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No one knew anything about the general.
Especially before he was appointed.
No one knew what his life was like, who he knew, who he loved.
No one knew.
No one had to know.
Saparata sat aloft in his quarters, overlooking the nation of Cindercrest. He should be happy. He was a general. He had finally recruited more people to his cause.
But he couldn’t.
He didn’t deserve to be the commander.
He wasn’t good with crowds, he wasn’t good with politics, and he definitely wasn’t good with persuasion. Yet, somehow, he managed to create a faction. People who supported his cause, people who claimed to understand him.
But they didn’t.
No one knew the pain and anguish Saparata went through.
Saparata brushed his hand over the ring wrapped around his finger, symbolizing his undying love for his beloved.
Oh, his beloved. His beautiful, perfect beloved. How stupid Saparata had been to lose him.
His warm smile, his beautiful voice, his everything. It was all perfect.
Was it weird to say the way he looked when he had died had been perfect too?
Saparata shook away the thought as soon as it came. He hated thinking about that day. The day he lost everything.
…
Saparata wasn’t at his village. Instead, he was out gathering sweet berries for his house.
Food was a rarity nowadays. Most meat sources were already taken from the small towns to the city. Unfortunately, the farms in Saparata’s town were pitiful and barely produced a harvest. Because of this, the villagers had to get their own food to survive.
Saparata despised this.
Seriously, what kind of king was Parrot? Taking away the most reliable food source and not even bothering to distribute what he took to his people. All he cared for were the large cities. He didn’t care for how his villages were doing. He didn’t care how much food they were getting, any battles they fought, or whether they were ransacked or not. He didn’t care. He never would.
Saparata sat up from where he was crouched, turning his head back to his village.
His eyes went wide.
Smoke. Coming from his home.
He stood in shock for what felt like too long, staring at the dark clouds that came from the village far too calmly. Saparata knew he had to do something. He had to help. He had to save his home.
He ran.
He ran faster than he ever had. He barreled through the woods, leaving any unpicked berries behind. He didn’t care.
He halted in front of the gate.
Smoke and flame enveloped every corner of the town, the smell of ash cramming the air.
His communicator exploded with messages, none of them good.
His eyes shot towards his house, and he learned that it had not been spared from the flame. Saparata sprinted towards it, not caring how little stamina he had.
He crashed through the door, noticing three distinct shapes through the flame. It truly dawned on him then. His husband, his love, his Flux was in danger.
The next thing Saparata knew, there were two bodies splayed out behind him, neither breathing. He was clutching onto the man he loved, holding onto him tightly.
Saparata was saying something, begging Fluixon to keep his eyes open and stay breathing. Tears filled his vision, trying to blink them away so he could stare at the man below him.
“Saps..” Fluixon choked out, his beautiful amethyst eyes meeting Saparata’s shaky golden ones. Saparata felt the man tug pitifully at his clothes, signaling his needs.
Who was Saparata to deny him?
Saparata leaned down to meet the man’s lips, the metallic taste of Fluixon’s blood filling his senses. Fluixon kissed back weakly, taking in the final moments of his life. If the last thing he did was kiss Saparata, then Fluixon could die happy.
When they finally parted, Saparata whispered an impossibly small “I love you”, only to be met with silence.
He repeated himself. Again, and again, and again. No response was given.
Fluixon was dead.
Saparata lost his husband.
His one true love.
…
Saparata hadn’t even noticed he fell asleep until he was greeted by Cynikka shaking him awake. He looked around at his home, taking in the ruined walls around him. He sat up, his bones aching from how he had laid down that night.
Right.
He fell asleep next to Fluixon. Next to his corpse. Fluixon was dead.
Saparata stared at the corpse, and, oh, he was still just as beautiful in death as he was in life. Medium black hair with gorgeous purple ends tied to be flowing off his shoulder. While his eyes were closed, his eyeliner was beautiful and sharp. Saparata knew how perfect it would compliment those fierce amethyst eyes of his.
Saparata’s gaze trailed down to Fluixon’s outfit. He was in a dress shirt with a dark purple vest covering it. He had a belt strapped on with a diamond sword sheathed in its halter. He had dress pants on, as well as a short purple cape that spread out beneath him.
Unfortunately, everything was messed up. His hair was sticking out in every which way, frizz overtaking everything. His eyeliner was smudged, making it look more pitiful than fierce. His clothing was creased and was torn up all across his chest and legs, dried blood covering the cuts.
Fortunately, Saparata couldn’t deny that Fluixon looked amazing like this. To which he gagged at the thought. For void’s sake, he was dead. That was a disgusting thought to have.
Finally, his gaze trailed to the corpse’s left hand. Saparata felt rage seep through him as he saw that the ring had been injured. The silver band had small dents on it and the golden stone had small scratch marks on it.
Those bastards.
Who did they think they were? Scratching up the beautiful ring that they had custom made for their wedding? Making it anything but perfect? Damaging what connected Fluixon and Saparata?
This would not do.
Saparata gently slipped the ring off Fluixon’s finger, holding it close to his chest.
“I swear, Fluixon. I swear that I will not fall in love with another. I swear that my heart will only remain true to you.” Saparata started, gripping the ring tighter.
“And I swear. I will make sure they pay. The bandits, the new players, the king. They will die. I will see to it that you are avenged. That you will not have left this world without someone to care for you. I will make sure of it.” Saparata leaned down, brushing his hand over the male’s face.
“I love you, Fluixon de Aculon-Theria.”
He didn’t even notice that he started crying again.
“And as long as I exist in this realm, even past death, I will always love you.”
…
The crimson king was snapped out of his memories when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned around to be greeted by the cave king Arachnid.
“Arachnid.. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Saparata kept his tone friendly, but deep down wished for the spider to leave his sights. The spider's feelings for him were.. Complicated, to say the least.
“Saparata! How nice it is to see you again.” The king smiled slightly, looking at the general. “I am here to invite you to a formal dinner between nations. You know, a symbol of peace between us.”
Saparata blinked, staring at the king in disbelief. They were already allies. They made peace. Why the hell did Arachnid need a dinner to symbolize that?
Just then, Saparata noticed a head of brown hair peaking out from behind a castle pillar. Ah, of course. It seems as though Arachnid had taken the general for a fool.
This will not do.
“I am flattered by the offer, King Arachnid, but I have no wishes to go on a date with you. I am a loyal man.”
Arachnid physically flinched, face reddening from embarrassment. He glanced over to the spider hiding behind the wall, searching for assistance. Eventually he conjured up a response.
“You must be mistaken, general, for it is a dinner of peace, not a date! I have no intentions to woo you.” Arachnid coughed before shifting his gaze to the ground. “Though, may I ask, who are you loyal to? You have no queen from what I can tell.”
Saparata glared straight at the spider. It was one thing to deny trying to take someone out, but to ask a widow about who their loved one was? Was he trying to make Saparata forget about his beloved? Forget the ring strung across his neck? This will not do.
“I advise that you leave, Arachnid.” Saparata warned, voice ever cold.
“But–”
“Go.”
Arachnid stared at the fallen angel before turning around slowly to walk away in shame.
The nerve of him. Had he never bothered to even glance at his colleague's hand? See the beautiful ring adorning it? The one that clearly stated that Saparata belonged to someone else? Besides, what did Arachnid think was going to happen? The fallen angel had never shown any signs of even being platonically interested in the spider.
Saparata scoffed and turned around towards his quarters, deciding to head back to where he originally was.
He laid down on the red double bed, taking in the warmth. How similar it felt to when his life was much happier. The first time he and his love had kissed, their first moment of vulnerability.
Once more, memories came flooding back.
…
The Theria’s were known for hosting random parties.
One of them would get bored, call up their friends, and boom. Their house was exploding with people.
Today, it was Micro who got bored, and decided to call up his drug dealing buddies, which then led to Micro’s boyfriend, Thomas, coming over, which then led to the Conspiracy coming over, which then led– actually, you get the point.
Saparata and Fluixon had decided to escape from the chaos of the party by taking refuge in Saparata’s room. They laid on Saparata’s bed, tangled together in a mass of warmth and limbs.
They had only recently started dating each other, being together for around a month now. But, that didn’t stop them from being attached to each other practically every time they were near each other.
After about an hour of laying there, Fluixon shifted to look straight at the angel. “Saps..” Fluixon whispered, looking at Saparata with half-lidded eyes.
“Yeah..?”
Fluixon giggled slightly. He snaked his hand to Saparata’s sleeve, and started tugging gently.
“Huh? Do you.. Do you need something..?” Saparata asked, eyes drifting downwards towards Fluixon’s lips.
“You’re an idiot.” Fluixon couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his lips, slowly closing the space between the two.
Saparata’s eyes went wide at the contact, warmth filling his face. After taking a second to contain himself, he softly returned the kiss, leaning into Fluixon’s touch.
They parted after what felt like too long, yet too little time.
“I love you, Saps. I always will.” Fluixon whispered, nuzzling into Saparata’s shoulder.
“I love you too, Flux..” Saparata responded, pulling Fluixon into a tighter grasp.
They spent the rest of the night cuddling and sharing lazy kisses before finally falling asleep.
…
Saparata shot up from his bed.
Void, what was he doing? Why were these memories tormenting him? Reminding him of what he lost? What he loved? Sure, he had moments like this, but it was never this bad. Never so bad he couldn’t lay down in his own bed.
Maybe he needed to visit his late family.
Fluixon wasn’t the only one close to Saparata who had perished in the attack. The morning after, Saparata learned from Cynikka and Thomas that his siblings had passed.
That’s what truly broke Saparata. His siblings. His family. The people who had been by his side since the start. Gone. He didn’t even get to say goodbye.
Last thing he said to Jophiel? Asking what she had for dinner. Last thing he said to Micro? That he hated him. Last thing he said to Snowbird? That he sucked.
Saparata solemnly looked towards his cities walls, deciding that, ‘Yeah. Maybe a visit would be good.’
He strolled down the castle, informing his guards that he would be visiting the garden.
On his way, he collected some flowers from a flower vendor within the city, promising he would pay once he returned. The vendor simply nodded, adjusting the two roses that sat on the booth.
He left the city's walls, taking the path of cobble down to a beautiful gate. It opened into a large expanse, flowers and bushes covering every end, trees lining the fence. In the center of the garden, a large fountain with a small crescent moon adorning the top.
Saparata was in love with this place. It was beautiful, fit for a faction such as Cindercrest. At the back, there was a small area of hyacinths and sunflowers, with a trail leading deeper into the forest.
Before Saparata headed down, he stopped at the fountain and sat. He fondly remembered one of Fluixon’s friends, Gotoga he believed, wanting to have a fountain where he could sit and enjoy the water.
While Gotoga may be missing as of now, Saparata hoped that he would one day come by to the fountain. It’s why it was built.
After a few more seconds of sitting, Saparata got up and headed down the hyacinth path. It was lined with willow trees, casting a nice shadow over it. After a couple of minutes of walking, the path opened into a clearing. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a small pond sat behind four headstones. Saparata made his way to each of them.
He started with his older sister, Jophiel. She was an amazing person. She was always caring, she was beautiful, and most importantly, she was kind. She was everything Saparata wanted to be. She was the perfect child.
Saparata placed a bouquet of white and yellow roses next to her grave.
“Hi, Joph.” Saparata started, sitting on his knees over her grave. “Cindercrest is doing well. I know you’d be proud, you always knew I would be a leader.” Saparata sucked in a sharp breath, gaze drifting to her name’s engraving. “You would’ve been a great leader for Cindercrest, too. You always were good with people.” He paused. “..I’m not.”
He shifted a bit, holding his knee to his chin while still sitting on the other. “I miss you and I love you. See you soon, sis.”
He sat up and moved over to the next grave, Micro. Saparata’s twin brother.
Micro was always known as the most laid back of the Theria’s, never getting into any trouble. Most just assumed he was a chill guy (including their own parents), but the real reason was much, much stranger than that.
You see, Micro had a friend group that sold.. Pharmaceutical creations to passerbyes. And not only that, but he partook in using these pharmaceutical tools as well.
Void, it was a miracle Micro hadn’t died earlier.
Saparata placed a bouquet of geraniums and pink carnations next to his grave.
“Banana joined Cindercrest this week. Something about there being a lot of customers. In my opinion?” He cocked a smile, as though the ghost was actually in front of him, “I just think he misses you.” He sighed, looking at a random blade of grass. “I do, too.” Saparata let out a sigh mixed with fondness and sorrow before continuing once more. “I can see that Thomas has visited recently, given the pink camellia’s here. If he left something by Flux’s grave then I haven’t noticed yet.”
Saparata finished his speech and looked over at the final two graves to visit. Snowbird and Fluixon. Saparata remembers the request he had made all that time ago, for them to specifically be buried next to each other. While they may not have been as close as Fluixon and Thomas were, they were still best friends. And, Saparata owed his youngest sibling this. Afterall, Snowbird had introduced the pair.
Saparata was forever indebted to Snowbird for that. Resting them together was the least he could do.
He plopped in front of his baby brother's grave. Snowbird was always the most sensible out of the three boys (including when their idiot cousin was added to the mix), usually mediating their petty slights. But, he still had his fair share of mischievous moments, usually making Jophiel wish she had never been an older sister.
This bouquet was made of blue salvia and pink roses, two colors Snowbird would never admit he enjoyed. “I’ve been experimenting with hair recently.” The fallen angel started, eyes drifting along the nameplate naturally. “I tried the hairstyle you always wore, the half-up half-down one, and I can’t lie, I think I look amazing in it.” He took in a sharp breath. “I’ll never doubt you again, Birdie. You introduced me to so many amazing things in life I–” He paused again, wiping away small tears that had been building up, “I’m forever indebted to you.”
Finally, Saparata made his way to his beloved. Fluixon de Aculon-Theria. His Fluixon. His Flux. Oh, he remembered the day like it was yesterday.
…
Saparata was adjusting his hair for what felt like the millionth time today. The rest of his outfit was perfect. His white suit and gold blazer perfectly ironed, the golden cape draped across his shoulders flowing behind him perfectly. Hell, even the white slacks with golden lace on the sides were perfect. Seriously, of all the days for his hair to not cooperate, was now the right time? When everything else was perfect? He was too focused on fixing his braid that he didn’t even notice the intruder sneaking into his room until his arms were wrapped right around him.
“Ack-! Stormz!” Saparata yelped out, glaring at the man behind him. The fellow white haired man giggled, letting the angel go. Saparata sighed, rolling his eyes before turning to fully face him. “What did you need? The ceremony starts in like five minutes..”
Stormz looked at Saparata dumbfounded, as though there was an obvious reason. “Dude, I’m here to take you to the altar because it starts in five minutes.”
Saparata felt like an idiot. Of course Stormz was here for him, it was Theria tradition that the siblings greet the guests while the cousins collect the lucky person. Saparata nodded at Stormz, checking himself in the mirror one more time. He felt an arm drape around his shoulder, looking over to meet Stormz’s piercing red eyes.
“You don’t have to keep fixing your appearance, you know Flux will find you beautiful no matter what.” Stormz threw a reassuring smile before dragging Saparata out of his dressing room.
And before Saparata could even blink, he was standing on the altar, waiting for his beloved to walk down the aisle. His head was spinning, he was probably visibly shaking, and he most definitely looked like a mess. He was fidgeting with his hands, the card that held his vows almost dropping on numerous occasions.
Finally, the crowd went silent as Seraphim trailed flowers down the aisle, signaling that the other groom had arrived. Saparata looked hopefully down the aisle, waiting for the man he was about to spend his whole life with.
Saparata’s breath hitched.
A man with gorgeous raven hair and perfectly tipped purple ends appeared. His hair was tied so it would flow off his shoulder, framing the male's collar. His makeup was sharp, eyeliner capturing his beautiful amethyst eyes. His ears were pierced, purple stud earrings matching his hair.
But out of everything, his outfit was the most beautiful of all. He wore a black suit topped with a purple blazer and purple lace drawn across his sleeves, similar to the lace on Saparata’s slacks. He had a similar cape on, just it was swapped to be a black-purple fade instead of solid gold. He wore black slacks with an almost perfect belt holding them up.
He looked beautiful.
Next to him were Cynikka and Ender, both dressed in simple black suits. Saparata immediately noticed the tears that were threatening Cynikka’s eyes, her mouth curved in a hopeful smile. Ender was no different, only he hid it better than she did.
After what felt like too long, Fluixon finally made it to the altar, with Cynikka and Ender going to find their seats.
“You’re staring..” Fluixon whispered, trying to hide his obvious smile.
Saparata smirked, “How can I not?” Oh, the reaction from Fluixon was priceless.
Then, Ish stepped up to the podium in between the two. “Hello friends and family of the Theria and de Aculon families! I am so glad you were all able to join us today to honor the bond that Saparata and Fluixon are forging.” Ish paused, looking up to the guests. “You all know how these two met, and their.. Interesting story.” He looked between the two men, chuckling. “Seriously, how did you two go from being at each other's throats constantly to standing here today?” Small giggles rescinded through the audience, Ish looking pleased with himself.
He continued forward, “Today, Saparata and Fluixon would like to acknowledge Elanuelo de Aculon and Crow de Aculon. They unfortunately passed not too long ago. I’m sure that if they were here, they would be delighted to attend their son's wedding. We honor them and their belief in their family.” The room went silent for a moment to honor the dead, before continuing on with the ceremony.
Admittedly, both grooms spaced out during the ‘About the Couple’ part of the ceremony, and opted just to gaze at each other, taking in the other's beauty.
Then, it was time for the ‘I Do’s’.
“From the moment you two met, your lives were intertwined whether you knew it or not. Which is why you’re here today, finally professing what we all knew you wanted from the start.” Giggles resounded through the crowd as Ish turned to Saparata.
“Saparata, do you take Fluixon as your lawfully wedded husband, and promise to protect him through your time on the server?”
“I do.”
“Fluixon, do you take Saparata as your lawfully wedded husband, and promise to protect him through your time on the server?”
“I do.”
“Now that you have both promised to stay by each other through marriage, it is now time to share your vows. Your promises between each other.” Ish paused and gestured to the white haired man. “Saparata, please recite your vows to Fluixon.”
Saparata pulled up the card he was holding, beginning to read. “Fluixon, from the moment we met, I knew you were the one I wanted. No matter how many times we fought or I kept telling you, and myself, admittedly, that I hated you, I never did. And now that we’re here, I’m so glad we made up that night. I never want anyone or anything else. If I can live and die with you, then I will be happy. Even past the grave, I will always love you.” Saparata paused, sucking in a breath. “In every universe, in every lifetime, in every version of me, I will always choose you. Death cannot do us part, Fluixon. I love you.”
Fluixon stared into Saparata, tears pricking at his eyes. Ish as well looked moved, before turning over to face Fluixon. “Fluixon, please recite your vows to Saparata.”
“Saparata, I would be lying if I told you I ever hated you. My unjust behaviors towards you were because of my denial of feelings towards anyone. Snowbird told me so much of you, even before we really met, and it really sealed the deal that I was in love with you. Now that we’ve made it, now that we’ve finally talked with one another, I know that I would only feel this way towards you.” Fluixon looked up from where he was reading, staring into the golden hue of Saparata’s eyes. “I love you, Saps, no matter what I will. Whatever lifetime or world I’m in, my heart will always find you. As we both know, death cannot part us. I will love you forever, and I hope you will too.”
Ish smiled fondly, looking up as Dumb came through with the rings. She stood in front of the podium, holding two boxes.
“Now that you have made your vows, it is time for you to be truly connected through your rings. Dumb, if you would be so kind as to hand them out?”
Dumb nodded, turning to Saparata and presenting a velvet ring box to him. She gave him a soft smile, opening it to present a beautiful ring. It had a silver band with small flecks of gold trailing along it, Saparata just barely noticing the letter F engraved on it. Sitting atop the band was a brilliant shining yellow stone. Saparata assumed it could only be gold.
It was beautiful. Perfectly fit for Fluixon.
Saparata smiled warmly at Dumb, slowly taking the ring from the box they were holding. Dumb smirked slightly then turned to present the other ring to Fluixon. Saparata couldn’t fully see it yet, but that was ok. He had waited a year for this. He could wait a couple more minutes.
Ish smiled down at the black and red headed man, silently thanking him for his service. She retreated back to her seat parallel to Stormz’s. Ish looked at the two of them, tears pricking at his eyes at the sight of the two.
“Please unite each other with the rings.”
Almost immediately, Saparata takes Fluixon’s hand in the same delicate way he had always done. He gently brushed Fluixon’s ring finger before slipping on the shining ring. He couldn’t stop the giddy smile that spread across his face as he looked down at the ring.
Fluixon blinked away the tears at his eyes before repeating Saparata’s motion, slipping the sparkling black ring onto his finger. His touch lingered for a fraction of a second, before begrudgingly pulling away.
There, Saparata got a real look at the ring. It was a black band with amethyst strewn across in a swirled pattern, much like the one for Fluixon. It had a gorgeous amethyst on top of it, very reminiscent of Fluixon’s striking eyes. Saparata couldn’t help the smile that spread to his face as he stared at the ring, before he was snapped out of his thoughts by Ish coughing.
Saparata shot his head up to look at his officiant, noticing the small giggle the Fluixon let out. Jerk.
Ish nodded and began once again, “Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now bond together in a kiss!”
They didn’t need to be told twice. Almost immediately, Saparata took Fluixon’s face into his hands and pulled him forward. Fluixon returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around Saparata’s neck. They crashed their lips together, savoring the taste.
The kiss lasted for a fleeting moment, but to the two newlyweds it felt like everything. Every kiss they shared before this, every moment they shared, every time they were just next to each other led to this very moment.
And void, did it feel good.
When they parted, both still chased the other's lips, silently promising more time together later.
The rest of the night passed in a blur, the only things the two men cared for being each other. Saparata didn’t exactly remember what happened when the ceremony was over, but all he knew was that he woke up with his husband cuddled up tight against his chest. And really, that was the important part.
…
Saparata snapped out of the memory, chest heaving as he glanced across the graveyard rapidly. It was significantly darker than it was when he arrived. He was also in a completely different area, sprawled out across the bench at the front of the yard.
The air smelt of a heavy cedar perfume, one Saparata was all too familiar with. Cynikka had come by, most likely to visit his brother. Makes sense, as there wasn’t really another reason for her to even step foot into Cindercrest.
Saparata sat up and stretched, his bones aching from the position he was laid in. While it was a sweet gesture, it was clear she just dropped him on the bench without a prior thought. But, Saparata couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. Not at Cynikka. Not again.
Having enough flashbacks for one day, Saparata chose to leave the graveyard before any other memories started to resurface. He looked back at his beloved’s grave, noting the newly installed forget-me-not’s and purple hyacinth’s.
Saparata exited the garden, hands clasped behind his back in a proud stride. He entered the city walls, making a sharp left to go to the flower vendor from before. The blond haired vendor took the payment with pride, mumbling about two of their friends before thanking Saparata profusely.
Saparata nodded before walking towards the castle. Once he entered the threshold, he let out a long sigh, moving his arms to his sides. He strolled to his quarters, paying the servants who had questions for him no mind.
He slammed the door behind him, collapsing against it. He snaked his hands up into his hair, removing the hair tie that held his braid in place. He tugged at the braid, gently removing it from its spiral. He shook his head slightly, getting his hair to be cascading down his shoulders.
He peeled himself from the door, throwing his crown onto his bedside table before trudging towards his bathroom and starting up a shower. He hastily washed his hair and body, wishing to rid himself of the heavy cedar smell. It was thick and reminded him too much of his past.
Saparata shook away the thought once more, stepping out from the shower. He grabbed a towel and hastily wrapped it around his body before opening up his closet. He grabbed a loose white t-shirt and black pajama pants, having no need to look fancy in his sleep.
He plopped down onto the large comfortable bed, staring up at the ceiling. His hands naturally found their way to the ring laying on his finger, idly twisting it.
He knew that one day, when this was all over and Parrot was banned from the server, he would run away to the snow. Abandon everything and everyone he knew, and greet his beloved once more in the afterlife.
But for now, he must keep living, even if he doesn't want to. Parrot was still alive. Out there. Watching. Planning. And he will stop him. He will avenge his husband. No matter what.