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The stench of blood and soot hung heavy in the air as Vega stood there amidst the carnage and destruction. A general in his own right, claiming his first victory of war. The King Imperial lay dead at his feet, heart ripped clean from his chest, a face of permanent agony and fear etched into his features. A deserved death for a tyrant to be sure. Or that was at least how Vega believed things. He believed in karmic debt sort of deal, a give and take. And the King Imperial had taken far too much from far too many. As the sounds of battle raged on around him, and magic and weapons flew in every direction, Vega felt a chill run up his spine. Something was very, very wrong.
Flashes of lightning crackled through the sky, loud booming thunder following suit. The wind howled like never before, the trees waning and bending in its wake. And as Vega looked to the sky, he knew in his heart what would come next. They were far too late, this battle had been in vain, like every other attempt to stop the inevitable. The meridian was literally falling apart around them, and there was nothing that they could do to stop it. Not this time. For the first time in his life, Vega felt fear take hold of his heart and tighten around his chest like a vice. He felt like he was choking as anxiety closed up his throat only allowing the smallest traces of air to seep through. They had failed and now Elegy was going to die.
Perhaps it was always doomed to a destructive fate, and it was futile to try and save it. Vega’s heart dropped to his feet when the realization finally dawned on him. If Elegy was truly doomed, that meant that there was no time. No time to keep wasting sitting there staring at a bloody corpse of a corrupt king. He had to get back to the academy before it was too late, before everything was wiped clean from this plain. Images of his human flashed through his mind like lightning overhead. He promised them they wouldn’t be alone, he promised that he would be by their side. In truth, the academy wasn’t that far from the Imperial Spire, but if there was as little time left as Vega believed, there would be no way that he would make it on time in a truck. He’d have to use his magic in order to get there, but with how unstable the meridian was, he nearly hesitated in using it. But, this was of great importance, and he couldn’t just sit around twiddling his thumbs and thinking of a better solution. Rain splattered the ground and against his face as he sprinted out of the Spire. Mud splashed against his boots as Vega finally made it back outside, the carnage of vampires and humans strewn about everywhere.
Blood soaked into the earth as the battle screamed on around him as he pushed through the crowd. An elemental charged him, but Vega was running low on both patience and time. He gripped the man’s neck in his fist, stopping him before he even got close enough to swing on him. Vega turned to the man, eyes blazing with a fury and darkness like no other, shining like smoldering embers in the dimly lit sky.
“ You humans, so foolish and so predictable, ” Vega sneered. “ If I wasn’t in such a rush, I’d take my time with you. However, lucky for you, I choose to be merciful for the first time in my long life. I should just let you be ripped apart by Aria, but I’ll opt to just snap your pathetic neck instead. A truly merciful death for an undeserving lech ”. Vega’s voice was cold and unfeeling as the elemental struggled in his grasps, gasping and clawing at Vega’s cruel hand. In a matter of seconds the man’s breath left his body and he was dead, his body thrown down to the ground like it was nothing more than a piece of litter. Vega began his journey once again, barreling through any human or vampire in his path as he raced back to the academy. Every ounce of malice and vitriol that hung in the air he absorbed in order to give him enough strength to race back. Magic coursed through his veins as an unhuman-like speed took over his body. Within minutes he was back at the gates of the academy of Dahlia, which seemed to be in shambles. He could hear yelling and panic from within the walls. He looked up to the sky and saw the cause of said panic, Aria only minutes away from destroying and ripping apart everything physical and corporeal on Elegy.
Vega burst through the doors, making his way to his quarters as fast as he could. That was where he’d left them, that was where they should have been. He tore through the building like he was on a mission, trying his best to push his way through the chaos and panicked humans. He called out their name, trying to find them. He was unable to pinpoint them using his magic, as the energy around him was deafening. Upon finally reaching where his quarters were, Vega threw open the door to find a silent and dark room, Pet nowhere to be seen. He called out for them again, in vain, hoping that somehow he just missed them in some darkened corner of the room. A sharp and gnawing fear clutched his heart as he stood in the middle of the room, unable to quiet his mind for even a second. An uncharacteristic panic took hold of him like no other as he tried in vain to slow his breathing and lock on to Pet’s location.
“Vega?” a quiet voice called out. Vega whipped around to see Pet stood in the doorway trembling like a wounded animal. His gaze softened as their own relief mixed with his in a joyous union. “You’re here”. They almost sounded shocked as they moved further into the room. He brought his hand to their face and held it softly as he stared into their eyes intently.
“ Of course I am. I made you a promise, did I not? ” Vega’s voice was soft in their mind like a gentle fog, rolling over their senses and comforting them. Pet looked down at the rest of him to see blood and grime covering him. Their eyes widened with fear, not directed at Vega, but for him.
“Are you hurt? What happened, where is everyone else? Why is-” Vega quietly hushed Pet, pulling them back towards him and running a hand over their hair.
“ I am fine, Pet. There are much more pressing matters than my current state of health, though, ” Vega’s words were not condescending nor reprimanding, instead they were soft and quiet. They were teaching, trying to guide Pet’s mind to a place of importance. “ Come, sit. There…there’s something we need to discuss and I fear we don’t have much time ”. Vega sat down on the edge of the bed, motioning for Pet to follow him. The two sat together, silence blanketing over them in an unformattable, heavy kind of way. They both knew what was to come, and that there was absolutely nothing either could do to slow it or stop it. Pet gripped onto Vega’s hand tightly as they stared down at the ground in bated breath.
“The meridian is going to fall, isn't it?” they spoke, breaking the silence finally. Vega sighed and nodded.
“ Yes, Pet, it is. I’m…I’m sorry ”. A piss poor statement to be sure, but there was nothing else that Vega could come up with to tell them. The truth was that was all he felt, sorry. A deep remorse and regret filled up his chest like a dam about to overflow, and all he could do was sit by and watch.
“So that’s it then, I’m going to die?” Pet asked, their voice was quiet and reserved, not daring to look up from the ground. Vega’s heart, for the first time, broke.
“ Yes, my pet. It will be painless, I promise you that, ” Vega attempted to reassure them, but they only scoffed. A pause took hold between them before he continued, “ You needn’t hide your fear from me, Pet. It’s alright to be scared of death ”.
“I’m not scared,” Pet attempted to convince Vega, but he could see into their soft, little heart. He could see the storm of fear and negative emotions clouding their mind and soul.
“ Pet, you needn’t lie for my sake. I can see your fear ”.
“No, really. I’m not scared to die, Vega. Truth is, I haven’t been for a very long time. As someone who has lived under the heinous regime of the Imperium for so long, there comes a point when you almost wish for death to take you away. The idea of dying doesn’t scare me anymore,” Pet spoke slowly, turning their head up to look at Vega. “What scares me, isn’t my end, but the thought of leaving you behind,” their voice broke as tears pricked the corners of their eyes.
“ Pet… you shouldn’t- ”
“I know... I know that you think that there are better things for me to fear. You're probably right. But the only thing that scares me more than my end, is you being alone…. I don’t- I don’t want to leave you,” tears fell from their eyes as they brought a gentle hand up to his face. Without much else thought, they leaned up and kissed Vega softly on the lips, trying their best to infuse every scrap and drop of care they had for the man into said kiss. “I love you,” they whispered. A loud rumbling shook the earth, telling the two their time was nearly up. Vega gripped their hand tightly and rested his forehead against their own.
“ I…don’t claim to be the best at words. I am no poet who can spout off prose of devotion at a whim. But Pet I… ” Vega paused, searching for the words he needed. “ You have been something that I never knew I needed in my life. You have shown me things I never was aware I was able to see or feel. I… I love you as well, my Pet, ” Vega whispered, pain etched firmly into his heart as he held them close to his body. He pressed a second kiss to their lips, their tears coating his lips and turning the gesture bittersweet.
“Can you…just hold me, like all those times before. I want to be in your arms when it happens,” Pet murmured against Vega’s lips. He nodded solemnly and the two scooted back onto the bed, the mattress creaking underneath. Vega lay on his side and pulled Pet tight up to his chest, his heartbeat thumping in their ears. Their body shook in his arms as the thundering and chaos from outside only got louder and louder. Vega buried his face in the top of their head while they clung to him like it was their only purpose in life. That was when he felt it, the shift in the air, the magic. It felt like the onset of an electrical storm, causing his entire body to light up and tingle. Pet’s tears only fell harder as they whispered final goodbyes and sweet nothings to their lover. One final ‘I love you’ shared between the two as Aria flooded Elegy and everything was wiped. He could feel their body literally breaking apart in his arms as he cried out for whatever god above to stop the madness. A symphony of magic rang in his ears as his vision went white, and then nothing.
When Vega finally opened his eyes once again, his physical form was no more, and in his arms he held nothing. The world around him was quiet save for the gentle hum of magic that surged all around him. The world no longer looked like Elegy, as everything physical was gone, turned to cosmic dust. It all felt and looked like Aria, but it was different, it was new. As Vega slowly sat up, he felt the emptiness of his arms and stared down at them, to only find nothing there. He was unable to cry in his astral form, but he was sure that if he could, tears would come rushing down in that moment. He could sense his brothers and sisters all around him, trying to grapple with the intense change that had just befell them. He was sure those in Aria hadn’t been prepared for the Meridian to break apart.
Vega stood slowly, trying his best to get used to his astral form once again. He felt a deep pit in his chest, and an unending well of sadness that was swallowing him up. Everything that they had done, everything they had sacrificed had all been for nothing. Perhaps he would find some solace in finally being able to be home once again. But in that moment he felt nothing. He didn’t want to be home, he wanted Elegy. He wanted back what was his. He thought about what he might do now, that perhaps he would try to find Vindemiator or Avior. Not like either of them would care to be in his company. But they all had something in common now, other than their heritage. They had all lost the ones they cared for the most. And as Vega made his way through the now desolate and empty space, he wondered what life would be like now. He wondered if he would survive this heartache. He didn’t think it likely. Perhaps he would become like one of those old human myths, forever undone by the loss of his lover. Perhaps he would become cold and uncaring, like he had been before trying to save Elegy. The hard truth was he didn’t know. And with that, he began to wander, perhaps for eternity, perhaps only for a moment. But in that moment, he could think of nothing else to do.