A/N: Hey guys, I know I haven't posted in forever, but here's some Malide stuff. Better than last time I promise. Here's the premise;In order to be with your soul mate you have to lose every one else close to you and remake a life. A race of sadistic demons (literally) rule over Earth. The demons made it law that to find happiness you must lose everything you hold dear. When you first start to date your soul mate, an ambassador to the crown comes and gives you the option to have everyone close to you forg et your existence and hate you if you ever meet again, or forget you ever met your soul mate and continue living like how you are. Sometimes it ends in poor soul mates, sometimes it ends in pure bliss, but you have to take the chance. Play it safe, or take the happy ending. It's one or the other.Hope you enjoy!!
Manon POV:
"Mom no! For the last time I don't want to meet my mate" I scream. My mother was forcing me to go out on another date with someone I just met because she thought she was "the one." I haven't found someone I thought was "the one" myself yet so how the hell would she know?
Nevertheless, she pushed me out the door and prayed I found the "the one". I didn't want to leave them, not by any means. I understood it was 2098, but my family needed me. I was the one that did most of the work around the house. But I figured if they forget about me then that wouldn't be an issue.
The girl I went out with I'd only known a couple of weeks, she seemed sweet enough, but not really my type. Aelin is the name of the girl I was forced to go out with.
The date went smoothly enough, we saw a movie and went out for ice cream. Overall it was awkward and seemed forced the entire time, so continuing the relationship didn't seem like a good idea.
As I predicted, in the end nobody came to give us the ultimatum.
Not her I guess.
I got home and my mother immediately knew she wasn't the one, just as I said. I fell onto my bed and looked up at the galaxy I had painted on my ceiling.
I definitely wanted to leave, but my soul mate had still eluded me, even after 19 years.
Maybe I'll meet them at University I thought to myself.
Elide POV:
I lay crying on my bed.
I could comprehend it was only university, but I'd have to leave my family again. I hated leaving them. We promised to see each other every weekend, but deep down I l knew they were wishing I could find my soul mate. After all, my parents were a good match, maybe I would have the same luck.
Truthfully I was scared of never seeing them again, they meant so much to me.
The next day I got up and my mother and father drove me to the campus. We went to my dorm room, me still crying, and entered the small room I'd be sharing with another girl my age.
I walked in, only to meet half of the room covered in Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, and Nirvana posters all over one half of the room.
Apparently my room mate already moved in.
There was a girl sitting on one of the beds, reading a book entitled Empire of Storms by an author named "Sarah J Maas". She looked up from her book and a look that I couldn't decipher flashed in her eyes.
"Hi, my name is Manon Blackbeak" she said and walked over to me, extending a hand for a handshake.
Her nails were painted silver, they were filed down to the point they almost looked like claws. She noticed my gaze and smiled "Don't worry, the school made sure they aren't sharp enough to severely injure someone" she said with a slightly evil smile.
I looked back at my parents to give a help me look to find them already gone.
"As soon as you opened the door and stepped in they put down your bags and disappeared into the sunset" she put her hands on her hips "not one for goodbyes I take it"
I ignored my room mate and brought in my bags, putting them on the bed.
"They're not one for goodbyes, they also probably figured I'd get them to let me stay home somehow." I said with annoyance.
"Oh okay, so you're the homesick goody two-shoes type, eh?"
"Shut up, Manon"
"Feisty too, I see," she said while falling back onto her bed.
I knew then and there I was in for one hell of a year.
Manon POV:
I knew it the second she walked into the dorm room, the tears still in her puffy eyes.
That girl is my soulmate
She didn't notice it apparently, because she acted as though I was the worst surprise she could have gotten on the first day.
"So what's your name?" I asked the girl once she got a little more settled in.
"Elide Lochan" she responded curtly.
I didn't know what else to say, I'd never been good with talking to people, especially when that person is your soul mate.
"What are you studying here?" I asked, searching for anything to talk about.
"Orthopedic medicine, a friend of mine severely injured her ankle and I've been trying to find a way to help fix it with as little pain as possible while helping others too."
I was surprised, she didn't seem like that type of person.
"What about you?" she asked.
"Aerospace engineering, I've always loved flying and stuff like that. I figured if I love it so much, why not do it for a living."
"Seems like a good enough career" she commented while rummaging through a duffel bag and pulling out a "Hang in there" poster with a cat hanging from a tree.
I sat in silence while she continued to unpack, most of her stuff lighter colors.
After about half an hour, the room was like night and day, my side hard core and black, hers adorable and fluffy with a lot of pink.
I knew I was in for one hell of a year.
3 months later
Manon POV:
It had only been 3 months, but we had slipped into a type of routine.
Because we were lucky enough to go to university after the rulers decided to make all dorm rooms apartment-style rooms, we had our own bathroom. The dorm was a one bed, one bath.
Elide would wake up at 7 then take a shower. After, she would wake me up, I would take a shower and we'd both be up and ready for the day by 8. For both of us, our earliest lecture started at 9:30. Even on days without classes we would get up at the same time because according to Elide "waking up at the same time every day helps your body adjust to the schedule better" I had to admit that I was having less difficult a time getting up every morning since we started it.
The only issue I had was we weren't together.
I had seen other soul mates meeting and chosing each other multiple times in this past few months it was almost surprising. But whenever I mentioned it to Elide, she would become really distant and stop talking for a long time. So I stopped bringing it up.
We had become fast friends once she realized I'm not a total and complete asshole. I knew everything about her, and she knew everything about me.
I knew I had to ask her out that night, I was out of options, I needed to be with her.
Elide POV:
When I woke Manon up at 8, I noticed something amiss. I could place my finger on it, but it felt familiar to the look she gave me when we first met.
I loved getting to know Manon, but sometimes I still couldn't understand her.
Some nights we would stay up until two in the morning if we had a late lecture the next day, and we would talk about our past and our ambitions for the future.
The only thing I couldn't stand was when she talked about soul mates.
I never claimed having a soul mate is bad, but I knew I'd be meeting mine very soon, and I was scared to make that decision. Leave my family and past and chase after a hope that may be false, or chase after that hope and realize you made a dire mistake, or an amazing decision.
When I got back to the dorm that night, I found Manon lying on her bed, playing some game on her phone.
"Welcome back" she said, half distracted.
"Hey, how was your day?" I asked while putting my bag onto the desk in our room.
"Boring, you?" she replied.
"Same, I'm glad it's not really hectic around here, that may be a little too much for me to handle."
Manon just chuckled. "Would you want to go see that new Disney movie with me this weekend?" she asked me.
I was shocked, Manon hated Disney and everything soft and cuddly. For gods sake she painted vampire teeth silver and wore them around campus an entire day pretending to have sharp iron teeth. She scared half of the people she met.
"Sure" I responded "since when are you interested in Disney though?"
"Just figured we could go just the two of us, I know you really like that sort of thing"
"Wait...like a date?" I asked, confused but happy, I'd been hoping this for awhile.
She looked up from her phone and looked me dead in the eyes.
"No like I take you to a movie and give you the best day of your life then reveal you're going to die in thirty seconds then pull a gun and shoot you in the neck" she replied with no sarcasm or smile.
I just rolled my eyes and smiled, I had learned her sense of humor was dark and serious, but I enjoyed it. "Sure, I'll go with you."
She looked back at her phone "Okay, Saturday 3pm is when the movie is."
"You're prepared for once?" I asked with sarcasm, actually feeling slightly surprised she knew when the movie was. I was planning to go alone anyways.
"Yes, once in my entire life, I am prepared, never before has this happened."
I just sat down and started on my assignment due the following week.
Saturday 5 pm
Manon POV:
The Saturday we went to watch the movie was one of the worst ones, made only better by the fact I was watching the movie for Elides sake.
After the movie finished, we went to an early dinner.
We stayed there until the sun set an hour or so later and I then took her to the abandoned town, the only place you could see the stars for miles around.
The town was small, but not tiny. It was condemned some years earlier when it was discovered a sink hole was beneath the town and they couldn't figure out when it would fall, or how much of the town it would decimate.
Elide and I sat down in the front of a large house, looking up at the slowly emerging stars. She pointed out some constellations like Cassiopeia and Leo the lion.
Cassiopeia, Elide explained, was the inspiration for her grandmother's name. She was told that when her grandmother died, she became one of the stars within the constellation.
Leo was the zodiac sign for her father, she told me. Her father was very close to her and she believed that maybe some of the courage and loyalty her father has, may have been passed down to her even though she isn't a Leo.
We sat in silence until she rested her head in my lap, looking up at the crystal clear galaxies above us.
"We should head back to the dorm" she said, her voice imitating cheerfulness to mask the disappointment of having to leave.
"Okay, staying out here very long probably isn't a good idea anyways"
We got into my car and drove back to the dorm in an easy silence.
When we got back, as soon as we entered our room, the click of the door shutting was like a deafening boom.
The room disappeared.
My vision returned shortly after and Elide and I were in a white room, a viscous shadow standing before us.
"Manon Blackbeak, Elide Lochan" it boomed "in accordance with the law of this state, you must now make a choice that will decide your future."
Manon was right about Elide being her mate, she just only regretted not being able to say goodbye to her mother and cousin, Asterin.
Elide POV:
No no no no no no...
Those were the only words I could feel rattling around in my dying brain.
I knew there was something about Manon, but I couldn't place it. Had she known this entire time I'm her soul mate? Was that why she asked me out?
Scared, all I could do was listen to the ambassador and hope for the best.
"In accordance with the law in this state, you must now make a decision that will change your fate.
Many years ago it was decided love must cost something, therefore, the Ruler decided you must lose your family and friends to live happily with your soul mate.
Manon Blackbeak, do you accept the consequence of being with your soul mate?"
"Yes, I do" Manon said, only a small hint of regret in her voice.
"Elide Lochan, do you accept the consequence of being with your soul mate?"
I didn't know what to say, I was so scared. It was like the world wanted to punish me, I didn't know if I would lose my family and everyone for one person.
My gaze flipped between the shadow and Manon, trying to make a decision.
"Elide" Manon began "I know I'm not worth much, I've never been the smartest or the strongest, and I know how much you love your family. I know this is hard for you, but I'm here for you. I've only known you three short months, but these months have been like nothing I've ever experienced. The nights we spend together up all night talking and eating candy, the times we helped each other with homework even though neither of us understood it, it's been the best months of my life.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know that I don't think I'll ever find anything like this ever again in my life. Soul mates aren't guaranteed to be amazing, but there's something between us and I can't ignore this. Elide I love you, I may not have known you as long as you may have liked but I love you like nobody I've ever met before."
I didn't know what to do or say, I couldn't leave my family. Manon could live without someone like me. I can't leave my family.
But on the other hand, Manon put her heart on the line and she said everything she felt. Could I ignore that? I knew that we had something special, and deep down, I knew I loved her, there was no way to deny it, it was irrefutable and complete.
I turned to the shadow, meaning to say yes, but the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I was frozen, every doubt rushing into my mind at once. I had to back out, I loved her, but could I give everything up? No, I couldn't say yes, I couldn't leave my family like that.
I felt a comforting presence next to me, I looked over and Manon had gently taken my hand.
"Elide, you don't have to say yes, please don't feel you do." Manon told me.
"Yes" slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.
The shadow enveloped my reality once more and when it released us, we were back in the dorm room.
Manon looked at me like I had three heads.
"What?" I asked
"I didn't expect you to say yes"
"And yet I did"
"And yet you did."
It was at that point the full effect of everything hit me. I would never see my family again, they would never remember me, and I could never see them again.
Manon pulled me into a tight hug "Elide, I know this is hard, but now we have each other, and I know I can't replace your family, but together we can make a new one."
I looked up at her, she wiped the tears from my face, and slowly, we met for a kiss, the first of many on this new adventure of life.
A/N: Um I know this is super long, but it's for a comp. I know the ending is kinda rushed but its way too long anyways. I may do more with this, but idk, I'll leave it as open just so I can come back to it later just in case.
Thanks for reading!
-Fire and Iron Teeth