Chapter 25
Not much to say at this point really! The story will be continuing as usual and on track unless something presents itself unexpectedly. Thank you to all reviewers! I'm getting more and more.
I'll point out that Sin is getting quite a bit stronger with all her abilities and stuff but I thought it was about time that she stopped losing so much (at least when it comes to fighting and such.) This is probably going to be the most major show of her powers for now. But she's still going to have to puzzle things out on her own and take much more beatings in the chapters throughout the story.
Oh! If you guys like the whole Asch x OC thing, then I strongly suggest you check out XReplica's story, Fool's Chance, because it is brilliant, to say it quite simply. Hehe, I love it.
Enjoy
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Sin sighed happily as she stood at the edge of the small encampment the army head created before they headed back home. The injured soldiers had to recover enough in order to make the journey home, walking or riding. It was a nice day though, and she felt bad that Asch and the rest of them had to spend it inside just doing nothing.
They hadn't really discussed the previous issue from before again and she honestly had no idea how they were both going to get around it when neither of them was willing to back down. They had just dropped the subject for that moment and focused on proving how much they had missed each other. She was a little bit angry still…as was he…but she wasn't about to bring it all back up when there were more important things to focus on, like making sure he healed properly.
"Hey, Sin…" a voice called to her. She turned around reluctantly with a slight scowl on, aiming it purposely at Syft.
"What is it?" she asked with a sigh.
His tone was sarcastic. "What, are you busy with something else?"
"No. What do you want?"
"We need to talk."
Sin's eyebrows pulled together. "About what?"
He motioned for her to follow so she curiously fell into step behind him as he led her to a secluded area away from the camp.
He sat down on a scorched log. She waited as patiently as she could in front of him. His eyes were downcast and she was surprised to see he looked almost…helpless?
"So what are we going to do?" he finally asked, his boyish voice sounding almost strangled.
Sin sat down on the grass in front of him but stared off into the quiet openness of the field. How could a place be so peaceful after a war had just raged so destructively?
"Do about what?" she found herself asking absentmindedly. He gave her that look like she was anything but smart again.
"What do you mean 'about what', don't you have any brains in there at all?" he snapped.
"I like to think so." She replied again airily, not even turning to look at him but instead rested her cheek in her hand and leaned on her knee.
He breathed out, trying to calm himself. "I'm talking about…going back."
Sin actually frowned, taken aback by the thought that had never occurred to her. Could they go back now? To the city that thought them both to be traitors? To the advisor who had every advantage on his side while they struggled to grasp at slivers of insignificant proof? This was certainly…not good.
"Shoot…" she hissed in a whisper while pushing her bangs out of her face. He shook his head, but she wasn't sure if it was at her or because he didn't know what to do either.
"What should we do? What options do we have?" Sin asked as she stood up and began to pace.
"If we go back…there is no doubt we'd be thrown right back in prison."
Sin paused in her pacing for a moment. "Hey…how come you murdered the emperors wife and you weren't executed for it?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows. Why would they keep him in jail and face the risk of him breaking out, like now for instance.
"You expect me to complain?" he shot at her pointedly. "How should I know?"
The replica frowned again.
"Well regardless…I want to go back…"
To her surprise, he didn't snap and called her stupid again. He just sat there and thought;
his head slightly lowered.
"I don't know what to do…" Syft confessed. "If I go back, it will be jail or death…but if I leave, I'll be chased for the rest of my life."
Sin nodded and plopped down on the charred log with him, not one for caring if her clothes got dirty. She sighed.
"Well if I leave…I'll be branded a traitor in two cities. The next city I chose to go to wouldn't be too thrilled with the idea of me knocking on their gates, looking for residence."
Syft's green-blue eyes narrowed. "But how will going back help you now? You'll just be in the same position I've been in."
"Ugh!" she yelled at she stood up with clenched fists and yelled at nothing. "Don't they get it!? We're innocent! The same thing happened to both of us! We're thrown in the exact same cell and are both faced with the exact same punishment! Doesn't anyone see what's happening!? That old man's trying to take over the whole city! Starting with getting you and me out of the way! He's scared of us, that's what!"
Syft shook his head, his green spikes shifting back and forth. "Why would he train you and then throw you in prison? That makes absolutely no sense at all. It's stupid."
"Tell me about it…" she huffed as she plopped back down on the log. "Then again…I never listened to him much…"
"You grew too strong for him to handle." Syft stated and for some reason that was music to her ears. "He probably never suspected you would not need him."
Sin nodded. "This is so unfair…he does all the damage and we get all the blame!"
"We just need enough proof so that Dailiin will believe you…and maybe me too…she is the empress now, I'm guessing."
Sins eyes widened. "I might have proof!" she exclaimed, elated. His eyes lit up curiously too.
"What? How?"
The replica lifted her eyes in thought. "Okay, that message he sent to me the night before! Maybe Dailiin is smart enough to figure it out from there! Things probably seem suspicious on her side too, right?"
His expression was calculating. "Yeah that might actually work…and don't forget we just helped clean up this war…" he jerked his head in the direction of the army.
"So everyone here will definitely be on our side."
Sin leaped back onto her feet, the excited sensation coursing through her blood. Now they had a chance to get their lives back at long last. All they had to do was show the proof to Dailiin of who was really guilty and explain the connection to her about the deaths of her parents. She had to see it, there was no other way!
"And we have Asch!" she grinned widely. He gave her that 'you're a moron' look again but she just laughed and accepted it.
Syft stood up as they began to head back to into the camp. "How would Asch be any help here? Does he even know?"
"He's good at these sorts of things. But he doesn't know yet…"
"Are you sure he'll believe you? I don't think you should tell him."
"What, you scared of him?" she asked sarcastically. He scowled.
"No! I just don't want to be dead before I get back and show the empress the proof."
The replica laughed as she walked along with light feet.
As they approached the tent that contained Asch and the other injured soldiers, the sound of struggle came to their ears. Then a nurse exited the tent with a tired look on her face. Sin was surprised when the nurse walked right up to her.
"Sin, could you please go in there and calm him down? He just won't listen!" she begged. Sin felt her mouth turn into a sympathetic smile.
"Uh, sure…" she laughed slightly. Syft walked off muttering something to him self, not even bothering to say goodbye.
Sin entered the tent a moment later, curious to see what the heck this lady was talking about.
The large was separated into private sections from the inside now, so each soldier had some privacy. Sin pushed aside the flap the led into Asch's section. He was lying on the bed, with his arm over his face.
Sin quirked an eyebrow.
'He looks calm to me…'
"Hey…" she greeted while closing the cloth door and going closer to him. He removed his arm and looked at her, the expression of annoyance melting from his face. That was good at least. She sat down on the edge of the bed, happy just to be near him again.
"Hey…" he replied slowly, with almost a sigh.
She didn't know what to say, so she decided on just telling the truth. "I was told to come in here and calm you down…but now I don't see why."
He scowled. "Yeah, figures they'd send you in here."
Her hair swept back and forth as she shook her head. "What were you angry about?"
"They tried to drug me!"
Sin got off the bed and knelt on the floor at the head of the bed, so her face was close to his. He stared back with a hard expression.
"You'll heal better if you sleep…"
"Not you too!" he growled. "I don't need any more sleep."
The replica sighed, already seeing that arguing with him about something like this would be stupid and most likely end in defeat anyway.
The flap of his room got pushed aside as two doctors and a nurse peeked in on them. Sin flushed and pulled her face away from his a little. He pushed himself up into a sitting position with a nasty glare on his face.
Sin winced. "Asch-"
"Get out! I don't need to be knocked unconscious to heal!" he snapped at them. They all gave him a weary and skeptical look, like it would be easier for them if he was asleep.
They all glanced at her, probably wondering how she could stay so near to someone so angry. Asch noticed it too as they silently beckoned her to retreat from his room.
"She stays." He stated with a cold snap. They shifted, looking lost.
The replica sighed again. "Give me the medicine and materials…"
His head whipped to the side to look at her, his expression wide eyed and appalled. "You can't be serious!" he shouted, sounding terribly like he was in denial.
Sin ignored him while she walked over to the doctors.
"Hey-"
"So how should I do this?" she asked as they handed her the bundle of items she would need. They began the explanation.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!"
"-So this stuff first?"
"You're bluffing!"
"-Wow it smells funny…"
"I won't cooperate!"
"Oh okay, I see…"
"Why you-"
"-Okay I got it thanks."
They turned around and left in a hurry. Sin turned around to see Asch standing stiffly on his feet, looking like he was almost ready to set the whole tent on fire.
"Even if its you, I wont be drugged!" he said, eyeing the small needle on top of her bundle of things.
She set the bundle down on a wooden stool. "Just calm down…I promise I won't drug you."
His expression turned guarded but his body relaxed. Sin smiled at him reassuringly with a nod.
"Just lie down…"
He did, but he watched her out of the corner of his eye the whole time while she sorted through the supplies. Sin sighed, feeling his suspicious gaze on her back.
"I promised I wouldn't put you to sleep…don't you believe me?" she asked quietly while picking up a jar of healing cream and striding over to him. He turned his head away.
"No, I don't believe you…"
Sin sat on a stool next to him, lowering the jar to her lap. "Oh…why is that?"
"You promised…"
"That doesn't reassure you?"
"No…"
"Why not?"
"I broke my promise to you…"
Sin froze. That had been so long ago and yet it still cut deep like a knife. She bit her lip, and tried to look like she didn't care… but that was a lie…it hurt so much. He turned and allowed his green gaze to bore into hers uncomfortably. She didn't know what to say.
"I needed to stop you…I knew you would follow…"
She looked down and away, a bit angrily.
"I know it must have hurt…"
Her eyes closed. "I understand why you did it but…I thought you would at least fight me off…as my equal…"
He pushed himself swiftly so they were directly face to face. Her expression didn't change though, she was still angry.
"I do see you as my equal," he stated bluntly. She pressed her lips together, trying so hard to believe him. But so far, no good.
"I see it so much that…I had to grasp at any advantage there was. It was my only chance…"
Sin placed her hand on her neck, trying to worm her way around her own lingering grudge using his words. Somehow she felt a little better though, like that had been his final and last resort. Asch's last resort.
"I kicked you…" he stated next, but oddly, an apology didn't follow.
Sin frowned a bit. "Thank…you?"
His expression turned slightly amused. "That proves I see you as my equal, I know you're strong enough, I knew you could take it. I wasn't afraid…of hurting you."
The replica blinked down at the jar in her hands. Maybe that was true…maybe that simple explanation was enough? Did he know all along that she would be able to get back onto her feet? That a simple kick would not defeat her? He had kicked her – hard – but now that she thought about it, someone who really didn't think of their partner as an equal, would never have done that. Maybe she was just as strong as him?
Her voice was quiet. "But…even though we're equals…you wont let me fight beside you?"
'I think I get it…somehow…'
"No. Never."
'And so it will never be solved…'
Sin sighed, but a smile slipped onto her face. Somehow she felt a little relieved, like a huge weight had been lifted not from her shoulders from her mind.
"I see…"
"You're too important…to me."
She laughed a little while unscrewing the lid of the jar. "And thus we come full circle…"
He nodded with a grim expression.
"Lie down." She said softly, and he did.
Sin took a little bit of the healing cream on a cloth and began to spread it gently on the largest of wounds closest to her, on his stomach. His expression didn't alter, he didn't wince, so Sin kept going steadily while keeping her eyes on his face.
His thoughtful green gaze was on the roof as she hummed quietly to herself. How nice it felt just to be completely together again, not even talking but letting silence say it all. She missed the penetrating emerald gaze and the crimson red hair. She even missed those occasional scowls that were sometimes aimed at her. It was just them, just him, and his way of looking at things. It was just them, just her, and that peaceful understanding of it all. It was love, and it looked right on them both. Had they reached the conclusion that this problem about trying to save each other would never be solved? Was that a conclusion in itself? Maybe they were both okay with that…maybe it was the time in between all worry and argument that really had an effect on them, the time when they had that special effect on each other. Maybe it would happen again...and then ten more times after that…but all they had to do was avoid it, solve problems quickly before they hit so hard it tore them apart…like the war.
"Sin…" his voice broke into her thoughts. She blinked as his hand grasped hers gently. He was hesitant for only a moment before he pulled the cloth from her fingers. Sin tilted her head to the side, not exactly sure what he wanted.
"Did I hurt you?" she asked apologetically. He turned his eyes away from her.
"No…I just…" he started quietly, his eyes still turned aside, "I'd rather feel your hands…"
The replica's eyes widened in surprise as a blush prickled her face. It was such a simple request, but she felt stupid for getting worked up about it.
'It's not like I haven't touched him before…' she scolded herself, the edge of her mouth pulling down into a slight frown.
But this was so…personal.
"Okay," she began hesitantly, "if you're sure…"
His eyes relaxed and wandered back up to remain on the tent ceiling.
Sin took some of the healing cream with her fingertips, careful not to apply too much at once. Then she began the new action of applying it directly, skin to skin. It was embarrassing at first, until she realized that he wasn't making a big deal of it like she was. To him, there seemed to be nothing wrong with this kind of contact. It made her feel a little uneasy, almost like the inner child she had worked so hard to suppress was waking up again, telling her that there were still some things she hadn't experienced because of her age. Sure, there were the times when she slept close to him at night and it was sort of the same kind of contact…but still…it was different…it just was. It was a tired, unaware form of touch…and this…this was very aware.
Her hands were definitely better, she decided. By touching him directly, she could sense just how much pain he was in, or how gentle she needed to be. It allowed her to apply just the right amount of medicine, comfortingly.
Her eyes eventually clouded as she brushed her fingertips along the crevices of his chest, her mind taking in every detail. His wounds were healing nicely, starting to become no more than just thin silver gashes for scars. But still…there were so many…and the most frightening ones from his final minutes in Auldrent before his life force slipped away. He had told her about that a little…just about what he remembered.
It was dark, he had said, just dark, but he hadn't been afraid, he had never been afraid of the darkness. But he said it had been a different kind of darkness, internal darkness. He muttered something to her then, calling it an 'incompletion'. Once he had thought that, he had thought of Luke, and he'd rather perish than have Luke lose to Van. So he sent his hyperressonance away to aid the replica. It was the last thing he could do.
Then he really was alone in the darkness, not even having the connection with Luke to hold onto, it was just…gone. After that, he told her he had felt very cold and there wasn't anything there, just that bitter cold and that nothingness.
Sin asked him if he had been afraid then, but he just shook his head slowly and replied with a denial, only telling her he had been impatient with it all.
'Is this what death is like?' he told her he remembered thinking, and she smiled at him there. It seemed so much like him, so brave, so impatient, even in such a mean situation.
Sin listened next as his story changed abruptly. He had been hot –burning. Then there had been a pulse through the nothingness and the fire and he told her then that he had never been so damn confused in his whole life. Then the pulsing affected him more deeply, it began to get quicker and more frequent until it made a rhythm.
The he heard it…or…realized it.
'It was my heartbeat,' he had mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing at the time, 'then the world tipped and I was on my side, like…reality had flipped…'
His eyes had turned to her, and she waited in anticipation.
'Then it hit me…'
'What did?'
The edge of his mouth pulled up. 'Everything.'
The whole new life, the whole act of being alive again, and then…this whole new world. And he had carried every single scar with him, to a whole different reality, to a different world it seemed, and yet…they were undeniable proof of his past.
Sin loved and hated those scars at all once. They were proof of his existence, the marks of his new and old life and yet…there had been so much pain behind each one. How did he carry them each day, while shaking off the knowledge of there being his other world still out there? Did the silver gashes of his past, healed and harmless, still cause him pain?
"-Sin…" Asch icy voice cut in abruptly. She shook her head and blinked her eyes back into focus. She looked down, only to find her hand glowing softly, her fingers gently stroking one of his many Auldrent scars.
He took her hand with his, turning it aside but keeping a grip on it. Suddenly she felt very drained, and wondered how long he had let her do that.
"You can't heal scars," he muttered, making her turn her eyes away.
"…I'm sorry…I just wasn't thinking I suppose…"
They stayed silent for a moment as they stared at each other. Then, he lifted his arm just like he had done the first night they had kissed. She smiled and flopped down beside him gratefully. He curled his arm around her from the back and pulled himself closer, and she could feel his steady breaths run down the back of her neck. Before it would have made her shiver, but now it seemed like a normal thing, as normal as her own breathing.
Syft stood up as they began to head back to into the camp. "How would Asch be any help here? Does he even know?"
"He's good at these sorts of things. But he doesn't know yet…"
"Are you sure he'll believe you? I don't think you should tell him."
Sins eyes narrowed. "Asch?"
"Hnn…" he replied, and she knew his eyes were closed.
"I have to tell you something…"
Before this too, turned into a scar.
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Sin began to shake in fright as the city walls rose up in the distance. She kept glancing back and forth between it and Asch worriedly. Every time she looked at him though, his eyes were on her, and she could see the anxiety in his eyes too.
Syft was no better off, often reigning in his horse while muttering 'crap' or some other non-helpful word for them to feed off of. Sin stuck close to both of them, completely petrified as to what was going to happen when Dailiin finally saw them. Syft had the same worry she knew, except his worst fear was that she'd have no more patience for jail time and would simply demand to perform his execution on the spot.
"Why are we doing this!?" he hissed at her, like she had forced him into doing it too. "This is suicide! I can't believe we were so blind! She's not going to spare us, we're fools for thinking life is fair!"
"Calm down…" she swallowed while trying to seem courageous. He shook his head frantically, seeing right through her. Asch stayed right beside her the whole time, and she wanted to badly to just allow him to hold her comfortingly…but there were too many people.
Then she saw them, the soldiers waiting patiently for her and Syft to come right into their imprisoning clutches. She swallowed hard, and turned her eyes once more to meet with Asch's. He gazed back only in silence before he finally nodded slowly, making her shakily nod back, scared, but ready.
'You can do it.' They stated to each other.
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Not an hour later, both her and Syft were behind bars again, though in a different prison cell and were under constant watch by at least four guards. Sin sat against the wall as patiently as she could while Syft paced around in front of her, obviously now having seconds thoughts about how well this plan was thought out.
There had been an uproar about their imprisonment once everyone had heard about what they had supposedly done. The soldiers she had fought beside yelled back at Dailiin, claiming there had to be some sort of mistake. It was only a matter of time before the empress realized just how big of a mistake it really was.
She scowled when finally Syft's constant pacing began to get on her nerves.
"Jeez, sit down, it's going to be okay…" she muttered, but obviously he was in no mood for being comforted.
"How can you say that!? Here we are again, while Dailiin and that coward of an old man are probably sitting and discussing how we should die over tea!"
"Asch is up there sorting this out…we just have to be patient…"
"Well you can be patient as much as you damn well please, but I'm much happier banging my head off these stone walls!"
"Yeah I can tell…" she retorted while resting her chin on her arm.
"Shut up!" he snapped. Fortunately for him, she did.
It was about an hour later before Asch appeared at the bars of their prison, dismissing the guards for a few minutes so they could talk privately.
Sin walked quickly over to the bars he was standing on the other side of, Syft trailing right behind her, eager to hear the news. Asch's face did not contain the relieved emotion she wanted to see though, and her heart began to beat fast in fright.
"Did you find it?" she asked quickly, referring to the note she had left in their room from the advisor.
To her horror, he shook his head. Syft snapped a curse beside her. Her knees felt weak all of a sudden, and she collapsed into a sitting position, out of breath.
"No, no…it's okay…" Asch whispered quickly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no guards were too close to listen. She moved her face closer to the bars.
"What do you mean? That was our only chance! It was the only stupid piece of evidence we had!" she cried quietly to him.
"No, someone found it –a maid," he responded quickly, making Sin's eyes widen.
He continued. "The maid knows you, she found the note…she took it to Dailiin a few days ago…"
Sin was dumbfounded with happiness, with relief! It was amazing, that maid she had bumped into and didn't even apologize to had just saved her life. She had saved her twice now.
But abruptly, Asch cut off her happy expression by placing his hands on the bars seriously, his eyes begging her to listen.
"No, it's not that simple," he hissed at them both, "Dailiin got the note, she examined her father's dead body and there is no stab mark from your weapon Sin, and she couldn't recall you having a knife…"
"That's great!" Sin cheered hopefully, but became even more frightened when his face didn't change to comfort her, didn't even look happy.
"Asch?" she whispered as gently as she could while reaching to touch him through the bars. He allowed her hand to rest on his shoulder but his expression was so fixed on something, something awful.
"Listen to me…" he pleaded quietly, "Your execution date was decided the moment you broke out of jail, both of your dates..." he warned Syft severely, making the boy tense up. "But now Dailiin is struggling for authority with her advisor…"
"What!" The two prisoners yelled together in unison. Asch nodded grimly.
"At the time, they decided to execute you both together, but now, even though Dailiin has seen all the evidence, she doesn't have enough power to nullify the death sentence alone. Since they decided it together and it's already in effect, she is unable to change it…and he won't change his mind."
"Damn it!" Syft bellowed and she knew he was biting his tongue hard to stop all the other nasty things from coming out.
"Oh no…" Sin whimpered in defeat. How did they get around this?
Asch reached through the bars and stroked her cheek for only a second while Syft's back was turned before placing it on her shoulder. She gazed back, frightened, into his eyes but found hardly a sliver of comfort. What was holding him back, when that's all she needed right now? Just a little bit of reassurance…was that too much to ask now? Was her fight for her life so far gone that even he could find no hope in it?
"The army is angry Sin," he whispered, "but the other half of the people are on the advisors side…they think you did it…they want someone to blame…"
The replica took a deep breath, tears beginning to sting the edges of her eyes.
"I'm scared Asch…I…I…don't want to die!" she cried, grabbing the bars in front of her to keep herself up.
"You're not going to die…" he responded as he reached down and lifted her chin upward, to look at him. "I promise I'll get you out of here."
She let a breath out shakily but nodded, while he helped her to her feet through the bars.
"Your execution date is in three days…"
Sin bit her lip, trying hard not to be afraid. But the promise of death after finding love and life was a scary thing.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Syft asked as he walked back over to them, "There must be some sort of fluke in all this, a crack in the law…or something…"
Asch stared hard at the ground, clearly still fixated on his thoughts. Sin wished he would share something with them. It always made her feel better when there was his side of things. But so far all he had done was transport information, what were his actual thoughts on all this?
Then finally he looked back up at them, or rather, still looked down because both of them were quite short, and his eyes were hard and determined. She hoped he was determined to get them out, because there was no one else she could turn to right now…save for the person who just happened to be the other prisoner.
His storming green gaze lingered on her for a moment, almost like he wanted her to say something. She tilted her head questioningly, making his eyes flick away in some form of avoidance. Now she really wanted to know what he was thinking, because there seemed to be an awful lot of thought going through his head, so much that it was all jumbled onto his face.
He spoke. "I'll be back later," he stated carefully, "You should both get some sleep."
Sin sighed and nodded as he began to walk away, watching his crimson red hair trail tauntingly behind him, dancing out of her reach. Just as he was about to slip from view though, he glanced over his shoulder, his eye finding her watching him. He turned away slowly and then he was gone.
"I hope he doesn't take too long," Syft stated behind her, making her turn around to listen, "Seems like he's the only one who really knows what's going on around here…"
Sin shook her head sadly and actually went down to sit beside him. He didn't shift away, but he did glance at her from the corner of his eye. Sin tucked her knees in close with another sigh.
"Yeah…now I get what you mean when you say you're good at guessing games…this is torture."
He let out a breath through his nose, a sort of half-chuckle. "Yeah but even though we get so good at it…we still can't see what comes next."
"I suppose…that's true."
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Asch P.o.v.
He was back to the cage later that night, to find them both sleeping upright and side-by-side, keeping each other company he supposed. His expression didn't change, it didn't change from what he knew was a longing face, longing for things to be simple. But the truth and reality of it was that nothing was ever a simple as it should have been. Not the war, not their arguing, and now, not this.
It was not simple. From this moment on, it would never be.
He took the keys in his hand and was careful not to allow them to make too much noise as he unlocked the iron door. Pushing it open, he entered their prison and went over to the destructive duo, immediately reaching down to lift the smaller of the two into his arms, his best friend.
She didn't stir much, obvious very tired with all the stress and lack of proper nutrition, but the Sync look-alike did, his eyes opening a little as he felt the presence beside him vanish.
Asch didn't bother trying to explain as he headed back towards the door, the pale sleeping girl limply in his arms.
"Hey wait-" the boy suddenly mumbled, his eyes tired and unfocused. Asch turned to look at him silently.
"What are you…are we free?"
The God-general shook his head simply, making the younger boys face fall.
"Why are you taking her then?"
"You'll see her again soon," Asch murmured. "After you are both free…be patient…"
He left it at that, leaving the boy alone as he carried Sin away from her current cell. She began to stir more noticeably now, her eyes scrunching up, ready to open. But he did not walk faster. This small amount of time was all he had to hold her now, he had to slow time down, for he could not stop it.
Her ember orbs slipped open, and were immediately focused on his face. He turned his eyes down to her and took in that deceivingly innocent face, the childish features and the soft pale skin.
She seemed to be taking in his face as well, but he knew she was much more concerned with his expression, with the internal defeat that seeped through his eyes.
Sin swallowed and began to speak. "Asch…what are you doing?"
"I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where? Am I free? Where is Syft?"
"He is still in the prison cell you were in. You're both not released yet…"
"Then where are you taking me?"
"You will see."
The replica silenced herself and allowed him to carry her through the stone halls. They weren't leaving the dungeon, because she wasn't free quite yet, but there was somewhere else she had to be before he…
"I'm tired Asch…I feel so weak…"
He pulled her closer. "I know."
She sounded weak.
He pulled open the door and walked through into a dim room, though it seemed to glow with a soft blue light, surrounding its center focus.
A special prison.
Sin began to look around, her face much more aware and confused. He walked over to the cage and opened the door before striding inside. He began to set her down.
Her pale hands clutched at him, frightened, but he pointedly ignored the desperate grasp.
"Asch wait- tell me what's going on!" she begged as he pried her hands loose and stepped away, leaving her lingering weakly on the floor of the cage.
He locked the door next, making her eyes widened. She immediately staggered to her feet and stumbled over to the side of the cage he was on.
Her voice was helpless, her words chipping away at him.
"What's going on? I already have a prison cell…I want to go back…why did you bring me here…?"
The first part was done. Now he could speak to her properly.
"I found a way…" he began, silencing her completely, "I found a way to save you…"
She didn't ease up and her expression showed him that she didn't believe him as of this moment. This new prison probably didn't help him look convincing either.
"It…wasn't a thing I would have ever thought of myself but…I can't let you die…"
"Asch…you're…you're scaring me…please just let me out of here…"
He shook his head down at her. "I can't let you out...you need to be in there for now…"
"But why?"
"So we can talk."
"Why couldn't we just talk where we were before?"
"You could break out of that one…that's why I needed to bring you here…"
"I wouldn't break out…I don't want any more trouble…"
"It's not that simple now…"
"Then explain it to me Asch, tell me where the sense is in all of this!"
He reached through the bars slowly and stroked her pale cheek gently, making her eyes shiver in almost fear. He was trying to comfort her now, and maybe that's why she was so scared.
"Your execution has come too fast…there was nothing else I could do without breaking the law of the city…"
"Was it really that hard? To find a way to set me free? I just want to get out clean…to be an innocent person again…"
He nodded slowly to her. "It was hard…the hardest thing I've ever done…the hardest choice…"
Sin grasped his hand that was on her cheek, seeking comfort. He grasped her hand in return, no longer sure how often they would be able to do this anymore. Was he a bad person, for saving her?
"It was harder than leaving for the war alone…"
"That's impossible…I've never known more pain then that." She whispered, and it stung him. Maybe now…she would?
"Sin…" he said in a quiet voice as he reached behind her head and placed a hand on her coal black hair, pulling her face to the gap of the bars so he could take her lips in a kiss he needed so badly right now, to see just how much she loved him. He wouldn't forget it; he would cling to this, to this memory of her just willingly kissing him back. To the memory of this now bittersweet taste that lingered on his tongue. It was the double edged sword –happiness and sorrow all synthesized into one. It would set her free and lock him up. But he needed just her right now, for her to unknowingly prove how much she loved him for his own selfish gain at this moment. That was fair wasn't it, to take a kiss because he wanted it right now?
He would never get what he wanted after this…he would never fully own the one thing he truly wanted. Or maybe he had it already, but was forced to set it free?
He pulled away quickly, cutting off all contact with her so it would come out firmly – no – just so it would come out. That's all he asked.
"Sin…I'm…"
He watched her beautiful orange eyes widen.
"I'm getting married."
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Did that take you by surprise? Ack, my heart was pounding when I wrote this…I feel so bad for being so mean, -- cries -- but it had to be done! I've had this in my head for a very long time, and there was no way I couldn't write it. I hope you all enjoyed that little twist. And look, I did a cliffy…wow…lol. I normally try to avoid those, hehe. But maybe it adds a nice touch? Please don't kill me – nervous laughter –
Read and review, please and thank you.
Kazink