Lux Aeterna (part 26 of 26)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by Mr. Toasty

Glavius woke up, never recollecting ever having gone to sleep in the first place. His bleary eyes opened and his stiff body became animated as he yawned and came to. At first there was a feeling of chilling cold surrounding him, with just a trace of warmth throbbing out to counter it, like the pulse of a heart wrapped in ice. Groaning softly, he reached for his glasses and put them on, where he was delighted with a morning treat. There, lying beside him, her arm folded over his shoulder, was the sleeping goddess he had literally spent his entire life pursuing. She looked even more beautiful in sleep.

Glavius was content to admire Aisuna’s resting form as he laid there, a mere breath away from the cold woman. She normally had a very murderous or mournful look on her face, but now there was peace and serenity; calm had replaced the violent emotions. He saw tiny puffs of breath coming out of her nose and mouth, and noticed that she had sprouted wings sometime during sleep, as she was known to do. He slowly reached out and touched her face, first the cheek and then the forehead, until he came around and cupped her chin.

Her lips, pale and blue and slightly parted, begged to be kissed. He once wondered if this same sleeping goddess would wake if given a kiss by a handsome prince, and that moment seemed a wonderful time to finally test his theory. He smiled and leaned forward, but before he could get closer, her eyes fluttered open and she woke. Aisuna moaned quietly and gazed at him for a while, perhaps still thinking she was in a dream.

“Hello,” greeted Glavius with a smile. “Did you dream, my lovely?”

“Yes, I dream all the time,” she replied. “My dreams are the only places I can go to for peace and contentment, away from this world and my damning duties. Is this a dream?”

“It seems like it,” he replied gently, combing his fingers through her rough black hair. She attempted to smile, apparently not bothered by the action. She even wiggled closer to him and traced her finger on his temple.

“Then let me not wake up. This is the only time I have ever felt really happy…”

“With me?” he chuckled. She nodded her head faintly and came even closer.

“For so long now, ever since I was introduced into this life, I have felt the fiery pain of loss and agony as all my past loves died, leaving me in my icy tomb each and every time. Decades went, centuries came by, entire millennia passed like the winds, and yet I remained ageless, while those that I dared to care for were taken from me. Add unto that my filthy destiny of granting wishes to my saviors, and being condemned into this world of frozen ice and cold winds… and you may know why I sometimes suffer.”

Aisuna shivered and hugged herself, showing genuine signs of fear, loss, and emptiness right for the Informer to observe. His heart went out to the surprising woman, having never seen this side of her before, and his arms spread over her body and held her close, where he could feel her shivering cold body and the relentless thump of her heart.

“Aisuna… In all my studies, I never would have known…” The woman gazed up at him, her dark eyes brimming with crystal tears as she gave him a heartbreaking look.

“Oh, but did it never occur to you that in my eons of life, I have taken and lost lovers? Why, those very first were the hardest, because I honestly believed that I was destined to be with this man, or that I loved this woman, or he cared for me, or she would be there for me always. What a fool I was. I could not take them with me. They could not meet me in the next life. The grim thresher of Death separated us, splitting a canyon of endless depth between our lives, so that we would never know each other again.

“Every love I had afterwards was… more painful than the last. I kept on hoping that the next one would be different, and that I would be proven wrong. But the more fiery our passion was, the colder things became once death claimed them. My heart wailed miserably for their demise, and by the greed of humans who thought only of themselves; I was a mere tool used for their pleasure. I have been damned my entire life--a very, very, very long life, filled with nothing but misery!”

“Aisuna…” Too stricken with speechlessness to say anything else, Glavius could only gape, and hug her even closer. Her face became buried in his chest, his hands in her hair, and a kiss was placed on her forehead in an attempt to comfort her.

“But… even then… I am a stubborn creature…” She sighed and cleared her face, finally returning his embrace after a few minutes of being held. Her strength came back, both in her voice and her arms, and she cleared her throat of all angst. “I am miserably stubborn, Glavius. You were right, you know. Somewhere deep inside this snowy woman is a fiery pit of passionate love, one that yearns to be free from her prison and able to live as all mortals do, with those who care for them. And… in the end… they may rest and enter into Nippon, the land of dreams, and be happy forever.” She smiled at him, stroking his face just as he stroked hers.

“I have never met somebody as stubborn as I am, least of all one whose stubbornness was devoted to myself. You amaze me, Glavius, and that’s something to behold, considering I’ve lived for thousands of years. You really are different--my biggest fan, one might say. I shouldn’t feel so hopeful, because it will only end in tragedy, but… I’ll dare to love one more time, just once more!”

“…Aisuna,” he croaked, barely able to realize that all his fantasies were coming true right before him, “are you… saying what I think it is you are saying?” She gave him a warm, loving smile, and nodded her head.

“It’s foolishness, I know… but a life without love isn’t worth living. I have been miserable too long; I want to love one more time, no matter how brief it is.”

“I wonder what got you to change your mind,” he remarked slyly. She grinned at him.

“We Ice Djinns are of a fickle nature. Oh, but how could I refuse one so devoted? Any other man would have left me now, one way or another, but… your staying behind really flatters me.” Glavius gave her a warm smile, too overcome to really do anything else, and locked his fingers into hers, feeling the delicious chill of her touch.

“Thank you, darling. You’re right, you know. No matter how short our affair may be, it would be better to have experienced it than not at all. You’re right.” She smiled at him, and together, they leaned forward and shared the first of many forbidden, impossible kisses.

----------

Hours of deep, sensual passion passed before the two of them decided to step outside of the cave for some fresh air. The winds of the North Pole had died and the land seemed to be at its warmest, though Glavius still shivered madly from the drop of temperature. Aisuna lovingly held him in her cool embrace, using her wings as extra insulation to keep him warm. She happily placed gentle kisses on the back of his neck, sharing the warmth of body heat for the first time in ages. Glavius still shivered, though not as much.

“A beautiful home we have here, Aisuna! It’s a pity there’s not much scenery. I’ll bet your rental on the place is reasonable, though!” She smiled at his good humor.

“For all I know, I own the entire pole. I’m it’s only resident, so my neighbors have no complaints.”

“Ah. Oh, I forgot to ask you, dear: what is it that you do for fun?”

“Fun?” she repeated, as if she didn’t know what it meant. “Oh. Well, when I am not in a state of hibernation, I like to make drawings.”

“Drawings? What type?”

“Usually in the snow. The world is my canvas, Glavius, and though my art is poor, it is my only means of expression. And you?”

“Ah, me… Well, I like showering the woman I love with attention and presents.” Aisuna chuckled at the flattering remark and pulled his head around gently to kiss his cheek.

“Wonderful… I wish I could have done the same. I’m afraid I can’t give you much.”

“You’ve given me enough already, my dear,” he replied, smiling as he patted her hands. Aisuna gave him a cheerful smile, and hugged him closer as they spent a few more quiet hours outside of the cave. As they stared at the clear blue sky, up into the sun that was hanging midway on the horizon, they could see a dimmer flash of light brighten the whole area, and out of the flash stepped a person wearing black clothes. Glavius kept his smile as the person descended down onto the snow and walked towards them, for he recognized it to be his old friend, Keiko Yamanaka.

“Were you expecting her?” asked Aisuna. He nodded his head.

“Sooner of later. She said she’s drop on by; I wonder what for…” The two of them were briefly kept in suspense as the stunning woman came closer to them. Her face was as impassive as stone, and locked into a concentrating stare. If she was happy to see the couple, she certainly didn’t show it.

“Well!” called Glavius once she was close enough. “To what do we owe the pleasure of receiving the Seventh Judgment? Our home’s a bit cold and terribly messy, but we can certainly provide you with whatever it is you seek.” Keiko gave Glavius a studious gaze, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of his humor.

“…Have the two of you been here this entire time?”

“Yes, all by ourselves.”

“And you are both well?”

“As can be expected,” he replied with a smile. She tilted her head.

“There is something odd… I sense that your relationship has shifted dramatically.”

“(Now there’s an understatement,)” muttered Glavius playfully. Aisuna grinned and explained for the “younger” lady.

“We’ve… been busy… with each other, you could say.” Keiko’s face darkened as she realized what they were trying to tell her, and she shirked back a bit, though not in disgust.

“Uh… I see… (cough) Well, uh, I-I came here… to, uh, finish things.”

“What do you mean?” Keiko cleared her throat again, and took a deep breath. It had come to the part which she was dreading the most, though there was no way to escape this part of her job. She would detest what she was about to say and do for many eons later, but it was that point right before which she was reluctant to go into.

“…I will say this plainly,” she began, her voice empty and cold. “I have come here to kill Aisuna, the Ice Djinn.”

“What?!”

“Please, hear me out,” she said firmly, holding her hand up. “I bear you no grudge or ill will. You and I are of a similar ilk, lady Aisuna, but yours must be eliminated from this Earth. It is really a cruel thing to do, but it must be done. I cannot allow a power like yours to continue to thrive, and as there is no way to deprive you of your abilities, death is the only way to ensure this world’s safety.”

“Keiko, are you mad?!” snarled Glavius angrily. “You cannot do this! Aisuna has done nothing wrong! …Well… not on her own, she hasn’t. And besides, didn’t I tell you that I would protect her?”

“You did indeed,” she replied with a nod, “but you will not live forever, Glavius. One day, far into the future, you will die and she will continue to live on. Who will protect her then? Even if you could find immortality, you were unable to stop Grady from attaining his wish, and only through my intervention was this nightmare stopped. I know you mean well and that your motive is good, but you cannot expect to do anything, really.”

“But this is madness!” he spat, flailing his arm around. “You can’t possibly--”

“No, she is right.” Glavius was stopped suddenly by the woman he cherished, who placed her hands around his arm and gave him a firm look. Glavius froze, allowing her time to explain. “As I told you, I have been miserable all my years. My past lovers are dead, and even you will leave me as well. The greed of humans is too much, and I’m so burdened by my many sorrows that I yearn for a way out. Lady Keiko, I beg of you… please put me out of my misery!!” Aisuna actually fell to the ground and clasped her hands, staring up at Keiko with eyes of fiery pain and hope.

“Aisuna… this is truly what you wish?” whispered Glavius. She nodded at him, weeping gently.

“I’m sorry, precious Glavius… but it’s the only way I shall be at peace. I loved our time together, as short as it was, and I would never trade it for anything else, except for perhaps even more time spent with you. But I ache to be free, beloved--I ache to leave this world and know what peace is, even if I must experience Death first.” Glavius was too petrified to speak for a while. His Adam’s apple felt like it had bulged to the size of a watermelon as he swallowed down his fear. He knelt down with her in the snow, wiping her tears away and giving her a sad, noble smile.

“Dearest Aisuna… If that’s how you truly feel, then please allow me the honor of being taken away with you.”

“What?” blurted Keiko. Glavius nodded his head.

“Oh yes. I would like to be killed as well, my friend. Do you really think I would like to live on once my life’s pursuit is gone? My entire heart and soul is right here in my arms, and if you wish to take it away, then I will gladly follow her.”

“……Glavius…” Aisuna breathlessly whispered out his name, and looked once again into his handsome, slightly mischievous face. He smiled at her, proud and loving and eager to follow her into oblivion, and all she could do was hold him close. She gave him a tearful kiss, too stunned for anything else. “You really love me that much, don’t you?”

“Of course. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along, my dear.” He returned her embraces, fully ready to accept the consequences of his decision. Keiko was too bewildered and shocked to do anything, although in the back of her mind, she had expected this very reaction. She wanted to persuade her friend against it, but she knew it would end up being useless.

“Glavius… you know, I will carry out your wish if you truly desire it.” Both Glavius and Aisuna stood up and turned around to face her, a determined look in both their faces.

“Keiko, I will be dead no matter what happens. I would want to kill myself if I lost Aisuna, no matter how much her death was justified. At least this way, we may die together, just like in all the good romance books. The star-crossed lovers should perish in each other’s arms--it’s how a great tragic romance always ends. And I’m very sorry, or perhaps happy to say… that our love was doomed from the beginning.”

Keiko sighed, shaking her head in awe. She could barely bring herself to believe what was happening. Her own friend wanted to die with his love, rather than to live apart from her… But then again, Keiko knew what he was going through. Her own love, her very first, had perished so long ago, leaving her empty and alone with nothing to hold onto. She had met Eve and learned to love all over again, but Glavius…

He would have nobody else. Aisuna was his whole life. He was right: if she died, he would die with her, whether it be literally or figuratively. And so, since he was so determined and she honestly had no other choice--because Aisuna, no matter how good she was on the inside, could not be allowed to live with her freakish power--she released her weapon and held it in front of her.

“I understand,” she said emptily. “Prepare for your demise, my friends. I do this… out of love for the both of you, and love for the humans, who are not all greedy or evil or selfish. Some are… very great, actually…” Aisuna smiled weakly, and noticed that her executioner was crying.

“Yes, I know. I have fallen deeply in love with one of them, and I’m glad that he was the last.” She gave him a rare cute smile, and together they embraced and kissed for one last time. Glavius quickly felt the flaming pain of a sword being plunged through his body, and Aisuna gave out a shrill shriek as she was impaled as well. The blade was drawn out quickly, and the lifeblood of both star-crossed lovers slowly dribbled away from them, some of it staining the clothes of the one they were embracing. Much of it fell upon the pure snow.

“Thank you… lady Keiko,” managed Aisuna with a weak smile. “You have both… made me so happy… Now I can finally be at peace, and rest from so many eons of suffering…” The two of them slowly crumbled to the ground, enough strength left in their bodies to keep their arms entwined. Glavius turned his head around and grinned at Keiko.

“I… owe you one… Yama… naka… Give… my love… to Eve for me… won’t you?”

“I always do,” she murmured hoarsely, another tear coming down. Glavius managed a chuckle, and leaned in to kiss he woman he loved one last time. Keiko was left behind in the painful silence, her only remaining duty to bury them in the pure snow and vanish without a trace.

--------------------

Keiko Yamanaka reappeared in a small bedroom in Nippon, where her lover Eve had been waiting for her return. The blonde woman had been reclining on the bed patiently, and as she saw the flash of light which Keiko used to go between the worlds, she hopped up and ran cheerfully towards her love. She stopped suddenly as an aura of pain and grief surrounded the woman in black.

“Keiko…” Eve took a few cautious steps forward, her body so in tune with her lover’s that she was able to feel the darkness herself. Since Eve knew where Keiko had been and what she had been doing, she quickly understood and began to caress her face.

“Oh, sweetheart… I’m so sorry…” Eve took Keiko in an embrace, squeezing the woman with as much love as she knew how, and kissed her neck and cheek several times. Keiko squeezed harder, stricken with grief and angry at what she had been forced to do.

“Damn this job of mine!” she growled hoarsely. “Damn this job!! Why did I have to be the Seventh Judgment? Why did it pass upon me, to damn or save others? Why was I held responsible? Why was I selected to be the one who acts upon the will of my superiors? WHY?! I never wanted any of this! I never wished to kill! I loved them both so much! Damn, damn, damn, damn…!”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” whispered Eve, patting her back gently. “It’s okay… it’s okay…”

“It’s NOT okay!” she screamed, thrusting Eve back with a push. Keiko became fiery, livid, and enraged, frightening even her lover as she screamed out towards the heavens. “WHY!!!!! This is no way for any person to live! Why was I put as the messenger of death?! I hate this! I hate whoever did this to me! Whoever decided to bring me back to life and give me this damned power was a sick, twisted, heartless bastard! Or… bitch! Or whoever the hell it was! Damn this!!! Didn’t you think that for one second, I was content being dead?! Did you? I would have been happy just living once, and not forced to face this brand new destiny!

“There is something terribly wrong here! I hate this so much! I hate it all! I have all this power and yet I’m so damned powerless to do anything!!! I can’t understand! Why was I selected?! What kind of sick, messed-up damned deity decided that it would be a funny joke to have me perform all these duties?! I wish they would all die in Hell! Die in Hell! Die and suffer and writhe in agonizing torment in the pits of Hell! Damn you all! Damn all this!! I wish I didn’t have to do any of it!!!”

Keiko continued to scream until her voice was lost and her body failed her. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing and murmuring curses still, her hand striking the floor weakly. Eve had been wise to leave Keiko alone and let her vent out her frustrations--she had been enraged before by her lot in life--so she waited until her love was calm and quiet once again before coming towards her.

“…Keiko? Keiko? Honey, are you all right?” Keiko sniffled weakly, and slowly, very slowly, she climbed back to her feet, her face a mess and her hair disheveled. She tried fixing herself up, and took a deep breath to clear her thoughts.

“Oh, Eve… why aren’t my questions answered? Why did everything I just say go unheeded? Why did I… Why did you…”

“Stay by your side?” offered the other woman with a smile. She cupped Keiko’s face in her hands, and gave the woman a solid kiss of love. “Because, dear, that’s what lovers do. They stay by each other’s side even in times of darkness and doubt. Actually, it’s during those times where the lovers need each other the most. Now are you going to be okay?” Keiko sniffled again, and nodded her head as she reached out to embrace her love.

“Yes, in time. I just felt… like I had been pushed too far. I killed too many people today, both of them innocent of any crime. But it had to be done. It had to be done. And now, though my heart aches even more, their world may be safe, albeit a much colder place to live in. But it had to be done.”

“I know.” Eve smiled and kissed her again, and rubbed her pointy nose against Keiko’s neck, just the way she liked it. Keiko managed to smile and return the favor.

“Dearest Eve… you are so good to me. Ahh, I need a vacation. I tire from this job. Let us find some distraction from this terrible line of work.”

“A wise decision,” smiled the blonde. “Come, let’s get you to bed. You deserve to have some time to rest after what you’ve been through.” Keiko gave Eve a lewd smile as she locked her fingers inside Eve’s hand.

“Well, considering you, dearest lover, I shan’t expect to get much actual rest while in bed, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah, such a naughty girl!” Eve chuckled and gave her lover a push, and together they disrobed and climbed into the loving embrace of their bed, and each other. All around the confines of Nippon, the bright, glowing light led the way for all kinds of wayward souls. Two spirits in particular found their way amidst the endless fields of imagination and fantasy, united together for good, and were both basked in the same everlasting, eternal light, forevermore.

--------------------

Back to Lux Aeterna Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction