I don't own any of these characters, yada yada. Also, I didn't know the names of Maximus' wife and son, so you'll just have to deal with that. So just know that 'the woman' is his wife in the whole story and 'the boy' is his son.
ALWAYS
Cicero walked down the path towards the house. Maximus' house. Cicero was dead, and in Elysium forever. Now he was heading home.
As he neared the house, he saw Maximus' son running with the horses in the field. The boy was laughing so happily, it was as if he had never left the land of the real.
Such a young boy, Cicero thought, not even eight years old and he's already dead.
The smell of herbs wafted across the field, but they did not smell as delicious as they had in life. For there was no reason to eat in the afterlife.
A woman with dark hair emerged from the doorway and walked towards Cicero. He bowed and smiled up at her.
"M'lady, it is good to see you again," he said.
"And you, Cicero." They turned and walked towards the house. "What do you know of my husband?"
"Maximus has been enslaved somehow, and has become a gladiator. I have seen him. He has lasted for a long time, but I know that men are not immortal. Especially when they have to battle every single day for their life. So it is very likely that he may be joining us soon."
Cicero saw the tears in the woman's eyes, but he wasn't sure if they were tears of sadness, at the thought of Maximus having to go through more torture like that; or maybe they were tears of happiness because it was a very real possibility that she would finally be reunited with her husband again after almost three years.
She soon called her son into the house, for it was getting dark outside, and invited Cicero in for awhile.
"Oh, no, miss. I'll just go to my quarters. Call me if you need me." Cicero turned and started for the door, about to walk to the small house near the garden that was for him.
"Cicero," Maximus' wife called, "You are no longer our servant. Now you are just a friend. And I would be honored if you would stay here with us awhile."
"Alright. If you want me to," he answered, and walked back in to join the woman and her son. For an hour, they talked, laughed, and Cicero watched her play with her young son. Soon, she got up and said,
"It's time to go to bed now, little one."
"Yes, Mama." And the boy scampered off to bed.
Cicero started for the door again, but the woman called him back, saying, "Cicero, stay. I have not had someone to talk to for a long time."
And so they talked. They talked about life, death, Maximus, war. They talked about peace, about Rome, about everything.
"Cicero," Maximus' wife said as they ended one particular conversation, "will I ever see my beloved Maximus again?"
As he started to respond, something caught his eye. "I don't think you'll have to wait much longer to find out, M'lady."
She looked out the window to see what he had seen and suddenly cried, "MAXIMUS!" She dashed out of the house, running down the stone path.
Cicero smiled and walked to the boy's room. As he woke up the young boy, he said, "Come on, young one. Let's go see your papa."
At the mention of his father, the boy, with just as much enthusiasm as his mother had had, bolted out of bed, crying, "Papa! Papa's home!"
Cicero ran after him to see the great General Maximus come walking up the path to his home, this time for good.
After his family had hugged him, Maximus smiled up at Cicero. "Cicero, my friend, we are free. You are no longer a servant, and I am no longer a slave. We can just live as friends, forever, because we will always be free in Elysium. Always."
Cicero smiled. "Yes. Always."
THE END
So, what did you think? This is my first short fic, all the others I've tried writing have been very long. Review, please.
ALWAYS
Cicero walked down the path towards the house. Maximus' house. Cicero was dead, and in Elysium forever. Now he was heading home.
As he neared the house, he saw Maximus' son running with the horses in the field. The boy was laughing so happily, it was as if he had never left the land of the real.
Such a young boy, Cicero thought, not even eight years old and he's already dead.
The smell of herbs wafted across the field, but they did not smell as delicious as they had in life. For there was no reason to eat in the afterlife.
A woman with dark hair emerged from the doorway and walked towards Cicero. He bowed and smiled up at her.
"M'lady, it is good to see you again," he said.
"And you, Cicero." They turned and walked towards the house. "What do you know of my husband?"
"Maximus has been enslaved somehow, and has become a gladiator. I have seen him. He has lasted for a long time, but I know that men are not immortal. Especially when they have to battle every single day for their life. So it is very likely that he may be joining us soon."
Cicero saw the tears in the woman's eyes, but he wasn't sure if they were tears of sadness, at the thought of Maximus having to go through more torture like that; or maybe they were tears of happiness because it was a very real possibility that she would finally be reunited with her husband again after almost three years.
She soon called her son into the house, for it was getting dark outside, and invited Cicero in for awhile.
"Oh, no, miss. I'll just go to my quarters. Call me if you need me." Cicero turned and started for the door, about to walk to the small house near the garden that was for him.
"Cicero," Maximus' wife called, "You are no longer our servant. Now you are just a friend. And I would be honored if you would stay here with us awhile."
"Alright. If you want me to," he answered, and walked back in to join the woman and her son. For an hour, they talked, laughed, and Cicero watched her play with her young son. Soon, she got up and said,
"It's time to go to bed now, little one."
"Yes, Mama." And the boy scampered off to bed.
Cicero started for the door again, but the woman called him back, saying, "Cicero, stay. I have not had someone to talk to for a long time."
And so they talked. They talked about life, death, Maximus, war. They talked about peace, about Rome, about everything.
"Cicero," Maximus' wife said as they ended one particular conversation, "will I ever see my beloved Maximus again?"
As he started to respond, something caught his eye. "I don't think you'll have to wait much longer to find out, M'lady."
She looked out the window to see what he had seen and suddenly cried, "MAXIMUS!" She dashed out of the house, running down the stone path.
Cicero smiled and walked to the boy's room. As he woke up the young boy, he said, "Come on, young one. Let's go see your papa."
At the mention of his father, the boy, with just as much enthusiasm as his mother had had, bolted out of bed, crying, "Papa! Papa's home!"
Cicero ran after him to see the great General Maximus come walking up the path to his home, this time for good.
After his family had hugged him, Maximus smiled up at Cicero. "Cicero, my friend, we are free. You are no longer a servant, and I am no longer a slave. We can just live as friends, forever, because we will always be free in Elysium. Always."
Cicero smiled. "Yes. Always."
THE END
So, what did you think? This is my first short fic, all the others I've tried writing have been very long. Review, please.