There will be three parts, I've decided. Stay tuned.
Metastases (Part 2)
He sits alone by the side of the water, gazing at the perfect ripples spreading out towards the banks as nature drifts by tranquilly. The light reflected off of the ceaseless pond splays across his face, cautiously illuminating his golden eyes—which, while usually fierce, sharp and alert, are half-closed, slightly diluted and dulled.
In the midst of this peace, a gentle breeze wisps past disarmingly. His blonde hair is tossed up in the wind, and he smiles.
His mind is in a thick fog, stumbling, undeniably lost among thoughts. When he arrived here for good, he was certain that he had chosen to live a life of solitude and yearning, but he is not so sure that that is the case anymore. He lets the world drift by for a few more moments, mired in silent contemplation.
"It doesn't matter who you are...if you work hard, it pays off," he quietly whispers into the afternoon light.
Yeah...
There is no surer proof of that than her. Amidst the quiet chaos and cold inferno that surround him, she serves as a bright hole in the shroud of grief that used to hang over him. Hard work was the price, and he payed it without hesitation, without thought. Sitting peacefully under the shifting tree, lounging beside the water, he can still remember perfectly when they met. It was, of all places, at the university.
He grins when he thinks back to the moment that, while completely lost in his thoughts, he careened to the side and knocked into her, proceeding to apologize profusely, then nearly leaving his feet when he glimpsed her face.
Every emotion he felt then—shock, confusion, worry, hope, distress—is being recounted in his mind as he continues to stare at the water.
They are all gone now, replaced by a single one that outreaches its predecessors by what must be thousands of miles, far enough to span across oceans.
He was completely prepared for everything that he knew would follow, and yet it somehow still managed to catch him off guard and significantly surprise him. What started out as a coincidental rendezvous with an identical copy of the face of his past swiftly evolved into something greater, something unbelievable and astounding.
As he casually leans back, partially decomposed leaves crunch softly in conjunction with approaching footsteps.
He sits alone by the side of the water, gazing back towards the path and watching a fresh person with an old face approach him.
A/N: This one was a little unlike me. A lot unlike me, actually. A lot of elements are in keeping with my style, but there just seemed to be a little too much...well, I can't identify it, but I do regretfully admit that the next one will be sappy. I could be imagining it, though. I have a few things to say. Firstly, as stated above, the Metastases mini-short/series will be a trilogy, so I've got one more coming. Second, when I do finally get past that, the next short in Legend will be 100 Al-centric. Cue cheers. Third, I can't apologize and beg for all of your forgiveness enough for my lack of updates lately. I just want you all to know I am resuming consistent work on Legend and constant development of Four Seasons (tentative title, check my profile). I want to stress that To Heal the Wounds of the Heart chapter 12 WILL be out this weekend, or by this weekend, no exceptions. And you all better hold me to my word. I know how many people love that story, and I feel as though I'm letting everyone down by working so slowly on the next installment. It's coming. Promise.
That's all. Thanks for putting up with me (hah) and review.
LL