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After years of hunt, years of running and crying and pain, the Witch is cornered. Back pressed against the large knotted wood of a willow tree. The leaves shielding all else from witnessing as the Shadow Knight closes the distance, sword brandished. No more running, no more crying, no more pain. It ends now. The Witch is too tired too run, too tired to play tricks and cast spells. Liova’s shaking as she looks at Tosya, looking her right in the eyes as she fixes her grip on her sword in preparation.
“I know you’re in there still, I know you don’t want to do this” She pleads, she cannot stop shaking. This is it, isn’t it? A fitting end. It was her fault Tosya died, and now she will be killed for it. For her cowardice, she will meet her end by the blade of one of the people she loves most. Tosya scoffs, stopping short several paces.
“I’ve never wanted anything more than to end this. To watch the life drain from your eyes as immortality’s rush brings my body back to life after what you did to it.” She does not allow the Witch to respond. She will not falter this time, she cannot. She raises her sword, plunging it just below the Witches ribs with a sickening sound, blood beginning to trickle as Liova’s blue eyes are wide with pain, though she does not make a sound. A shaking hand finds Tosya’s cheek. The Shadow Knight does not react as her hand moves back to curl around her neck. She is pulled close and Liova’s lips find hers.
Tosya is still as their lips meet, hands gripped on her sword, the temptation to shove it deeper, to end this and sever her spine, does not win. Something in the Shadow Knight breaks. Flood gates open as she feels a warmth overtake her as Liova’s blood spills to the forest floor. Tosya sees a young Liova sitting at the base of a tree, she sees them playing, she sees them talking, she sees them growing up together. Liova sneaking into her room when she was sick to bring Tosya her favorite treats, she sees the young Witch using everything she had learned in the ways of healing to help with the scrapes and bruises that came with guard training.
“Tosya, do you think we’ll stay friends forever?” The young witch turns to her with a smile and her heart lurches. She remembers wanting more, wishing for them to be more than friends forever.
“We’ll be at each others sides til the end of time if I can help it!” Cheeks hurting from smiling, sides hurting from laughing.
She remembers the fear. Liova was out the walls, Liova was out there and theres wolves attacking, she can’t lose her.
She remembers dying, she remembers the relief that Liova would be safe. She will be gone but her love will live on. May her body feed the plants Liova loves so much so she may forever be with her.
Waking up in the Nether - everything was wrong - everything is wrong- why didn’t she remember this? Why did she think Liova killed her? Why why why-
Reality settles back in around her as Liova pulls away, eyes turned to the branches above. “...I never got the chance to say before.” She starts, “I love you. Even if you are my death. I love you, Tosya Verdana”
Everything is Wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong .
Wrong .
The woods are a blur, she is moving before she knows what she is doing. Liova in her arms. She remembers the way to the village, her body moving on its own. She blinks and she is at the gates, screaming for help. She blinks and there is the villages pet Shadow Knight on her, Liova is being taken away. She blinks and she is in a cell. Staring at the wall with tacky blood on her palms. Liova’s blood.
The sun rises and the sun sets. How do you know if you’re immortal? How do you test that without certain death? No one will answer her if Liova’s okay. No one will look at her as they question her. She will not answer, not until she knows Liova is alive.
What has she done?
☀
The warmth of sun against her skin is the first thing she feels, the next is soreness, every part of her body sore and her throat dry and scratchy. Its a fight to open her eyes, she manages after a long moment. Everything around her falls into place, her home. Why doesn’t that feel right? She goes to sit up, a pain through her abdomen stopping her short as she lets out a pained sound. Footsteps rush into her room, when she opens her eyes again she finds Zanna and Eloren at her bedside. The pain, the way they’re looking at her, why?
Tosya.
Panic surges through her.
“Where is she- is she okay– Tosya-” She manages, voice ragged and raspy from disuse, “How long-”
Zanna frowns, guiding Liova to lay back down. “Rest, hon. We’ll explain everything we know. Go get her some water and something to eat, Lor.”
Time drags on as the two explain what they know and tend to Liova. Tosya showed up at the gates of Pheonix Drop with Liova bleeding out in her arms. They took Tosya into custody where she has been while Liova was recovering with the help of just about anyone they could get their hands on who could help with healing magicks. Tosya hasn’t said a thing about what happened, demanding to know if Liova is okay and refusing any cooperation until she knows.
“I have to see her.” Liova tries again to get out of bed, stopped by Eloren this time.
“She nearly killed you, my Jewel. You can’t just go to her-” They frown, trying to guide her back to lie down.
Drawing on what strength she can muster, she pushes Elorens hands away, forcing herself up out of bed, shaky for a moment before straightening herself, “I can and will.” She shoots a small glare to her lover.
Eloren hesitates, “Well, then I’m going with you.”
Liova shakes her head, “No- I’m going myself- you don’t understand-”
“Then help me ” Eloren takes her hands into his. “Help me understand. All I know about this girl is that you were friends, she’s this now, and you loved her once. And that she nearly took you away from me, from everyone, permanently.” He takes a deep breath, fending off the shake from his voice. “Help me understand, I need to know whats happening to support you.” She raises a hand up to gently cup Liova’s cheek. Kissing her forehead.
Liova hesitates. Sure, they’ve talked plenty about their relationship and them being open, but something tells Liova that Eloren will not be very happy to hear that Liova still loves the woman that nearly just killed her.
Zanna looks between the two, and lets out a heavy sigh “...I’ll make some tea and we’ll get to talking.”
☀
The Shadow Knight can only stare, Stare as Liova stands in front of her cell. Before she knows whats happening, tears are streaming down her face and she is on her knees. No amount of ‘sorry’s could ever be enough for what she has done, but they spill out of her and she cannot stop repeating the word, repeating until it doesn’t sound real anymore, until her voice breaks with the tears and she only racks with sobs.
She’s alive, She’s alive and thats all that matters. What they decide to do to her for what shes done does not matter. Liova’s alive, and she remembers. Liova’s alive, and she loves her.
She’s alive, and nothing else matters.
☀
The months following bleed by.
They find themselves out in the forest that months ago Liova would be running through in fear, now with a big smile on her face as she throws a glance back over her shoulder. “Come on, I know you can keep up! I gotta find those mushrooms or the potions not gonna turn out right!”
Tosya rolls her eyes, “If it doesn’t turn out right its because you substituted squid ink for charcoal, not because of a mushroom not being ‘fresh enough.’” She teases, following along at a leisurely pace as she glances around for the fungus Liova so desperately needs for whatever experimental potion she’s absolutely going to be used as a lab rat for.
Eloren shouts from above the treetops, flying around to look in her smaller fairy form, “I see one over there!” they wave in a vague direction before zooming off.
Liova continues in the direction he rushed off to. “Better be the right one and not another flower thats the same color!” She scolds.
Tosya laughs, “I’m sure it’ll be fine if it is, besides, that was your logic for the charcoal, ‘same color’-” Her foot catches on a root she’s only half sure was there before and wasn’t Liova fucking with her. She falls face first into the dirt, huffing and pushing herself back up to dust herself off. “Damn trees and their windy ass roots. Bullshit. Grow in the ground like the rest of your kind.” she mumbles.
Liova walks back, standing in front of her with her hands on her hips. “Thats not the only reason I’m substituting I’ll have you know. Do you want your mouth dyed black?”
A smirk finds its way across Tosya’s face, “So I am the test subject, huh?”
Liova rolls her eyes, grabbing Tosya’s hand and helping her up. “Never been a problem before, I though you liked testing my stuff out.” She retorts, turning back around to follow Eloren, instead finding arms wrapping around her from behind. She smiles, leaning back into Tosya’s hold.
“I do, but there's something you should know” A purr finds its way into Tosya’s voice.
Liova glances back at her, “Yeah? Whats that?”
Tosya pulls something from her pack, holding it above Liova’s head. Liova looks up - “I found it twenty minutes ago” the mushroom. Tosya plants a quick kiss against Liova’s cheek and takes off.
“Traitor!” Liova laughs and chases after her.