Title: The Story of Sirius and Remus
Pairing: SB/RL this is SLASH... be warned!
Disclaimer: Totally not mine. None of it.
Summary: Prompt 16 from tellmeakiss community on lj, "wings" AU- How Remus and Sirius fell in love, and gained eternity.
Feedback: Please. Really.
Warnings: This is un-beta'd. And there's some character death. And it's a really poor imitation of Ovid.
Notes: I should really be doing a paper right now. I have ten more pages to go and about three, maybe four more hours. Eep. But this just had to be written, even though I'm sure there's something wrong with me for writing it like a Roman myth. I posted this here because... frankly... I'm a sucker for feedback. Speaking of: Meredith Tasaki- your last comment was brilliant (not like grading a paper), and Nightelf- there should definitely be a Remus Appreciation Day!
There was once a time when Juno
Forgot her own jealousy and wept
For the misfortune of another.
She was, at first, angered at Remus,
Whose father had come from Jove's lust
For a young maiden from Athens.
Though Remus prayed often to the gods
And left large offerings at her altar,
Juno remained spiteful, and waited
For the opportunity to curse the young boy.
That day came when Remus was fifteen
And a young prince of Thrace
Came to Athens—Sirius was his name
And his beauty was beyond compare.
The two young men studied often
In the garden of Remus's uncle.
One day, winged Cupid spied upon them
And was filled with mischief—
He let fly two golden arrows.
Remus and Sirius were instantly filled with
Love and passion that burned at their hearts,
But they remained cautious
For they were uncertain as to what
The other would think. Finally Sirius's
Passion became too much for him to bear
And he confessed to his companion,
'Long have I watched you
And long have I ached.
I fear to touch you, that my hands
May defile your perfection. I have built
Walls around my heart so that I can
Keep from wanting that which I
Cannot have, but as the walls of Troy
Fell before the relentless Greeks, so
My heart has surrendered to
Cupid's will.' Having spoken,
The young prince turned to leave—
But Remus halted his steps.
He did not speak, but brushed his
Fingers along Sirius's cheek.
And so the knowledge came
To them both, that each was in love,
And loved by the other.
Juno, having witnessed this, was
Filled with rage. Those who came from
Jove's indiscretions were considered
Her enemies, as were any that came
After. She came to the Furies to satisfy
Her anger, and spoke to them thus,
'Many times has my husband wronged me,
And many times has the evidence
Of that betrayal taunted me. The girl,
And her child, are both beyond my reach
In the depths of Tartarus, but the grandson
Is not! As I stand here, he finds joy
In the arms of another. Why should he
Have a faithful lover, when he is
Product of unfaithfulness?'
Tisiphone, her gown made of
Twisting snakes, yelled in eagerness
For Juno's plans. She urged her sisters
To the garden in Athens, their howls
Chilling the air. Remus and Sirius
Were meeting for the first time
Since declaring their love, both awkward
And blushing, uncertain as to how to act.
As Remus stepped forward to embrace
His lover, before he could kiss cherished lips
For the first time, the three terrible sisters
Descended. They clawed and scraped
At Sirius's pale skin, and Tisiphone breathed
Deeply onto his face. Poison entered his body,
Leaving not a mark, but altering his mind.
Remus watched, confused, as Sirius began
To growl and thrash about. He barked and spat,
His eyes wild with madness. Upon hearing
The commotion, Remus's uncle ran to the garden
And called for help. The servants and neighbors
Held Remus back as Sirius crawled about,
Believing himself a rabid dog. They pushed
The young prince out of the city
And into the surrounding fields, an exile
In his insanity.
Remus was devastated, but
Dared not show his grief. He pleaded
His case to every god, but the Furies
Continued to haunt Sirius. However, his
Prayers were not unheard. Remus was always
A favorite of Minerva, his devotion to her
Wisdom unwavering. She could not undo
What Juno had done, but she could help
The young men. Every night that the moon
Was in full, Minerva gave Remus the gift
Of song. He turned into a wolf, so that he
Could raise his voice to Diana as she
Passed by his window. The huntress
Was moved by his love and sorrow
And agreed to carry his song to the
Forest, where Sirius would hear and
Respond. For twelve long years, Diana
Relayed their messages. For twelve long
Years, Sirius only found brief sanity as
He bayed to the moon.
The gods and
Goddesses of Olympus were all moved
By the devotion Remus showed to his
Absent lover, and pleaded with Juno
To take the three winged sisters
Away from Sirius. Finally, Juno saw
How deep the sadness of the lovers was,
And her anger cooled. She released Sirius
From the grip of Madness, and set him
On the path back to Athens. A nymph,
Sent by Minerva, led Remus to a glade
Outside of the city. She and her sisters
Washed his body with the water of their
River and dressed him in fine robes.
He did not know why Minerva was
Being so kind to him until he saw
Sirius appear from the woods. At first
He was frightened that Sirius was
Too close to the city walls, and he might
Be struck down by the guards. But
Then he saw his lover's upright walk,
And his clear eyes, and knew that
The curse had ended. Sirius looked to
Remus and yelled, running forward
And embracing him as a brother,
Still uncertain as to whether his love was
Truly returned. Remus sighed with delight,
Stroked the long black hair, then
Kissed Sirius as a lover.
They spent many days in the glen of the nymphs,
Talking and enjoying the pleasures of
Their bodies, and were happy. But as all
Men are bound by the measuring and
Cutting of the Fates, so Sirius was bound.
The thread of his life was deemed long enough,
Though all too short. A hunting party had
Wandered near on the twelfth day of their joy.
Sirius laughed as he kissed Remus,
And a hunter mistook the noise as
A wild animal. The gods, also subject
To the will of the Fates, watched as
Sirius was struck down with an arrow,
And could do nothing. The nymphs of the
Glade ripped their hair and beat their breasts,
Their cries of grief echoing until the earth
Shook. Minerva, in her anger, turned the
Hunter into an owl, a creature of ill omen
That continually hoots his guilt to the night.
No tears came from Remus, however, as
He held the body of his lover close to
His chest, the blood staining his robes
And seeping into the ground. He turned
His face to the sky and asked,
'What is it that the gods demand of me?
I have given my heart wholly to the man
That now lies dead in my arms, his life
Was my life, his heart was my heart.
Was twelve years not enough payment
For the joy of twelve days of love?
I would wish to die this instant, but
If you ask it, I will live a thousand years
Beyond this day. I will continue breathing,
Sleeping, eating—but know that I have
Died when this arrow struck my heart
That was not my heart. Might there be
But one solace in the love we shared,
Despite the torture that has followed us:
That we will be united once more?
Today or a lifetime later, it matters not
To me. I am willing to wait, in hopes there
Will be eternity ahead.' And Juno,
Watching his lamenting, felt tears
Streaming down her cheeks. The man
She was so willing to harm for a crime
That was not his, was still patiently
Submitting himself to her and her kin.
Though Juno wished that she could
Undo the arrow that had flown too true,
Either the golden one from twelve years ago
That started it or the man-made one
That ended it, she could not. Diana coming
From the East inspired her, however, to offer
Her last attempt to right this. As the first
Rays of the moon struck Remus and his
Dead lover, their bodies slowly stretched
And twisted. Remus watched as his arms
Became stiff and rough, and Sirius's feet
Sank deep into the ground. A tear finally
Fell from Remus's eye, expressing his relief,
And he clutched harder to Sirius. By the
Time the moon had risen fully into the sky,
Remus and Sirius were forever intertwined,
As two holly trees wrapped around each other—
The berries were as red as Sirius's blood.
The leaves remain deep green in the depths
Of winter, a testament to the endurance of love,
even during the most painful trials.