Warning: Some graphic depictions of violence and blood
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The curse sneered in Dunamis's face, his hand twisting in the guardian's chest and tearing a scream from Dunamis's throat. His hands scrabbled desperately at the curse's arm, but it was merciless, tearing deeper into flesh and snapping bone.
Dunamis was half delirious in pain, everything around him reduced to a fuzzy haze with black spots eating away at his vision. Finally, the curse withdrew its hand with a sick, wet noise. Dimly, through the ringing in his ears, Dunamis heard some sort of repeated squelching noise.
The curse's smirking face swam into focus, still blurry around the edges. There was crimson splashed across its grinning lips, shining starkly on its sharp teeth.
And Dunamis knew no more, drowning on the pain radiating out from his oddly empty-feeling chest.
And he was falling, falling deeper into the depths of darkness.
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Titi was staring up at him, determined and fierce. "I won't ever let you be lonely ever again. I promise."
Dunamis smiled, the happiest and truest one in a long, long time. "And I promise the same."
Later, his eyes shone with a liquid sheen as he stared up at the night sky, reading countless destinies etched out in the stars. The lives unraveled before him, his head throbbing with the input of information.
But he continued to search, looking for a single fate among the billions of stars.
And he found Titi's shining vibrantly with a life trapped within the temple's walls as the next Guardian.
Dunamis decided that he would not let Titi be bound to the same fate that he was, no matter what punishment he would have to go through.
The stars were silent.
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One second, Dunamis was stepping into Titi's embrace, finally accepting help from Titi and their friends.
The next moment, his eyes rolled up in his head, and his face twisted in a choked gasp. He fell to his knees, one hand clawing at his chest and his fingers jerking convulsively.
Titi cried out and was only vaguely aware of his friends' similar responses.
In a split second, Dunamis had completely collapsed onto his side, half curled into a fetal position. Even though he was unconscious, his face was still screwed up in pain. His entire body shook with deep wracking coughs, blood spilling from his lips.
"Dunamis!" Titi was panicked and hysterical. Kenta and Yuu pulled him away and tried to calm him down. Gingka was shouting frantically into his cellphone.
Tsubasa supported Dunamis's head with his arms, trying to clear his airways and keep him from drowning in his own blood. He quickly checked the guardian's heart rate, placing two fingers at the Jupiter blader's neck and then pulling them away with a grim expression.
"His pulse is weak. And he's having trouble breathing. We need help right away!" He shouted to Gingka. The Pegasus blader nodded back, his expression worried, and relayed the information to the person on the other end of the phone line.
"Tell them to hurry! His pulse is fading!" Tsubasa's voice took on a panicked note.
And Titi's world narrowed down to Dunamis. Titi tore out of Yuu's hold and fell to his knees beside Dunamis, ignoring the way his knees cracked painfully against the concrete. He was not aware of his friends' screaming around him, or the distant sound of ambulance sirens.
"Dunamis, please!" Titi sobbed. "Don't leave me! I can't lose anyone else."
Dunamis convulsed violently in Tsubasa's arms, his eyes snapping open, wide and unseeing.
His eyes flashed lavender.
And an unfamiliar voice echoed through Titi's head, desperate and pleading.
Help him please! Help my son!
Titi fell forward into darkness.
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Dunamis felt like he was fading away.
The strange emptiness in his chest seemed to have spread, causing him to lose sensation in his limbs. His head felt light and floaty, only occasionally pierced by spikes of sharp pain.
And he was sinking down and down into the nothingness, his body unmoving and helpless.
He wondered vaguely if he was dying.
And suddenly something grabbed his wrist, bringing his descent to an abrupt halt. His head swam, but he worked through the nausea to peer blearily up.
"Dunamis! Hold on, I'm going to get you out of here!" Titi called down to him. A thin thread of faint purple light was fastened around his midriff, anchoring him in reality. His face screwed up in concentration as he tried to maintain his grip on Dunamis's arm. He struggled to reach out with his other hand, fighting through the thick viscous darkness around them.
"Let me go. There is no point." Dunamis smiled sadly, his hand slack and beginning to slip from Titi's grasp.
"What are you saying!"
"There is no hope of escape." Dunamis whispered. "I have defied the stars, and I must accept their divine punishment."
He closed his eyes. "This is my destiny."
His hand slid away from Titi's fingers.
"No! Don't you dare give up!" Titi screamed at him, tears spilling over and hand reaching out desperately.
Once again, Titi managed to wrap his fingers around Dunamis's bony wrist. In the process, Titi fell further into the darkness, the glow of the string dimming.
Now terror, not for himself, but for Titi, thrummed through Dunamis's veins.
"Let me go!" Dynamis screamed, staring wide-eyed up at Titi. "Hurry, before you fall as well!"
And Titi stared down at him, face scrunched up in pain and effort. His tears dripped down from his eyes, falling like cool salty rain upon Dunamis's upturned face.
"I'll never let you go." Titi said quietly. "Because you are my brother."
Dunamis half-sobbed. "You have to, please! The stars have commanded this fate. I don't want you to be hurt."
If anything, Titi's grip tightened. "Forget the stars! Who cares what they say?! You can change your destiny."
"Please! Just don't leave me alone." Titi's eyes were so anguished and pleading, the eyes of an abandoned child. But deep within, Dunamis could see that Titi's gaze also held unwavering determination and love.
Dunamis felt a sudden clarity, the fog on his mind and the heaviness of his limbs disappearing.
And he finally understood. That he was being haunted by not only the Curse of Hades, but the curse of the stars as well.
He and his ancestors had been bound to a life, trapped within temple walls, reading the future but unable to change it without terrible consequences.
And Dunamis did not want to live by the commands of the cold stars anymore.
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He was staring at the white door that once sealed his father's memories. It was ajar, and the room beyond was empty.
Hesitantly, Dunamis raised his hand and placed it upon its surface.
The last vestiges of the seal flickered to life, the insignia of his temple shining faintly.
His fingers were trembling, indecision and fear thrumming through his veins.
This was the ultimate betrayal of the stars.
But he thought of lonely nights in a silent temple, of his mother's fate of separation from her loved ones, of his father's rebellion against the stars and subsequent punishment.
And he was sick of seeing so many inevitable tragedies and being unable to do anything. He was tired of just watching, bound by his duty. And for once, he wanted to be selfish. Was it so much to ask for? Just to be happy, just to be with Titi, who he considered his brother.
He would not be trapped under the stars any longer.
Dunamis took a deep breath, eyes steady and determined.
He reached within him, searching for memories of staring up at the brilliant night sky and tracing across the countless stories inscribed in the patterns of light.
And he lost the stars.
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The curse stared at him, shock etched across it face. How did you...that's impossible!
Dunamis smiled tiredly at it, one hand reaching out. A purple light surrounded him, his father's last gift to him.
"It's okay now..."
Dunamis's hand cupped the curse's face.
Images flashed through Dunamis's mind. A child, defying the stars with his death. A child's soul, sealed within a necklace as punishment. A child, twisted by centuries of solitude and hate. A child, with lonely, anguished eyes.
The curse's eyes went blank, its body slumping. Its form began to ripple, returning to its true image.
"Forget and be forgiven by the stars. I will seal your sins away within myself." Dunamis watched as green eyes slid open to meet his own blue ones.
A smile, freed of malice and vengeance.
Thank you.
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He dreamed of light, of warmth, of Titi's shining eyes and broad smile.
He closed his eyes and reached up to grasp Titi's other hand.
And he opened his eyes to a different world.
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Titi stared with bated breath as Dunamis, as his brother, finally opened his eyes.
The Jupiter blader pushed himself up and looked disorientated for a second, his gaze unfocused and hazy. Titi could of sworn he saw a hint of lavender in his brother's blue eyes, but Titi blinked and it was gone.
"Titi?" Dunamis's voice was husky and cracked from coughing, but to Titi it was the most beautiful sound in the world. And Titi couldn't hold himself back from pulling Dunamis into an embrace, overcome with joy and relief.
It was over, it was finally over. His brother was finally back, whole and safe and wonderfully warm.
And after a second of shock, Dunamis hesitantly wound his arms around Titi in return, enveloping the child in a hug.
And Dunamis smiled.
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A/N: Whoo! This was the last real chapter, other than a short epilogue that I'll be posting, hopefully by next week. *fingers crossed* Apologies for the wait, but school started, and I've been swamped in essays and studying.
Quick explanation: the stars can punish those who can read the stars, because they knowingly alter the fate of those around them. However, regular people who change their destiny unknowingly and through sheer will are not punished. By sealing away his memories of learning to read the stars, Dunamis believes he has found a loophole to escape his fate. He does the same for the curse, who actually was once a guardian as well. But he had defied the stars and died in order to save a loved one, so the stars had his soul sealed within a necklace, and eventually he was twisted into the Curse of Hades. Shoot me a review or PM for any other questions.
Anyways, thank you all for sticking with this fic for its duration. I couldn't have done it without y'all's support. I appreciate all of the reviews, favorites, and follows from my readers. I am excited to completely wrap this fic up, because it will be the first chaptered fic I've ever completed. I hope the ending was satisfying. I went with somewhat of a bittersweet ending, with a mix of angst, sadness, happiness, and fluff. I would love to know what you guys thought. Thanks once again!