The bell rang for the final class of the day long after Odie was taken ho by Thea.
As students stread out into the streets, they looked up apprehensively at the storm that seed imminent.
Those who had umbrellas took them out of their bags and held them at the ready. Those who were unprepared were forced to crowd under the archway to stay dry.
"She’s not here!"
"I don’t see her either!"
A crestfallen young boy, holding a note card and chocolates, was the pity of his friend group.
After using the last month to work up his courage, he was finally ready to confess his feelings to the girl of his dreams.
Only, all of her classmates were reporting that she had gone ho sick for the day.
"Honestly... you should probably feel a little bit relieved! Can you imagine if you actually confessed in front of all these people and she said no? It’d be pretty embarrassing, no lie..."
The boy hit one of his friends before stuffing his things into his bag. "Doesn’t matter. I’m just going to try again whenever she cos back, and... hm?"
The boy was surprised to find a white robe in his backpack.
It was a soft thing, divinely so. He could have sworn that it was fashioned from a cloud.
Bits of real, genuine gold were woven along the hood and cape, giving them a luxurious yet modest aesthetic.
The boy blinked as he triple-checked to make sure that the bag was indeed his.
Confused as to how such a thing ended up in his possession, he started to take the robe out of his bag.
However, the minute he extracted the fabric, the world was seized by a violent quake.
-
"It’s... It’s almost ti. I can feel it..."
Gaia pants heavily as she forces herself to smile once again.
"If I had known that it was going to be this uncomfortable, I would have done more stretches or sothing in preparation for this day... maybe even gotten more regular massages."
Bashenga’s head is low as he clutches Gaia’s hand in his own.
"...How do you possess the bandwidth to joke at a ti like this...?"
"Effort, mostly..." Gaia attempts to shrug. "You could attempt to reward for my courage with a smile... or maybe even a laugh?"
Bashenga could not.
The rest of their family could not do as she had asked either. No matter how much they might have liked to.
Gaia smiles wryly.
"As I thought... I was never the most skilled jester. But I had hoped to spin so masterful words one last ti and at least amuse you with my whimsy."
"This will be your last nothing, Gaia." Asherah stepped forward on a wooden cane.
Her wrinkled face bore a sad smile filled with heartache.
"You will not perish here. You will be transford and renewed."
"But she will not be herself, will she!?" Bashenga snaps.
"Bash..." Gaia begins.
"No... It is fine."
The room was stunned to see Asherah shed a tear. Though she quickly dashed it away as if it were accidental.
"I... cannot say for certain. And I am sorry for that. It is a curse I will notwish upon my most hated enemy."
"And yet you would condemn her to it. The irony is far from lost on ." Bash said venomously.
"Bashenga..." Bekka places a hand on her son’s shoulder. It does nothing to ease the fire in his stomach or the grief in his heart.
Asherah does not speak again. She can’t.
Instead, she backs away, finding that her presence only exacerbates the wounds of the grieving dragon.
"...Don’t be like that to her." Gaia squeezes Bashenga’s hand. "She’s family."
Bashenga does not look up. Nor does he budge emotionally.
"...Can you at least look at ?"
"...I do not think that you would find that scenario preferable right now."
"That’s probably why you should let do all of the thinking. Why would I have married you if I could not stand the sight of your face in every capacity?"
Gaia looks up at Bekka with a smile.
"I never did complint you on your work. I’m a very big fan."
Bekka is the first to chuckle as she pats her stomach. "You know how it is. Team effort."
Her wives and husband join her in smiling.
Gaia strains to reach across her body and lift her lover’s head.
Bashenga does not look like himself. His face is tight and agonized. His eyes are like gates to hell.
Demons high and low would all flee at the sight of him if they were here now.
"...Boop." Gaia taps her husband’s nose.
"...What is the aning of-"
"I want you to make a promise, okay?"
Bashenga’s eyes finally soften to a very small degree. "...You need only na it."
"Whichever form I next take, I want you to find and love all the sa. Whether or not I rember you or not."
"That..."
"Don’t want to do it?"
"No, of course I do. But... what am I to do if your feelings are no longer the sa?"
Gaia smiles.
"You woo , obviously. just like you did the first ti."
Bashenga looks stunned.
"He doesn’t know how he wooed you the first ti. You’ve been out of his league since you ca around." Straga blurted.
Monica and Abaddon each punch him in his sides to make him shut up.
Gaia laughs. It is a heartfelt sound. Ironically, she does not sound nearly as tired as before.
"Perhaps I was the only one who saw the value of your brother. An entire mine of gold all for my taking."
Gaia wipes a tear from her eye. It is bright blue and glowing.
She gently applies more force to her grip to emphasize the severity of her next words.
"There’s one last thing.... I kind of... want a wedding. A big one. The grandest and most fantastical that can be imagined. Well, it’s what I want right now, but I don’t know if the in the future will want it, so maybe you don’t have to-"
"You shall have it."
Bashenga’s voice is delicate and fragile. His gaze was even more so.
"Whatever you desire, in whatever life, you will have it. Even if I must tear it from the hands of another. That is my vow."
Gaia is noticeably surprised by the seriousness of his words, but she is not displeased.
"...So serious. Then if I tell you to lighten up a bit too?"
"...I will do my best."
"I can’t wait to see what that looks like." Gaia giggles.
However, her words unintentionally sting him.
She wishes she could take them back as soon as she said them.
Silently, the two of them stare at each other with total honesty.
The hurt and fear in their eyes are unveiled for both of them to see.
Gaia’s veins are beginning to glow. In the dimly lit living room, she shines almost as brightly as a star.
But then again, Bashenga does not consider that to be unusual. As long as he has known her, she has always lit up any room she has walked into.
Gaia raises a finger and taps herself on the cheek.
Understanding, Bashenga leans over and kisses her.
His lips linger on the side of her face for a while, as if he fears that he will never rember this sensation again.
When he starts to pull away, Gaia grabs him by his necklace and pulls him in for a last kiss.
It is the straw to break the cal’s back.
Tears rush down the faces of both lovers and mix together.
The house around them begins to rumble and shake as the world is transford.
Abaddon clutches his youngest daughter and youngest son under each arm to protect them.
Gaia finally lets go of Bashenga and places her hand over his eyes.
"One last favor... don’t look."
Bashenga bites his lip hard enough to draw blood. His claws burrow deeply into his palms.
Gaia sparing him from the sight of her body breaking down is her last act of love. Sparing him from hearing the sound of her screams is Eris’.
When Bashenga can no longer feel her warmth or her presence, he opens his eyes. But they are nearly dead.
There is a glow, but there is no light.
Bashenga is nearly an empty shell, unable to do anything but stare into the space where his wife once lay.
He does not make a move as Bekka wraps her arms around him and says sothing that he cannot hear.
He feels the ground rumbling underneath his feet, but he has little to no idea what it ans.
Slowly, he turns his gaze toward the window.
The sky has begun to change with the shattering of the sixth seal.
The world was painted red. The sun has turned completely black.
On the opposite side of the world, the moon is ominous and crimson.
Finally, the veil between the realms is pulled away. Mountains crumbled, and islands moved from their places.
Finally, a blinding white light consus all of earth, and the sound of distant trumpets can be heard by every ear.
Reviews
All reviews (0)