The Tides of Destruction

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Fulfillment

"Elsa?"

Anna hesitantly approached her sister, knowing that nothing she could say could possibly assuage Elsa's anguish. She had seen her sister—her strong, dignified sister—like this only twice before: once when Arberish had succumbed to his illness and, before that, upon the frozen expanse of the fjord so many years ago. But as Anna watched Elsa cradle Maíreweth's head in her hands—the Queen's fingers slowly, lovingly, caressing the long tresses of her daughter's hair, as if trying to return life to the Véldenmaína's unmoving body—she realized her sister was now utterly broken, her spirit wholly crushed by the enormity of what had transpired. Elsa had finally stopped screaming and now stared at Maíreweth's body, her eyes glassy and shallow, her very essence now evaporated along with the life of her daughter.

"Elsa, are . . . are you—"

"Why?"

Anna grimaced as Elsa looked up at her, her gaze hollow, filled with despair. Anna watched in silence as Elsa turned her attention to the water near the shore, toward Sélene. "What . . . What happened to her?" Elsa asked, her voice cracking, barely able to form words. Her hand ran across the scales upon Maíreweth's tail, their once-golden luster now dulled, obscured by shadow. "How . . . Why . . .?"

Sélene fought to choke back her own tears as she looked upon her friend's unmoving form. "I . . . I didn't mean to, Elsa," she whispered. "But she . . . She was injured, dying . . . I was only trying to save her, but—"

Elsa bowed her head, her lips kissing Maíreweth's brow, her arms wrapped tightly around the young woman's torso. "I see," Elsa murmured, her face paler than Anna had ever seen before. "She was so happy with you, Sélene. Whatever you did . . . I'm sure she . . . She . . ."

Her voice became even softer, barely audible as she brought her fingers to Maíreweth's lips. "Please forgive me," she said, her eyes becoming moist once again, her lip trembling as Anna and the others looked on in utter helplessness. "I should have tried harder . . . I should have found a way to keep you safe." Her gaze fell upon Maíreweth's tailfin once again. "You're so beautiful," she continued, fighting to maintain her composure. "And you look so . . . so grown-up now. I . . ."

She lost the battle to control her emotions as she buried her head in Maíreweth's shoulder, Anna, Alúvelin, and Valanda gently resting their hands on her back as she wept uncontrollably.

"I . . . I just want you to be happy," Elsa choked out between her cries of anguish, not caring if the entire world heard her pleas. "Even if it means . . . Please, Maíreweth . . . Please come back! Please . . ."

Underthen glanced toward Élenway, a hopeful expression upon his face. "Tell me there's something you can do," he said quietly. "This . . . This can't be what is supposed to happen!"

The Maíreth's golden eyes were filled with sorrow, her ebony tresses quivering gently as she shook her head. "This is beyond me," she said, her cloak rustling in the gentle breeze. "I cannot control who lives and who dies."

"Then what's the point?!"

All eyes fell upon Philomena as she rose from Sebastiaan's side, her gaze moving accusingly between Élenway and Francis. "What is the point?" she repeated. "Why bother serving Him if He allows the innocent to pay the price for the guilty? What sort of a world is this where those who cause such pain are permitted to live while those who try to do what is right must suffer?" She looked at Elsa, her eyes filled with sorrow as she approached the grieving Queen. Kneeling next to her, she took hold of Elsa's hand. "Please forgive me," she whispered, bowing her head. "I was so angry, so quick to blame someone for Alwin's death that I assumed . . ." She swallowed, composing herself. "You have suffered so much, Elsa. You don't deserve this—"

"Look!"

Célebron's small voice rang across the beach, his finger pointing toward the shoreline. All eyes followed his gesture toward the intense blue light emanating from the gem around Sélene's neck. The Véldenmaína carefully took hold of the stone, her eyes growing wide as the light continued to grow in intensity, nearly blinding all who looked upon it until—

Ingeborson swore beneath his breath, Sanderson doing the same as a luminous figure rose above the beach. The apparition's sapphire scales shone brilliantly in the light that slowly faded from the stone, her expression warm, filled with love as she looked upon the sight before her.

Sélene finally found her voice as she stared in amazement. "Má– . . . Mánawe?!"

The figure of Ánelthrey looked down at her daughter, her warm eyes dimming slightly. Moving effortlessly, she floated down until she was at eye level with Sélene, her translucent hand coming to rest upon her daughter's cheek. "Hello, Sélene," she spoke in her own language, yet each person upon the shore could understand her clearly. "I have missed you so . . ."

Sélene bowed her head, too ashamed to look her mother in the eye. "I failed, Mánawe," she whispered. "I was supposed to unite the Véldenthem and the Erthwélethwain! Instead, I . . . I have only driven us further apart!" She looked toward Maíreweth's unmoving body once again, her heart crumbling with guilt. "She . . . My friend . . . My éldemthwan is dead because of me!"

Ánelthrey gently stroked her daughter's hair, her ethereal touch comforting Sélene's spirit. "No, Sélene," she whispered. "You did not fail at all. You have made our existence known to the greatest of the Erthwélethwain. You have shown that our long-standing enmity and distrust can be overcome."

Ánelthrey floated upward, coming to rest before Elsa. Too overwhelmed to truly comprehend what was happening, Elsa could only watch in awe as Ánelthrey bowed low before her. "Your Majesty," the deceased Queen said. "It is an honor to finally meet you, the noblest ruler of your race."

Too overcome with grief to muster a response, Elsa simply nodded, unable to maintain diplomatic decorum under the circumstances.

Ánelthrey's eyes filled with sadness as she looked upon Maíreweth. "Your daughter, Your Majesty?"

Elsa nodded in response, her hands clinging tightly to her daughter's body. "Yes," she whispered. "My . . . I adopted her, but I . . . She . . ."

Ánelthrey placed her hand comfortingly upon Elsa's shoulder. "I understand your pain," she said quietly. "Nothing grieves me more than being separated from my daughter in death. This pale means of communication is nothing compared to being with her. And yet . . ." Her voice trailed off, a strange look upon her face. "And yet, I would gladly sacrifice this to . . ."

Sélene started at her mother's words. "Mánawe? What are you saying?"

Ánelthrey moved back to her daughter's side, her eyes filled with both pride and sadness. "The time has come, Sélene. The time has come for you to fulfill the prophecy. To bring our races together as one."

Sélene frowned. "I . . . I don't understand—"

Ánelthrey touched the gem around Sélene's neck. "I have seen how much your éldemthwan means to you. How the two of you have become inseparable. So, I . . . even though it will exhaust what remaining strength I have left—"

Sélene's eyes grew wide as she suddenly understood. "Mánawe, no! You can't—"

Ánelthrey gestured toward Maíreweth's unmoving form. "The prophecy will be fulfilled, Sélene. Our two races, brought together in a daughter of both land and sea. Because of her, we shall finally have peace."

Anna frowned as she watched the scene play out before her. "What . . . What are you going to—"

Ánelthrey's form suddenly filled with a radiance more brilliant that ever before, blue light streaming from Sélene's necklace, swirling about the Queen of the waters as she smiled at her daughter. "Remember me, Sélene," she said quietly as her form began to dissipate, becoming one with the light. "Remember me . . ."

Sélene nodded, tears streaming down her face as she watched her mother depart from her for the last time. "Goodbye, Mánawe," she whispered. "Goodbye . . ."

The blue light that had been Ánelthrey cascaded forth, poring over the beach, consuming all upon it in its sapphire brilliance. All were forced to shield their eyes as the light coalesced, moving toward Maíreweth's body, washing over her, healing the jagged, torn skin, closing her wounds, restoring the golden glow to the scales of her fin.

Finally, when Elsa was certain she would go blind from the intensity of the light, the brightness faded away, leaving the beach aglow once more in only the light streaming from the sun above.

Anna watched with bated breath as she and the others stared in expectation at Maíreweth, the twins' fingers digging into her leg in anticipation. Her heart began to sink as nothing happened, as Elsa began to weep once again over her daughter's unmoving body.

"Elsa, I'm sorry," Anna apologized lamely. "I . . . I don't know what to—"

Her words cut off midsentence, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Maíreweth's fin twitch ever-so-slightly. "Elsa! Elsa . . . look!"

Elsa looked up from her grieving to see Maíreweth's fin moving back and forth. Hardly daring to hope, she placed her hand upon her daughter's chest, nearly crying out with joy as she felt Maíreweth's breath beginning its steady rhythm once more. Trembling, her fingers moved to her daughter's chin, her spirit awash in expectation as, at long last, Maíreweth's eyelids fluttered open, her icy blue eyes coming to rest upon Elsa's own.

"Maíreweth?" Elsa's voice was soft, filled with intensity, her pulse racing as she watched her daughter frown in confusion, the Véldenmaína's eyes widening as she brought her hand to Elsa's cheek.

"Mother . . ." Maíreweth whispered, her lips turning upward in a brilliant smile.

"Yes!" Elsa gasped as she leaned in close to the Véldenmaína's face, the tears from her eyes staining Maíreweth's cheeks as they fell upon her skin. "It's me! I'm . . . I'm here!"

"Mother, you're so . . ."

Maíreweth shifted herself to a sitting position, her hands resting upon Elsa's shoulders. "You're so beautiful! Just like I imagined . . ."

Elsa looked at her daughter in confusion, realization slowly dawning upon her. "You . . . You can see? Maíreweth, you can see?!"

Words were entirely unnecessary as Maíreweth nodded in reply. Overcome with emotion, mother and daughter wrapped their arms around each other, holding each other tightly, silently vowing to each other never to let go again as their shoulders grew moist from the tears flowing down each other's cheeks. They were soon overwhelmed once again as Anna, Alúvelin, Valanda, Philomena, and the twins came upon them, the octet clinging to each other, crying happily, Elsa for once not caring at all that she was being surrounded by so much love and happiness.

Kristoff smiled widely as he turned to face the others. "What do you think?" he asked. "Isn't this great?"

Jack was looking uncharacteristically pale. "This place makes absolutely no sense," he muttered to himself. "No sense at all."

Underthen laughed as he draped his arm around Élenway's shoulder. "Really? Is the great Captain Jack Sparrow feeling a little overwhelmed, after all?"

"Hardly, mate," Jack retorted as he reached for the bottle at his side. "Nothing a little drinky won't fix . . ." A look of utter despair came across his face as he realized the bottle was still empty. "Now that's not fair at all . . ."

Laughing, Kristoff knelt beside the water, frowning as he saw the look on Sélene's face. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. "That was . . . I mean, your mother, was it? She—"

"I'm fine," Sélene replied, her jaw set, a sad smile upon her lips. "I . . . She was . . ." Pausing, she looked at Kristoff. "Could you, I mean . . .?"

Nodding, Kristoff carefully lifted Sélene from the water, carrying her toward the throng. Glancing toward Elsa, Kristoff set her next to Maíreweth, the two Véldenmaína looking at each other, overcome by all they had shared together. Laughing, the two embraced each other, allowing Elsa and the others to do the same, Elenórathem looking on happily, as the events of the past day faded away, no longer mattering as everyone was, at long last, together once more.

AN: You didn't think I would really allow such a wonderful character as Maíreweth to die, did you? The prophecy has now been fulfilled, but there are a few loose ends left to tie up. More to come!