Disclaimer: I do not own Magic: The Gathering, only my own characters.
CHAPTER 3-Couples Therapy
Crawling on the mossy forest ground, quasi invisible in the darkness that filled the underbrush, a small column of Fire Ants traveled towards their colony. The ants were dragging the carcass of an enormous beetle behind them. The queen would be pleased: their catch would greatly help the colony.
The beetle was extremely heavy for the ants; at least several hundred times their body weight, so they moved at an excruciatingly slow pace. Fortunately, they were close to their goal; they could smell the colony's pheromones in the surrounding areas. With renewed vigor, the Fire Ants pushed forwards, eager to reach the colony. Suddenly, in a thunderous crash, a shoe came down and squashed the ants, obliterating all their hard work in a mere second.
Eva faintly heard something crunch under her shoe, but she paid no heed; he attention was elsewhere at the moment. She stomped through the forest, muttering a string of curses directed at a certain ghell under her breath.
(How dare he reject me! Does he think he's so high and mighty that he's too good for me? If he loves me, why didn't he accept?)
In her rage, Eva punched at the nearest target, which, unfortunately for her, was a large boulder. Her eyes went wide in shock as pain shot through her hand and she thrust the bruised limb between her knees, squeezing it with her other hand while uttering yet another string of curses that would have put even the most belligerent user of profanity to shame.
Licking her bleeding knuckles, Eva sat beneath a large tree whose foliage spread out like a gigantic umbrella. The pain had brought her back to reality, but she was still irate at the Keeper of Black Mana.
(What is the matter with him? Is he afraid of commitment or something?)
(Put yourself in his shoes, Eva: he's never been in a relationship this serious before. This is completely foreign territory for him, so he's probably feeling very insecure)
(So he is afraid)
(No, Eva. I'm sure Arrathir would like nothing better than to take you as his mate. You just caught him by surprise)
(I don't get it)
(Much like with humans, demon males are usually the ones to make the first move, but ultimately, the choice of mates is left to the female. Now that the roles have been reversed, Arrathir is confused and needs time to digest the idea. Just don't push him. If you come onto him too strongly, you will just scare him off)
(You don't know Arrathir; he'd never leave me)
(There is a thin line between love and hate, Eva. What happens if you pour ice-cold water into a hot glass?)
(The glass shatters)
(Exactly. If you don't let the glass adjust to the temperature change, it contracts very rapidly and breaks. Similarly, if you don't let Arrathir warm up to the thought of you picking him as your mate, he too will break)
(So what do you suggest I do?)
(Tell him you respect his choices. Say you're not going to pressure him into this kind of relationship if he's not ready for it. Also, an apology for the beating you gave him would be nice)
A scream tore through the night. Arrathir writhed in pain as the sensation shot through his body. He screamed again from the unbearable torture his body was in. All he knew was the pain. It was so intense, he had already vomited twice and the third round was close. Fighting back the rising bile, he doubled over as more jolts ripped through him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out before passing out.
"Quit whining, you big baby," said Khell as he set Arrathir's dislocated shoulder.
"Have you ever gotten the shit kicked out of you by an enraged hanyou?" yelled Arrathir "It hurts!"
"Oh come on," said Khell "Your demon healing factor should be making this easy for you." Khell channeled some more mana into Arrathir's body, feeling the torn ligaments in Arrathir's wrists re-knitting back together. The Keeper's screams ceased and were replaced by the occasional whine as Khell continued healing the damage from Eva's attack.
"At least now we know who wears the trousers in your relationship," snickered Charles. Arrathir growled threateningly at him, while shooting the Keeper and angry glare.
"OK," said Khell, casting a final Nourish on Arrathir "You're patched up. You'll be sore for a few days, and need I remind you to try and avoid getting into another fight with Eva for a while?"
"Tell me something I don't know," grumbled Arrathir, getting up and stretching his limbs.
"Why'd she go apeshit on you anyways?" asked Charles.
"She asked me to be her mate," said Arrathir "And I gave an unsatisfactory answer." Charles and Khell face-fell.
"You said 'no' to Eva?" asked Charles in bewilderment.
"I said I was unsure and thought maybe we were taking things too fast," said Arrathir.
"Oh for the love of…Get your act together, Arrathir!" yelled Charles "This is the woman of your dreams you're taking about here! What the Hell is wrong with you? She's cute, smart, plays Magic, for fuck's sake, and to top it off, is in love with you!"
"I'd appreciate you not trying to tell me how to live my relationships," said Arrathir.
"Come on, Arrathir!" said Charles "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm just kind of freaked out by this whole thing, OK?" said Arrathir "I don't like the concept of marriage. It's supposed to be a sacred union between two people, but in today's world, its just become messed up."
"Don't see it as marriage," said Chiburuu, coming out in spirit form "Think of it more like this: you two are soul mates, that is to say, two souls destined to be mates or play an important part in each other's lives. In your case, I'd say both apply. You don't need marriage to seal your love. The bond between you two is stronger than what any symbolic ceremony could represent."
"I still think we're taking things a bit fast," said Arrathir "Technically, we don't know each other that well."
"In the big scheme of things, does that really matter?" asked Chiburuu "You know Eva is the one for you. I mean, all dating really does is help you find someone you love, which you've succeeded in doing. It's only logical that you should accept her proposal, after all it is really what both of you want."
Arrathir sighed. He knew they were both right. He'd just been so surprised by Eva's proposal that he hadn't known what to say. Part of him had wanted to grab Eva and show her just how much she meant to him and how he never wanted to be separated from her, but part of him had been confused and slightly afraid.
"OK," he said, "I'm going to think this over. I don't want to rush into something I'm not ready for, but at least now the notion of taking Eva as my mate is seriously in my mind."
"If you feel you need time," said Chiburuu "Then you should let Eva know that you aren't ready, but are willing to accept her proposal. If she loves you, she'll understand."
"There's just so many questions that pop up if I accept," said Arrathir "Like, what happens after we get home? How do we make a living? Where do we live?"
"You're both Keepers of Mana," said Charles "Everyday human problems are nothing for you."
"Yeah, well, last I heard, being a Keeper doesn't pay the bills," said Arrathir.
"You'll figure something out," said Charles "If you can take on a Planeswalker, making a living should be a walk in the park."
"Suppose we could always create our own plane to live on or something," shrugged Arrathir.
"Now there's an idea!" said Charles "Picture this: custom-made planes. We could go into business and make some serious money."
"I don't know," said Khell "First off, who would be rich enough to afford an entire plane? Also, since all artificial planes eventually collapse, we would be responsible for all of the plane's inhabitants. Sounds like more trouble than it is worth."
"Eh, it's an idea," said Arrathir "Well, I'm going back to bed."
Leaving the two Keepers, Arrathir rooted about in the bushes, looking for his blanket. He'd tossed it somewhere when the argument with Eva had started. As he searched, he suddenly felt someone grab him and slam him to the ground on his back. Before he could shout, a pair of lips covered his, muffling his screams. For an instant, Arrathir panicked, but then relaxed as Eva's taste filled his mouth.
"I'm sorry," whispered Eva in between kisses "I'm sorry I tried to force you into a committal relationship and for not respecting your choices. It was selfish of me. I've got to start considering your needs if we're ever going to have a serious relationship."
"Er, thanks," said Arrathir "But couldn't you have tapped me on the shoulder or something to get my attention?"
"I figured you'd prefer an more…direct approach," grinned Eva.
"Eva, I love you," said Arrathir "And someday, I want us to be mates. I have no doubt I've found my soul mate in you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"When you're ready," said Eva, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes "I'll be waiting for you, Arrathir."
Eva crushed her lips against Arrathir's, passionately making out with him. Arrathir returned the kiss, running his tongue along Eva's gums while the red Keeper stroked his ears, causing him to murr gently.
As the two Keepers kept playing tonsil hockey, Eva began removing Arrathir's trenchcoat, a rather difficult task seeing as how she was on top of him, but she managed to get his arms out of the sleeves. Arrathir shivered as the night air chilled his arms. His hands seemed to have a will of their own and moved down Eva's back, undoing the buttons of her dress. Eva raised her arms, allowing Arrathir to slide the dress off her shoulders, leaving her clad only in her long-sleeve shirt and panties.
Arrathir was getting extremely aroused and, judging by her scent, so was Eva. Unlike when Chiruu had been in control, Arrathir felt no sense of embarrassment or doubt. It just felt right to be with Eva like this.
Eva had managed to remove Arrathir's shirt and was gently kissing his chest while the black Keeper ran his hand through her hair. His breath came in ragged gasps as Eva massaged his chest, moving south. As she reached the waistband, she grinned, noticing his arousal straining against the cloth.
"Looks like you're ready for action," said Eva "Unfortunately, you'll have to wait. That was just a preview of what you're in for." Gathering her clothes, Eva began to redress herself, while Arrathir's mind began its long trek out of the gutter.
"You…tease!" he shouted.
"Oh come on," grinned Eva, giving him a peck on the cheek "I'm not going to make it that easy."
"You're cruel," said Arrathir.
"I want our first time to be special," said Eva, throwing Arrathir his blanket "Also, that's when we'll have to perform the mating ritual and that would mean you'd take me as your mate. I know you're not ready for that and I don't want to force you into that relationship. Hey, cheer up," she added, seeing the look on Arrathir's face "I'll sleep with you if you want, no strings attached."
"A-Are you sure?" stammered Arrathir, blushing.
"Don't be a prude," said Eva "We're fully clothed and I promise I won't try anything. I just want to be with you."
"Well, then I guess it's OK," said Arrathir.
"Yay!" squealed Eva, her ears perking up. She glomped Arrathir, sending them both crashing to the ground. Grabbing the blanket, she draped it over the two of them and rested her head on Arrathir's chest, soon falling asleep. This happened so fast that Arrathir barely had time to grunt in response to the glomp. He lay there, feeling the warmth of Eva's body against his; it felt nice. Arrathir began to gently stroke Eva's ears, enjoying the light vibrations against his chest as she began murring. As he gazed at the sleeping kitsune, Arrathir realized he was truly blessed to have Eva's love.
"Eva," he whispered "What would I do without you? You are my oxygen; the light in the dark tunnel of my life."
In some subliminal way, Eva must have heard him because she snuggled closer to the Keeper of Black Mana. The two Keepers lay there, wrapped in their little cocoon of happiness.
To be continued…
Author's Note: All together now, "Awwwwww!"
Until next time…