A/N: I don't own Locks of Love, or the Elvish used. The words in bold are a translation, and are not spoken. Oh, and Soul's gown can be seen at TheDarkAngel dot co dot uk (without the spaces and with a . instead of 'dot'; this site is being stupid) under Gowns - it's the Damselle Dress.
Chapter XVIII
I had been dreading and anticipating Raziel's response, and now that it was uttered I had no choice but to do as he asked. How could I deny him this chance at freedom, true freedom? Only a heartless snake like Moebius or that horrendous squid-thing that called itself a god could do something like that. But I loved Raziel. I had made a promise.
I nodded and went into an adjacent chamber for a moment. There I gathered the supplies I needed, remembering the use for each as I touched it, and put a long coat of crushed silver velvet on over my clothes. Somehow performing a soul-switching ritual in frayed-edged denim shorts and a blue T-shirt that said 'Biker Chick' seemed wrong. I let my hair out of its braid and let it tumble down my back like a waterfall. I loved the sensation, which is why I had always kept my hair long, save for one time when I cut off a foot of it and donated it to Locks of Love. I was proud of what I had done, but I decided that I wanted to keep my long hair next time. Finished, I sighed and reentered the altar chamber where Raziel and Kain waited for me.
"Let's do this," I said. Raziel nodded.
"What must I do?" he asked.
"Try to relax," I replied heavily. I fingered the talisman I had put around my neck: a pagan talisman to prevent accidents. More than ever did I need this charm. "Lay down on the altar. Kain, lay the Blood Reaver alongside him." Both did as I said, and I approached the altar slowly. There was no turning back now. I had to do this. Banishing all doubt and fear from my mind and aura, I began:
"Irma haeannon. Dimension door," I intoned. A shimmering haze, slightly tinted green, appeared between Raziel and the Reaver. Raziel shifted uncomfortably, and I knew why: the haze was a door to the dimension of souls, and would no doubt enhance the temporal distortion Raziel already felt when near to or in contact with the Reaver. The stage was set. I raised my arms, holding one hand over Raziel and the other over the Reaver, speaking words no one, not even I, will ever know until men are faerie-tales in books written by rabbits. But there was great magick in these words: words to strengthen, words to detach, words to displace, words to bind, words to seal. Raziel writhed as I cast on him, but I could not allow compassion to disrupt my concentration. He gave one last great cry of anguish, his back arching, body tensed, as his soul finally tore free of what remained of its corporeal shell. I caught hold of it with my astral hand and pushed it into the Reaver, where it wanted to go. I bound it there and sealed it forever. Now no one, not even I, could ever undo the spell. The Reaver glowed as it became the Soul Reaver…the blade which I created. Raziel's ragged body lay lifeless on the stone as I sealed the spell and released the energy I had been using, gasping as I tried to catch my breath. Slowly I picked up the Reaver by the hilt, examining it with great interest. Then I smiled at Kain and tossed the sword in the air, easily catching it by the very end of the blade and laying the flat across my arm.
"Your sword, Kain, Scion of Balance," I said. Kain slowly took the hilt and I relinquished the blade to him. "Your destiny is fulfilled. The two become one – both Soul Reavers together – and the Scion of Balance is healed." For the first time Kain noticed that the rather unsightly hole in his chest had closed. I smiled and gestured to Raziel, saying gently, "And he was not your enemy; not your destroyer. He was, as before, your right hand. Your sword."
"I know," said Kain nodding. "I always knew." He walked around to the other side of the altar, where Raziel lay. In an almost fatherly fashion, he stroked Raziel's head. "What nightmare did I condemn Raziel – my son – to when I cast him into the Abyss?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," I replied. "Besides, you will see soon enough. And now I must fulfill the latter half of my promise to him." Gently shooing Kain to one side, I stood over Raziel once more. I took the Heart from him, unable to keep from thinking of Janos. "He would want this," I said softly. Kain nodded, understanding. Trying to quell my inherent disgust, I carefully reached into Raziel's exposed ribcage and fixed the Heart there firmly. Nothing happened, as I expected. I looked at Kain. "Your sword, please," I said. "Place the tip over Raziel's heart. His soul within the blade will react and restore him." Kain did as I asked. A blue glow manifested over the Heart's new resting place and Raziel convulsed. Kain leapt back so as not to impale him by accident, and I watched in fascination. Organs came first, regrowing back into their original places. Bones formed to hold and protect them. Tissue, muscle, skin…all of it grew back before our eyes. His skin lost its blue colour and returned to being its original creamy-silver colour. His hair grew slightly, brushing his earlobes in the front while trailing down to his shoulders in the back. His wings were restored to their bat-like beauty, just as on the night when he shared his first and last thrill of flying with me. I remembered that now, and I smiled thinking of it. Finally the convulsions ceased and Raziel lay still, breathing heavily, his eyes tightly shut.
"Is he all right?" asked Kain anxiously. I never knew that Kain could be anxious and I smiled.
"He's fine," I said. "Don't let him get up yet; I'll be right back." Before Kain could ask questions, I was gone into the other chamber again. There was something important there, something I remembered. What was it? Where was it? Ah, yes, the wardrobe…I opened the wardrobe and found exactly what I was looking for: a stunning dress made from high quality black panne velvet with a contrasting front panel in rich wine-coloured shot silk velvet. Each side of the front panel was trimmed with an ornate black braid, which was laced under the bust area with a pretty satin ribbon and also trimmed the sweetheart neckline. The top sleeves were made from black velvet and were fully lined in contrasting satin to match the front panel. The under sleeves were stretch lace, tightly fitted and coming to a point over the hand. The point of each sleeve was trimmed with a tiny satin rosebud. This I donned quickly, as well as the black satin slippers with a red rosebud on the front opening. I was dressed exactly as I had been when Raziel and I first met. Smiling, I went out to the altar chamber again to see him: my handsome, brave warrior, my dark angel, my sweet love. There he lay, like a sacrificial angel, waiting for me. He had relaxed finally, and lay as though sleeping. Kain was watching over him. He looked up when I entered and looked surprised to see me in my gown. I smiled and approached Raziel. My fingers lightly brushed his shoulder and he shivered slightly. He was wearing next to nothing; only his tattered shoulder drape remained around the lower half of his face, just enough of his pants to keep him "decent", and worn scraps of leather around his ankles that had once been his boots. I pushed his hair out of his eyes lovingly – for I knew now that I loved him and had always loved him – and gently traced my fingers down his cheek.
"Raziel, my beloved," I said softly, gently. "Awake. We have returned, my love. We have finally come full circle back to the way we were. You remember how we were. Awake." A small sound escaped Raziel's lips and his eyes opened slowly. He stared at me, uncomprehending at first. Then his eyes – his beautiful tawny eyes – widened as he recognized me. For a moment, he was once again Kain's chief lieutenant and I was the beloved princess being presented before him and his brothers.
"Aranel?Princess?" he whispered, reaching up to touch my cheek. I smiled and closed both my hands over his.
"My brave strong warrior," I murmured. "How do you feel?"
"I feel good," said Raziel, sounding surprised. "I feel very good. Better than ever, in fact."
"As would be expected," I said happily, helping him to sit up. I handed him a hand mirror from a table nearby. "Look at yourself, Raziel. See the gift I've given you." Puzzled Raziel took the mirror and looked at his reflection…and gasped, something I thought I'd never hear. He pulled the cowl away from his face and saw his jaw and mouth reattached where they belonged, his black lips parted in wonder. He touched his skin, looking down at himself and then staring at me.
"How?" he asked. "How is this possible?"
"You said that anything's possible where I am concerned," I replied with a grin. "Do you remember that?"
"Of course I remember," he said distantly. "But…how?" I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Do you remember what you told me?" I asked. Raziel just looked at me blankly. " 'You learned alchemy from your father,' " I quoted, " 'and necromancy from your mother, who was more powerful even than Mortanius. But you did something no one believed possible: you found a way to combine them.' That is what I did. I used both to tear your soul free of your body and displace it into the Reaver. Then I used the Heart of Darkness – which I told you had another use – to restore you. Without it, even I could not raise you again to your former glory. You would have been as you were: a ragged wraith, hating his own appearance. I know you wouldn't want that, and neither did I. I won't let you be used or hurt again. I love you too much to let that happen."
Raziel just stared at me thoughtfully for a moment, contemplating what I had said, still holding my hand. Then, to my surprise, he pulled me close to him, slid his hand against the back of my head, and pressed his lips to mine. I responded, savouring the sweet kiss…the first of my human life, and the first in centuries of my true life. We embraced tightly, and I knew then that there was nothing more for me to learn; I remembered all and more. Here in this place with Raziel, I knew more than I ever had before. Everything seemed clear to me, yet nothing mattered. We stayed like this for a time, until I remembered that there were other matters to be seen to before we could celebrate any kind of victory. I gently pulled back and pulled Raziel to his feet.
"We have more to do," I said. "There is one last endeavor." I turned to Kain. "With the blade purified with Raziel's soul, you will now see the true enemy. We must return to the Spirit Forge. There all things will be revealed."