My Sunshine
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*Chapter 11*
/Ylisstol Castle/
"Milady, before we begin, I will need to ask you some silly questions.
Do you know who you are? Where you are? Or who any of the people in
this room are?"
(...)
"Do you remember what had happened to you?"
Stella nodded no.
Tiki and Naga gave a diagnosis that Grima's normal consciousness was suppressed by Original Stella but to only damage Stella body's memories. Due to the incident, Original Stella used her/Grima's power to save the two men. This resulted in causing Grima to slowly awaken.
Everyone came to see Stella but were warned to bring weapons. Krom and Priam did the most unexpected thing.
"Hey Stella."
/*Smile*/
"Let's elope."
(-/*CRASH!*/-)
The guys forgot that people were in there, in particular three fuming and dangerously armed ladies who were ready to pound Krom.
Priam finished, "Let's make new memories instead."
Darkness was spewing out of Stella. Priam takes the risk and hugs Stella while Krom gets pushed away.
"Hey! We can't risk losing the Exalt for real this time. Stella, calm down. I'm here."
Surprisingly, the darkness did phase out. Her eyes changed back to a stale blue, and she slumped onto Priam. Everybody could tell Stella was at her limit.
"Let me die ... Priam ..."
"Huh?"
/*COUGH*/
"Grima is ... destroying this body's memories ... but I won't let him... ...I don't wanna kill anymore... ... I can't bear ... to see you all ... ... die again ... I ... ... ...I can speak my mind like this because we are weakened ... ... but that does not mean my mind is free ... ... but thank you Priam for ... granting my selfish wish ..."
"Wish?"
"You and the alternate I were born in the same world. For this one brief life, I got to be beneath the same sky. No matter which world it seems, I am always the fell dragon ... ... ... I wish I were human! That I could have lived a normal life ... with everyone ... But I'm not, and I can't ... I — Nngh ... ... I am happy though ... to learn how love is, even though it was meant for her ... As an alternate her, please kill me ... before Grima wakes up again ... It has to be you ... Haven't you been dreaming? Isn't Stella in your dreams? "
A faint hand reaches out to Priam's. Everyone gasped in shock. Priam turns to see his Stella's spirit floating and smiling.
Priam then told everybody in his dreams and nightmares, her presence was always there to support him. Priam now realizes that Stella's heart was with him all this time.
She takes Priam and lifts his hands. An energy ball starts forming but it freaks him out.
"N-o! No! I can't" In panic, Priam backs away from Stella.
"Even if this is an alternate you, I can't bear to see you die in front of me again." Priam confesses this in tears as he dropped to his knees.
/*Le sigh...*/
Stella approaches him with a /*What am I going to do with you look*/ and whispers in a voice that only he could hear.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright."
"But!"
A flick to the forehead came, Priam couldn't feel it but dodged it out of reflex. Stella had the habit of flicking Priam when he did something silly, which was quite often.
"Silly, stop worrying."
Priam knew that her sad smile didn't mean it.
"Thank you for looking after Mark... I'm sorry, I put you through so much."
"Ngh - !"
Everybody turned to Stella/Grima. Two sets of eyes opened beneath Stella's eyes, while three pairs of black wings sprouted out of her back.
"Pleas - CHILDREN OF NAGA!"
"Hey Grima!"
"How was it? You comprehend and "sympathize" with humans better now, right?" Priam asked Stella/Grima.
"... HUMANS ARE SO FRAGILE, ... SO DESPICABLE, ... SO UNIQUE, ...YET SO BLOODY DELICIOUS!" Everyone could see the insanity of Grima overwhelming Stella.
"HOWEVER ... I CAN'T CONTROL THIS BODY. ALTERNATE STELLA HAND IT OVER!"
A good stare from one end to the other ensued.
"You mean ... why we haven't died yet from Original Stella/Grima because you were preventing them from going astray?"
Everyone looked at Stella. A little shocked with all the sudden attention but nodded in confirmation.
"Yes ... She wanted to come back one last time, but knew Grima would cause havoc ... and asked for my help ..."
"Come back for what?"
Krom decided to make a break for Stella/Grima.
"No, I cannot die under Krom's hands. Please I need your help." Stella urged Priam.
Meanwhile, under Stella's control over her sleeping body, Original Stella was deftly dodging all of Krom's attempts.
With a gulp, Priam finally complied.
"Let's go, my love."
Stella was taken aback but was happy that she could do this with him.
First, a portal opens up. The children gasps to see, they knew somehow, their own world.
A different energy ball formed and was directed into Ragnell, while the previous energy ball was injected into Alondite.
"Thank you, darling. Alondite is gorgeous."
While everyone ran, Krom and Priam ran towards the danger. Krom, however, was being hit by the spikes of doom. Seeing Krom getting hit, Sumia mustered up courage to save her husband. Priam, on the other hand, had a floating Alondite protecting him. With a mind of its own, the sword blocked every single beam and sharp spike.
"GRIMA! THIS IS THE END FOR YOUR GRIP OVER STELLA! AETHER!"
The energy in Ragnell multiplied when the charged Alondite merged with it. Priam realizes just how powerful his dearest love and friend was that these two swords could combine into such a beautiful final super sword (that he nearly lost hold of).
Stella's gentleness gave him the drive to do the finishing move.
The shock from the Aether was terrifying, but it ended as abruptly as it started. When the wind calmed down, everybody peaked over to see what happened.
Original Stella was disintegrating with a smile.
"Thank you Stella & Priam. Stella, I am sorry for putting you through all of this ... "
A smile came from Stella.
" ... To the two worlds, we offer the life force of two fell dragons to let everyone have life once more ... Children, the sky is sure lovely ... The sky you all fought ... to see again. Please always remember how beautiful it is."
With that, Original Stella faded into the sky.
As all looked, lights of hope started to glow from the ground in both worlds. Those lights materialized into people who had lost their lives in the Grima War.
Tears of joy erupted everywhere! However, the Ylisstol castle was solemn as all looked at Priam and Stella.
In a voice getting ever so quieter, Stella was disintegrating too.
"Priam ... Tell them ... tell those who are getting their chance in life again ... that the summer sky is lovely today. That they are coming back to a world of hopes and ... dreams ... "
"No, Stella, you should tell them!"
"My dream is that ... I want to feel ... the warmth... of my sun..."
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...
You make me ha ... ppy when skies ... are grey
...You ne...ver... know, dear,...
How much ... I... lo..ve ... you ..."
Priam was crying and gave Stella a kiss he couldn't feel but it was one he gave with such emotion and tears.
"Please don't take my sunshine away."
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