The Meaning of Rue
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I own few things. If I owned Threads of Fate, I'd own a lot more.
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The happy ending
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A small part of his mind whispered, "What is there to choose? What have you been working for all this time?"
Rue let go of his head slowly and dropped his hands, sitting up straight. Askaram looked at him steadily.
"Have you made a choice?" She asked.
Rue nodded and stood up. "Bring Claire back to life."
Askaram frowned slightly. "Are you sure? You know you'll-"
This time Rue interrupted. "I know I'll go on living, and she'll die. But even so..." He looked down at the ground, speaking softly. "I'd rather have her live the rest of the life that Doll Master stole from her, even if all of it won't be with me."
Askaram looked at him steadily for a long moment. Rue felt her eyes boring into his head. The golden lenses seemed to click and rotate in place.
"All right." She said, settling back into her chair. "I will grant your wish, Rue." She closed her eyes. "Now take Timshel, and fulfill your dream."
Rue was confused. "Take...Timshel?"
"Put that sword of yours to use, Rue." Askaram said, her eyes still closed. "Timshel is in the safest place I could think of -- inside me."
Rue jumped, shocked. "WHAT?!"
"Slice me open. You'll find Timshel inside."
Rue could not believe what he was hearing. His sword shook slightly, as did his hands. "I...isn't there any way for me to..."
"No." Askaram settled in her chair. Her black gown rustled. "It's the only way. Go to it."
Rue couldn't get himself to lift his blade. "I can't do it." He whispered to himself. "I can't do it."
"I can't do it." He said out aloud. Askaram opened her eyes.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
Rue shook his head furiously. "I can't do it. Even if it's the only way to bring Claire back..." He looked up, meeting Askaram's brilliant golden eyes. "I don't want to do it at the cost of someone else's life. It's just not right."
"And Claire would never forgive me for it." Rue added to himself.
Askaram tilted her head. "Interesting." She said. "I would have thought..." She tilted her head the other way. "How very interesting. Step forward, Rue."
Rue did so, looking up at Askaram. She leaned forward and touched one pale fingertip to the life crystal sparkling on his forehead. Rue closed his eyes as a sudden feeling of weight pressed down upon him.
A ghostly form wafted out of Rue's back and Askaram looked up to meet the clear brown eyes of Claire. The spirit girl looked back at her.
"So you're Claire." Askaram murmured. Her golden eyes were soft. "I can see why Rue went to the ends of the earth for you. You're a lucky girl."
She stood up, her black gown falling in perfect folds around her. Reaching out with her other hand, she touched the ghostly form of Claire's forehead.
Power washed over Claire's ghost form in golden waves, pulsing out from Askaram's fingertips in warm, glittering showers. Like a vessel being filled, Claire's ghostly form was poured full of Askaram's golden power, shimmering until it looked like her entire form was filled with light. The smooth inside of the cavern reflected the lights brilliantly, amplifying it and making it shine like the inside of the sun-
The light dimmed down, darkening or paling and eventually binding down, wrapping into Claire's skin and clothes until she stood on the smooth black floor of the cavern, healthy and whole.
Askaram lifted her hand from Claire's forehead and sank back into her chair with a heavy sigh. Lines suddenly creased her once perfect skin, sagging her ivory flesh until it was almost translucent. She closed her eyes and eyelashes slipped from her lids as though they were black tears. Her other hand slipped from Rue's life crystal and he opened his eyes, blinking.
"Is it done?" He asked, looking at Askaram. He jumped, seeing the sudden changes. "Askaram!"
"Rue?"
He froze at the sound of that voice-a voice like cool mountain breezes and silver bells. Slowly Rue turned.
Claire looked back at him. Her brown eyes were as warm as ever, her smile just as gentle. Rue dropped his weapon and ran to her.
"CLAIRE!"
She 'oofed' softly as he threw his arms around her, burying his head against her shoulder. She was solid, she was real...His chest tightened, making a strangled sob tear its way from his throat. Tears slipped down from his eyes, rolling down Claire's dress.
"Rue, what's wrong?" Claire whispered, stroking his hair. "It's all right..."
Askaram took a deep breath and sat up, opening her eyes. Although her flesh had faded, her eyes were still as brilliant as ever.
"Rue." She spoke softly.
Rue lifted his head, turning to face Askaram. The tracks of tears shone brightly on his face.
"Rue, do you remember..." Askaram took a deep breath. "What I said about you...dying?"
"That I wouldn't die naturally." Rue said softly. Claire looked up at him, troubled.
"That's...right." Askaram whispered. She took another deep breath. Rue could see her laboring to breathe. "Rue...I...lied."
Rue didn't understand. "What?"
Askaram smiled an old, tired smile. "Rue-you're crying."
He touched his face, startled when Claire did the same, her fingertips brushing gently against his. "I..." He stammered, suddenly embarrassed. "I guess so."
"Dolls don't cry, Rue." Askaram whispered. "Only humans do." She laughed softly. "Valen...really didn't do anything in halves...not even his dolls..."
Rue stared at Askaram. "What do you mean? Are you saying that I'm..."
"Alive? I think so." Askaram motioned weakly with one hand. "Come here, Rue."
Rue looked at Claire-she let go of him, holding his hand to the very last as he stepped slowly toward the aging Aeon. Askaram pulled herself into a regal, upright sitting position and gently touched his forehead. Her hand was warm, and Rue felt a faint tingling on his head.
"Yes." Askaram breathed softly. "Yes, as I thought. You're alive. I feel that pulse of spirit in you." She laughed. "Imagine, a doll being human..."
"But why?" Rue asked, looking up at her. "Why did I suddenly change?"
"You didn't 'suddenly', Rue." Askaram looked at him steadily, pressing her fingertips into his head. "When you said you didn't want to kill me in order to bring Claire back, you made yourself human. Only a human would feel that way..."
Rue felt a wave of warmth wash through him and he gasped softly as Askaram's figure flickered, like a picture in a flame.
"You're human in mind and soul already," Askaram whispered as her figure began to fade. Her voice faded too, becoming so faint that Rue had to strain to listen to it. "All I'm giving you now is a body that will be the same..."
"I thought you didn't have enough power." Rue said softly, unable to look away from Askaram's golden eyes. Despite her fading figure, her eyes were brilliant still.
"You've inspired me." Askaram chuckled softly. Another wave of warmth washed over Rue, and Askaram disappeared entirely-except for her eyes. Two glowing discs of gold, they floated in the air, bobbing gently. But although her body was gone, her voice still remained. "Goodbye, Rue-live your 'happily ever after'..."
Then Askaram's eyes dimmed, dropped to the floor , and shattered into a million glittering pieces. Rue stared at the fine golden dust that had once been the golden-eyed Aeon.
"Rue?"
He turned around and saw Claire looking at him, her eyes wide and inquisitive. "Are you all right?" She asked.
He smiled, weakly at first, and then with growing strength. "Yeah-I'm fine, Claire."
He walked up to her and hugged her tightly, reveling in the feel of her warm, wonderfully alive body in his arms. "I'm more than fine." He whispered.
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A/N: Ahh, there you have it-the happy ending! Everything works out in the end! Now, will you read the sad part? Or will you leave that thread of fate unexplored?
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