of his mind. He stumbled a second time, once more in a surprised response to the actions of the younger man before him. The man's tightly crumbled fist was all that anchored Nemo to the realm of the living at that moment; as he teetered between death and a continued stay on the world to which he'd been so forcefully thrown.

There was a deafeningly silent pause, one which rang through Nemo's ears like a clap of thunder. It whirred on within him, bouncing throughout his entire being until Nemo was drawn back to the present by the thickening of the rain that poured down upon him. And for a moment, no matter how brief, an expression of surrender had ghosted Nemo's facial features.

He twisted the wrist which Collins' had taken hold, and curled his own fingers around the arm that his accomplice had offered him. Nemo held on, his eyes softening, lips quirking slowly into his infamous, mischievous smile. "Aladdin..." he addressed Collins and blinked in the manner of an exhausted, yet content child. He'd been outworn by the trials of the nature of his ability; a truth which could now be seen clearly by all those who cared to spy upon Nemo's celestial blues. Nemo's heart had grown weary, and he desired nothing more than a rest.

Jake pulled slightly in Nemo's sleeve, trying to pull him back from the edge of the roof. He wasn't going to let him fall, never. He felt the man twist the wrist that he was holding onto and Jake looked up at him a bit. His eyes showed something that seemed like a mixture of sadness and worry. That was what happened whem you don't want your role model to fall to his death. He had to stop him from even thinking it now, one false move from either of them and not only will Nemo fall but he would as well. At this point he didn't care what happened to him, as long as he could save someone else from dying.

He pulled on Nemo's sleeve again, his fingers slipping a bit from the rain that had begun to fall harder. This only served to make his grip tighten further, almost to the point where Jake believed that he could possibly stop the circulation from his wrist to his hand. Still his grip didn't loosen any from this realization and he kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. No matter what happened he wasn't going to let himself be dragged anywhere, especially not while he had Nemo there, and he was trying to keep him falling.

"Please ..." he said softly. Jake's lips curled into the playful smile he only had while he was with Nemo. Still his tone of voice showed that he was concerned with the man's well-being. "Don't do anything rash." his smile dropped a little, but it was still there.

"I just want to go back," Nemo's voice broke, his words laced with desperation. Should he step forth, away from the promise of relief, he feared there would be no end to the hopelessness that had consumed him, and tore through his very core. He shook his head slowly, as though in an attempt to free from his skull the idea that any good could come from obeying Collins' pleas.

"I just..." he inhaled sharply the cold rain that proceeded to whip throughout the chilled air, "I need it back," he explained. As Nemo's gaze burrowed deep in the safety of Collins' eyes, he searched for understanding - for some hint of relieving similarity there.

Nemo allowed his cold-numbed fingers to grow slack, and he prepared in his next moments to release his hold.

Jake's eyes widened a bit as he heard what Nemo said. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, he was confused. He seemed desperate for something, but Jake didn't understand what. He bit his lip, trying his best to seem at least a little bit understanding. His breathing was quickening and he felt his Heart pounding against his chest. He felt helpless, he didn't know what to do. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this, with someone like Nemo?

He felt Nemo's fingers loosen and he couldn't help but wince. He didn't want to let go, and he wouldn't, but if Nemo let go and he jumped, he doubted that he would have enough strength to pull him back up. Instead he feared that if he did anything like that, he would be pulled along with him. Well he might as well be dragged down with him. Nemo was the only one he always had fun with in some way, and he didn't want that to be taken away from him. In the state he was in, Jake didn't know if it was worth telling him any of that because he probably wouldn't listen.

The nineteen year old took a deep breath and he looked at Nemo. "You can't." he said. "You're the only one that I have fun with. The one I ... Look up too. Please, don't take that away from me." It sounded selfish, he knew that but it was the only thing he could think of to say. "If you do it ..." his eyes were glistening with tears that were hidden among the rain that poured on top of him. " ... You'll have to take me with you." he said with a serious look on his face.

“That was your mistake,” Nemo whispered. “You were wrong, Aladdin.” His lids fluttered shut against the droplets of salty rain and tears that had begun to pool along the rims of Nemo’s eyes. He would not allow such an expression to be seen upon his face, for never before had he permitted another being to witness the moment during which his depression seized him in its full effect. He could not bear the thought of being remembered in such a way. “You were inspired by mania. Can’t you see?!” Nemo’s tone grew louder as the black further overwhelmed him. “A symptom! I am no one!” He shouted – but his words fell flat as they echoed against Nemo’s ears, and he became aware of the truths that were spilling from his parted lips.

He slid his feet several inches backwards, before opening his eyes to the world for the last time. His exhausted smile joined him once more, and was followed shortly by a saddened laugh, one which did not hold any of the usual, joyously amused attributes that many had grown accustomed to. His eyes had been filled to their brims with the reflections of the clouds that littered the sky as he moved himself away from Collins, tearing himself from the boy’s begging hands.

“Goodbye, Aladdin,” Nemo bid his friend – a term which, only at the moment of his death could he bring himself to put to any use – farewell. And it was with that same, faint smile that had crept across his face at the thought of relief that Nemo extended his arms at his side once more, and he moved himself to fall over the sky’s edge.

"You are not ..." Jake muttered as he looked down. He shut his eyes tight, feeling tears run down his already get face. He wasn't going to let him go through with this. He couldn't, and he wouldn't. He reopened his eyes and lifted his face to look directly at Nemo. "You are someone!" he shouted back him. "A 'no one' as you state you are, has no one who cares for him! But you do have people who care for you and you know it!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "Ignore it as you might, you know that I'm right!" his hand went for his wand, his eyes never leaving Nemo.

Just as he felt the man pull away from his grip, Jake pulled his wand out and pointed it at him. He grabbed onto his arm once more and he pulled Nemo away from the edge as best as he could. "I won't let you do this." he said in a soft voice, and he flicked his wand at him. "Stupefy." he muttered, feeling himself begin to cry more. This was the only way of keeping him from throwing himself off. What was he supposed to do now? Jake looked up at the clouded sky, letting the rain hit his face freely.