Author's Note - Slight Lemony at the end, but its all nice and sweet
Chapter 5 - All good things come to an end
"Undine, do you have to get dressed?" Tristan said a while later after he had made love to her again. Dusk was falling, and he could see the streaks through the sky.
"Yes Tristan. It is time. My people will have arrived to escort me home." Undine said sighing. She didn't want to leave him either, but she knew she had no choice.
"How would they have found out so fast, you haven't spoken to anyone?" he said, as he put on his pants and tunic.
"The connection. They knew it was severed." she said evasively
"How?" he said still not understanding
"I...I can't tell you." she stammered, wanting to share, but unable to.
"After everything that we have shared, after being so deep inside you, that I could feel your heartbeat, you still deny me this?" he said searching her face
"I have no choice." she said as her tears began to fall again. She hadn't been able to stop crying most of the afternoon, and he still could not understand why she wouldn't stay with him
"Of course you have a choice. There are always choices Undine. Do you not love me enough to stay with me?" he said as he held her face, wiping her tears away again.
"If I had not bound myself to Jian, then I would be free to bind myself to you, and would be free to love you, as you love me. But he severed those bonds, and that is the end of it. I can not tell you more then that. It is the custom of my people and.." she said but he interrupted her
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMS OF YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR'E MINE, AND I WILL NOT LET YOU GO!!" he shouted as he dragged her from the glade that they had been loving each other in and took her back to the headmistress's quarters.
"Headmistress Caoimhe!" he screamed
"Tristan, what on earth! Undine, why are you with him? What is going on here?" she said as she could see that Undine had grass stains on her shirt
"He severed the ties this morning. She is mine now. She said her people were coming to get her. I want you to tell them that she is mine now." Tristan said matter of factly, regardless of the fact that he was talking to someone 20 years older then him
"He...severed...them..." Aletta said going very pale and then bringing a hand to her mouth.
"Yes, Aletta, he rejected me." Undine said as a fresh amount of tears began to fall.
"Oh my dear girl, I am going to miss you. You have brought a fresh breath of air here." she said as Tristan watched her hug the girl
"Wait, I want you to help me stop her going. She is mine now. Even now, she could be carrying my child. I will not ever let her go." Tristan said
"Tristan, I am sorry, but nothing you or I can do to stop her from leaving. Even she can't stop it." Aletta said
"Her people are coming, you can tell them" he said desperately
"Undine, he needs to be told. Regardless of the traditions, he needs to be told." she said sighing, as she could see that within minutes this young man would be crushed.
"Tristan, I will be dead within an hour. That is what the severing does. It ends the life of this body. My people are coming to return my spirit with my people." Undine said watching her lover's eyes grow in horror
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" he screamed as he grabbed her and held her close
"This was why, Jian could not be told. If Jian was told and he severed it, she would still die, but remain in limbo, unable to return to her people. If he had accepted her, and they had children, they would be like her." Aletta said
"That is why you told me not to tell him. But she still is going to die!" he cried out as he too was crying with her
"No, she will not be dead. Her body is going to die, but she will still remain. Tristan, she isn't human. She never was." Aletta said, as Undine turned to her and with her eyes, silently pleaded with her not to say any more.
"Undine, he needs to be told. Tristan from your studies, what is an Undine?" she said forcing him to accept what she was about to tell him
"An Undine is a water spirit, serving the Gods...By the PORINGS! Undine, you're a water sprite! That's why you didn't drown. That's why you always go to water." he said staring at her anew
"Yes, and my people will be here soon." Undine said, as she softly stroked Tristan's face, awash with his own tears
"Undine, I will leave you alone now." Aletta said silently leaving the two lovers alone
"How much longer?" he whispered
"Minutes, I can feel the pull." she whispered back. She then softly kissed his lips. "Make love to me one final time. Let me remember the love you felt for me, before I go back to that existence." she begged him
"Undine" he said, as he tore off her shirt, and his own. Taking her face within his hands he looked deeply into her eyes. "How will I let you go?"
"You don't have a choice, as I don't have a choice. I wish I could join to you." she whispered as she laid her hand onto his bare chest.
"You have my love, and I will always love you." he said as he slid his hand over her back and lifted her to him.
"I want you inside me again Tristan, one last time" she said as she wrapped her legs around him
"I do too Undine" he said as he placed her onto the desk and removed his pants. He then removed the filmy gauze that made up her dancer uniform and without a word, plunged into her.
"I don't want to let you go" he said as he stroked her hard, not wanting to stop, but knowing that he only had minutes left with her.
"I want to stay too" she said arching as she came for him.
Bringing her closer to him as he rode her, he hugged her as he felt himself go inside her. "I love you Tristan" as she looked at him. Then she faded in nothing. Falling to his knees, he hugged himself at the sudden loss of her. He sat like this for a long time, not noticing that he was no longer alone. He then felt a wisp float past him, and that made him turn towards the mirror twin of Undine.
"Who are you?" he said slowly covering himself as he realized was still naked.
"I am her mother. Undine says she gave herself to you. Do you love her?" she asked
"Yes, I would give anything to have her back. Please is there any way for us to be together?" he said
"There may be, but it may require a sacrifice." she said cryptically
"Anything, anything to be with her. Please." he begged her
"Young man, I understand your feelings, as you believe her to be yours. I know she gave herself to you after the severing, so she must care about you on some level. But what you are asking may not be possible." she said hanging her head
"Naiya, it was my fault that your brother died. This is my chance to redeem myself. Use me. Undine deserves her chance. She is so special." Aletta said touching the older woman's arm
"What do you mean Headmistress?" Tristan said, not understanding
"Do you remember why I was so adamant, that you not reveal to Jian. Someone did not tell me, and when Nida, Undine's uncle, attached himself to me, a very mean spirited person found out and told me. I confronted him, and ended it. I had no idea what that would do to Nida, and I had to watch his spirit be ripped from his body and watch his agony. You see this was my punishment for my arrogance. That is why I told you not to tell Jian. And this is why I sacrifice myself for Undine. With my lifespirit, she can be renewed, and a new link can be created." Aletta said as Naiya nodded her head.
"Headmistress, you don't mean to kill yourself for her!" he said agast at it
"She can only bind herself once in her lifetime. Unless someone self sacrifices for her. This is what I learned after having Nida's spirit with me always. He has never left me, nor can he unless I redeem myself. This is how I can finally allow his spirit to be released and returned to his people." she said
"Thank you Headmistress" Tristan said lowering his head and silently bowing to her.
"Never leave her, Never hurt her. That is all I ask." Aletta said, shimmering as Naiya had already began the process of the transfer of the lifespirit.
"I won't, not ever." Tristan promised as she faded. Then Undine began to shimmer back into existence. As she began to gain substance, Tristan moved closer to her. When she became solid again, he hugged her tightly
"Tristan will you love and treasure my daughter for the rest of your days?" Naiya said to the young man
"Yes, I bind myself to her always." he said formally to the Queen of the Sprites.
"Then with my blessing, you may have my daughter." she said, as she watched Undine touch Tristan, thus binding herself to him for all time.
"Thank you Mother." Undine said in a whisper
"My darling child, never change. Carry that innocence that you possess with you always." Naiya said as she slowly shimmered out of her physical body and left the two lovers alone.
"Tristan, you know we are bound now. Do you accept me?" she asked timidly.
"Yes Undine, I love you and want you always." he said as he deeply kissed her, thus formalizing the binding.
The End