Ice
and Darkness (D.N.Angel)
By Vagrant-AI-Lycoris
Fairy tales, they all began once upon a time in a far away land and they all had a happy ending. Well except one, this tale began in a small town with three childhood friends a girl named Freedert a boy named Kyle. The last of the three was the duke's son Elliot, even though Elliot was from a totally different social class that didn't stop then from becoming the best of friends. Eventually Elliot and Freedert were drawn to each other more and more. They were not even sure how or when it began but it was very real, years passed and they broke apart but what broke then apart was not there family's or the people around them it was war.
The war began and Elliot set off into battle. Death lies in wait for all warriors on the battle field. So Elliot asked his best friend Kyle to take care of Freedert if anything happened to him. "Of course I'll take care of her, Elliot I'll protect her no matter what happens." Were the words Kyle said to Elliot so after Elliot heard Kyle's promise he left. But Kyle, his own feelings for Freedert drove him mad with jealousy until he only felt hate for is former best friend. Even if Elliot and Freedert lived happily ever after he would never be free of these feelings. So Kyle went to the town's sacred artwork and protector, the sacred maiden statue the Toki No Byoushin and he prayed for some thing evil he begged, "Please!! Take away Elliot's time!! I know it's wrong. But … I just can't let him have her! If he dies in battle, it would be a hero's death! And Freedert … If only there were no Elliot, maybe …" Kyle's wish was granted.
During battle, Elliot was struck by an arrow and killed. But the arrow didn't belong to an enemy or an ally. According to those who saw it, it was a giant iron spear that looked like the second hand of a clock. When Freedert heard of Elliot's death Freedert begged the Toki No Byoushin to take her life instead. She prayed saying "Please give all my time to him." Kyle never even considered that his beloved Freedert would give up her life for Elliot's sake.
When Elliot was restored to life by Freedert's wish, he awoke from death, and around him instead of a pool of his own blood was a blanket of petals from the deep red flowers that Freedert loved and when he returned home Elliot found the town had fallen into ruins the town's people had all vanished and Freedert who had given her own life to save his was breathing her last. "If my life is continuing by her light I return it all back to her." Elliot whispered into Freedert's ear as she died in his arms. Then taking the sword that Freedert had given him when he left for the war Elliot thrust it through his own heart.
Finally as Elliot lay dying at the base of the Toki No Byoushin the sword Freedert had given him began to glow strangely in his hand. While the Toki No Byoushin could exchange their time it couldn't create more it couldn't restart time that has stopped.
The final stage was that Kyle who caused the whole chain of events to happen wrote this tale he spoke and said "This story is all true." A person's deepest wish may become happy or sad, beautiful or evil. His real name was Kyle Endoyle and he wrote this tale and named it 'Ice and Darkness.'
After what happened Kyle left the town and lived on but he seemed cursed by fate, and was constantly falling into misfortune. Driven to madness, he wrote this tale and then killed him self. In a way, even this last death was the work of the Toki No Byoushin, in its role as time's guardian to human's time also means life. I think that the time of the one who made the evil wish, Kyle was controlled by the Toki No Byoushin it would not allow his time to end, no matter what happened he was forced to live with regret, despair and pain until he finally told this tale and turned it into a legend only then was his time allowed to end.