D.H. A.N.: Please read the flashbacks slowly. I worked hard on them, and you might see them again, but not as flashbacks. I teared up while writing parts of this. Yes, I was listening to "All I Ask Of You" towards the end. I am privileged to say that credit for that song goes to Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber. I made minor changes to the lyrics, though. Please Enjoy Chapter Twelve: A Ring of Unending Love.
Chapter Twelve: A Ring of Unending Love
Sheon and Mhera exited the theatre, hands intertwined. Sheon then tensed as he saw Kim laughing on the theatre steps with Cole. Mhera's voice broke his concentration. "Sheon, please let them be. The boy saved your sister." Mhera twisted around so that amethyst met steel. "You said that my brother has found his hope in Coletta. Now, I say to you that your sister has found hope in Cole." She smiled, "But we have found hope in each other that can be traced through eight years, you know that is something that can never be taken away. Cole saved your sister, just as you saved me."
"It's different, Mhera-" Sheon started, but Mhera cut him off.
"While it may be true that you only saved me from embarrassing myself; Cole, he saved your sister from something more…" She paused to find the right word, "save-worthy, if you'll allow me to use that term, the first time." She smiled again, "But you did save my life."
"Eight years later." Sheon said slowly, silently kicking himself for making the statement, as they were walking by the same dock. He heard Mhera breathing slowly, as if she were trying to combat some silent foe that only existed here. They stopped their advance there. He saw her hand go straight to her neck, and tears began routes down both their cheeks. They could not deny that their love, if it had ever been tested, was put to the ultimate test here.
Sheon's Flashback
He was divided. Surely their was a way that they could make it out of this mess, and yet it seemed like someone else held all the cards, and knew that no one else would win but that someone. But yet, they forget that I hold the key, literally. He felt the two keys Marik had given him, with which, at a small price of being sent to the Shadow Realm, Sheon could free Mhera, and save her life. Which, if he truly loved Mhera, was what he was going to do.
A voice broke his thoughts. " I meant to tell you this sooner, and it's now or never. Sheon, I'm The Duelist's Heiress, and if you love me you won't let him have the satisfaction of seeing you sacrifice yourself for me. Please, just let the anchor fall, and me with it. "
"No, I can't live without you. If I go, I've been told the separation will only be temporary." Sheon said, somewhat ignorant of the gravity concerning the information Mhera had trusted him with in her possible final moments.
"And do you believe everything you're told? I told you that this would never work between us, and…" The voice of his love paused, "I was wrong. We made it work. If you do this- Sheon listen to me, just get out of here." The noise of the anchor beginning its fall made Mhera go silent, her amethyst eyes giving him one final plea to save himself, not her, and in the commotion, thought he heard a cold voice.
Make up your mind, boy. If you do nothing, she dies. If you act now, there is some chance you will see her again, though don't think I'll ever let you have her.
Sheon's body decided for him, his mind not giving thought to what actions were made. He placed the key ring in his teeth, took a breath, and dove after the end of the chain, racing against the anchor's lack of water resistance. He propelled himself to the base of the anchor, not even taking notice that two keys drifted beside him. He was going to save the one he loved, no matter what the cost.
At last, he finally reached her, but as underwater was not the best place to release a sigh of relief, Sheon quickly set to his task of freeing Mhera. He gripped the chains which bound her to steady himself, carefully removing the keys from his teeth, and put the first key into a lock, hoping that it was the right one. He turned it, and the lock made a water logged clicking sound. He then repeated the process with the second lock, feeling it give way as well. He brushed the chains away from her shoulders, making sure that neither Mhera, nor he was caught in an unseen snare. But in all reality they were in a snare that only one could escape. They broke surface outside the square wood dock, near one that was not being used. He swam to it, hoping that he would make it there before his legs gave out, as he was holding Mhera with both hands, making sure that her head was above water. He pushed her onto the dock, and felt her grab the wooden platform, and pull them both out of the water. "You can't ever say I don't do my part and it be truthful." She said softly through the mental bond they had forged just weeks before, once they were both up on the dock surface.
Sheon could already feel his mind starting to slip away. But he had to do one last thing before he left her, for what he now knew could be, forever. He pulled the heiress close, and kissed her lips passionately before slipping into the shadow's embrace.
End Sheon's Flashback; Begin Mhera's Flashback
Mhera felt Sheon's lips pull away from hers unintentionally. Tears began flowing down her face ever so slowly. She sighed, not knowing where she could take him to be looked after. But the one who would be able to help her in this task was not far off. She quickly gathered Sheon into her arms, heading for the museum.
When Mhera reached the steps, Ishizu gave her a stern look that seemed to show sympathy. Somehow Mhera knew that Ishizu would try to sway her mind on this. "I would advise you to think carefully, Mhera, about what action you take regarding this." Ishizu softly counseled as she took the limp Sheon from Mhera's arms. She then beckoned her niece inside.
Once within the security of the curator's room, Ishizu set Sheon on the bed with care. She then tossed Mhera a towel, and a dry set of clothes; consisting of a dark purple T-shirt, dark colored blue jeans, and a pair of black socks. Her boots had been placed in the sun to dry. Mhera dried herself quickly, wanting to wake up from what had become a living nightmare. Ishizu's voice broke the insurmountable silence as Mhera was pulling the shirt over her head.
"You love him, don't you?" Ishizu asked softly. Mhera did not answer, as trying to hide her tears was her primary concern at the moment. Ishizu then asked a question that Mhera was able to answer in her heart, but her mind denied it. "Do you know that, in the act of saving you at cost of himself, he has proven he loves you more than words ever will?" Mhera silently answered the question in her mind, body, and perhaps even her soul.
I know he does, but why…why did he give me no explanation ahead of time? He shouldn't have saved me! Who gave him the ultimatum? She thought.
The mirror caught her eyes; all it took was two seconds to figure out who had put the ultimatum up to Sheon. She trembled with fury. Who else had the means, or motive, to get to him?
Who else but my father? Mhera thought bitterly. She touched the silver ring that hung around her neck on a silver chain, gripping it tightly. Tears were coursing down her face, but she dared not attempt to discern which were tears of fury from those of grief.
She felt hands place themselves on her shoulders, seeing a look of sympathy on Ishizu's face. Mhera then noticed the Millennium Necklace on her aunt's neck. She put a finger on the eye-shaped surface gently, looking Ishizu in the eyes desperately for an answer.
"How…how long have you known?" Mhera almost sobbed, an action at which Ishizu took a deep breath, as if she was certain Mhera would not like the answer.
"I've known about this event since you first encountered him on the boat, which is why I left soon after he came and sat with you." Ishizu somewhat guiltily turned away from Mhera.
"Why didn't you tell me? If I had known…I could have stopped it." Mhera sighed softly, closing her eyes, relying on the sense of touch alone to remember the ring's significance.
Ishizu sighed, "Even if you had known, there wouldn't have been anything you could have done to stop what your father had set into motion. Forgive me, but I thought it best you knew not that your time with this young man was limited."
Mhera glanced towards the Millennium Necklace. "Can you see him in the future…can you see him in my future?" Her eyes begged an answer.
"While this event was unable to be avoided, what becomes of it now can be very diverse. If the right path is chosen,… you may have him in your life yet." That seemed little relief to Mhera, but it was enough that it wasn't weighing as hard on her now.
She tossed her hair back, exposing her ears from which two brass earrings, similar to her father's, hung. "Please, remove them from me. I want nothing holding me back."
Ishizu was perplexed. "Why would those earrings hold you back?"
"It is not the earrings themselves that would hold me, but the memory and symbolism." Mhera stopped, but a look from Ishizu beckoned her to explain in greater detail what she had meant. "Those earrings were my initiation gift from my father. I believe that, since these earrings are the same as my father's, it has signified that I accept his choice of an heir, namely me, which makes me his heiress. Am I correct?" Ishizu nodded in agreement. Mhera closed her eyes slowly, "That is why I ask you to remove them."
Rather than urge her niece to reconsider, Ishizu carefully removed the earrings, after which she held them indecisively in her hands. "Where should I put them?" She asked.
"I would like them where I can find them again, should my father and I reach an agreement." Mhera answered the question without doubt.
"And if an agreement is not attainable?" Ishizu asked softly, eying Mhera carefully.
"Then, so be it." Mhera sighed resolutely. "Promise me you'll take care of Sheon, please?"
"I promise I will Mhera." Ishizu said as they walked out of the curator's room. Mhera turned to Ishizu, with a small smile.
"I always knew I could trust you. Why can't my father see that you care for him?"
"That is your father's concern, not ours." Ishizu said softly. Mhera waved to her half-heartedly as she stepped out onto the steps, sitting on one to put her shoes on. She smiled.
These steps… Are they the same ones upon which we kissed in the sunset? They were. Are these steps the same ones that I waited on for him to get me for our date? Once again they were. Knowing she had not a minute more to reminisce, set off for her destination, the warehouse, taking the longest possible way there. She wanted to show her father that he didn't know her as well as he thought., and figuring she usually went through things fast, this would be the opportunity.
Mhera walked silently down the street, only stopping to look at the pasta shop where, because of conflicts previous, they had ended up on their first date. Now, that was an evening to remember. Mhera smiled as she thought of the apologetic look on Sheon's face, though he hadn't the need to wear it that night. She kept onward, pulling the chain out of her shirt so that the silver ring hung exposed, the amethyst stone within contrasting with her shirt. She was going to make him think. Let it be war upon us both, then. If this is the only way I can do this, so be it. She thought resolutely as she approached the building.
Mhera saw a figure stride with confidence to where she was headed. She knew who it was, the cruel smirk only confirmed her suspicions.
"I see he made the right choice." Marik laughed softly as if it was the best thing that had happened to him all day; unknown to Mhera, it was. His lips straightened to see Mhera's reaction.
Mhera stood still. It took all the discipline she possessed as well as a fine memory of the knowledge that her father had plenty of help at his beck and call, not to attack him. As he circled her, she felt as if she were stuck, and unable to move out of the circle. After seeing him do it only once, she was put at a slight amount of ease.
But that ease ceased once she reminded herself why she was here in the first place. All she needed to confirm her suspicions now was a look into her father's eyes. She looked, only seeing cold icy orbs that held no amount of remorse. "How could you?" She quietly sobbed, "Father, how could you do this…how could you do this to me!"
He smirked, shaking his head, "Mheralo, I did not do a thing. He chose you. He should have known there were high stakes."
"You put him up to this, did you not?" Mhera asked hotly. Her father did not answer the question at hand , but answered one that had plagued his daughter's mind. The reason why Sheon took the ultimatum.
"All he wanted was your safety, the boy asked for nothing else." Marik replied.
"You said you would give him a chance. Father, You promised me you would." Mhera sobbed furiously. "You promised me!"
"I gave him that chance today. He failed miserably." He muttered the last three words, much to Mhera's displeasure.
"But you said he made the right choice. Tell me how that makes him fail."
"Because, he failed to ensure that I did not see that he cared so." He paused, seeing the chain ring around Mhera's neck "You realize you did no better." Without warning, Marik then grabbed the chain and ripped it from his daughter's neck. "You belong to no one but me!" He hissed, amethyst eyes freezing her where she stood. A look at Mhera's ears would have proven otherwise, but she resolutely turned on her heel before he could see, exiting silently, leaving the ring grasped between her father's fingers.
End of Flashbacks
Mhera opened her eyes, stroking her neck softly. She gazed endearingly at Sheon. Of all the things I lost that day, I still have one, and I would rather have him than any ring. She felt Sheon clasp her hands in his, an apologetic look on his face.
"I should have never brought us back here. I figure now is as good a time as any, but there's something missing." Mhera didn't catch the sparkle that was in his eyes. "I believe there was something else the last time I held your hands like this." He draped the silver chain across her fingers, he had obviously calculated what the reaction would be this time.
He guided the chain across Mhera's fingers, singing to her softly. "Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime, only as one will we make it through. Say you need me with you now and always." He held the last two notes out as Mhera accepted the ring, and let him clasp the chain around her neck.
"Say you love me." She said.
"You know I do." Sheon responded softly. He then hoisted Mhera up into his arms, holding her tightly as he spun her around in a graceful maneuver.
"Anywhere you go, let me go too." They softly sang to each other.
"Love me that's all I ask of you." They kissed softly, this one holding the passion the previous kiss at the location lacked.
"The tryouts have been posted by now, shall we go and see?" Sheon asked as he pulled Mhera close.
"I could think of nothing better to do after singing that." Mhera sighed. They then walked to the theatre with hands intertwined, unaware that an unseen set of eyes was watching them.
So it has begun. The owner of the eyes mused silently.
DH: Got any guesses whose eyes those are? They aren't Marik's. That's no help, is it? The results are posted in Chapter Thirteen: The Triangle Begins. Please review. Healing Presence should be updated next.