rejection; Sleeping Beauty AU because twitter asked for it
For as long as history had been recorded, the royal families among the great nation of Gran Pulse had been blessed – not just with wealth and power, but by magic and knowledge only royals could possibly be privy to. This was not an everyday occurrence, however; such blessings were only bestowed when a new child of a royal family was born.
It was always a ceremony like nothing else in Gran Pulse; perhaps even the world. A few days after a child was born, three women would be invited to visit. Two called Fang and Vanille had been blessed by the goddess and were her immortal daughters. They would lavish gifts on the new children – gifts such as beauty, strength, perseverance, or song.
The third woman was only immortal by way of reincarnation. She, too, was blessed by the goddess, but was cursed to die as any other human did. Unlike humans, however, she was always reborn in the same likeness. This woman was a Seeress named Yeul – her gift to the child was always a vision of its future and what they would bring upon the kingdoms they would one day inherit.
Kings and queens all across Gran Pulse always felt blessed by the presence of the three – not only were the gifts blessings in themselves, but Yeul's ability to see the future ensured peace among the kingdoms for years to come.
However, peace is always inevitably shattered, and this time, it came apart with the birth of a new princess.
There hadn't been a new birth in any royal family for quite some time, but even this one was especially prosperous since King and Queen Farron had been trying for quite some time to have a child. The birth of their daughter was met with much celebration, not only in their own kingdom, but in allied kingdoms as well.
It was no wonder that when it came time for the new princess's blessings, King and Queen Farron were especially grateful and hopeful. Hundreds of people attended the ceremony, hoping to get a glimpse of their future ruler.
The three blessed by the goddess were the first to have that honor, though. Fang and Vanille arrived in a flash of light, with Yeul following close behind. Typically, the gifts would be bestowed first and then Yeul would announce her prophecy as she saw the future through her eyes only.
Fang leaned over the ornate, elaborate cradle, where the new princess was proudly on display. She quirked a smile at the tuft of pink hair on the baby's head, and though the little princess was asleep, her fists were still clenched and moved wildly in her dreams.
"Princess," Fang drawled for a moment. The mark on her arm – proof that she was blessed by the goddess – glowed as she drew power from it. "My gift to you is the gift of strength and grace. When it comes to it, nothing's going to keep you down. You'll lead by example and none will be able to tear their eyes from you"
Fang waved her hand in a precise gesture and the princess's body glowed for a moment, a sign she'd received her blessing. King and Queen Farron smiled gratefully at Fang and then looked expectantly at Vanille, who bounced over to the cradle, peering into it with a wide smile.
"Princess," she said excitedly. "My gift is - "
She was immediately cut off by a sudden rush of wind that snuffed out nearly all the candles in the room. Everyone shrieked in surprise, their eyes darting around in suspicion. Queen Farron immediately hurried over to the cradle while the King stood in front of his wife, ready to shout out orders..
…But they all stopped when Yeul's eyes suddenly glowed gold, a sign of a prophecy to come.
The room grew dead silent…at least until Yeul pointed to the cradle, or more specifically, the child resting there, and spoke in her quiet voice.
"She is doomed."
Before the King or Queen could respond, a dark sort of smoke appeared and a man dressed in a lavish purple outfit stepped out from it the very moment the gold disappeared from Yeul's eyes. She gasped and collapsed, nearly falling to the ground if the man hadn't been there to catch her.
"You!" Fang shouted, stepping forward with tense shoulders. "Caius Ballad! You've got no purpose here!"
When they heard the name Fang shouted, people began to murmur amongst themselves in fear and surprise. Caius was among the immortal as well – however, his sort was always talked about as being a curse rather than a gift. It was said that he was Yeul's guardian throughout her many reincarnations and protected her in silence. Very rarely was he even seen.
Until now.
"You say that, and yet over and over, you all force Yeul into your own selfish purpose." Caius lifted Yeul, whose limbs hung limply from his hold. "She is made to see the futures of these wretched kingdoms. And for what?"
"For peace!" Vanille cried, stepping forward, though Fang's arm shot out and prevented her from going further. "She's glad to see the future if it'll continue this harmony!"
"But at what cost?" Caius's eyes glowed red for a brief moment, which caused everyone to gasp in fear, though the sound was drowned out when he shouted, "She does not live to see it!"
Comprehension seemed to dawn, and it was suddenly very obvious that the Yeul in Caius's arms was dead – apparently killed by the prophecy she had seen claiming that Princess Farron was doomed.
But doomed by what?
"I have seen countless Yeuls meet their end this way," he continued, his anger all too obvious now. Flames of fury danced around him as he advanced on the royal family. "They see the future for the royals, but at what cost? For what in return?! Just death!"
"Caius - " Fang started.
"How many times must I wait in agony, knowing that no matter what I do, nothing can prevent Yeul's death? All for the selfishness of these royals, who do not deserve such a gift!"
"They're not selfish!" Vanille cried, but it was in vain.
"You, too, shall know this." Caius stared at King and Queen Farron, his eyes glowing red again, darkness swirling around. "The princess shall grow as beloved as Yeul always is, protected and cherished. But on her twenty-first birthday - " and it was here that his voice grew louder and surged with anger while a red light surrounded the cradle, " - she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die, as Yeul is forever cursed to do."
Vanille gasped and covered her mouth while Fang charged towards Caius, but he simply smirked and stepped away, disappearing into a cloud of dark smoke. When it vanished, he was gone.
Queen Farron scooped up the baby, holding her close as though that would stave off the curse. "Was he serious?" she asked, sounding faint. "What…what do we do now?"
There was a beat of silence before Vanille suddenly cleared her throat. "I…I haven't given my gift yet, Your Majesty."
"Can you break this curse?!" King Farron asked, coming to his wife's side.
"I can't," Vanille replied sadly, "but I can change it a bit." At the King and Queen's frantic nods, Vanille took a deep breath, only steadied when Fang lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Princess," Vanille said quietly, drawing power from the goddess brand on her thigh, "my gift to you is a softer fate – the gift of hope." The words slowly became a bit more confident. "You will fall – not in death, but in sleep. Only true love's kiss will be able to wake you. They will have one hundred years to find you before you remain as you are – still not in death, but as pure crystal for all eternity."
The princess's body glowed with a white light that vanished at Vanille's precise hand gesture. The curse had officially been changed – but the threat still remained. Either the princess would be awoken by true love's kiss, or she would forever remain in crystal. Were she to become entombed in crystal, there was a slim chance the goddess would take pity and release her. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than death.
Still, King Farron did not want to take any chances. That very night, he ordered every spinning wheel in the kingdom to be burned. He vowed to never let his daughter outside the palace walls – nor would they dare have another child, lest Caius came back and lay another curse on them.
Princess Claire Farron grew indeed with strength and grace and beauty. Stories spread far and wide that she could wield a sword better than any man. She was said to be beloved by anyone lucky enough to meet her – if they could keep up, of course. Rumors were had that she had little patience for most people, which made the gossipers wonder what sort of ruler she might be.
But on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Claire was drawn away from the lavish party in her honor by shadows dancing on the walls. She couldn't say why she was so compelled to follow them, but she felt herself completely unable to resist.
When she'd climbed to the highest tower of the castle, smoke rose from the shadows and conjured something she had never seen before.
A spinning wheel.
It was soon after this that someone realized that Claire was missing from her own party and, recalling the curse, King Farron ordered everyone to search every nook and cranny in the castle for the princess.
But she was found a moment too late – just as she reached forward in a trance, pricking her finger and sentencing herself to a one hundred-year sleep. She was beautiful even in her death-like slumber.
That was the story that would survive for decades to come.
–
Seventy-five years later
When King and Queen Estheim welcomed a child, their kingdom was beyond overjoyed. Queen Nora was much beloved by their people, and King Bartholomew was a fair and kind ruler – one of the best that had been seen for many, many years. Ever since the Seeress Yeul had stopped attending the blessing ceremonies for quite some time now, the futures of all the kingdoms in Gran Pulse had been more than a little uncertain and there was a constant talk of war.
King Bartholomew would hear none of it, and that was why he and his wife agreed to name their son Hope – in the "hopes" that he would continue to eventually lead in peace.
Of course, blessings from the daughters of the goddess would certainly help – they'd helped him so many years ago, after all. Even if there was no one to spell out their future, they could surely figure it all out on their own with a bit of help.
When Fang and Vanille arrived at the ceremony, they bowed their heads to the King and Queen in respect before heading to the cradle. Vanille immediately grinned, barely hiding a squeal. "He's adorable!"
Queen Nora smiled softly. "He's our precious…Hope."
"You don't say…" Fang murmured, trying to catch Vanille's eye, but she was too busy cooing at the baby. Of course.
"Now more than ever," King Bartholomew agreed. "Things have been…restless for years now. If nothing else, I'd like us to continue living in relative peace." He gestured towards his son. "Anything you can possible do to help him towards that path – we'd be forever grateful."
Fang nodded, drawing power from the goddess brand on her arm. "Prince Hope," she said, sounding oddly lost in thought. "I present to you the gift of wisdom. May it never fail you or lead you to unrest."
A flash of light and the gift was given. Queen Nora gave Fang a grateful smile – wisdom was one of the rarer gifts to be bestowed upon a royal child. Why Fang had chosen to give it now was a mystery, but of course it was nothing to raise a complaint about.
Vanille smiled as well, her own goddess brand glowing on her thigh. "Little prince," she said, "my gift is that of courage and righteousness. May you always be fair to your subjects and true to yourself. Listen to your heart and trust its path."
Though the King and Queen also appeared grateful at this gift, Fang had an odd look on her face. "Vanille - "
Before she could say anything more, a brilliant flash of light suddenly appeared, blinding everyone for a moment, which was why at first they could only blink in surprise when a long-haired figured emerged from it.
"The Seeress?!" Queen Nora gasped, taking a step back. Of course, the Seeress Yeul provided certainty for the land – but the last time she'd appeared almost a century ago, it had only brought upon doom.
"Yeul?!" Vanille cried, she and Fang rushing forward to see their old friend. "What are you doing here?"
Yeul just stared ahead for a moment, her eyes falling on the cradle. At that, the King and Queen rushed to the side of it, as though to protect the child inside, even though Yeul made no move to go towards him.
Instead, she spoke. "The kingdoms of Gran Pulse have been at unrest for nearly a century now. This, I know. This, myself and my ancestors have seen and have always known."
"Then why didn't you tell us?" King Bartholomew demanded to know. "Why let everything escalate with talk of war?!"
"It was not my place. Besides, I would not have been welcomed." When there was no denial to that statement, Yeul continued calmly, "But things will be different. I can see destiny coming together." Her eyes suddenly glowed gold with the telling of a prophecy, and everyone held their breaths. When she finally spoke again, Yeul pointed calmly to the baby prince.
"He will bring Light back into the land. When the time of the curse has passed, he will be the one to break the spell."
Though the King and Queen looked fairly confused, Vanille gasped, her hand covering her mouth in surprise. "Yeul – do you mean…?"
"Yes. After all, you were the one to grant that gift."
Fang said the words as she looked towards Vanille, cementing the destiny of two individuals born across many generations. "…The gift of Hope."
–
Though the Seeress's prophecies were said to be absolute, it still took King and Queen Estheim some time to believe what was in store for their son. After all, the royal family Farron had seemingly died out decades ago – in fact, the castle that used to house them was surrounded by thorny spikes of crystal, making it impossible to get in easily. Those who believed that a princess with rose-colored hair slept in the very tallest tower sometimes tried to smash and make their way through the crystal. Obviously, those missions always ended in failure, either in the pursuer's ashamed defeat or in their death.
Even those who didn't believe the story had to admit that there was something odd about the castle – not just because of the crystal thorns that surrounded it, but also because it appeared to be perfectly preserved, without any sort of wear and tear, never mind nearly a century's worth.
The other odd thing was the highest tower – the one the princess was believed to be sleeping in – was often struck by lightning, perhaps because of how tall it was. This led some storytellers to affectionately call the princess 'Lightning.'
As Queen Nora told this story to her infant son one night before bedtime, it struck her that maybe the Seeress had been correct in more ways that one.
After all, hadn't Yeul claimed that Hope would bring light back into the land…?
Perhaps it was farfetched, but the idea stayed in her mind and she couldn't help but wonder if it was true.
–
It was when Prince Hope turned fourteen that he began having the dreams.
Surely it was only natural for a boy his age to be having dreams about beautiful women, but these dreams were particularly vivid. He could always see the woman's face so clearly, as if he was truly standing right in front of her. He'd never seen rose-colored hair like that, or gazed at eyes so blue it hurt to see them.
Nothing unforgiving ever happened in these dreams. She would just stare at him curiously, clearly ignoring the endless void of nothingness surrounding them. At times her brow would furrow, like he was a puzzle she was attempting to figure out. A lesser man would say that even in dreams, women weren't clever enough for that, but Hope was wise enough to know better.
It was only when the dreams had been happening for several months that Hope thought to mention them to his mother – privately, of course, without servants or even his father around.
At first, Nora didn't seem to think much of it, but when Hope mentioned that the woman had rose-colored hair, her demeanor suddenly grew serious and she looked around, as though to reassure themselves that they were alone.
"Have you ever heard the story of the castle in the kingdom to the east? The one by the sea?"
"I'm a bit old for bedtime stories," Hope replied, wondering what this had to do with the dreams.
Nora smiled a bit. "Trust me, this isn't quite a bedtime story."
"But a story, nonetheless." Hope shrugged with one shoulder. "I've heard that it's been encased in crystal for nearly a century. There's rumors that a princess sleeps in the highest tower." Not that he believed this. Sure, the crystallized castle was confirmed easily enough – several artists had made renditions of it over the years. He was fairly sure one of those paintings was displayed in their own gallery.
But the sleeping princess? Pure myth.
Right?
His mother shook her head slowly. "It's not just a rumor."
"…What?"
"When you were born, the Seeress came to you." Nora nodded when Hope's eyes went wide. "It was the first time in three-quarters of a century that she had given a prophecy at a royal birth."
Hope was stunned. "What prophecy did she tell of me?"
Nora was quiet for a moment before answering, perhaps gathering her words. "She and the daughters of the goddess – the ones who bestowed gifts upon you – told your father and I that there is a princess with rose-colored hair in a century-long sleep in that castle, in the very tallest tower. It's from my understanding that she was cursed at her own birth."
"Cursed by who?"
"I'm not sure." Nora sounded disappointed that she didn't know. "But the prophecy the Seeress saw for you – she said that you would be the one to break the spell."
For a long moment, the only sound was the fire cackling in the room, but then suddenly, Hope shot to his feet and began pacing. "Mother, do you have any idea how completely ridiculous this sounds?! You would believe the words of a far-fetched Seeress over pure and simple fact?"
"The Seeress isn't farfetched," Nora replied, her voice steady as she stared at her son. "What she sees is the absolute truth. The fact that you are dreaming of the Princess Farron without even knowing this only proves that."
"It's not her! There's no possible way!"
Nora said nothing as she rose to her feet and crossed the room, apparently having had enough of her son's denial, but she turned her head and spoke before leaving the room. "It used to be that the Seeress's premonitions kept peace among Gran Pulse. That you would reject the future she saw for you means you may reject that peace as well."
Hope stared at the closed door once his mother had left. His heart wanted to believe her, but logic did not.
–
Several nights later, when he inevitably dreamed of the woman again, she spoke to him for the first time.
"Be strong. Control your emotions in front of your people, but don't be afraid to share them with those close to you."
He woke up confused, a strange longing squeezing his heart that he could not quite describe, but everything made sense when his father came to his bedchamber hours later and informed him that Nora had mysteriously passed away in her sleep overnight.
Had the woman in his dreams not advised him, Hope might have reacted differently, but as it was, he clung to his father in a rare display of affection before putting on a more stoic face when he later addressed his citizens.
–
Though Hope vastly preferred studying and reading over combat, when he was close to becoming of age, King Bartholomew insisted that his son be trained in the ways of the sword. After all, someday, he might have to lead a war or fight on his own – a fact that seemed more and more likely, given the unrest throughout Gran Pulse. It did not help that a new royal child had been born in a northern kingdom several weeks ago and apparently, the Seeress had not paid a visit to it.
Besides, Hope knew that his father was growing older. He had to be prepared for anything; to be able to rule at any moment. Sure, he'd been in training for this his entire life, but that didn't make the task any less daunting.
With those thoughts in mind, Hope tried his best during his sword fighting lesson, but it didn't go well. His trainer, a man named Noel who he considered a friend, had actually been going easy on him, and yet he still fell to defeat every time.
"You're thinking about it too hard, Your Highness," Noel said. "The key to a win is to let instinct guide you."
Which was much easier said than done.
And yet, when those thoughts made their way into his dreams that night, the rose-haired princess advised nearly the same thing.
"Still your mind. Move on instinct."
Even though they were in the dream realm, she attempted to teach him the proper technique. He wasn't in his physical body, but he could swear that he was able to feel her touch – the way her fingers lightly glided along his arm, holding on just so as she positioned him properly.
The next day, Hope challenged Noel to a duel and won, much to the surprise of everyone around them.
–
The dreams grew more and more frequent the closer he got to his twenty-fifth year. Gradually, he began to realize that they weren't normal dreams, exactly – it was as though their souls were in the same dimension since their physical bodies were not close by. Little by little, Hope learned to somewhat control the sensation, which meant that he was often able to speak to her.
"They call you Lightning now, because the tower where you sleep is often struck. The stories say that it's because of the curse."
"I believe that. But Lightning is a bit of a mouthful. You may call me Light."
"Do you not remember your name from before your sleep?"
"I cannot remember much from before you appeared. I fear that soon the crystal will consume me completely, and I'll be nothing more than a memory."
Those conversations frightened Hope the most. If he was the one who was apparently destined to awaken the Princess from her sleep…how on earth was he supposed to manage such a thing? So many men had already died trying to journey through the crystal thorns that surrounded the castle. Hope did not intend to be one of them.
He had to wonder if any of these previous men had seen her in their dreams – or perhaps that was something just for him, because of the prophecy made at his birth. If that was the case…he considered himself quite lucky. One could only, well, dream of conversing with such a smart, beautiful woman, even if they were not speaking aloud.
"Tell me something about yourself," he asked one night as he gave in to his voluntary slumber. They'd somehow managed to gather each other in their arms, slowly moving in a crude imitation of a waltz.
To believe he was having her so close, though, was worth any dance missteps.
"I'm not sure there's much to tell."
"There's always something."
She'd smirked at that, but then seemed to seriously consider the question. "I adore the sea. I'm not sure if it's because my kingdom is on the coast or if I'm just simply drawn to it otherwise. That will be a regret of mine, should I completely turn to crystal…that I'll never be able to hear the waves again."
"You will."
She stared at him. "How?"
Before he could answer, the dream dissipated into a fog of nothingness. Hope wearily blinked his eyes open, his heart strangely pounding as he listened to the servants mull around and go about with their duties, but he merely lay there, straining his ears for her voice.
It was then that he knew what he had to do. He couldn't reject the prophecy. He couldn't.
Sure, he hardly knew her. He'd only spoken to her in dreams. There was a chance that if he took this risk, he may very well pay for it with his life. Or perhaps he was simply going mad and there wasn't a castle covered in crystal thorns to the east, and there was no sleeping princess in the tallest tower, slowly being consumed by crystal.
It didn't matter.
He had to know.
–
Though King Bartholomew didn't approve at first, Hope pointed out that not only was he of age, but that this had all been foretold at his birth. The king reluctantly agreed and gave his son the blessing to travel east.
Alone.
The strangest thing was that Hope didn't actually feel alone. Something was urging him on and it was a strange, silent company that kept with him as he galloped through the lesser-traveled roads, only stopping to switch horses or have food and drink. Besides a bit of provisions, all he'd taken with him was the sword he'd been using to train with Noel. He prayed he could use it to smash through some of the crystal thorns.
With how quickly he was able to travel, the journey only took a few days. Hope knew he was getting close when areas became more sparsely populated – there wasn't much use for citizens out here without a leader nearby, he figured.
And just like that, he found the castle.
He abruptly halted his horse, staring at the structure in complete awe. Even though the crystal was quite clearly deadly, there was an odd beauty to it – even one hundred-years couldn't dull its shine. It would surely last for an eternity.
…As would Princess Lightning, if the crystal consumed her body.
Since the space between the crystal thorns appeared narrow, Hope hurriedly leaped from his horse, a hand on the hilt of his sword as he raced into the sharp mass of crystal. His clothing was immediately caught on sharp points and he narrowly avoided accidentally slicing his throat more than once.
To his shock, he soon came to an empty clearing, even though the castle was still a ways away. The hairs on his neck stood, and moments later, he soon saw why.
A cloud of dark smoke formed and out stepped a lavishly dressed man, his purple outfit a stark contrast to the glittering crystal surrounding them. His eyes glowed red and Hope took a hesitant step back.
"The Seeress saw that you would be the one to break this curse," the man said in a deep voice. "And for that, she paid with her life. You and the Princess shall both do the same. I will not let you wake her."
Hope slowly drew out his sword, though he was unable to hide how he was trembling a bit. Despite the unrest among Gran Pulse, he had yet to fight in real combat. "Who are you?"
"I am Caius Ballad." Though his tone of voice had sounded steady at first, it slowly grew louder and far more angry. "Guardian to the Seeress, made to witness her death countless times for eternity – and the last man you will ever see."
Before Hope could reply, Caius spread his arms with a smirk, as though he was was waiting for an attack. But the realization dawned on the Prince too late and seconds later, a bright glow – nearly as bright as the crystal – surrounded Caius.
"Hope, run! Forget that I'm here and save your own life!"
He gasped, stunned into a stupor for a moment. "Lightning?"
The only answer he got was when the light around Caius grew and changed his shape. There was another dark cloud of smoke, and Caius then burst through…
…As a dragon.
Hope let out a stunned cry and immediately attempted to dive for safety. Caius the dragon dove for him, snapping at the air with his sharp teeth and powerful jaws, his massive size shattering the crystal and sending thorns plunging straight to the ground. It was all Hope could do to scramble away, never mind fight him.
He was going to die here, just as so many men had before him.
I'm so sorry, Lightning.
"You've gotten this far! If you're going to fight, don't lay down and die!"
He gasped, both at the sound of Lightning's voice in his mind and at narrowly missing giant claws trying to cut him open. Hope quickly got to his feet and ran as fast as his legs would carry him – not that he could outrun a dragon, he knew.
"Your sword!"
Absentmindedly, Hope unsheathed his sword, though he didn't hold it with much confidence. It suddenly felt awkward in his hands, like he'd never had a lesson at all – and even so, what good was one man against a dragon?!
"Aim for his heart - it's the source of his power. When he approaches, toss the blade!"
Hope glanced at the sword in his hand. He wasn't sure he would be able to throw it such a distance to do enough damage, but…
"Trust your instincts! You'll know when to do it!"
It was at that moment that Hope realized that, since he was awake, Lightning wasn't speaking to him through his mind or dream consciousness.
She was speaking to him through his heart.
Trust the path your heart leads you, he thought out of nowhere, the words feeling familiar somehow. And if Lightning was his heart - yes, he trusted it.
Caius suddenly smashed through the surrounding crystal, eyes glowing dangerously red. He reared his head back with a roar, quite obviously preparing some attack to kill. Hope did the only thing he could possibly think to do.
He moved on instinct and tossed the sword with all his might.
His aim was swift and true. The blade twirled through the air gracefully before sinking perfectly into Caius's heart with a killing blow.
The dragon let out a roar of agony, claws scrambling to his chest as though to dislodge the sword, but it was too late. His whole body glowed red as the dragon continued to scream, writhing in utter agony. He soon fell over, his body further spiked by the crystal thorns, until the red glow surrounding his body fading into a dark, inky color.
And then, just like that, he was gone; dissolved into nothingness as a sudden silence permeated the air.
But Hope realized it wasn't completely silent, because distantly, he could hear the sound of the waves crashing on the nearby shore.
Lightning.
He quickly brushed aside his shock at Caius's death – not to mention being the one who'd caused it – and headed towards the castle. To his surprise, the crystal thorns seemed to be disappearing – as he ran past them, they seemed to soften and fade into a fine dust.
But he couldn't think about that, because right now, there was simply one thought on his mind.
Hope made his way up the spiral staircase that led to the very tallest tower. It wasn't until he'd reached the top that he realized his heart was pounding again – not from the stairs or exhilaration from battle, but because, well…
…She was here.
For a minute, he simply stood there and stared. Though of course he'd heard her voice in his dreams – had seen and touched her in those dreams – it paled in comparison to knowing that she was real.
Slowly, he stepped towards the bed where she had been in her cursed sleep for one hundred-years. Her body had gradually been consumed by crystal for this whole time. In fact, he noted with a slight blush, he couldn't tell if she was nude or if the crystal simply had no use for clothing, because the curves of her body were very clearly visible.
"Light?" he murmured quietly. Now that he was here, he was a bit unsure of how, exactly, he was supposed to break this curse and free her from her crystal prison.
If she could hear him, she didn't verbally answer. And she could have if she'd been able – the only part of her that had yet to be crystallized were her lips.
…Her lips.
Another blush formed on Hope's face. He thought of those dreams – of imagining she was close, their conversations, and how she'd managed to speak directly into his heart.
Trust your heart.
Without another moment of hesitance, Hope made his way right to the edge of the bed. Kneeling on one knee gave him the perfect leverage to lean down and press their lips together, hoping it would be enough to wake the sleeping beauty.
Kissing her made it all so real.
The minute he pulled away, the crystal covering Lightning's body began to glow. Though it was bright, he could not bear to tear his gaze away, so he saw the crystal slowly shatter, fading away into dust.
It all vanished, broken by his kiss, and indeed left behind someone real.
The crystal had been hiding a long, silken blue gown that now covered Lightning. When the last of the dust had faded away, he saw her chest rise with breath and held his own, unable to look away from her face.
There was a faint smile on her face before she'd even opened her eyes, and when she finally did, any traces of air left Hope's lungs. Her eyes were as pure and radiant as the crystal itself, except without single threat. They simply glowed with appreciation and…well, true love.
The sort, of course, that would have found its way even without the telling of a prophecy.
"I saw you," she finally said, her voice hoarse from a century of disuse. "In my dreams. You saved me from becoming merely a memory."
"Not only did I see you in my dreams as well," Hope replied, gently grasping her hand and pulling her up, which made it all the better to gaze upon her lovely face. "But I heard you in my heart."
Another soft smile formed on her lips, joy bubbling over from the broken curse. They both leaned in at the same moment, their lips meeting again in another kiss that spoke of promises, of truth, of loyalty.
Of hope.
Thank you all for your very, very nice reviews on the last chapter :3 Please review this one if it was to your liking~
(only four more to go omg)