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Panted, pained breaths you greedily sucked in as you could barely filled your lungs as your own crimson dripped from your body. Wearily, you stumbled, though your y/e/c eyes attempted so desperately to see through the void. The warped world for which you seemed trapped in was simply blackness, with the slightest hue of purple. Blinded and utterly defenseless, without succor from your allies, Elidibus held you at his mercy.
"The rejoining will become of your death," the Ascian spat, the faint red glow of his true face the only way you even knew you were gazing in the proper direction.
If I could see, you thought wearily to yourself as you readied to attack once more, though your strength had already been spent. Launching forwards once more, you could feel another slash to your skin, another pained cry slipping past your lips. I've gotten this far...
Preparation for your fight had been impossible, no delay while the Ascian took you in your own slumbering respite, the fourth lightwarden felled upon your blade merely a bell prior. You were willing to admit that you had been outmatched, unprepared for such a fight, and without Moenbreya's invention to truly fell the Ascian's soul. A hint of hurt crossed your mind as you thought to the Ascian you had grown fond of, how surely this had been part of his scheme. Pushing the thought aside, you fought with every onze of strength you held.
Woozy, bloody, the Warrior of Light - the Warrior of Darkness, as the First had known, would cease to be at the hand of Elidibus. Conniving, backhanded tactics would soon be your downfall as your lacking vision already had begun to blur. Though you felt the compelling need to fight on, to continue, you knew this had been exactly how you would meet your end.
Before you knew it, you could feel warmth surrounding you, far more comforting in contrast to the pain that seeped through your very being. "Don't you even think about dying on me," you could hear snidely slip past your savior's lips, though you could not gaze upon his face. "Hold on for a while. I'm getting you out of here, Y/N."
"I knew you couldn't do what needed to be done," you could hear Elidibus spout out at your savior, a clear malice to his tone. "They're gone, Hades. If you desire them back, you will let your champion die upon my blade."
"You have strayed from the plan," your savior spat towards the other Ascian. "Intervene once more and I will have to raise mine own hand."
You could feel those arms grip you tighter, though you were beginning to lose feeling as your crimson dripped. As tightly as you could, you held to Emet-Selch's lapels, fighting for your own consciousness. "Thank you," you murmured through your pain as you felt your consciousness giving way. If you had been prepared for your fight, surely you wouldn't be so worse for wear, and yet, if it had not been for the same man you feared to be your enemy even still, it would have been your time.
"I won't lose you," you could vaguely hear as your consciousness faded, "not again."
A dull ache still gripped upon you as your y/e/c eyes fluttered open, though the weakness you felt in your battle had passed for the most part. Subconsciously, your right hand slipped to your left arm, shaken fingertips grazing the bandaging you adorned. Forcing yourself to a seated position, your gaze quickly darted the room. In the Pendants you resided once more, the night sky glimmering through your large window, and not a soul to be seen.
A shaken sigh slipped past your lips, crestfallen, and yet relieved there had been no one to your side as you awoke. Your defeat at Elidibus's hand had been embarrassing to say the least, though the circumstances were far against your victor. Leaned against the pillow, you sat with your legs drawn to your chest, resting your head upon your knees. After a few moments, y/e/c eyes closed once more, musing over your desperate battle.
"Praise Zodiark you're okay," you could hear murmured beside you, the snide voice of your savior.
Though you had been used to the ascian's playful banter, your y/e/c eyes shifted open once more, surprised to hear such a genuine remark from him. "I would have died if you hadn't stepped in," you murmured softly, stretching your legs out as you fixed your posture. Y/e/c eyes met his yellow gaze, though your heart swirled with uncertainty. "Had Elidibus's claims held truth to them, that the rejoining would follow my own demise?"
His yellow gaze quickly shifted, his brows furrowed as his lips dropped. "It would," he replied softly, barely above a whisper. Shaking his head quickly, his yellow eyes nearly read of urgency, meeting his gaze once more. "Elidibus had violated the true scheme, and interfered where he should not have. I had no plans to take you into your slumber and simply slaughter you."
Your lips tightened at his words, your mind swirling with ideas of what his scheme could possibly entail. Before you had the chance to think over the words to say to him, your tone had been rather harsh as you questioned, "Had you thought of a methodical time to kill me, then?"
His gaze dropped once more, a clear hurt about the ascian's face. A sigh slipped past his lips as he shook his head, mentally cursing himself for how he could not truly play coy with you, nor do anything he had rathered. "In the beginning, I did have plans on simply killing you if you refused to follow my scheme after holding all the lightwarden's light," he spoke as he moved to dip the bed beside you, slouching as his gloved hands gripped the sheets below him. "I have so many expectations for you, and yet…" Emet-Selch's eyes closed as his brows furrowed, his grip upon the sheets nearly pulling them with it. "...the world belongs to us, and us alone! You- a shoddy excuse for a memorial to someone I loved, and yet...if Amaurot were to rise once more, it would not be complete without you by my side."
The ache in your head had been familiar, yet painful all the same as your y/e/c eyes closed, a vision fading into view.
Tall, cloaked individuals stood, one opposing the other. There had been no true resounding features you could witness, and yet, in your heart you knew that one of them had been Emet-Selch, the one Elidibus referred as Hades. The other, you were unsure of, and yet, you felt a resounding similarity with that one, as if they had been connected to you yourself.
"Don't you see it, Hades?" The one you were unsure of the name of spoke, moving their hands feverishly as they emphasized their point. "Do you not understand there needs to be a change, that what Zodiark has done has caused great suffering?"
"Azem," Hades choked out, striding closer to the other as he moved his own hands, emphasizing his point. "Zodiark has created peace, prosperity. Amaurot has no need for a champion, and there is no need for you to oppose the counsel!"
"At what cost, Hades?" Azem spat, their arms wrapping around themselves as they frowned under their mask, their gaze shifted away. "How many more have to die to appease Zodiark's will? Mine own mother sacrificed herself. If you are not willing to stand by me, my love, I will stand alone."
"Azem, wait-," Hades called out, though the figure had already disappeared, the vision fading from you as reality came back.
Eyeing you with curious yellow orbs, Emet-Selch's face lingered merely ilms before you, brows furrowed as he awaited you to respond once more. As your gaze met his, he moved himself back into his slouched position, his gaze shifted away once more. "Received a glimpse into the past, have you?" He questioned, his voice faded as he tried to brush off the thought. "I suppose it would be far simpler if you were to remember, though it matters not," he spoke dismissively as he gripped upon the sheets once more. "You are not the same as you once were, and still I find myself burdened by the sight of your suffering."
You pursed your lips, though you had to stifle the smallest chuckle as you moved yourself forwards to sit beside the ascian male. Though you nearly found yourself at a weakness as your lips moved to gape the slightest, to admit that the ascian had not been alone in his yearning, you could nearly feel yourself at peace. For the one who had decided it fit to save your life, you surely could at least admit the stirring in your chest.
"And though you have planned mine own demise, it would be a lie to say I don't ache as I see the sorrow in your eyes," you spoke softly, your hand moving to gently touch the man's leg in acknowledgement, before resting it upon your own lap. As you continued, your gaze shifted away, a hint of sorrow to your tone. "If it had simply taken my life, and not those of the stars, I would gladly offer it to bring back those you love."
"You don't mean that," he scoffed as his gaze shifted away, moving to stand as he took a few steps from the bed itself. "To leave your friends, your family, your loves...surely you would not simply give your life for strangers to live in your stead. A hero has their limitations."
"It would make you happy, would it not?" You questioned, your fist curled upon the bed as your gaze shifted to his slouched position, only his back for your view. "You may not feel these people to be complete in your eyes, but...I do." Your arms moved to wrap around yourself, the dull ache in your injured arm making you flinch the slightest as you drew into yourself. "I've known the pain of loss, good people who sacrificed their lives so that I may keep fighting. I do not wish that feeling upon anyone, and if I could give mine for your happiness, I would without a momentary thought."
His mouth opened the slightest as he turned back to refute your words once more, before he bit his lip. Yellow eyes studied your figure, and he could easily see your suffering, the pain behind your words. There was nothing he could say to refute your own losses, as much as he wished to argue that his had been perfect beings, the perfect civilization. He could see upon your face that there had been no lie to your words, and he could not help feel an ache in his chest.
"If only the rejoining were that simple," he murmured as he strode back towards the bed, back towards you. Delicately, he moved a gloved hand under your chin, forcing your gaze to meet his own. "You think not to those you would make suffer from your own demise. I hadn't saved your life for mine own enjoyment, you know." Gently, he brushed a gloved thumb against your cheek as his lips curled upwards the slightest bit.
You hated the way you melted into the man's gloved touch, though surely it had been obvious as your head tilted the slightest bit into his thumb, a tight pulling upon your heart. Though your eyes reflected a similar sorrow the ascian's had, a flicker of fondness sparkled behind it. "Right," you murmured in reply, though it had been hard to ignore the way your lungs constricted under the touch, a depth of yearning. No matter how many questions shifted around in your mind, curiosities as to how he had known to come rescue you, you were unable to voice a single one.
"May I?" He questioned, a smirk playing against his lips as his yellow eyes shifted to your lips before meeting your eyes once more. Clearly, he had noticed the fondness in your actions, and he was not planning on simply walking away. Amusement flashed in his eyes, though something deeper lied further into those already half lidded eyes of his.
"Please," you stuttered out in reply, your stomach churning of your own conflicting emotions. Desperately, you needed to taste the ascian's lips, feel his warm arms engulf you. Feelings that had shamefully built up over flirtatious remarks and casual, strained banter overflowed as you felt if you would tear apart without your curiosities fulfilled.
A soft chuckle slipped past his lips, though his grip upon your face tightened the slightest as he closed the ilms between the two of you. His lips had been trained, passionate as they pressed against your own. Without a moment's hesitation, the ascian pulled you to your feet, engulfing you in his arms as your lips melded together.
"I love you," was barely above a whisper, murmured against your lips as the two of you separated the slightest. He had been as careful as he could be with your injury, holding you close as his forehead rested against your own. "As you once were, and once more."
"I love you as well, Hades," you breathed in reply. Engulfed in his arms, entangled in him, you could not help the way happiness swelled in your chest. Though it would not be long before you two would be interrupted, the others desiring to know how you faired before the next lightwarden, you relished in this soft moment. Even if saving your life had not redeemed every action the ascian had done, you could not help your feelings for the man.