-Kill me. Please…-
He watched as she struggled, covering her face in despair. She wept and He almost felt bad for her- she was so torn inside that He very nearly shared the pain.
She saw two choices- give in or turn away. Both paths were difficult, both had good and bad consequences. It was a matter of choosing the one that was ultimately the best for all parties involved. To turn away meant she saved her soul, at least for another day. To give in meant she saved her friends and perhaps the world, at least for now. Who knew what would happen down the road- she could end up just like her adversary, cold and amoral. But crushing him now would solve a few problems, both present and future ones.
Long moments passed, and the pathetic little figure of her quarry pleaded for her to end his life. He could barely contain His anxiety; He saw a third choice, one she had not even considered yet. He only hoped she would finally see it and make the choice. Her reputation was not generally known for forethought but as she sat, He had hope. She only needed time…
Finally, her shuddering stopped. Her hands pushed her golden hair from her face, wiped the frustrated tears from her cheeks. She gave her cornered prey a long lingering look and then turned her eyes upward.
"Ellimist?" she called in a sad, tired voice.
He could have raised an eyebrow. As if He were somewhere that was "up" for her to actually see. As if He was a god in some sort of astral heaven. Still, His heart soared.
"I know you hear me." She got to her feet. "Take him. You have as much right for revenge as us." A lie, but He appreciated it. She needed an excuse, even if they both knew it was false. "Kill him, erase him, I don't care. I just need him gone."
As if to punctuate her statement, she turned her back and began to walk away. And yet, she paused, taking no chances.
He wanted to smile. Go home, Rachel, He said.
She gave a shaky sigh and walked away, her steps becoming more confident the further she went. Soon she would rejoin her comrades, confident that she'd served her purpose. Get rid of the threat, do what no one else could do. Later perhaps she would not be so lucky, but for now, she had escaped an ugly future.
-Oh god, please!- he called, only to be ignored. His wails became louder and more desperate, deranged and insane. He was afraid, afraid that he would be trapped again, for He certainly had the power. The cornered one had seen His most powerful Rival and knew that They were evenly matched in will and strength. It was the choices They made that would ultimately win the war, but that was too much for his comprehension.
-Just kill me. End it!- he pleaded, even as his body began to shift and change, elongating and growing back into a shape it knew quite well.
You feel it don't you? He asked. Or felt it before? Does it frighten you?
The boy trembled, curling into a ball.
I will bring you home now. And these things you feel, your family will help you deal with them. You will be overcome and lost, but they will find you and set you right again.
He picked up the boy, sending a wave of sleep over him. A small, dark spot in His metaphorical heart cleared as He carried him away. Long ago, this pawn had been stolen and turned- now he would go back to his rightful place, where he should have been before the Crayak had spirited off with him.
The Ellimist sighed and turned his course.