*** IMPORTANT! Okay guys, so before I start this story, I want to make sure everyone understands, that all credit goes to Guest.; the whole idea was his/hers. The other thing is, that in this story Ares survives the battle with the Bane, and brings Gregor back to Regalia. Also, Lizzie was NOT in the battle, but is transported to the Fount, along with the rest of Gregor's family. Enjoy, and reviews are appreciated. ***
Luxa was released from the dungeons only an hour before the first sighting of Ares. She was sitting on the floor of the prophecy room, staring at the wall that held the Prophecy of Time, trying to get over the fact, that Gregor might not come back from the fight with the Bane.
She didn't know what she was supposed to be thinking about. The words she had screamed at him? The battle he could be engaged in this very moment? The war in itself?
Thoughts were running in her head like headless chickens, making it nearly impossible to concentrate on the words, carved into the wall centuries ago.
For nearly an hour, she had been trying to read the prophecy, from the beginning to the end, but her eyes always returned to the two lines that made her stomach lurch every time she gazed on them.
When the monster's blood is spilled
When the Warrior has been killed
For all she knew, Gregor could be flying around, helping others win the war, or lying on the ground, bleeding out. The image made her close her eyes, as she forced it to move aside. Gregor WAS alive! He had to be!
Suddenly, the silence she had been enveloped in for the last hour was broken by commotion, coming from outside. The Queen rose, and peered out of the large doors of the prophecy room, to see people shouting news to each other, running towards the High Hall in a mob of legs and flailing arms.
Over half of them were shouting, and the words got tangled in each other, but Luxa managed to make out the thing everyone was screaming:
" Ares is back! The Warrior is returning!"
Immediately Luxa rushed out of the room, and everyone magically parted from her way, before - after she had got clear from all the people - continuing their way, sometimes accidentally pushing each other to the ground.
It took Luxa less than a minute to reach the High Hall, and from there she could see the approaching form of Ares. But something wasn't right.
Even from this far away, Luxa saw the floppy flaps of Ares's wings, the slightly crooked way he was flying, his half-closed eyes, and the blood that covered his black fur. Not to mention the still figure, lying on the bat's back, one hand hanging like a rag doll's.
As Ares neared the High Hall, he did not slow down. Luxa instinctively backed away, and only seconds later Ares crashed onto the marble floor of the Palace, his rider flying into the air. The black bat slid on his side, and wrapped his wings around the still figure, in a protective way. A large CRACK! filled the air, as Ares crashed into the wall, and Luxa feared that it might have been his spine.
Luxa heard shuffling from behind her just as he started towards Ares, and soon found herself running alongside Howard, who was dressed in a white doctor's outfit. Behind them a group of doctors followed, eyes tired, but yet alert, hair sticky from sweat.
Ares's eyes were closed, his breath ragged when they reached him. Luxa crouched and placed a hand on his snout, and the bat opened his eyes.
" Doctor..." The whisper was barely audible, but Howard inched his way into Ares's vision, making sure the wounded flier knew he was there.
" I'm right here, Ares. We're going get you to the hospit-" But he was stopped by Ares shaking his head.
" No... not me... Gregor. " Ares opened his wings, which clearly pained him greatly, but it seemed as though he was willing to ignore his pain, at least until his bond was safe, in the hospital. But at the sight of the boy, Luxa felt her heart stop, and she doubted that even bringing him to the hospital would help.
Gregor was laying on his back, his head lolled to one side, eyes closed, a small stream of blood running down from his mouth. The front of his black armor was torn off, and it had been replaced by a gaping hole in his chest. Blood was everywhere, painting the ground red, soaking Luxa's white dress, as she screamed and rushed over to his side.
But before she could even touch him, she was pulled away by Howard, who was shouting orders to the other doctors. A stretcher was brought to the scene within seconds, and Gregor was lifted on it, and sent away, Luxa running behind them.
With one last look behind her, Luxa saw Ares being surrounded by doctors, all of them clearly at loss what to do, but still pushing cloths onto his wounds, trying to stop the blood flow, and stitching up bigger ones. Guards were pushing away citizens, who had finally arrived, but they weren't needed. As soon as they saw Ares, they backed away, and soon silence filled the halls.
But Luxa was too fixated on following her loved one to notice.
For six hours, Luxa sat outside Gregor's room in the hospital, waiting for news. His family had been transported to the Fount, so they had no idea, that their son and brother was fighting for his life.
Luxa stared at the wall in front of her, slowly disappearing into a dark void in her mind. Suddenly the door on her left opened, and she lept to her feet, as Howard walked out a strained expression on his face. He closed the door and turned around to look at his cousin, nervously licking his lips.
" Is he okay?" Luxa asked with a weak voice.
Howard bit his lip and rubbed his neck.
" I can not say he is okay... but he IS alive."
" What is wrong with him? Howard... what... is wrong... with Gregor?"
For a moment they stood there staring at each other, and during that time, Luxa felt her fear grow. Finally, Howard answered.
" He is... He is in a coma."
*** Okay, for the ones who are thinking about this: I don't use words like "he's" or" it's", when the underlanders speak, because they don't combine words. And, as always, reviews are appreciated. ***