A/N: Bleh. It kinda sucks that I can't specify this as an Ara/Elesis fic, but yeah. It most certainly is. It was inspired by one of my favorite songs by the old school group Heatwave. It starts off kinda sad, but I swear, I plan for things to get better. Or maybe things will continue to be shitty and tear them apart. Who knows. Eternity is a pretty long time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think! And I promise I'll eventually get around to finishing the other fics too! Ehehehehe ;; ;; ;; ;;

'til next time~

~shine

Disclaimer: I don't own Elsword, not do I intend to make profit off of this. Well, minus assassinating y'all feels. Because I love ya.

~ Always and Forever ~

It started out as a simple promise, the words she spoke to her love that day. A declaration not just of her undying love, but to be reincarnated time and again, and each time, she would find her, never to be torn apart by the laws of the world or even time itself. To show the red haired knight she had come to love with all her heart and soul that none may ever hope to possess even a single molecule of what she gave wholeheartedly to the Grand Master. Ara was determined to keep it that way. However, things did not quite work out the way she had hoped.

It was a tragedy no one had seen coming. During her confrontation with her brother, Ara had despaired at how far her beloved sibling had fallen to corruption and darkness, felt her heart break time and again as he slipped further into madness, eventually forgetting who she even was. Enraged by this, Ara forgot all reason, lost her composure, and charged the demon that was once her beloved older brother…only to be rewarded with his sword piercing her chest and his malicious grin haunting her rapidly darkening vision. His last words to her as darkness completely stole what light she tried to cling desperately to, brought one last tear to her eye. "Begone from this world, child, and be welcome to the void." Ara's last thoughts at the time had been: Forgive me…

She did not know how long she lay in that never ending darkness, but it felt like years had passed. She could not move her body, nor could she see anything. It was as if she were swallowed whole by the void of which her brother spoke, trapped for all eternity. She let out a soundless sigh and curled herself into a ball, content to stay there since she had nowhere else to go, tears flowing endlessly from her eyes as she wept for her lost brother and the love of her life she was leaving behind.

As she closed her eyes, wishing with all her heart that she hear Elesis' voice one last time, she finally gave in to despair. It was an odd feeling for the normally confident Sakra Devanam. She was usually upbeat and cheerful, brightening the days of her friends with her clumsiness from time to time, but nevertheless, she had never been known for a second to give in to darker emotions. Sure there were moments when she would get sad, but such times were few and far between, and never lasted very long. She had Elesis by her side, after all, so what good would it do her to give up and lose hope?

How long would she stay here? Was this heaven or hell? Where would she go? Would she be ever be reincarnated? If so, she wouldn't mind being a flower. Perhaps if she were to one day be plucked by Elesis, whose favorite flower happened to be the Lotus, she wouldn't mind at all.

In fact, Ara had been the one to braid the flower the Grand Master wore in her hair. It looked very pretty on her, and it became something of a weak spot for the younger girl. Whenever Ara reached up to stroke her hair, she would always start with the flower, which would bring a bright blush to her cheeks, which Ara took her time in kissing away. There was no way she could pass up the chance to witness the normally serious girl blushing like a young maiden in love.

Fresh tears began to flow from Ara's eyes as she wept silently in the suffocating darkness. She could no longer hear Eun's voice in her mind. She was all alone in this empty space. Perhaps forever.

Perhaps this was what Aren was feeling right now, as he descended deeper into madness. Outwardly he still cared for the girl he had kept floating behind his throne, but on the inside, he was nothing more than a being of darkness. He had no more memory of the girl except a desire to protect her that he could no longer explain. Ara felt that if things had been different, perhaps she would have felt that too. She would not be able to completely understand why she fought anymore, only that she wanted to free her brother from the darkness corrupting his heart and tainting his soul.

Dearest brother, Ara began, hugging her knees tighter. I do not know if you can hear me, or even if you know who I am, but I miss you. Here in this dark place, I know not how much time has passed, nor do I even know where I am. I can feel my memories slipping away slowly as time passes, so, before I forget you too, I just wanted to say...thank you. And to my darling Elesis, even if it takes me a hundred years, I will see you again some day. I will come back to you. Always.

As she lay in the tent she once shared with Ara, hugging the pillow the girl once slept on tightly to her chest, Elesis felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest, and fresh tears well up. She wasn't a very spiritual person, believing that once a person dies, that's it, but she could swear she felt a presence in that same moment. Like arms wrapping around her gently and lips placing a kiss on the tips of her ears, warming her from her ears down. A very powerful shiver ran through her in that moment, and a thought, most certainly not her own, came into her mind. Always and Forever. Elesis wept again that night, with no explanation as to why, yet in her heart she knew. And she vowed to wait. As long as it took.

A very powerful headache overtook the fallen demon general as he knelt, bound in chains before the demoness Karis. For his failure to maintain his place in Hamel, he had been punished relentlessly for months without rest. His beloved Sasha he knew not her fate, but he vowed with righteous anger, that if anything happened to her there would be hell to pay. His only reward had been more lashings, until the migraine hit. An image of an unfamiliar girl came to his mind, a dark haired maiden with a bright smile bowed to him and waved. He did not understand the gesture, nor did he care much about the girl, but something struck him as odd. The thought that came to his mind just then, the voice speaking into his head was light, and held much emotion. And a strong feeling, like an embrace, overcame him in that moment. Thank you, and good bye. The girl had said, and this somehow brought tears to his eyes. Anger exploded from within him, and he let out an anguished cry, screaming a name he didn't even know he knew. It was her name. This strange girl, who affected him so. A girl whose gentleness he longed to know. A girl...who once called him brother. "Ara!"

As she gave one last, tiny smile, her messages delivered to the two people she loved most, Ara felt herself begin to fade. Perhaps it was finally time. She didn't know what would happen to her now, but she hoped that whatever happened next would be an adventure she would never forget. Perhaps it would bring her to the two people she cared most for. Or perhaps it would just keep them apart forevermore. She could not guess. She only knew that she didn't want to go just yet. She wanted to stay, to watch over her most precious people, though it pained her that she couldn't be there with them.

Wait for me... Ara thought, closing her eyes. She was growing increasingly tired.

Always! A voice shouted within her mind. She smiled as she recognized it. It was Elesis. So, her prayers had reached her. Ara smiled, the last of her figure disappearing into the greedy inky blackness. Always indeed.

And forever.