Enjoy the story.


Prompt: L is for... Lacrimosa (Part of the Kajiura-verse)

Lucia stood quietly at the window, her arms wrapped around her slender form as the cold hit her bare arms. Her thin nightgown was not helping matters, as the silk clung to her form, baring her shoulders, arms, and neck thanks to the thin straps that held it up around her neck. The light of the far away full moon shone down on her, illuminating her fair skin with the milky rays. Her blue eyes were half-lidded, her pale lips parted slightly as she stared out at the moonlight-illuminated scene outside.

The cold wind that blew past her made her shiver, her eyes fluttering shut as she tried to stop herself from losing her warmth. Her vision blurred through her lashes, and the pink mermaid chewed down on her lower lip, slowly wiping her eyes with the back of her palm. She could hear the song of the ocean vaguely, but only if she focused, and it was being hard to focus in her state. Unbeknownst to her, her tears had overflowed again, and soon, she was consciously sobbing, curled over the railing of the balcony to cry.

How could she have let him done what he did? How could she have let it all fall apart like that? She was supposed to be the center of the group, the heart that let the others understand mercy, and yet, her slip up by letting them see her ring, her love... it had made sure that they trusted her no more. Her sobs were heartwrenchingly pained, and her entire form was shaking, trembling, with her cries. How could she have let them do that?


She had known that something was wrong the moment she returned to the group with him walking behind her, the moment that Hanon and Rina had rushed over to pull her away and keep her behind Hippo's form.

They had torn her and her beloved apart despite his surrender, and despite her vocal cries to have them stop, they tried to separate them further, claiming that she had been brainwashed. They had attempted to permanently pull them apart, never to return. They had shattered the precious engagement ring he had given her to secure their promise with.

And he had lost it.

Lucia remembered all of it — the despair she felt in that moment, the horror she could see written on his face, as the ruby gem was shattered with a precise hit to the floor. She remembered the sudden dip in temperature that she could feel in that moment, the absolute burning anger she could feel from him, suffocating the entire scene. No song they could have sung would have done anything for them, for the Panthalassan, in that moment, was thoroughly enraged. And above all, she remembered their screaming and shrieks as he brutally tore into them, too blinded by his anger as the darkness once again staked its claim.

Their secret was out. Not that it mattered, anymore. The others had sealed their fates with their reaction to the forbidden romance she had shared with their worst enemy. All the promises he had made to her suddenly made sense now, promises that nothing would ever stand in the way between them, that he would never let her friends get between them, that not even their disapproval could stop him. She had thought it was a sweet gesture, but now, to see the depths of what he meant… it was bone-chilling… and yet, she didn't love him less for it.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was really only a few minutes. The princesses were lying on the ground, unconscious, but not dead, though their pallor suggested they were close to it. Their blood dyed the waters first a deep red, then it grew faded, paling to the sickening yellow of plasma. Their screams could no longer be heard. Soft footsteps could be heard — his footsteps.

He walked over to her, slowly wiping off the blood that stained his face with his black sleeve, his eyes narrowed and a grim expression on his handsome face. "Lucia," he murmured lowly, reaching a hand out to her. His blood-stained hand gently rested on the side of her face, and she broke down in that moment, burying her face in his chest and sobbing hard. He didn't say anything to her, just pulling her close and leaning his head on hers. His strong arms suddenly felt so secure, so safe...

"You didn't have to do that," the blonde whispered shakily, hiccuping as she looked up at him with teary eyes. "Gaito." Biting down on her lower lip, she choked back another sob and wiped at her hands, no longer caring if her actions left bloody red streaks on her face. "There was another choice! You could have… you could have…" She took a shuddering breath, unable to continue, as she herself was at a lost for what he could have done. Her sobs overcame her once more, hot tears blurring her vision. "Gaito... why?"

His arms tightened around her, and his teeth grit, brow furrowed and conflict in his red eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry, I—" He exhaled sharply in frustration, a hand slowly reaching up to run through her blonde hair, staining it with dulled red where his fingers brushed through the golden locks. Frustration marred his features as he glanced away, brow furrowed together. "But I promised," he breathed softly, eyes finally closing. "They... they tried to tear us apart. I told you nothing wold stand in my way. I promised, Lucia."

She closed her eyes, not wanting her tears to continue flowing, and gently laid her head against his chest. "I just wanted..." she whispered softly, "just wanted for everything to turn out alright... I just wanted for us to be able to be together without them knowing... and then I forgot my glove." Her lower lip quivered. "It's all over, Gaito. There are no more choices left after this, not for us." She shook her head, lowering her head as she hiccuped, wiping at her eyes. "All I wanted was for us to be together..."

He pulled her close, unwilling to let her go for even a moment. "I wanted, once, to be able to love the world again," he whispered into her ear, "to love the dazzling world that you once more showed to me, but now I truly understand that is no longer possible. The world which had abandoned me so long ago, has now chosen to leave you alone as well." He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, his hands tangling in her hair. "Hide those dreams, love," he murmured in her ear, his other hand moving down to lace fingers with her own, his thumb ghosting over where her ring would have been, "I hate to see you cry, so hide that light with your tears, hide it away." He kissed the outer corner of her eyes gently, kissing away the tears. "Please, love, no more tears today."

Shaking, Lucia's now bloody hands reached up to rest on either side of his face, and she looked up to meet his dark red gaze. "Gaito..." she whispered through a choked sob. "You're tainted, love... tainted by those fears of yours that have rooted deeply in your heart... you knew that there was never a chance in the first place, didn't you?" Her voice cracked a little, and his silence confirmed her thoughts. Breaking down again, she collapsed in his arms, sobbing harder.

If he couldn't cry, she would do it for him.


"Love?"

He appeared like a phantom, Lucia thought as she turned around, wiping at her wet eyes. Blinking rapidly to clear away the tears in her eyes, she looked up at him, suddenly feeling so small and vulnerable as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm alright," she murmured, aware that the tear stains down her face and her reddened eyes said otherwise. "I'm alright," she repeated softly, though none the more convincingly.

Gaito shook his head slowly, walking over and pulling her into a gentle embrace. His hand combed through her long, loose blonde hair, gathering a lock of golden hair into his hands. "Why were you crying, love?" he murmured. "You know I hate it when I see you cry." He sighed softly, kissing her forehead lovingly. "You've been dreaming again, haven't you, Lucia? No, not dreams, nightmares." He shook his head slowly, caressing her softly. "It's lured you back into that inferno of torment, back into a world you'll not wake from." Slowly, he moved to wipe away the tears from her eyes.

She closed her eyes, letting him swipe his thumb under her eyes to wipe away the tear stains. "And you're running in the darkness, searching for the light, when you've gone so far from it that you can no longer find it on your own." She gave a soft, mirthless laugh, her shoulders trembling slightly in a mixture of laughter and impending sobs. The blonde shook her head, a quivering smile curling her lips. "Gaito... my gods, what are we doing to do?" His strong arms around her made her relax ever so slightly, allowing her to forget the cold and everything else, only aware of him and her.

"Scream and cry until death," the Panthalassan murmured to her, "plead and beg, but you still won't be heard." He chuckled dryly, no hint of mirth present. It seemed the lovers were truly tired out at this point — neither could muster a true laugh. "Those merciless gods so high above... you'll be lucky if they're laughing at our plight." Slowly, wearily, he exhaled, keeping an arm wrapped around her as he guided them back to his quarters, away from the bloody scene in his castle only two days prior.

As she laid back on the soft bed, the mermaid curled up, missing his warmth already, until he laid down beside her. Immediately, she turned to rest in his embrace, needing his touch. "They're laughing at us, huh?" she murmured, head laid against his chest. "Laughing like we're just a joke. Our limits are being tested, this world around us set aflame as they try to snuff us out." Her eyes were once more blurring up with tears, but this time, she didn't let them fall. "Then let us burn with it. Let us become the firewood that burns them instead. Burn until we are hollow."

"And then we burn the sky until it is no more," he finished, kissing the corner of her lips. "Eventually, we'll fade, and those sins we now carry will drown away. Death welcomed as on old friend." A sardonic smile curled his lips as he kept his arm around her slender frame. "The fate of being the one who carries the grudge, I suppose." He exhaled slowly through parted lips, chuckling as he shook his head. The faintest hint of amusement was clear in his eyes. "How... pitiful of us."

Lucia frowned at him, her blue eyes darting aside as she curled into his familiar embrace. "Yeah," she mumbled softly into his chest. "Pitiful..." She chewed on her lower lip when she paused, suddenly feeling cold again. She closed her eyes, quickly regretting it as the memory of that night replayed in front of her eyes, but kept her eyes shut to stop her tears from overflowing again. She knew that it wouldn't do anything for her, nor him, and she knew how much it hurt him to see her crying. Feeling his arms wrap around her waist, she trembled a little and inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry," she murmured in his ear, letting her eyes flutter open as she slowly traced a path across his pale chest.

"Whatever for, love?" he asked gently, a strong hand gently taking hold of her own and giving a light squeeze. "Their blood is not on your hands, my light," he murmured, "no need to apologize, nor is there a need to cry. I accepted my fate a long while ago." He brought her hand close, kissing her knuckles lovingly. "As much as it hurts me to see you in tears, love, you need this." His lips brushed over her forehead gently. "Cry, Lucia. You'll feel better after you let everything out." He pressed her close to him, soothingly running a hand through her long, loose locks of golden hair.

Another tremble ran through her, and the mermaid broke down, sobbing hard into his chest. Her sobs were muffled as she buried her face in his chest, her hands grasping tightly at the silk sheets beneath them. Guilt-ridden sobs wracked her slender frame as her fingers dug into the sheets, her tears dispersing into the water around them. Her shoulders shook violently with each guilt-laden wail, each cry a heartbreaking sound as she completely broke down into a sobbing mess in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

His hands combed through her long blonde hair, cooing consolations in her ear even as she continued to sob into his chest. "Don't blame yourself, love," he murmured in her ear, soothingly rubbing her back, exposed by the cut of the nightgown. "It was not your fault that you, my light, have fallen. It was not your fault that they decided to do as they did." His lips pressed into the crown of her head in a feather-light kiss. "I should be the one apologizing to you, my love."

"You shouldn't be," she whispered through hiccups and sobs. "You never had a choice. Never."

His smile was bittersweet. "No, never," he whispered back. "But now I do." His arms wrapped around her until she gradually ceased the broken sobbing, hiccuping as she was laid beside him. "Lucia," he murmured, "for you, I promised anything would be possible. For you, I promised that I would try to change. For you, I will. This world, even stained by blood on my hands, is a paradise in the living world as long as you are with me. Born and raised into the darkness, never once knowing what being carefree entailed, I watched as my world was torn apart… and then you came in to mend it once more."

"Gaito…" Her blue eyes were staring intently at him, a hand slowly reaching to clasp his.

"Lucia," he murmured. "I want to know how to love this world because it is a wonderful place, not just because you are here, the only thing holding me here." His hand tightly gripped hers, moving it to rest over his heart. "I've sinned so much that I know I'm going straight to hell. I know I won't be going to any sort of paradise, that is why I want to know it now." Gaito exhaled softly, closing his crimson eyes. "My love, my light, show me the way."

She pressed herself against him, closing her eyes as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. "You don't need the forgiveness of any god, nor anyone," she whispered to him, her blue eyes fluttering half-open. "Not even me. Forgive the wrongs this world has brought upon you, and place your faith in me, lover. I will never lead you wrong." The blonde curled up against her silver-haired love, closing her eyes once more as his arm slipped around her, holding her close. "I will count the days, sullied by tears that I shed for you and us, but remember, I will always be here to guide you."

He pressed his lips into the crown of her head once more. "You will never forsake me," he whispered. "Neither shall I."

"I won't forsake you or this world until I break," the lovers murmured in unison, holding each other as they drifted off into the peaceful realm of sleep.


Read, review, and provide constructive criticism.