The Nightingale

Chapter 62: Eternity

Summer — x493 / July 9

The Shadow save Queen Vayalat! Save the kingdom of Vayalat from the Shadow!

Maran Khan was a Jeweler, a man fearful and devoted to the Shadow born within the flourishing kingdom of Vayalat. An ordinary man, without magic, without gifts, with nothing but his own life and the skill of his hands to create jewelry that he sold to people who could buy it.

One of those jewels came into the hands of the queen, a delicate brooch that simulated a tree and, given the beauty of that jewel, the queen wanted to meet the creator.

It was thus that the Jeweler appeared before the queen, with lowered eyes and a serious gesture, and showed her what he could do with his hands. The queen was enchanted, more than by the jewels that glittered in front of her, by the Jeweler's eyes, which seemed like two drops of dark silver that looked at her with respect when he looked up.

The queen appointed him the Jeweler of the palace and gave him a study and rooms inside so that he could continue working for her.

Everyone knew that the queen was eternal, beautiful and bloodthirsty, but the queen was simply a woman. And the Jeweler was just a man. A common man who didn't smile.

— Are you happy working here? — The queen asked the Jeweler when she visited him in his study as he worked on those endless designs to deliver to her queen. — I have never seen you smile.

The Jeweler looked up and the queen felt her soul tremble as those eyes met hers and the man smiled at her.

— I'm happy, Your Majesty, because thanks to the Shadow I work for you and my eyes have the joy of being able to look at the most beautiful creation in the world. — After those words, the Jeweler showed her the design of a ring that was really simple but with that charm that simplicity hides. — One day I will present it to you and I will be honored that my queen wears it.

But one day the Jeweler disappeared.

The queen went to look for him in his study and discovered that the man was not there, his study was almost intact but some things were missing, as if the man had fled from there, and the queen felt betrayed. Vayalat ordered her shadows, the true ones, to seek out the traitorous Jeweler and present him to her, and so it was that at night, the shadows presented the dying Jeweler to the queen.

Because of that vision, because of the inevitable fragility of life, Vayalat did not love the men with whom she shared her bed, because she knew that those men would eventually die and she would undoubtedly watch them die without being able to do anything to save their lives.

— I prayed to the Shadow and the Shadow answered my call. I didn't want to die without seeing you one last time, my queen. — Whispered the dying Jeweler before falling into unconsciousness.

Vayalat did not know why she did it, but she saved the Jeweler's life and it was she herself who took care of him until the man regained consciousness. When the queen asked what had happened, the Jeweler simply said that he had been mugged, but Vayalat knew that was a lie; magic leaves traces, and there were too many on the Jeweler's body. Someone had attacked him, someone wanted the Jeweler out of the palace to get rid of him.

A short time later, the Jeweler presented the queen with the simple ring he had designed for her, which it was nothing more than an emerald that glittered exquisitely and was set in black steel. Beauty in simplicity, because the queen had jewels that rivaled the sun, but that ring… that ring seemed perfect to her.

— I'm a simple jewelry maker who has nothing but life and the grace to work for you, my queen, but accept this gift that symbolizes my life, because my life belongs to you.

"My gift to you, my dear daughter. In Eternity. Your Eternity." The Shadow whispered in the queen's ears.

The queen accepted the ring, the Jeweler's feelings, and although they never married, the Jeweler joined the Shadow as a servant only to better serve his queen. The crescent moon over his heart was the symbol that he was a servant of the Shadow, the sun's mate who dwelt on the queen's back. The only servant of the Shadow who was intended entirely for the queen.

The day the queen told the Jeweler that the Shadow's blessing would grow within her was the last day the queen lived. A jealous man killed her, although the murderous intent was not for the queen but for the Jeweler. That man entered the queen's room holding a knife that he threw at the Jeweler before the queen's Shadows could stop him. Vayalat moved as fast as she could and that knife embedded itself in her back making her clench her teeth in pain.

Vayalat was eternal, but she was still human.

The man who burst into the bedroom screamed for having hurt his queen, the jeweler immediately pulled the knife out of Vayalat's body and tried to stop the bleeding screaming for help, and Rukia, who was witnessing everything in that dream she had been dragged into because of the ring, put her hands to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

Help came too quickly, as if the guards were just waiting for a signal to enter, and seeing what had happened they immediately executed the murderer, then they stopped the Jeweler who was trying to help the queen who was falling unconscious and everything became a maelstrom of chaos because the queen was dying.

Rukia knew that they were fragile like humans but they could heal themselves, however the Jeweler's screams calling his queen, asking her not to leave him, broke Rukia's heart. The Jeweler was not worried about his fate, he was afraid to see his queen die and the child that grew inside her.

The scene darkened for a moment, and when it cleared, Rukia could see the queen lying on a bed, deathly pale, her black hair loose on a pillow, her golden eyes dimming with each breath, talking to someone who Rukia could neither see nor hear.

Rukia wondered why the queen didn't heal herself, it was just a wound that wasn't very big. Rukia didn't understand why the queen was dying.

The queen whispered about eternity alone, about being afraid for the first time in her long life, and about her Jeweler not joining her. Rukia saw the queen's hand and saw that beautiful emerald that shone with its own light turning red with the blood that began to drain from a wound that Rukia didn't know when the queen made herself.

The queen closed those beautiful golden eyes one last time as she whispered that she wished him, her Jeweler, a long and happy life.

"Poison"

The queen's voice sounded again in that dream and Rukia discovered that she herself was shedding tears of sadness; she slowly cleaned them and looked for the origin of that voice, but there were only shadows in that place.

"It was the poison in that knife that prevented me from healing myself. Magic cures many things, but the poison slowed everything down and in the end, I couldn't fight it. The intention of that man was for me to see my Moon die without being able to save him just because I rejected his proposal to be my king."

Rukia understood at that moment the scene she saw, and again she felt so much pain inside her heart that the tears ran down her cheeks without being able to contain them. She knew that no matter how long her own life was, Ichigo would see her die and he wouldn't be able to do anything, and she understood the cruelty of that man in trying to kill the Jeweler.

"My children do not understand that Eternity is not something you achieve alone, it is something you achieve with your partner. Why do you want an eternity in solitude? You should have been my daughter, so let me take care of you like I take care of all my children. My girl born out of the shadows. My Eternity."

— Why me?

"Because you love him just like the Jeweler loved me, and my son loves you just like I once loved."

Rukia felt someone give her a hug with a kind of longing and too comforting old affection, and it was then that she opened her eyes at dawn. She had a strange feeling of warmth and sadness at the same time, and discovered that there were dry tears on her cheeks that were replaced by new tears that flowed from her eyes without being able to contain them.

She didn't know if she was crying because of what she dreamed, because of everything Ichigo's uncle told her while he accompanied her to the beach house after leaving that meeting where Ichigo was trapped or because of what that oneiric hug caused her, but the feeling of sadness inside her chest was real; as real as feeling the loss of someone you love.

—

Ichigo woke up hearing the sobs that Rukia was trying to stifle by clenching her teeth while covering her face with her hand. He hadn't seen her cry so sadly since that time they thought she was pregnant, and he felt so much pain in his heart to see her like that, that he immediately hugged her to his chest to comfort her.

Rukia hugged him, apologized for crying and assured him that she was fine, but the tears and sobs wouldn't stop. Ichigo only whispered sweet words to her, because he understood that she was once again submerged among many ideas that plagued her mind, and the guilt gnawed at him.

No matter what the Elders had said, no matter that explanation as to why Rukia was communicating with the Original Mother, Ichigo still felt guilt that he was the one who gave her that ring.

Ichigo let Rukia cry as long as she needed to and soon after he felt her fall asleep in his arms. He let her sleep there and ordered Tatsuki not to let anyone disturb them during the day because Rukia was sick and needed to rest. He got out of bed moments later and changed his clothes just before one of the palace servants handed him some manuscripts for him to read and show Rukia.

His grandfather had been clear the night before, when Rukia had left that room in the company of his uncle and he had stayed there to face the Elders again and their ridiculous fears regarding Rukia; he had to teach Rukia a bit of the history of the kingdom just like his mother taught his father when they got married.

— My Moon... I'm making you suffer... first Adelaar and now here... — Ichigo whispered sitting next to Rukia, who was still sleeping and had that sad expression that stayed while she slept. — I'm afraid and I don't know what to do… I feel lost…

Rukia slept until past noon and Ichigo stayed by her side, reading one of the many manuscripts that had been brought to him about everything that included the history of that ring and watching over her dreams. When she woke up she was hungry and Ichigo asked Tatsuki to bring them food.

Ichigo could see Rukia looking distracted and thoughtful, and as much as he wanted her to tell him what she was thinking, he knew she wouldn't speak until she had her own thoughts sorted out a bit. Rukia was silent when she thought about something too much and he had gotten used to her in a way that was hard to explain.

— My Sun… — Rukia called out to him in a whisper causing him to turn his full attention to her, putting aside the manuscript about the Shadow. Rukia was sitting at the table, she had finished eating and seemed nervous. — How did the Jeweler escape?

Of all the questions Rukia could ask, asking about the Jeweler was something Ichigo didn't expect to hear, nor did he imagine that she knew that was what they called that man so as not to repeat his name. Ichigo came to the conclusion that possibly his uncle told him about it and that made him feel a bit calm, because it was easier for him to answer Rukia's questions that way.

— The Jeweler… — Ichigo whispered and held out his hand for Rukia to come with him so she could sit on his lap. Rukia did so, she sat on his lap and laid her head on his chest closing her eyes. Ichigo gently took her hand and began to play with her fingers. — When the queen died, the queen's children wanted to kill him. They blamed him for having brought misfortune to the queen and the kingdom, because Vayalat was the symbol that the kingdom was indestructible. If the queen could die, everyone could die. The Jeweler accepted his death because he no longer wanted to live without his queen.

— Why live an eternity, if I don't have the one I love by my side? — Rukia muttered and Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and squeezing Rukia's fingers.

— Death would have been merciful to the Jeweler, for he was a servant of the Shadow and upon death, he would be able to join the queen in the eternity beyond life. They let him live, expelled him from the kingdom and left him to his own fate.

— And he built a kingdom, because suicide is a sin. — Rukia whispered, not moving from his lap. — He became a king seeking his own death until someone killed him. Why didn't you ever tell me about this? Why didn't you ever tell me about that gift?

Ichigo was silent for a moment, he didn't need to think of an answer because he knew it; he just didn't want to say it out loud.

— I didn't think it was something important. — Ichigo confessed holding Rukia's hand where the queen's ring was still awake, but she got up from his lap just so she could look him in the face.

— Didn't you think it was something important?! — Rukia's voice echoed with that mixture of anger, complaint and disappointment. Ichigo immediately got up with the intention of approaching her, but Rukia took a step away from him.

— I don't know if I'm really going to live that long! I don't know if I'm going to keep myself at my best until the Shadow comes for me! — The desperation in Ichigo's voice changed to pleading. — I didn't want you to think about this... I didn't want you to think about...

— Didn't you want me to think that you will see me die and you won't be able to do anything to prevent it? — Rukia's voice carried the tone of complaint, sarcasm and pain that made Ichigo's soul ache. Again he wanted to get closer to her, but Rukia moved away. — You should have let me decide, let me decide if I thought about it or not... but now... now it's the only thing I think about and I'm afraid.

— Rukia... I didn't want to... — Ichigo couldn't get close to her. Rukia paced back and forth in the room with her hands over her face.

— You didn't want what?! — Rukia looked at him, and Ichigo could see the fear in her voice. — All this is too much for me, I can't take it anymore.

Rukia looked at Ichigo for a moment and then left that house through the door that led to the beach. Ichigo called out to her but Rukia didn't turn around, and even though he took a few steps to follow her, he didn't. She wanted to be alone and he felt guilty again.

—

Rukia had been thinking too much while walking in her nightgown on the beach, and among all the things she thought, she came to the conclusion that if she were in Ichigo's place, she would also have hidden from him that she had the possibility of living longer than anyone. No one wants to tell the person they love that they will watch them die without being able to do anything about it.

She couldn't blame him for wanting to protect her like that although that didn't stop her from being upset with him; she had a right to be upset with him. She had the right to feel sad, lost, and desolate; and she had the obligation to get out of those dark feelings before they plunged her into an abyss from which she could not get out later.

Overthinking things never leads to anything good.

Rukia sighed and focused her gaze on the door that led to the beach, there was Ichigo, sitting in the same place where she had been sitting the day before, completely silent and looking at the sea while he waited for her. Rukia approached him, who looked up when he saw her, and sat down next to him, buried her feet in the sand and rested her head on Ichigo's shoulder with that softness that comes before peace.

— Don't ever hide such important things from me. — Rukia whispered without taking her eyes off the sea. — If I am going to die before the man I love, or if the man I love awakens a third eye that connects him to infinity, I want to know. I will decide what to do with that information and I will decide how much it affects me.

— I promise I won't do it again. — Ichigo's voice sounded guilty and Rukia reached for his hand only to play with his fingers like he did with hers when they spent time in silence.

— Does this count as our first married fight? — Rukia asked, trying to ease all the heavy atmosphere between them.

— No. Our first married fight should be epic, at least two towns destroyed and hundreds dead. — Ichigo moved a little just to hug Rukia around the waist. — I'm sorry. This is my fault. Had I known, I wouldn't have given you the ring.

— And deprive me of knowing this fascinating path full of mysteries? — Rukia asked playing with the sand between her toes. — Maybe none of this would have happened and now we would be swimming at the beach. Remove the stone from the ring, you're a jeweler right? Remove it and let's finish this. I know what the queen wants and I know what I must do.

— Why?

Rukia got up and stood in front of Ichigo who looked up at her.

— The queen offered me a deal, just as the Shadow offered her, and I accepted it. — Rukia was looking at him, with that determination that was in her after having been through emotional chaos. — Deep down, ever since I became a servant of the Shadow, I've known and wanted it. The attack in Visnia made me realize that what I fear is not my death, I fear living without you. I don't want to be the Jeweler, I don't want to see how the Shadow takes you away from my arms because you try to protect me... I don't want to always be the one you have to protect, I want you to know that I can also take care of myself and that I can take care of you.

— What if I say no? — Ichigo asked getting up and clenching his hand into a fist, looking at her with an expression that was too serious at the moment. — What if I refuse? No one has ever done this before, you don't know what's going to happen and you don't know if you're going to die doing it. It's dangerous... and you don't need this magic to take care of me... I...

Rukia could feel the fear in Ichigo's voice, she could see it in his eyes and she could understand it because she was scared too. Ichigo's fear was painful.

— What do I do if this goes wrong? — He asked. — What do I do if I lose you? It will all be my fault.

— My Sun, stop blaming yourself that nothing is your fault. — Rukia said as she hugged him tightly. — You're not going to lose me, everything is going to be fine... and it's my decision. If you don't do it, I'll find someone who does... I just wish it was you.

Ichigo hugged her back tightly and was silent for a while. Rukia hoped that he would say yes, because in that place she only trusted him and because he was her partner; her partner in crime.

— Just don't die... I don't need an eternity without you.

—

Everything that happened, after Rukia swallowed the red stone in the ring, Ichigo didn't know how to interpret it other than the Shadow's presence.

There were no records of what could happen when the stone was swallowed, there were no testimonies or anything like that, because it had never occurred to anyone to swallow the stone with the blood of the queen of Vayalat.

Ichigo laid Rukia down on the bed, she was unusually still and her breathing was so slow that Ichigo had to stare at her chest to check that she was still alive and breathing. He didn't know what to do if things went wrong, so he asked Renji to go get his uncle, but as soon as the man stepped out of the house, he yelled that the mist was coming from the sea.

A second later, the bells of the watchtowers rang with the peals of mist.

Ichigo left the house through the door that led to the beach, and saw that indeed, the mist moved over the surface of the sea so slowly, that were it not for some landmarks disappearing from view, he would have thought the mist was not moving.

Kholtan entered the house as fast as an arrow through that door and Ichigo closed the doors and windows of the house with the help of Renji and Tatsuki. He knew mist, had seen it while at sea and in winter, but never like this. Ichigo wanted to think it was common mist, but deep down he had a suspicion that the mist was because of what Rukia had done.

The next thing that came was darkness, it was not yet sunset when suddenly all daylight was extinguished. The darkness covered everything so fast that it was like a blink. The bells did not stop ringing, but this time the pealing became slow, similar to those used for funerals, and immediately Ichigo knew that they were the bells of the Shadow Temples.

Tatsuki started lighting the candles as fast as she could to light up the house and the room where Rukia was still asleep.

— Ichigo… what the hell is going on? — Renji asked, using that familiarity between them when they were in private.

— The shadow. The Deity, the only one that exists. Is here.

— Here? Among us? — Renji's voice sounded incredulous at that statement, but Ichigo also felt the fear of the unknown filter through his friend's words.

— Among us. The Shadow lives in every child and servant who has joined him. — Ichigo looked at Renji for a moment before turning his gaze back to Rukia, who was still asleep and motionless. From one moment to another, Ichigo felt the magic move over his skin as well as the tattoo on his back, and he had no doubt that it was the Shadow that was there. — Pray Renji. Start praying to the Shadow and show him that you are a devoted servant, because I don't know why this is happening and it's all I can think of at the moment.

Renji nodded and left that room to join Tatsuki in the small anteroom that was in that house. Ichigo heard him pray and he did the same; he prayed to the Original Mother and the Shadow that whatever was going on with Rukia, she would come back to him alive.

Ichigo didn't pray, but this time he inevitably did.

Summer — x493 / July 10

Rukia opened her eyes with the clarity of the day. She moved her eyes, trying to figure out where she was, until the room took shape in front of her. She sat up gently on the bed and discovered that Ichigo was asleep on the couch next to the bed; he hadn't left her side and that made her smile.

Her body ached, as if she had rested too much, and her head was a whirlpool of ideas, memories, and information trying to find a space, as if her mind were a record room and a little man was trying to accommodate everything. For a moment, Rukia thought that she would feel different, that there would be something new about her, but everything felt the same; she even checked her tattoo and it was still the same, just maybe the flower petals seemed a bit bigger but nothing more.

Queen Vayalat had given her the gifts that her children had, and the first thing Rukia did was try to control a small shadow, which was formed by daylight coming through the windows, but nothing happened. She focused on that shadow and ordered it to move, just as the queen had done in those memories, but the shadows remained immovable.

Rukia felt frustrated. It wasn't how she had imagined it.

She tried once more, and this time the shadow did move; it was like a curve or wave, but the shadow moved and she smiled at that. Rukia was actually pleased to get the shadow to move until she realized that Ichigo was awake and he was the one moving his fingers as if caressing something in the air.

Rukia looked at him for a moment, with that look of false anger, and Ichigo smirked before getting up from his seat and going with her to bed.

— To master the shadows, you must first train, my Moon. It is not something you learn overnight. — Ichigo explained in bed, who seemed to be in a good mood and that puzzled Rukia.

— Does cheating on me like that put you in a good mood? — Rukia asked poking him on the cheek. — Uh? Uh?

— It puts me in a good mood to see that you woke up. — Ichigo started poking her ribs as well with a mischievous look. — And because I dreamed of the queen's voice. She told me some things, I don't fully understand them... but it's enough to make me feel calm. — Ichigo stopped poking Rukia's ribs and reached out to gently caress her cheek. — Thank you for coming back.

— I don't understand a lot of things either, but everything is fine… I told you everything would be fine. — Rukia whispered with a smile before giving Ichigo a small kiss on the lips. — Now, let's take a bath. I have a lot of things to tell you and I concentrate better when I see you naked, my Sun.

— Then say no more, my princess! — Ichigo carried her into the bathroom, holding her like she really weighed nothing as Rukia pretended to protest about it. — The bathtub awaits us.

Hi everyone!

I'm going to explain Eternity: Eternity is not Immortality.

Immortality is the ability to not die. No matter the injury or the number of internal organs that are missing (with the exception of the heart or brain) you will continue to live. In this story there is NO Immortality.

Eternity, in this story, is the ability to live a long time while maintaining the same appearance. As Young Forever, but it is only that, they can die as any human would die, even of old age. In other words, if Rukia and Ichigo don't get killed first, they will live much longer than a normal person.

The Jeweler was eternal like the queen, he was a gift from the Shadow to her.

I'll upload the next update as soon as I finish it. Kisses to everyone.

Special regards to: Guest, diah77, DrakenDragFire and jobananasan