When love beckons to you
"Everything is waves and stars, the universe is resting in my arms
I feel so light, this is all I want to feel tonight"
She walked in a moonlit oasis, sauntering in creaturely comfort halfway between the bank and the mighty tree in the tarn's center. Above her, the sky was a canvas of midnight and cobalt, strewn with stars and nebulae and various other celestial matters meandering in the heavens.
Everything was wonderful--the pillar of light that spilled from the moon, the rainbow-hued texture of the surrounding crystal formations, the ambient hum of pond animals, and birds in the atmosphere, the sense of security in the sparkling canopy-enclosed oasis. Even the commonplace pyreflies in their multi-colored spectra added to the affect.
She immersed herself completely into the cool luxury of the water when she was too beguiled to hesitate any longer. After some moments, pampered, soothed, and caressed, she found herself gliding underneath the surface of the mere. The sensation of soaring was wonderful and awakening after the long day.
When she burst back onto the surface, she felt of breathless freedom. She found her footing once again and stood waist deep in the water.
------
He stood at the bank with what seemed to be rapacious intrigue. Standing rigidly between a pair of Fendarren water crystals, he watched her bathe, like the water nymphs of Corsa on their beds of painted coral. For the first time he found himself breathless at the resplendency staring back at him. The way her doused blue-white kimono accented every turn of her tall, thin body; the slight and subtle curvature of her breasts to the supple bend of her hips—-once and now, all too wonderful.
And for all this time, he had been utterly oblivious of her presence until this moment.
Then he saw her eyes. Like a maxim, he accepted their intensity and utter brilliance. Though slightly veiled by snaking tendrils of long mahogany hair, the violets shone brightly with the dusk, the effect no less potent upon him. There was the virginal innocence and luminosity in them that excited him so.
Underneath the starlight, the sight of her graven image was breathtakingly spectacular.
------
She could barely breathe, mesmerized by his luminous stare. Though he stood only silhouetted in his opulent regalia in the shadows of the shoreline, the brilliance of his green eyes surpassed the midnight black, even rivaling the stars in the firmament. She could feel his gaze tighten upon her, increasing the catch of desire within her belly.
When the incertitude finally broke, and he took a step over the threshold of the bank and into the pool's purpled waters, the racing of her heart came to a sudden stop.
She swallowed hard as he advanced toward her: short blonde hair gathered up by a silver-leaved garland of princely authority on his forehead, green eyes, embroidered, and adorned green garb, exposed toned arms and upper torso, a wide, glorious smile on his fine features...
At last, they were alone, and at that very moment that was all that mattered.
------
A sweet, coy grin played across the boy's lips. "It's wonderful, isn't it?" he said.
His deliverance was hindered by his hesitance, but his words, tender and robust of his youth, came nonetheless. They were like a dream, getting lost in translation, but the effect going straight into her heart. They talked dreamily about what had happened, to things of importance to no particular relevance at all.
Yet the subject of what was to come for them, of the uncertainty, was avoided. And neither of them knew whether it was subconscious or intentional.
Then he said the most pressing of words: "I love you," his figure breathed, reaching out toward her. His fingers closed over her, warm and smooth and dreamlike. She reclined almost as soon as his hands enclosed around her.
"But..." There was a lump in her throat, but she could not stop smiling. "But, I..."
In her mind's eye, she saw that they could not be with each other, even if she wanted to. At least, not to the end. On the surface, their paths were already diverging, and nothing could make it lasting. She knew this, and he did as well.
In the ten years since her father had defeated Sin and brought the Calm, she vowed to be in his legacy. She was a Summoner, and so sought to relieve the world, even for a little while, of the eternal menace of Sin. Even at the expense of her own life, the final sacrifice would be made. All was too important to live a life that was not truly a life at all.
"It would be so easy," she spoke "to let fate just carry me away...following this same path my whole life through. But I know...I can't. The sadness and the pain, I can't just leave them behind. I pilgrimage for that very reason."
He stood quietly in the waters, then he swiped at the pool, as an angry child would inflict if he didn't get his way. He looked up into the wonder of the stars. "You'll never know the stars because you'll leave them behind...and you'll leave me behind"
The way he spoke, so assured and confident, brought shivers down her back. She could feel his brilliant emerald eyes piercing into her throbbing heart. She hated how he entangled her emotions with his words along with his youthful good looks. All he ever did, since the moment they had met, was talk dreamily about living on love and dreams.
Like mantra, he spoke again, "overlapping our dreams...can never be the semblance"
She tried to dismiss it as childish fallacy, but it appeared so reassuring to her.
"I can't. I just can't love you!" Her confusion had escalated into vehemence against the boy. She didn't even care if anyone else heard her in the middle of the night.
Then there was silence.
------
He waited a moment longer, but she apparently wouldn't offer him anymore. Yet he didn't feel the urge or the intention to leave.
And there it was the answer he needed. Past the beautiful countenance and into the eyes of violet, into the pain he saw there, as he looked into her mind and her spirit. Remembering that she was the last hope of the world. It was all there in her eyes.
Almost silently, a teardrop hit the water. And he saw the moisture brimming in her eyes, the tears held within her body.
"Lynelle..." he whispered her name almost inaudibly; ashamed at the pain he had awakened within her. The tears streamed and glistened down her porcelain face into the waters of the oasis. Forever lost in the pool's expanse, like the dreams of all the peoples in the world, into the stagnant waters of sorrow and suppression.
His past life was a terrible illusion of what she never knew. Dreams were distant voices. Swaying and broken.
There was strength in Lynelle and all the people he had met in this brave new world, where he had thoughtlessly thrown all his schemes. He understood why she cried.
Her face was down and shoulders hunched over slightly so the tears no longer fell down her cheek, but directly into the water. He moved closer to her. "Are you all right?" He didn't expect any answer. He had known her for only a short while, but felt so tempted to try to comfort her. "It's alright. Come on," he coaxed softly.
Lynelle stood up straighter, taking a deep breath, the moisture still rimming in her eyes.
------
She succumbed at last, and her eyes met with his--her tormented violets with his cool green. He was looking at her now with sentiment that alas made her believe. Then he moved closer, placing his hands upon her shoulders.
She stood in full awareness, but accepting to the fact, biting down on her lips to restrain the protest partly within her.
With little conscious intent, that betrayed both their hesitancy, he was suddenly kissing her, claiming her mouth. She surrendered herself completely, shutting her eyes in rapture, eager to sacrifice for him. Her arms hung immobilized at her sides as if pinned, and dazed in passion she fell weak into his worthy embrace. The kiss was so deep, so overwhelming, she could not even gasp when he took a breath. A vigorous swirl caught wind in her mind. In his arms, she felt like she was falling endlessly into oblivion.
Suddenly the world seemed such a perfect place, everything moving with such ethereal grace. In unison the kiss ended, their lips slowly moving away as they gazed senselessly into the other's eyes.
All about them, the flora and pond creatures, and landscape encircling seemed to move and act to the rhythm of their emotions. The stars shone more brilliant in the firmament, the boughs of the surrounding verdure and trees awakened with the nighttime blossoms. The dragonflies suddenly came to life, causing a melodic raucous of wing beats. They danced in a spiral with the glowing pyreflies to an ambient crescendo, around the couple. The natural serenade fit perfectly with the situation.
She looked away, giggled in childlike bliss, and then faced him again, "Aramis" she uttered his name at last, "Stay with me to the end. Please."
He shook his head. "No," he said simply.
"Aramis..." Lynelle gently pulled away from him, cheeks flushed, eyes glinting looking as if she were a hurt child.
Then Aramis smiled his tender smile reassuringly and the life that had escaped from the girl quickly came back to her. "Not to the end..." he corrected, "Always"
The stars silently shed their light...
Life is wonderful.