Chapter Text
"I pray we meet again. If not in this life, then perhaps another. Whensoever it should be, I trust it will be a most joyous reunion."
"For you, maybe. I want nothing to do with it."
”Oh don’t be that way!”
She froze after hearing their words. The two Ancients were close to vanishing and she knew she had to say something before it was too late. She had to stop them.
Emet-Selch had just given her a very long list of places she needed to visit, his roundabout way to show he cared about her wellbeing… And for her to forget about him and move on with her life.
She shook her head, vehemently denying the outcome happening in front of her and replied with a firm ‘No’
Both Ancients and the Scions turned their heads in her direction at her answer, a questioning look on their faces.
Of course, Emet-Selch was the first to recover “Pardon? ‘No’ ? Are you telling me that you finally managed to agree with me for once?” He sneered.
She clenched her fists at her side at his provocation and shot him an angry glare “I’m not agreeing with you with ANYTHING! If it has to be said, I DON’T agree with you leaving just like that after all of this!” She shouted.
“You ‘sowed the seeds of chaos’ for thousands of years in the name of the Rejoining. YOU deliberately made the world a worse place because of it and even now that you have been given this second chance, you decide to leave just like that?! If anything you should stay for one more mortal lifetime and help fix some of the problems you caused at the very least!!”
She wasn’t lying, but she wasn’t being completely honest either. The simple truth was that she was sad to see him and Hythlodaeus go and she was looking for any reason, anything to force them to stay.
She knew she was being terribly selfish: That after twelve thousand years of pain, hopelessness, sorrow and loneliness he very well deserved his rest. That right now, for him to be released from all those painful memories of a thousand, thousand lifetimes would be a mercy.
And that would mean that he would also forget about her too…
After her sudden outburst, the Scions silently stood behind her with their jaws slightly agape while Hythlodaeus was trying (and failing) to quietly laugh behind his hand with a mirthful look in his eyes, moving between her and Emet-Selch.
But Emet-Selch…
He looked furious
“And exactly just WHO are you to tell me what to do, pray tell? Not content with killing me, now you decide that I am to live once again just to cater to your whims?” He shouted back while pointing an accusatory finger at her. “What’s next? Should I be your personal tour guide while you travel all around Etheirys and drag me behind you? An extra set of hands to help you with all the meaningless errands those broken fools rope you in? Maybe should I join your merry band of friends on your excursions?”
“Oh come now, what she says seems reasonable” chimed Hythlodaeus. “Surely one more mortal lifetime for our Most Esteemed Emet-Selch would be nothing for him, and I for one would love to see just how much our star has changed these past millenia!”
“Oh no you don’t!”
While the two Ancients in front of her argued about the benefits of not returning to the star just yet, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the Scions had quietly stepped back in order to give them some semblance of privacy and she could spy the top of Estinien’s head and spear disappearing down the slope.
“Besides, weren’t you just telling me some time ago about how you always lamented and regretted the fact that my life had ended prematurely as a sacrifice to Zodiark? This is as good as an opportunity to make up for that regret if I say so”
“And I tell you that I don’t want anything to do with this! If you want to stay with her, be my guest but leave me out of this!”
“Ohhh what hurtful words you say, my friend!”
Hythlodaeus turned his head around and was now looking at her with a mischievous spark in his eyes “Say, do you remember what I told you all those years ago in Elpis?”
‘What I told you?’ He had told her a lot of things! He had explained how things worked in Elpis, gave her some insight into the culture of the Ancients, told her about the promise they had made with Azem, about Emet-Selch’s nomination for the convocation and how he had turned it down and…
Oh. Ohh…
Realization dawned upon her and a grin broke on her face, mimicking the one currently plastered on Hythlodaeus’
And when both of them turned to look unto Emet-Selch, he knew for a fact just by looking at them that he wouldn’t be leaving with his pride intact.
She striked first. With her hands clapped in front of her, she quickly stepped forward and closed the distance, giving him her best attempt at puppy eyes “Oh please Emet-Selch! Wouldn’t you honor us with your presence for one last lifetime? Would you travel with us and show us all those marvelous places and sights you mentioned?”
“Now, now. No need for him to be relegated to just a simple guide” gently chided Hythlodaeus, “Just the pleasure of his company would be the best present he could ever give us, wouldn’t he? And I for one know what a kind soul he is and how it would go against his very nature to just leave us alone to our luck, knowing that he could have prevented that!”
Damn that Hythlodaeus… Always knowing how to appeal (and guilt trip) him. Not for the first time he regretted being friends with him.
And Azem. Or in this case, Azem’s reincarnation. Both of them would relentlessly hound him until he gave in and if he were to go back into the Underworld right now, either she would summon him back or Hythlodaeus would follow and pester him until the time Azem finally joined them before they finally set to reincarnate together.
Not that he was ever able to tell ‘No’ to Azem… No matter how ridiculous, dangerous or mundane her requests were, he had always answered her summons and heeded to her aid. And it seemed that even after twelve thousand years and several lifetimes apart, he would still be unable to decline any favors she asked.
With a dramatic sigh and a roll of his eyes, he lazily lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, the dispersion of their aether completely stopping and anchoring their forms back into the realm of the living. Hydaelyn’s magic had been able to summon and give them corporeal forms once again with some semblance of their powers, although severely weakened as it had taken all three of them just to create these Elpis flowers. And from what he felt, it would be a long time before he was able to create anything like he did before his death.
Their eyes were still on him, regarding him with wide, toothy smiles and uncontrolled glee on their faces. Both of them were a massive headache and more often than not extra trouble, but deep inside him, he admitted that he would never trade them for anything else or turn his back to them ever again. Either in this life or the next. He pinched the bridge of his nose and loudly exhaled through it before regarding his two friends.
“Alright, since I know both of you are unable to take ‘No’ for an answer…”