Elaclea Electronic

(Whoa! It's the final chapter! Please see the end for a longer note. )

Chapter Twelve: Fading Light

"I remember you saying years ago that Luciola could be trusted. This is, of course, not much of a surprise though. I knew all along he helped that brat run away." It was a woman's voice…A voice I hadn't heard in years…

Delphine's.

I forced my eyes open and as my vision cleared, I saw that I was in a small, dark room. I saw Delphine…and my brother, Cicada. Seeing them made me unable to think. I tried to move, but my arms had been bound behind my back.

Cicada glared at me, his eyes full of venomous hatred. "Your majesty, he is awake now," he said. I wondered what would happen to me…and I wondered about what was already happening to Dio. If my prediction was correct, then he was undergoing that terrible operation.

The Maestro forgot her anger at Cicada and strolled over to me. It was obvious that she had gone through a lot of stress in the past years. Her beauty was already beginning to fade at such a young age. She grabbed my neck and forced me to look at her. Delphine stared at me like she might look at a cockroach she was about to kill. "I bet you think that you're some kind of hero or something," she spat, "Well, let me tell you that you're going to be executed tomorrow morning…Tonight, however, I have a special treat for you."

I could not even fathom the horror that awaited me. At first, I thought I would be tortured, but what was actually in store was much worse, to me. Instead of making some kind of rebellious remark, which she was probably expecting, I stayed quiet. This only seemed to add to the intensity of her anger.

Delphine's eyes narrowed, her violet irises glinting in the dim light. She released her grip on my neck and raised her gloved hand above her head. Before I could blink, she backhanded me across my face. I did not even think about the pain; the memory of when Dio did that flashed in my mind. In some ways, the Elaclea siblings were more alike than they probably realized.

"Cicada, bring Luciola to the operating room. Everything should be ready by now," said the Maestro as she sauntered out of the room.

My brother gave me a short glare as he pulled me to my feet. He was silent as we left the unknown, cramped room. We were in a long hall way now and I still had no idea where I actually was. As Cicada led me through the corridor, I thought of nothing; not of Dio, not of Delphine, not even of the fact that Gale and Godwin had turned us in for the huge reward that was being offered. Yes, that angered me, but somehow, I figured that I should have known it would happen eventually.

Luckily for them, I never saw them again.

At the end of the hall was a short staircase which led to a large, steel door. I had a feeling that I knew what was behind it already. Cicada opened the door and revealed the very thing I had been dreading for so long; the operating room.

It was then that Delphine's intentions became clear. She was going to force me to witness Dio's lobotomy.

The operating room was a large, round area with garish, bright lights. It was filled with odd and foreign objects that were all put there for cruel reasons. A group of Anatorayan doctors stood huddled around a metal bed. On that bed, was the only friend I ever knew.

Dio, the prince of the Guild, lay heavily sedated, entirely unaware of what was about to happen. As I stared at him, my legs began to feel weak. Never in my life had I felt such strong emotions. Even now, I can not begin to explain the surge I felt. Although the operation had not yet started, Dio already seemed different. His skin was a sickly pallor; his gold tattoos seemed to glow. His bangs had been shaved off to make the procedure easier for the doctors. Seeing him like this made it feel as if the entire room was spinning out of control.

Delphine sat down on the only metal chair in the room. An impatient expression was etched across her evil face. Cicada remained next to me to make sure that I did not try any crazy heroics. I wanted to scream or just try to convince them that what they were doing was ludicrous. Unfortunately, I knew that whatever I said would just be ignored.

One of the doctors said something but it was in Anatorayan of course, so I could not understand him. The procedure had begun.

Everything after that is a blur to me. I remember that I could not control myself any longer. I shouted and tried to break free of my bonds, but it was useless. Cicada punched me in the stomach and I doubled over. When I tried to get back up, Cicada planted his foot firmly on my face and told me to stay put, or I'd be dead a day sooner.

Strangely enough, the procedure did not last more than twenty minutes. I glimpsed Dio being taken out of the room, but that was the last time I saw him for many, many years. I wanted so badly to see him and to hear his voice, but there was nothing I could do…I could not go after him.

The day of my execution came and went. Cicada had apparently convinced Delphine that there was no point in killing me and so I moved back to Disith. I'll never understand why he convinced her to spare me because Cicada broke contact with me as soon as everything had been settled.

I'm sure you know what happened to Delphine. If not, then…She ended her days at age forty with no heir. I heard she had some kind of disease, but I'm not sure what it was. All I know is that she died alone, just as she deserved. The bloody reign of the Elaclea dynasty was over…And the Guild spent seventeen years in conflict as they tried to find a new ruler.

When I turned thirty-seven, I had been living alone for quite some time. It was a rainy day in fall and I was just about to go out, when there was a soft knock on the door. I was not expecting anyone, so I was slightly curious. Upon opening the door, I was given a shock.

A young Guilder stood in the doorway and a person of great familiarity stood behind her. She bowed formally and said, "Luciola of Acae, the Maestro Delphine Elaclea has died. With no one left to care for the prince, Sir Cicada of Acae has left him in your care."

I could barely believe what I was hearing. After all these years…Words could not come to me. As if in a dream, I stepped out of the house and went over to the empty shell of a man that stood behind the girl…It really was Dio, but it was nothing like the Dio I used to know.

He sent me a blank gaze. His once bright eyes were glazed over and dull. His white hair hung limp on his shoulders and even his skin had taken on a sickly tint. He was nothing more than a walking corpse.

I was so overcome with grief and guilt that it was impossible to hold it all in. For the first time in my life, I let my emotions come out. The tears fell freely. Finally, I knew that I would no longer have to be a Guilder. That life was over. A new life with Dio was beginning.

"So…What happened after that?" Dunya asked, her voice shaky. She was unsure if there would be any more.

Luciola shrugged, regaining that placid emotion he was so used to. "What could happen? I could not afford to take care of Dio and so, after a few months, I sent him to a local hospital," he paused, "I visited him occasionally, but the grief I felt was overwhelming. To see him like that made me think of a burnt out lightbulb…"

"Is he still alive?"

The old Guilder shook his head. "No, Dio passed away two years ago. There was a small funeral…Cicada was there. I thought his appearance was strange, but he had every right to be there.

"And…even though Dio is gone, he continues, just as he always did, to light up my life."

(And so, there it is! The end! I just want to give a HUGE thank you to everybody who's stuck with this for the past few months. I had fun writing it, and so I hope you guys all enjoyed reading it! I appreciate your reviews very much.

Keep an eye out for other LE fics soon to come from me! XD Thanks again!)