Title: The Parting

Warning: Character death.

Note: This chapter was formally published as part of 'Musical Moments', which was a fic made up of separate little stories for each chapter, each in response to Gater 101's Music Challenge. Which involved playing a randomly generated piece of music from your player and writing whatever story comes to mind, but only for as long as the track lasts. It was challenging, but fun and resulted in seven different chapters. As I am thinking of taking some of those little stories further, I need to separate the chapters out. So, sorry for republishing (though it gives me a chance to edit out mistakes!) and sorry for those who were kind enough to leave reviews to 'Musical Moments' as I have now deleted it! I appreciated the reviews and am sorry to remove them. I highly recommend listening to the piece of music listed as you read the fic! Enjoy.

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Song: Silk Road – Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Soundtrack

The empty plane was as empty as his heart as he stood over the grave. The wind blew the dry air around those gathered tightly around the deep hole in the ground into which she had wished to be placed when fate finally claimed her. She had wanted to be returned to the ground that had nourished her, and though that had been her wish he had almost tried to stop it - to keep her in this world by denying her body being buried. But, she was gone, never to return to him and the pain inside was far too much to bear.

So he looked away, through the dry wind to the dead world of Old Athos around them. Its soil so destroyed and burnt it would take another fifty years for it to totally recover. With her burial here she wished to add to her home's healing. And he knew when his day came, which he felt would be sooner now with her now gone, he had chosen to be placed alongside her. He couldn't bear to be parted from her now and he would never again once that final moment reached him as well.

As the wind blew gritty particles into his tear swollen eyes he closed them tightly and prayed that it was all a dream, but he knew better. They had lived for so long, had had strong beautiful children together and he would not deny all that. But, now their time was over, he gave her back to her world, thanking it for the gift it had given him. And he promised to return soon and give his own offering, for to be apart from her even this long was too much and instinctively he knew, that even without even trying, that his heart would not last long without her.

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END