Chapter Twenty Five: Bonds

(Warning, some suggestively light humor and situations)

Have you ever felt complete? You know, as if everything in the world was just right. As if everything about yourself was just right, all of your flaws and perfections before you and being able to accept them? I know this a selfish thing to say, it's almost evil since I've never met another person who could truthfully say it. That is how I feel. I feel whole, complete with everything, and it is all thanks to him. Ever since he touched me so intimately, and I don't mean just that way you pervert, I've felt like this. Amazing how one moment of transcending space, time, and logic could create a sort of Zen within oneself?

Let us backtrack slightly. It was a magical morning I woke up to, considering I was looking through the eyes of a brand new bride. As the sun's rays kissed my cheeks, I fought the urge to open my eyes. I wanted my body and mind to lulled back into that wonderful sleep. While I slept I didn't dream, but I was in such comfort that I didn't need to. I sighed against my body's internal time clock and slowly opened my heavy eyes. I glanced over at my alarm clock and noticed it was five minutes before six. I closed my eyes again, five more minutes.

When my eyes opened again it was six thirty. Surprised, I propped my hands on either side of me and attempted to sit up. I found that I couldn't. My brain, being completely ration like always did the logical and completely sane thing to do. Panic. I told myself to breath and I tried the rest of my limbs. I couldn't move my lower half. My eyes darting frantically around me I lifted the comforter off me with one hand and reached under the bed for the nearest sharp object. As the blanket fell away to reveal a brilliant red mane of hair I relaxed instantly. I mentally chastised myself for my overreaction and pulled the blanket down a little more. His gorgeous face came into view as his head rested on my chest with his arms wrapped around my torso.

I moved my hand and traced his features with a gentle touch. My fingers swept over his lips briefly before sliding along his strong jaw. His long elegant nose and swept across his broad brow. I traced the shape of his eyes, marveling at how his arrogance lived in his features. I was surprised that after a few moments he didn't stir under my attentions. I examined him a little more closely, his breathing was relaxed, his aura still glowing around him, but he didn't seem… there.

I poked his cheek. Nothing. I pulled a little of his hair. Nada. I hooked my finger in his nose. Get your fingers out of my nostril. I jumped at the sound. "Ignis?" I asked, feeling slightly foolish. I am here. I poked his nose again. Don't you dare. "Where are you?" I asked. I am… inside your mind I believe, partially that is. "You're in my brain. May I ask exactly you are there?" I asked angrily. Do not get upset Hikari. I was merely taking time to examine your memories while you slept and I suppose I just slipped into your dreams a little. I am as surprised as you that my body was able to fall asleep.

"Your body?" I asked fearfully, staring at the lump of my husband draped so unceremoniously over me. I am not dead if that is what you are asking. "Does this mean that you can control my mind?" I asked. Not in the slightest, I have absolutely no influence over your thoughts Hikari. "But I oh so love to hear them." He said out loud. I would have jumped if he hadn't been pinning me down. He moved his arms from beneath me and rested them under his chin. "I never knew you feared insects as a child." He said. "I still do, I just has to suck it up because this island is crawling with them." I replied. "Say… is there something you can do about that?" I asked hopefully.

"Insects are vital to the environment Hikari. If I were to limit their population it would upset the islands balance of life." I sank my head back into the pillow. "Ok I get it." I groaned. I started when I felt his warm fingers at the base of my throat, slowly stroking my neck. "Ignis." I said in warning, too tired to lift my head to glare at him. His hand left my neck to drift over to my hand to weave his fingers in mine. "Why did you think I wouldn't be here when you woke?" he asked. I lifted my head then, raising an eyebrow in question. "Before you woke I felt your reluctance to wake, although you failed to mention it in your narration, I sensed your doubt of my being here beside you."

I bit my lip, feeling guilty for doubting him. "It's natural to doubt Hikari." He said. "I guess I am just used to being in this house alone." I sighed. We were both silent for a while, I nearly drifted back to sleep before he spoke. "Loneliness is not something any creature should have to suffer." "So I'm guessing that is something we will have to suffer through as well?" This heavy conversation was ruining the magic moment this should be. "Alas we will both feel it at times, but we have something most others do not have."

I fought the urge to ask what, knowing he was deliberately taunting me. My curiosity beat me. "What?" I asked grudgingly. I could sense his smile as he lifted our joined hands to eye level. "Someone to call upon, always, when we feel that way." I felt a fluttering in my stomach as my heart hitched at the sweet way his words seemed to purr over my ears. Just to show his arrogance, he pressed my hand to his lips. My skin tingled. When he opened his eyes, they were like rubies dripping in molten gold. I knew that look, all too well from the night before. "Now, how about a repeat of last night?" My eyes widened. "Wait just a…!"

I dragged myself out of the bed and across the wooden length of my floor. I crawled away to escape my insatiable husband. I glanced up from the floor at the smug male. He lounged, contented as he should be, in my bed like a well fed cat. My bed, the poor dear, was a mess of rumpled blankets and my inner neat freak emerged. It immediately died down when my eyes fell upon the way my blue comforter was draped about him. "If you keep thinking such thoughts," he said without opening his eyes, "then I will really make sure you can't walk."

"You're an animal." I groaned into the floor. "Only when I am around you." Blushing furiously like the damn love struck fool I was; I hauled myself up and headed toward the bathroom. "Don't follow me." I mumbled. "Do not tempt me." He warned with a mischievous grin spread upon his arrogant face. I quickly stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. Not that it would make a difference if he really wanted to get it. I stepped into the steaming shower and washed quickly. When I finished I patted myself dry with a clean towel and slipped into one of my robes. When I stepped out I walked into the worst nightmare that anyone could fathom.

So terrible was it that you would cringe at the sight. You would lose control of all bodily functions, and literally be so frightened you would trip even your own momma to escape the terror as you ran for the hills. Ignis, the all-powerful Harvest King, was holding a pan inside of my kitchen. He was perfectly primped and dressed as usual. The red sash and the white flowing cloth of his robes defiantly unwrinkled and spotless. I scurried across the room as fast as my legs could carry me. I snatched the pan out of his hand. "What are you doing?" I asked in shocked horror. "I thought I'd cook." He said innocently.

I stashed the pan away and pulled the waffle iron out of a lower cabinet. "Well there are two problems with your… fabulous idea. One, I want bacon and eggs. The second is you don't eat meat remember?" I asked. He huffed and walked toward the living room as I shooed him away. Even his presence was hazardous to my kitchens health. Ignis plopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote. I watched him worriedly from the corner of my eye as I mixed the batter. Worried that he would try to smite my television once again, I was slightly surprised when he turned pressed the power button on the remote and channel surfed.

He paused momentarily on Julius's Style Check. I saw him cringe at the sight of the town's local flamboyant purple wonder. A thought nagged on me; I hadn't heard anything else on how Candace's relationship was developing with Julius. I would have to do some snooping later. Ignis settled for the weather. As Eli told the days as well as tomorrows forecast I placed the batter in the waffle iron and closed the top. I walked shyly toward the television as Ignis glowered at the TV from his position on the sofa. As I sat down, a cushions distance between us, I wrung the edge of my robe between my hands.

He absently reached out his hand toward me, still watching the weather. I looked at it, wondering what to do with the arrogant man. Then I felt something warm slide over my skin, coating me in a warm embrace. It left me suddenly, leaving my skin chilled and gooseflesh to appear. I scooted toward him a little and his hand was still open in invitation. I gave in and took his hand which he used to pull me to him. I snuggled into his side as his power slid over my skin and warmed me.

We sat in contentment before I heard the timer in my kitchen go off. Sighing, I slipped out of his hold, his fingers lingering on my arm as I got up and made my plate as well as his. I smeared some apple butter on his waffles and handed him the plate. "I must depart." He said after finishing his food rather quickly. I paused with my fork still in my mouth. "You really like apples don't you?" I asked after swallowing. He took my plate and set it in my sink. "I have urgent things to attend to. My absence has caused a noticeable unrest."

I swallowed the rising lump in my throat. "Hikari do not look at me like that." He said while striding toward me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "Remember what I told you before? Open your mind to me." He said. I took a calming breath and focused. I relaxed my mind of the troubling thoughts that arose from his leaving and I opened my eyes in shock. I felt something lock in place as my mind opened, a solid alien presence shift into my mind and taking hold among my thoughts.

"Is that you?" I mumbled. I felt his hair fall forward and brush my cheek as he nodded. "Now you." He murmured in my ear. Confused, I tried to press my mind toward the feel of him, but my grip faltered and it slipped away from him. "Try again." Ignis encouraged. Straining what brain cells I had, I pushed toward him again and felt my thoughts slip into his for a moment. I gasped as his mind was laid bare before me, I saw myself through his eyes and I was awed by the depth of his emotions. I leaned into him. "Ignis." I said. Our shared contentment became sour as my mind halted in his. I felt a barrier, one so thin that I could metaphorically see through it. Behind his shield I felt the raging torrent of whatever demon he was hiding from me. It seemed to notice me, as if it was conscious, and it seemed to reach for me, clawing and biting.

A silent scream parted her lips as I felt her pain lance through my mind. I severed the connection to where only I resided in her mind but she could not access any deeper into my thoughts. "What was that?" she asked breathlessly. "Something that I will not allow loose upon you ever again." I said as my arms tightened around her. "Was that… your pain?" she choked out. I didn't answer her question. "I must go." I said while turning her in my arms. I pressed my lips to hers, rough and hard. She clasped onto me and returned the kiss, trying her best to keep me in place. I pulled away. "Remember that you can call on me." I said before disappearing. When I reassembled my form on my mountain domain, I felt an aching emptiness resound in me.

I felt the loneliness hit me like a rock upside the head. The room felt cold and empty without him. I felt out of place as if I hadn't lived here for three years. Shivering and clutching my arms in an attempt to stop my shaking, I searched my own thoughts. At first I felt the same emptiness, my mind felt spacious and slightly empty. I tried to calm myself before the panic set in. Then I felt it, warmth seemed to seep into my heart and banished the choking fear that developed from being alone.

I am here. I sighed and focused on my breathing, returning my heart to its normal beat. So this is what it meant to tie our souls together. I wondered how long it would take for this agonizing fear that came from his absence to dissipate. It seemed I now left my sense of safety to the Harvest King. Shivering once more, I made it my goal to distract myself by throwing my all into my chores. I pulled on some jeans and a top and forced my feet into some boots. As I pulled on my worn gloves I used while planting and pulling up weeds, the ring glinted on my finger. I stroked its warm surface, swearing that it glowed like an ember at my touch.

I remembered what he had said, that the ring was a part of his soul. And now our souls are one. I thought. I smiled as I felt the warmth in my heart become hotter, knowing Ignis had heard my thoughts. Hopping up and heading toward my door, I prepared to face my daily routine, even if I became a little teary that my husband wasn't around.

I stood still on my mountain top, forcing my thoughts away from Hikari and on the tasks at hand. In my absence new lives needed to be given. I siphoned my power into the world and directed it to rapidly fill the gap I had created. I moved the currents of the ocean to maintain the various climates around the world. Lastly I directed the winds, carrying the clouds across the regions and settling in places that had too little water. As my power returned balance to nature my thoughts drifted aimlessly. Well… not entirely without aim. For I found myself drifting off into Hikari's thoughts. Seeing the way she saw the world as she tended to her animals with tender care. Or how she watered and nurtured her crops with unwavering devotion.

I knew why I had fallen for her, and I was still amazed that I could admit such a thing so easily. Hikari had changed me greatly and yet… I didn't mind. Hikari was not alone in her fear. Although I am accustomed to isolation, I have also become accustomed to company, particularly Hikari's. I fought the urge to go to her as well as the urge to pull her into my thoughts so I she could calm me as I did her. It was too dangerous. The pain of an immortal was living, because it never faded and built up over the eons. I would never let Hikari feel such a nightmare.

I bent low and cut the last weed by the root. I stood up on creaking legs and wiped my brow, sweating, tired, and feeling accomplished. Stashing tools away I walked over and rung the bell. My animals filed out one by one, lazily heading toward the grassy fields to graze. Lemon lumbered over to me and stopped a few feet away. She watched me cautiously, her brown eyes shining intelligently. "What is it girl?" I asked. Lemon shuffled closer and allowed me to place a hand on her large nose.

I glanced up to see Roger, Cain's prize bull, appear beside Lemon. Lemon locked eyes with me once more and walked off into the rest of the herd. Puzzled, I turned toward my orchard and prepared to gather the rest of my crops.

Once I finished up at my ranch, I headed toward the town on Cherry, ready to do that snooping I promised myself. I stopped in front of the Tailor's telling Cherry to stay put after I dismounted. I walked inside, the bell on the door announcing my arrival. Luna looked up from the magazine she was reading behind the counter and smiled in greeting. "What's up Hikari? Besides what you were doing last night. How is King by the way?" she asked. Inside I was cringing with embarrassment, I could feel Ignis's amusement, and I answered her calmly. "Where is Candace?" I asked

Luna gestured to her and her sister's shared room in the back of the store. "She won't come out." Luna said casually. I glared at her in disapproval and headed to the back of the store and into their bedroom. Candace was sitting on her bed, absently doing some intricate needle work. When I walked toward her I glanced down to examine her handiwork. It was a rose, I smiled knowingly.

Candace stopped the steady rhythm of her needle and set her work aside. "Hikari." Candace said. I sat beside her on the bed. "What is wrong Candace?" I asked. All of a sudden, the shy and reclusive Candace jumped up and pulled me with her. She started twirling and jumping with me and I struggled not to fall. "Nothing is wrong whatsoever! It's so amazing it has to be wrong to be this happy!" she exclaimed.

I started getting dizzy but Candace didn't stop. "Julius proposed!" she yelled. Suddenly I lit up and started twirling with her, delighted that Candace was… well Candace? "And what did you say?" I asked excitedly. "I said no!" "You what?" I asked in shock. "Just kidding! I said yes so he wouldn't cry!" Candace laughed. I pulled my hands away from her and sat on the bed, my head spinning. "So this moping thing was…?" I asked. "Yep, all an act just to mess with everyone!" she said. "You're really coming out of your shell aren't you?" I sighed. She nodded and clasped her hands together. I noticed the amethyst ring resting on her left hand.

"What's it like Hikari?" Candace asked suddenly, the familiar shyness back. "What is what like?" I asked in return. "Being married." She replied. I shrugged. "I've been married only two days Candace, perhaps you should ask Anissa or Phoebe." I suggested. "I want to know what it's like to know you belong to someone, from a fresh mind." She said. I scratched my head. "Umm… belong?" I asked. "Oh come one Hikari, can you really see yourself with someone other than… his name was? King?" she asked. I felt my heart heat a bit, almost burning. It quickly died down but I knew exactly what that was, Ignis's jealousy. "He is too possessive to let me go so I cannot imagine anyone else." Candace looked at me expectantly. "And… I don't want to imagine anyone else." I admitted grudgingly.

"So when are you going to have children?" Candace asked. I nearly leaped away from her. "Your quite blunt today aren't you?" I asked. I could feel Ignis's interest peak at the change of topic, so I blocked him a bit. Ignis didn't like this much, so he decided to taunt me. Candace crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me, for just a second I was reminded of Luna. "I want to know what to expect." She said and I shrugged in response. Then I shivered, feeling my body chill slightly. "I don't exactly know Candace. It's a touchy subject right now and I want my life to be a bit to myself before I have to take care of another." I explained. I felt something warm glide across my cheek and I looked around in confusion.

Candace nodded, understanding filling her blue eyes. "But I still wonder, after seeing Anissa and Jin with Van every day I just become a bit…. Envious." She said. "You and me both." I mumbled. Again I felt a light touch, but this time on the back of my hand. Stop it. I told him. Candace raised her eyebrows. "So you do want kids!" she gasped. "Well duh!" I groaned. "But it's too early. Can we please change the subject?" I asked while fuming in embarrassment. "Sure thing! I have to go tell Luna and the rest of the town the good news anyway! Can you stop by the bar tomorrow night for our engagement party?" she asked. "I don't know if I'll have the time." I said. "Please?" she begged.

I sighed in defeat after I met her pleading eyes. "Ok I'll be there." I said. After saying goodbye to Candace once more and waving to the unresponsive Luna. Walking outside I looked around as I grasped the pommel of Cherry's saddle. There wasn't much else to do today I suppose. Maybe I should visit the goddess? I chewed on the idea for a moment and decided not to. I felt warmth flutter across the nape of my neck. Ignis. I thought while opening my mind once more. I felt his conscious slip in and fill each nook and cranny he could find.

Gasping, I leaned against Cherry's side till I regained my thoughts. You can't do that. I said. Then do not block me. I didn't answer. A fight was not what I wanted to start our marriage off with but he was brewing for one. Especially if he didn't allow my thoughts to be known only to me once and a while. Grumbling to myself, I mounted Cherry and placed my feet in the stirrups. "Let's go home." I told her. As I rode home, I tried my best to ignore the nagging emotions of my husband. He was of course angry that I was ignoring him, and I in turn became angry as he used his power to distract me.

I jumped down from the horse and steered her, as well as the rest of the herd, inside the barn and I closed the doors. I walked over to my duck, Carl, who was sleeping in my field. I picked the silly bird up and he quacked in surprise. I walked into the coop and set him down in his nest. "Good night." I told them before walking out of the coop and closing the small door. The sun was beginning to set and I checked my watch. It was eight. I glanced from my house to the path that led the Garmon mines. Sighing, I walked past my house and up the path.

I crossed the bridge, careful where I placed my feet ever since that incident with Chase. A near death experience tended to make one a little more cautious. I waved to Luke as he swung his axe around like an idiot with no care for his own safety. I passed the Jewelers and saw Julius locking up for the night. As he turned the key in the lock I snuck up on him and stood a foot or two behind him. As he turned I stuck two fingers in my mouth in a none to lady like way and stuck my tongue out. "Boo!" I yelled. His eyes bugged out of his skull as he let out a feminine scream. I burst into laughter as he placed his hand over his heart.

"Goddess, Hikari! I could have had a heart attack!" he fumed. "Sorry Julius I couldn't resist." I said while regaining what little composure I could. "What are you doing up here so late?" he asked. "Umm… just out for a stroll." I lied. He raised one purple eyebrow but didn't push it. "So are you coming to the party tomorrow?" he asked. I nodded. "Candace kind of left me no choice." I said. Julius smiled and smacked me on the back. For some reason, a ripple of disgust ran through my mind. "Remember to get us a nice engagement gift!" he said while walking off toward the bridge. Before he disappeared out of sight he turned and yelled. "Oh and I meant to tell you. Marriage seems to suit you! You're practically glowing!" he called before his purple head disappeared into the rapidly approaching night. I felt my cheeks burn a little as I headed toward the mines. I placed my hands on the runes and felt their power transport me to the top of Mount Garmon.

I sensed her approach as she walked up the steps. Despite my irritation at her refusal to let me in to a particular memory, I felt myself smile as she neared. As her brown head appeared up the steps and she stormed toward me, her eyes blazing, I turned to meet her. I locked my eyes with hers, and she faltered slightly. I used this to sneak a little bit more into her mind, securing my foothold a little more. She gasped and her eyes widened. I smiled and her anger returned. Marching up to me she planted her feet and crossed her arms, glaring up at me with all of her five feet and five inches.

"Hikari." I said in greeting. The hard look she gave me melted instantly and her shoulders relaxed. "You're a big jerk you know that?" she mumbled before moving a bit closer to me. I reached out and took her hand in mine. Despite the fact that we could communicate mentally, it was reassuring to have her here in front of me. "You really need to cool your jets once in a while." She said while surprising me by wrapping her arms around me and digging her nails into my back.

"Not when it concerns you." I replied while placing my arms around her shoulders. "You don't quite understand how this marriage thing works, do you?" she asked. "And you do not seem to understand the gravity of our bond." I replied. She tensed a little; I could sense the irritation in her mind. "Mind explaining?" she asked. I sighed. "With this bond I have made myself vulnerable, as have you. I am not ashamed of this for we made the decision of our own volition." "But?" she asked. "But I do not like to be blocked out Hikari; I do not like to be denied. This you should know firsthand."

She grunted into my chest. "Unfortunately yes." "Then what would you do if I left your thoughts?" I asked. Hikari looked up at me, challenge in her eyes. "I could handle it. Just like I can handle whatever you're hiding behind that guard of yours." She was dead wrong. "I will not let you past that Hikari." "Why not?" she asked in exasperation. "Because Hikari, it will tear you apart." I snapped, anger rising in me. "Try me." She dared. "No." My flat refusal set her aura ablaze in anger. I watched her calmly, wondering how she would act.

Her hands slid up to cup my face and she pulled me toward her. I remained in place and she tried to reach me by standing on her toes. Smiling, I still stayed out of her reach. Despite my anger I couldn't help but find her attempts amusing. She settled for something else, pulling my hair. She bunched it in her small hand and held my robes in the other. Surprised, my head bent forward slightly and her lips made contact with mine.

Sparks danced in my aura at the contact and I lost any thought of pushing her away. Reaching down, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her frame against mine. I didn't stop her when I felt her mind brush against mine. I connected our auras once more, engulfing us both in red and blue flames. She shivered but kept pace with me, her hands leaving my hair to twine around my neck. Ignis. I heard her soft voice say within my mind. I pulled her closer still. Her soft conscious slipped into mine and I guided her, showing her where to fit her thoughts so they could coexist alongside my own.

Then I felt her probing my mind. Confused, I pulled away from her slightly but she followed my retreat while sliding her fingers across my chest. What are you doing? I asked distractedly.She answered my question when I felt her mind brush against the shielded part of my own. Shock, anger, and fear caused me to pull away. I pushed her out of my arms and stepped back. She clenched her fists and I felt her mind try once more to touch the shield, this time trying to break it. I pushed her mind from mine completely and severed the contact between our thoughts. My own conscious swung back in and I cut her off from me. I endured the sense of dread that fell upon me, but I watched as it settled upon her. As I watched her something within me unhinged.

I had tried to distract him, and it had worked. When I pushed my thoughts toward him he didn't fight, but allowed me access and guided me. His mind was vast and ancient. I was awed by the amazing power that was barely contained within him and amazed even then that he would never harm me with it. The only down side to sharing minds was the pressure his inflicted upon me. I strained under it like a heavy rock was sitting on top of my chest. Despite this I tried to delve deeper, finding what I had glimpsed earlier that day.

Every time I thought I got close it slipped away. Partly from my own distracted mind. Ignis's attentions alone were distracting enough on their own, but his mind was intoxicating, almost like a drug. Then I found it, that impenetrable but clear wall that I felt earlier. I touched it hesitantly, but unlike before there was no response. Curious, I tried to circumvent it, nope. Then I tried to break it, wanting to know why he hid it from me.

Then I felt his thoughts freeze, then swirl in their own angry tornado as he pushed me out and away. Shocked, I stumbled while trying to regain myself. Gritting my teeth against the dizziness I tried again, he severed our contact. I felt his conscious leave mine till my thoughts and mind were my own. Shocked, I clutched my arms. I repeated his name over and over again in my mind but no response. It all happened faster than I could think. Dread set in, then the fear. A gut wrenching fear that caused my heart to increase its tempo and my limbs to freeze. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't move.

Then it came, I felt isolated and alone. My husband was right in front of me but my limbs refused to budge. Each beat of my heart became painful, throbbing with such profound sorrow that tears fell from my eyes. What was this? Control yourself Hikari, I told myself. I tried desperately to will my body to stop its shaking, for my mind to stop its frantic spinning. I felt my knees shaking and it took all my will power not to fall forward. What was this panic, this irrational fear that ate at me? My breathing hitched up as the panic ensued. My mind started to hurt, pounding within the confines of my skull. I reached up and pounded my head, seeking some way to cease the throbbing pain that began to echo through me. I looked up at Ignis and my eyes widened as I saw him.

I tried to speak the words out of my mouth but to no avail. He was watching me, as if I was some curious oddity he hadn't seen before. He was aware of what I was going through and doing nothing to assist. My mind, raging in its confusion, became even more frantic at this new knowledge. I felt my hands fall from my head, my eyes no longer saw. My mouth opened in a silent scream. Then I felt something, sharp and painful, lance through my very soul. I felt my knees give way, my soul on the verge of breaking.

I watched for a while, a sort of red haze over my eyes. At first she was shocked, and then her eyes darted around unseeing in fear. She started to shiver; I heard her heartbeat increase in tempo. I watched this coldly, not knowing why I didn't reach for her. Her body became stiff where she stood and she tensed up. I saw the tears well in her eyes but I remained distant. A doubt echoing in my mind, why was I not going to her? I shoved it aside, why should I, she was a mere mortal. She reached up her small hands, grasped her head, and started pounding her fists against her temples. I cocked my head slightly at her behavior, odd. I ringing filled my ears. I blinked once; the red haze around my vision disappeared a little.

I grasped the side of my head, what was that insistent ringing? Another doubt crossed my mind again. It was wondering how I could stand here, watching her torment with such cold eyes. I shrugged it off; the ringing in my mind became louder. Then she looked at me through her swimming eyes. The brown hues were a mix of emotions, so much chaos. I wondered why she looked at me so pleadingly, what she was begging for. Then her eyes widened in realization. She grew pale and her arms dropped to her side and hung there limply. Her eyes dilated, the pupil nearly engulfing her entire eye. I could just see a thin band of brown around the black.

I saw her knees shaking, her mouth open in a silent scream. Again something pounded in my head, the ringing becoming more insistent. Then I looked at her aura. It was diminished, the flames slowly faltering as if struggling for life. I felt it then, a searing pain across some link. I saw it, a small band of energy that connected us. I stared at it, a bond with a mortal? The pain became more intense, and I felt her soul on the brink of shattering,

The ringing stopped, something crashed through as the red haze disappeared. Emotions came rushing in just as whatever had made me so cold receded and was locked away deep inside me. Just as her knees gave way I transported to her and caught her limp form in my arms. I pressed my hand to her cheek; it was cold against my skin. I forced my way into her mind; I was met by a rushing vortex of fear and pain. Immediately her thoughts latched on to me, the pain biting as it tried to find relief.

I calmed her mind, sending the fear away as my conscious locked into place. She gasped as my mind completely engulfed hers and created order in her raging emotions. I joined our auras and allowed my power to flow into her. Her eyes opened, no longer dilated but the brown hues that I loved. She started shivering terribly as her eyes met mine. The memories of her ordeal hit me hard. All of the things she felt echoed through me including what she had been chanting in her mind the entire time. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Ignis. Over and over again she recited my name.

She grasped my robes as I pulled her head to my shoulder, cradling her in my arms. I tightened my embrace as much as I dared, desperate to stop that terrible shivering of her body. Hikari, I am so sorry! Hikari… I closed my eyes tight and gritted my teeth. Shame welled from within, so profound that I wanted to shut myself away. Not to escape the shame, but to make sure I could never harm her again. What was that? How had I been able to watch her suffer so?

Her breathing returned to normal and she had stopped shivering. "Ignis, look at me." She said. I clenched my jaw hard; I could not meet her eyes. I feared what I would see there. She moved slightly in my embrace, I felt her hands reach of up to cup my face. "Ignis it's alright." She said. I felt Hikari's fingers trace over my eyes, run down to caress my jaw. "Please look at me." She whispered. I opened my eyes to meet hers. She was sitting up and looking at me. In her swimming brown eyes I saw no fear, no anger or hate. All I saw was a deep sadness, and profound warmth that heated me more than the sun.

"Don't… ever..." she whispered. I bowed my head, no longer able to hold her gaze. "I will never hurt you again Hikari, I swear." I choked out. "Don't ever let us block each other again. Do you hear me? Never." I nodded, unable to speak. I felt her mind reach toward me, gently coaxing me toward her. I didn't fight her. I pulled her in, guiding her so that she filled my thoughts. I dived into the warm emotions she was projecting toward me and I found solace there.

And you wonder why it is that a god needed the comfort of a mere human? Because no immortal, whose sole responsibility to balance life; to give life, had ever inflicted such harm. I am the only Immortal who has ever inflicted such pain to a mortal creature. She stood on her knees between my legs. We had both sunken to the ground and she was stroking my head. She rested a hand on the back of my neck and I allowed her to lower my head to rest on her shoulder. "I forgive you Ignis. So please, do not lock it away. Let whatever it is your feeling out." She whispered.

Tears did not fall from my eyes, not once had I ever cried. But I felt it, a sorrow within that I knew would never fade. I swore to myself then, to do whatever she wished. I would do whatever I could, even if it was impossible I would find a way. I would use my power to ensure she was never hurt again, especially by my own hand. I held her tighter. Now I owed two debts. One whose payment remained a mystery, the other I would pay over and over again for the rest of my existence. Because no matter if she forgave me, I could not forgive myself.

Yes I know extremely corny. Please forgive the drama that is just overflowing in this chapter. It's gushing out so much that it's practically a waterfall! And yes some slight, very slight, suggestive humor. Well maybe a little more than slight. (Please forgive .!)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and sorry for laying it on so thick I just felt like it.

Please oh please with sugar plums and lemon pies on top gives me a review w! I would be most grateful!