Here's a special story for you all, specially dedicated to my lovely wife.
Chronologically, this will take place just before 'Mutant Vigilantes', and it is an event that I have alluded to in both 'Ancient Legacy' and 'Cursed and Blessed', as well as the picture 'A New Dawn, A New Beginning' on my DeviantArt page. (Link to DA on my profile)
Enjoy!
Beloved
Four months had passed since Raymond and Elisabeth had been attacked and left for dead in the cave systems underneath Chicago.
Four months since they had been saved by the mutant inhabitants of Mutopia, the sanctuary of outcasts.
And four months since they too had mutated; Raymond in order to survive, and Elisabeth by accidentally falling into the mystical well when Raymond mutated.
With their old lives gone, they had had no other choice than to make Mutopia their new home.
But to be fair, there were far worse places in the world to live in. All the mutants were kind and friendly, and many had gone through similar things in life before.
Following the tradition of the Mutopians, both Raymond and Elisabeth took new names, symbolising their rebirth, and a first step to accepting their new situation and moving on. Raymond, now a Dragon mutant, had taken the name Tyroth, while Elisabeth, who was now a Gecko mutant, took the name Sephie.
And while the two had adjusted to their new lives, their hearts still ached from their loss, missing their families greatly, Sephie most of them. With her and Tyroth's anniversary only a few days away, her pain felt stronger than before, close to unbearable even. Tyroth noticed this, and it troubled him greatly.
"What troubles you, young one?" the elder turtle mutant George asked the dragon, having noticed his thoughtful expression.
"It's Sephie, she's still in pain." Tyroth said after a short moment of silence.
"I see. That is unfortunate, but sadly not surprising. Both of you have been through a horrible experience, and it will take time for the wounds to heal."
"It's not just the attack and our mutations, it's all who we left behind. Our families and friends, she misses them all. But we can't see them again, not like this."
"A pain that far too many of us Mutopians know, I am afraid."
"I just can't stand not being able to help her."
"Give her time, Tyroth. She will recover as long as you are there for her."
As the old turtle left, Tyroth pondered on what he had said.
A few days later, their anniversary arrived, and Sephie was noticeably sadder, though she tried to hide it and act as what was now normal for them. She and Tyroth went out on another patrol of Chicago, taking out any criminals they came across.
They had done so for two and a half month at the time, using their more powerful bodies to fight crime, and hopefully prevent others from feeling the same pain as their families must have felt once they learned that the couple was believed killed. They also were on the watch for any clues or connections to the crime-lord known as Overlord, who was the one responsible for the attack on them. One day, they would find him, and he would pay for all he had done.
But this particular night was very calm, something that Tyroth had hoped for. As they took a rest on top of a high building, they looked out across the city, enjoying the view and how peaceful it all looked.
"Sephie?" Tyroth said after a while.
"Hmm? What? Sorry, I'm still not quite used to that name yet."
"Even though you picked it yourself. Well, I know how you feel about that, it's the same for me. Takes a few seconds before I realise that it's me they're talking to."
"Yeah, but you wanted to say something, right?"
"Well, I was wondering, since it's so calm tonight, if we could do something together while we're out here."
"Like what?"
"How about I take you on a flight over the city?"
"A flight?" Sephie asked, looking at her mate slightly worried. "Are you serious? You only learned how to fly last month."
"And I've gotten quite good at it too. I'll hold you tight in my arms, and you can keep your arms around my neck. I promise that you will be safe."
Sephie thought hard about it, it hadn't been all that long since they started jumping across rooftops, and even less since they realized that Tyroth could actually fly. Yet, jumping across the rooftops had been a nervous task at first, but now they both did it without any second thought, and Sephie was sure it was the same with flying for Tyroth.
"I trust you, hun, and if you say that I'll be safe, then I know I will be."
Tyroth gently picked her up bridal style, holding her close and firm in his arms, and she put her arms around his neck, just as he had suggested. Walking up to the edge of the building, he stood still for a minute.
"Okay, Sephie, you ready?"
"Not really, but… let's get this over with."
Pushing off from the building, Tyroth and Sephie soon felt the wind against their faces as they fell down. Sephie couldn't help crying out, keeping her eyes tightly shut. But soon, the feeling of falling subsided, yet she could still feel the wind against her.
"It's alright, love, you can open your eyes now." Tyroth said, and a bit reluctantly Sephie dared open her eyes.
They were indeed flying above the city, higher than they had been on the buildings themselves, and the view was incredible. Tyroth flapped his wings in large, slow motions, almost swimming through the air as he climbed even higher and steered towards Lake Michigan.
"Is this how it feels to fly?"
"Quite the feeling, isn't it?" Tyroth said with a smile. "I hope that we can go flying like this more times in the future."
"Maybe… We'll see…"
As the couple flew out over the lake, the clear, starry sky and full moon reflected on the surface of the almost still water surface, treating the two to a beautiful view. Tyroth held Sephie even closer, and she could feel not only the warmth of his body, but also the beating of his heart.
"I know that you're hurting, Sephie, that you miss our families greatly." Tyroth said with a soft voice. "I can't make any of this undone, but I will never leave you. No matter what, I will always love you with all my heart, and I will be here for you whenever you need me, just as I know you will be for me."
Hearing those words, Sephie began crying, but it wasn't just tears of sadness, there were those of love as well. The words filled her heart with new strength.
"I… I just miss them all so much…" she sobbed softly. "But… at least I'm not alone… thank you, honey… for everything…"
After a short flight, Tyroth took them down, landing on a small island near the harbour, and letting Sephie down on her own feet, the two shared a long and deep hug. They both felt the love they had for each other, their hearts beating strongly for them.
The faint sound of soft music reached their ears, and the two broke the hug to look around for the source. Anchored not too far away, was a cruise liner that they had completely missed earlier, and while they weren't close enough to be spotted, they could hear the music being played on the deck, most likely there was a party on board and people dancing.
Though the music was faint, they could still hear enough of it, and with them being all alone on the tiny island, in the beautiful surroundings, Tyroth got an idea. Taking Sephie's hands, he looked her in the eyes with a warm smile.
"May I have this dance, my lady?" he asked with a faint blush.
"You may, and every dance after that, my Viking." she answered, blushing as well.
Holding each others' hands, the two mutants moved in a slow waltz to the distant music on the island. Ignoring the ship, all they could see around them was the lake and the sky, the stars and moon reflecting on the surface, giving the feeling that they were dancing among the stars.
But all that was just in the surroundings, out of focus, for they kept their attention on each other, their eyes locked for the entire time, and all their troubles seemed to just melt away.
They had no idea for how long they danced, only once the music finally stopped did they noticed that the sun was rising. They had been dancing for many hours without even noticing it, but as dawn was upon them, they had to return to Mutopia.
As the sun's rays broke the darkness of the night, the sky was coloured in a beautiful mix of blue, purple, red, orange and yellow. Before heading back, the couple stood and enjoyed the dawn, their arms around each other, and holding tails as well, before sharing a passionate kiss.
Whatever would come, they knew they would always have each other.