goodbye painted in sky
Characters: Leo, Aries
Summary: He knew that she was waiting for him.
He lay awake at night, gazing at the stars that seemed to mock him tonight more than ever before. For a moment, he wondered why he felt this lonely, this empty before he realised that it was too silent. A few human decades back, he had had his room next to Aries and she had mumbled in her sleep about all the amazing adventures she had always dreamed off. Now, there was no longer a sound from the room next door because Gray was a silent sleeper, someone who hardly ever did anything but breathing and stirring ever so slightly.
And because it was so lonely, he remembered her and wondered what she might be mumbling about right now. He smiled as he looked for the constellation that represented her and wondered why it felt so bittersweet when he finally found it. Then again, to remember the time when there had been a common ground, when they had walked and worked together, bound forever. He faintly remembered the happiness in her hazel eyes, the eyes that held the entire world and that were deeper and wiser than anyone else's eyes. Back then, there had never been a moment when he had considered the possibility that one day, he could be bound to the earth where his energy is slowly drained from him while she was still high up in the skies.
He wondered whether Bixslow had told anyone about the anomalism of his soul. If anyone but the Seitr Mage might know, it would be Cana because she had sharp eyes when she was not drunk and she had been drinking a lot less lately – this was probably connected to Laxus' strange behaviour but who cared about that? But he did not really care about all of this. Even if Bixslow and Cana would decide to broadcast his identity all over the guild, hardly anyone would believe them because Bixslow was just weird and Cana was frequently drunken enough to predict the end of the world every third Friday – and this made none of them the kind of person who was frequently listened to.
For a second, he believed to see the familiar flash of pink from the corner of his eye but this an illusion. Aries was not there – and why should she? She had not been kicked out of the realm because she had merely been a victim while he had been a victim that had snapped and turned against the person who had caused him and her so much pain. He hated to remember this, the arrogance and the sadism in Karen's voice and the little whimper Aries had given out – this had finally sent him over the edge.
He wondered whether she would still accept him if she could see him now, beaten in his own game – a game he had been too sure to win – and broken beyond repair. He knew the answer. Aries was the most forgiving creature and she would always let him return to her side because she had always been the one to welcome him back even when he had failed her.
Indeed, the Ram was too good for this world because she was so kind and friendly.
He closed his eyes as he rested his fists at his sides. He had been too proud, too arrogant. He had not realised that he had had something to lose as well, that he could be hurt too. He had felt like the king, like the ruler of the universe and he had been humbled, out back into his rightful place. But the greatest pain was not the loss of his power but the loss of his friend, of the one who had always mattered most to him. And so he also wondered whether she had already replaced him. She was kind but not all were and some might take advantage of her friendliness. He could only pray that Aquarius would keep her promise to protect Aries.
He sighed as he remembered Laxus and Freed's drunken talk – while Laxus could usually hold his liquor, he had his limits too and after a drinking contest with Cana, he had been barely able to stand properly – but the men had been right. To see how a beloved one was dancing and walking with another man felt far more terrible than anything else – especially if you had had your change and wasted it because you had believed that there would be a better moment.
Sometimes, he nearly thought that he saw her somewhere in town, smiling brighter than the sun … just like she had used to before everything had gone down the drain. This burned. To see someone who reminded him of her, someone who shared her bubblegum pink hair or her kind eyes. It hurt especially since he could only hope that she remembered that she had always mattered more than anyone else because she was the one who had saved him from loneliness and uselessness all those years ago.
But no matter what had happened and no matter how much all of this hurt, there was hope. Aries was a loyal one, someone who often stuck to the past instead of moving on. So maybe, there would be a chance for him to tell her, to show him the love he felt for her – given that he will see her one last time before everything ends.
Maybe, she was still waiting for him to come back, for him to return to her side like he had used to for centuries. Maybe she had not left hope yet … and in any case, he should keep hoping as well because there was no other option left.