The Power of Love

Both of them tumbled into the dark swirling waters helplessly, one dying to save the other while the other, willing to die.

Lal let the water cover her and sank beneath the waves. Submerged in all these mass of water, she let herself be taken under the peaceful depth beneath the endless ocean while white foams sprayed on the surface as waves crashed against the rocks. Cut of from oxygen, she felt her vision dim and fade away. Just before the last of her consciousness slip away, she saw Colonnello swimming towards her, the last thing that she saw and would ever see again before falling towards death at an alarming rate.

Straight away after Lal plunged into the water, Colonnello started his frantic search for her. The impact of his fall from the towering cliff stirred unrest in the waters as he thrashed about, in futile search for Lal when he could not see anything. Breaking out to the surface, he gasped for a lung full of air supply before diving down for another unsuccessful try. As he tried to go deeper each time but had to come up to the surface for air, Lal sank deeper yet.

In the critical moment when someone decided to interfere, Colonnello defied the odds stacked against him and by a miracle managed to reach Lal. Never once did Reborn believe in God but this time he believed in something equivalent or more powerful than God himself. It was the prowess of love and Reborn's mind flickered back to Luce. She had once told him about it. Still, skeptical by nature, Reborn did not believe in it entirely.

"Have you done what I told you to do?" he asked Viper. Viper replied monotonously "No, they are alive and well. The money I'm keeping."

Two gunshots were fired in the air and the mysterious illusionist disappeared into thin air. An empty laughter could be heard from somewhere distant echoed and mocked "Better luck next time," Before fading away entirely leaving Reborn alone at the edge of the cliff. Now all that was left to do was for Reborn to let love display its prowess.

While Reborn walked away, Colonnello struggled with Lal to a nearby cave. Now that Lal was out of water, does not mean that she was out of danger for one thing is certain. Lal was getting cold and she has ceased to breathe.

Desperate, Colonnello laid her on the ground. He had learnt how to do rescue breathing before but never actually applied it in real life scenario. Now that he was put in this kind of situation, Colonnello decided to give all he has to safe Lal. He then gave her the kiss of life which she awoke to.

Lal's ordeal with death was not over. Not yet. No doubt he had got her breathing, but Lal was freezing and her body temperature was decreasing too rapidly. If she did not die from drowning she might still die from hypothermia. The fight with death was far from over.

With only the two of them in a damp cave there was no way he could build a fire on time. Then, an idea struck him although he hated it as much as he knew Lal would never forgive him of it. Somehow, he still rather she hated him and was alive than die.

Without any more hesitation, he striped Lal and himself bare and brought both their bodies close together. Lal struggled with weak protests but Colonnello allowed no such thing. He brought them closer together and prayed that they would live through this ordeal together.

Slowly, Lal became more aware of things. Her immediate reaction was to strike Colonnello hard in his face. Her face darkened with a shade of red. He had offended her by removing all her clothes and leaving her without the slightest dignity. She felt foolish for doing such a thing even she knew Colonnello saved her life.

He had expected this kind of thing to happen but still he lost his cool and bellowed "What's wrong with you? I just saved your life!" The two of them glared at each other for some time and Colonnello was first to drop his gaze.

They faced away from each other, not daring to look and speak. A tinge of guilt hit Colonnello as he heard muffled sobbing coming from the other end of the cave. An uneasy feeling gnawed at his heart and he could not help but go over and apologize.

"But I won't let you die." He told her bluntly. "I love you too much to see you go."

Lal's heart softened and she turned to look at him, not with empty eyes but eyes with some signs of life. "Why do you still love me?" she asked. "I'm a ruined woman. There is nothing else I have to offer you. I'm not good looking or even lady like to begin with"

Colonnello sensed the change in where things were heading and mellowed down. "All these are unimportant. What matters most is that you lave me back. All these can change with time."

Then he made a bold move and kissed Lal on her cheek. Lal was taken aback but she did not resist what comes next when Colonnello made love to her in the cave which they barely managed to escape the doors of death.