Two Prophecies
By mistress amethyst une
I knew this girl once. She hated too much. I remember this story about her...
She was hurt to say the least but her smile never faltered. True, bitter hate was coursing through her veins but she did all she could to avoid shuddering with rage. Tightly, she clenched her fist. Her fingernails dug deep into the flesh of her palm threatening to leave painful crescent shaped indentations. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep a wayward remark from slipping out.
"Just keep smiling," she thought to herself, "Let this moment pass."
He wouldn't stop. Everything he did was disparaging. The way he smiled, the way he seemed so eager to help... His kindness had to be a facade. No one was ever nice to her and she liked it that way. It gave her every excuse to be cruel if people were mean to her to begin with. His niceness was driving her insane. She yearned to fight him but nothing he did was enough to provoke a violent response that was valid. Still, she knew no one could ever be that good-natured. Everyone always gave her a reason to hate them and he was no different. He would slip up eventually.
As of the moment, she had fallen off the swing and he had gone to great pains in order to help her up. She hated it. Depending on him of all people was the last thing she wanted to do. Why did she have to satisfy such a childish whim?
It was foolish.
"I'll leave the dance and go explore the garden," she had thought.
Admittedly, the dance had been a horrid bore and she had been mildly amused to find an old oak in the garden. Her smile broadened when she realized that there was a swing and memories of her youth came flooding back. In a moment of stupidity, she, in her ornate evening gown, decided it would be fun to have a ride on the swing. She immediately fell while trying to get on.
Then, out of nowhere, there he stood. He was coughing, sputtering and, overall, looked ridiculous. In his hand was a lit cigar. She knew for a fact that he didn't smoke. A friend of hers had told her that this particular boy had no vices whatsoever. She didn't bother to ask him why he had decided to start smoking on that day of all days or even if he'd been smoking for most of his life and was just adept at hiding it.
He saw her there and gave a light chuckle before dropping his cigar. He crushed it underfoot before wordlessly helping her up. She had seen him before. The perfect young man... Nice, rich and kind-hearted though, in her opinion, his looks left much to be desired. There was something mildly effeminate about him.
She didn't like him one bit. She had decided that when she first saw him. Her philosophy was that all people were evil. If they didn't show it, then something was seriously wrong. He wasn't showing any hints of malevolence. Nothing... Even his face was angelic and it drove her mad.
"Nice to meet you," he said with a light cough, "Forgive my coughing, I just decided to smoke for some odd reason. I don't exactly know why."
Her clenched fist loosened slightly. The inside of her mouth was on the verge of bleeding so she ceased biting and let her fake smile devolve into the scowl she had been holding within. Now he had said something that requited a stinging response.
"You're stupid," she said.
"I know," he replied with a grin as he helped her up, "Deciding to smoke for no reason? I guess it was just something I've always thought about. Why do people like to smoke? I was so bored when the opportunity presented itself. My father asked me to hold his cigar for him while he went inside for a drink. I decided to try it. No doubt he'll be mad that I dropped it and put it out. He said it was expensive. I still don't know why people like smoking though. It burned my throat and it's just so, how do I put it? Disgusting? Yes, that's the word."
She looked at him rather strangely.
"So you came out here because you were bored too?" he asked.
She said nothing and stalked off. As the night continued, people continually asked about the grass stains on her dress but she declined to respond. In the distance, he stood and continued to watch her with kind eyes.
The last straw was when he asked her to dance.
In his ear, she whispered, "One day I'm going to drive a sword right through you."
He replied nonchalantly, "No doubt, you'll cry on that day as well."
They never knew that in two years time they would meet again. He would have a sword driven threw him. She would cry. But how could that happen?
War erupted shortly after that and they found themselves on opposing sides. Her hate remained when she saw him again but it was magnified tenfold by the fact that he was the enemy. He was so self-righteous. He told her things she didn't want to hear. He made her realize she was lonely. That her hate had made her lonely...
War had killed off her family and intensified the hatred brewing within her. It had only served to prove her philosophy. Everyone was evil and no one was kind. Those who were considered kind were just better at hiding the evil within themselves. He was human kindness personified and that made her angry. How could he not be bitter? Didn't he lose his father? She had heard he'd gone berserk with grief upon learning of his father's death. Where was that anger? Where was the bloodlust and desire to kill? Where was the hate for all of humankind? Why wasn't there a single trace of evil within him despite the fact that she'd heard he'd killed several hundred men in battle? How could such purity survive the battlefield?
He had come to her in the midst of the battle that raged outside. Was he there to take her down? To convince her to join him? She mocked him as they engaged in a duel of swords. For a woman, she was excellent with a saber. Still he was passive with her. He parried all her blows until...
I don't know how the story goes anymore. I was hardly in possession of my senses. I spilled my heart to him. All the sadness... I watched the blood flow from the wound I had inflicted. I watched her cry. I saw my reflection in his eyes and watched her cry.
The words echoed in my head. My words...
"One day I'm going to drive a sword right through you."
And his voice trailed after my own, taunting me with the fulfillment of our two prophecies...
"No doubt, you'll cry on that day as well."
OOO
Shame on you if you don't know that the couple involved in this story is Quatre and Dorothy! The last part is my take on Episode 48. Anyway, I haven't done a one-shot on this couple yet so I thought I'd give it a try. Besides, I need a good writing exercise before I conclude "Benevolent Hearts." I've been working on that story since 2004 and it's been tough ending it. That's why I decided to write something serious as a writing exercise. After I finish "Benevolent Hearts," I've got to write some multi-chapter comedy. The only time I was successful at multi-chapter comedy was my Treize and Une story, "I Dare You to Say Yes". I've got to sharpen my skills in that genre! Sorry for boring you with this long commentary but I just wanted to leave a descent author's note!