Final Fantasy IV - Gilbert [Edward] and Anna
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Pairing: Gilbert Chris von Muir x Anna von Muir [Edward Damcyan x Anna Mesiocite]
Theme Set: Gamma
Rating: PG-13 [minor language/sexual themes, death]
Note: Spoilers for FFIV in general, but with a couple of spoilers for Gilbert's/Edward's dungeon in FFIV: Advance. Mostly deals with pre-game/end-game, but bears in-game as well. -Slight- AU; blink, and you'll probably miss it. Some of these follow a set story, while some don't. You've been warned. =D
And why yes, I used "Gilbert" instead of "Edward." O.o; Oh, my.
01. - Ring
Gilbert had never presented Anna with an engagement ring for fear of her father, Sage Tellah, beating him over the head with the ornate staff he carried around, so it was a surprise when his lover came running up to him with two cheap rings wrought of iron, and a coy giggle and kiss for its jewels.
02. - Hero
As a common bard, the Prince of Damcyan was well-known for fleeing at the sight of monsters, though in Anna's eyes, he easily exchanged it for the role as her knight in shining robes, even if Tellah didn't approve of that.
03. - Memory
Returning to Damcyan Castle brought back Gilbert's usual flood of memories: the worried, aging faces of his parents, the chancellors who begged in their stead that he shouldn't leave, and the guards that had demanded to accompany the then-young prince that fateful day he had left; he knew, though, that with Anna by his side - hand in hand - the fires that sparked a hundred resentments would soon be iced over by her nervous, yet beautiful, smile.
04. - Box
There was nothing special about the ornate box Anna had kept underneath her bed in Mysidia: it contained various dolls made from the husks of gyshal greens, tomes on the first few spells she had learned, and a crudely-drawn sketch of a woman she might of known, but was afraid to ask, as Tellah had the original confiscated in her childhood - but Gilbert found it all the more intriguing, especially when he saw the box had been crafted in Kaipo.
05. - Run
Anna had stormed out from the small house near the Kaipoan Oasis in a fiery rush of rage that was fit enough to make the moon break through, and warm the unsettling air of blue that had left her cold and crying; fortunately through the veil of tears, she saw his arms, and ran towards him as though he were the only solace she had in all of Gaia -- her pigheaded, stubborn father be damned to Ifrit's fiery hell.
06. - Hurricane
"What is it, love?" Gilbert murmured, stroking her wavy, cherry hair in a careful attempt to comfort her; he hadn’t seen Anna's frivolous sprint from the house, but from the way she tightly grasped him in an embrace, and hastily buried her face in his chest to sob, he would have thought her the reason why Fabul’s Wind Crystal and Damcyan’s Fire Crystal usually didn’t agree so well over ocean territory.
07. - Wings
Though Anna's face told of composure on the outside, Gilbert honestly wondered what was going on within the inside: had she and Sage Tellah agreed - leaving her wrought with emotion?; did Tellah truly give her his blessing - with the knowledge that the Mysidian still thought he a lowly bard?; it all faded when he looked up at her next to him on the Hovercraft, her arms spread wide as though she were flying in the night sky; he debated on telling her how beautiful she looked, but kept it to himself, delighted to see angel's wings.
08. - Cold
Gilbert's return to Damcyan was about as frigid as Shiva's kiss: he actually -wished- the guards, councilmen, and his parents would've berated him for his countless absences, rather than witness the same take his Anna into their arms, and whisper praises to Gaia for saving their kingdom.
09. - Red
Alone in Gilbert's bedchamber, Anna worriedly surveyed the two dresses the castle's maids had set out for her to wear to dinner - one of rich, crimson velvet and gold lining, and another of the deepest cerulean and silver threading - and wished, for one fleeting moment, that they could adhere to Mysidian customs, aso that she might wear her mage's robes instead.
10. - Drink
Gilbert smiled to himself, cautiously pouring yet another goblet of wine, as he watched Anna's tanned face slowly acquire a reddish color that almost matched the strands of her hair, and wondered what fun they might have later on in the night vespers.
11. - Midnight
Midnight settled over the desert as it had in previous days, but not in the same fashion: a second moon had fallen into place beside the one the prince and his princess had grown so used to witnessing night after night; they only hoped it was a sign of something good, and not of an omen lingering.
12. - Temptation
It was hard, Anna realized, not to fall out of place next to the Damcyani nobles, and rush up to Gilbert, whose soft voice of heaven now accompanied the rest of the castle’s choral sect in a song commonly used by lamias.
13. - View
It was hard, Gilbert realized, to let go of her hand, but he eventually did, reminding himself that they had the rest of their lives to spend together to view the sun setting on yet another day they had spent together.
14. - Music
As they turned away from the Crystal of Fire, the prince and his new bride were shocked to see the people of Damcyan looking on their union; the nobles applauded kindly, while the rest of the angels took up their harps and sweetly sang their melodious music - a fitting reception indeed.
15. - Silk
Dancing close, Gilbert was surprised to find that when he rested his cheek against her cherry hair, the strands that were normally so dry were now full of life, silky as the beautiful gown of red and gold she opted to wear instead of the old yellow dress that had held on to a large part of her life...
16. - Cover
Anna covered her mouth, trying to hide a gasp of surprise as Gilbert presented her with two beautifully crafted ruby rings, one of which he handed to her, while the other he carefully slipped on her finger, and added coyly, "How is this for official?"
17. - Promise
"I promise to love, to cherish, and honor only you," Anna said to Gilbert, stuffing away a fourth helping of the Sandmoth Mincemeat pie rather greedily, "but only if you promise to let me drive the hovercraft sometime," she added with a joking smile, and absent poke at a piece of bread, all of which Gilbert wondered if his new bride was just ferociously hungry, or something else.
18. - Dream
Anna awoke from her dream with a start, her whole body drenched in sweat despite the icy breeze that wafted through the window adjacent to the bed; terrible deeds and the mixtures of death and departure had lead her to questioning if the dream had been a probable premonition - her training to become a sage like her father often rewarded her - but she told herself it was just a nightmare, fluffed out her gown, and settled back next to Gilbert, who was still enshrouded in slumber.
19. - Candle
The candles had long-been extinguished in their bedchamber, the sun's rays streaming in through the window a valid replacement; today was the day they’d return to Kaipo, and confront their worst fears - Tellah - but not without confronting a probable one that had become caught up in their many nights together like the burning flames.
20. - Talent
Gilbert had a natural affinity for calming hearts of despair, while Anna still retained all her training as a sage: together, their talents could tie into one to continue the legacy of Damcyan, the Damcyani nobles realized, as the prince and his princess walked towards the gates, bound for Kaipo.
21. - Silence
For the most part, all Gilbert and his bride did was laugh nervously - they were going to Kaipo to see Tellah, after all, and both were scared senseless that the noble Mysidian would curse them both for marrying, royalty or not - and they would have kept it all the way to the hovercraft, had they not come face to face with a guard, slumped over in a pool of blood on the granite ground, and bearing a silence that would haunt them.
22. - Journey
"He's dead," Anna whispered as she stood back up, trying to fight off the shaking that claimed her body, and the feeling of nausea that stirred in her stomach and threatened to upheaval her breakfast; Gilbert slowly, but insistently, pulled her to him, and started to backtrack into the castle, which would truly be the longest journey of their lives.
23. - Fire
The area around them was burning with red before either knew it: countless screams, cries, and pleading were all strung into one as the roof above started to cave and collapse, the force of sky bound airships dropping strings of bombs and soldiers atop the instigation behind it; though neither would admit it, Gilbert and Anna were scared.
24. - Strength
"We have to help everyone make it out safely," Anna suddenly said, pushing a stunned Gilbert away as she strode forward with a newfound strength, "lets split up; I'll be fine by myself," she added, searching his eyes for some indication that they’d see through to the end.
25. - Mask
Gilbert had worn many masks for Anna before - hope, love, mocked bravery - but now that the moment of truth had arisen between the two, he found it difficult to put this one - his own - on.
26. - Ice
"Stop where you are," a cold, unfamiliar voice called out to Gilbert, who rounded about to face a cloaked man, clad in the insignia of Baron, pointing a string of arrows at him: the prince closed his eyes, and braced himself for the fire, but when it never came, he looked down at the ground and broke into an icy sweat, despite the heat engulfing.
27. - Fall
It didn't hurt Anna when she fell to the ground, the front of her body full of the arrows she had leapt in front of to shield Gilbert from; rather, it hurt her to look up into the prince’s eyes, which were becoming less and less clear to her now...
28. - Forgotten
Speechless, Gilbert hoisted Anna into his arms, and ran, looking back at the cloaked man only once: the other soldiers following in his trek towards the crystal’s altar had dubbed him Golbez - a name which would never be forgotten so long as the prince would live.
29. - Dance
When the pillaging had stopped, and the Red Wings took to the skies, Gilbert returned towards the dais where he and Anna had shared a dance and a feast nearly a fortnight ago, and worked on removing the arrows from her body, alternating with the recovery water Damcyan held; nothing, though, could prepare him for the other dance that was looming just behind him.
30. - Body
Gilbert held back a yelp as Tellah's fist connected with his face, his staff jabbing at his chest, but he endured it, if only for the bleeding, broken body that laid on the ground with little life clinging onto it.
31. - Sacred
Tellah held Anna's hand, while Gilbert held the other, both listening quietly as the woman they considered the sacred of most began to slip further and further into the embrace of death; all Anna saw was gold light and a woman standing idly at the other side.
32. - Farewells
Long after Anna's eyes closed for the last time, and Tellah stormed out in a fit of rage, Gilbert set her body down in the mausoleum, along with his parents and the other victims of Damcyan’s tragedy; it was here he tried his best to tell her his final farewell, but failed miserably and sank into a pool of tears.
33. - World
Even before he had met Anna, Gilbert had traveled the world under the guise of a bard, but he had hoped that his travels thereafter would always involve her.
34. - Formal
Gilbert wasn’t used to being so formal around people other than those of the castle, his parents, and Anna: for now, the next time someone addressed him as "King Gilbert" would certainly be their last.
35. - Fever
Gilbert traveled with Cecil and Rydia to help extract the Sandruby from the antlion - a gem needed to cure Rosa’s ailment with the Desert fever; needless to say, Anna was never far from his thoughts, and there were nights he’d awaken in his tent, silently, feverishly sobbing for her.
36. - Laugh
His dreams of her always pictured her laughing, sometimes dancing with an infant girl that greatly resembled her; it always ended the same, however: both would be arrowed down by Golbez, followed by his cold laughter that made him hate the bastard all the more.
37. - Lies
"Of... of course I’m fine," Gilbert replied to the vexed voice of Cecil, who called out from his tent to see if the bard was alright, when, in actuality, he was far from it.
38. - Forever
Later on in the night, Gilbert set foot from the Kaipoan house, and out to the oasis surrounding the desert city, stopping only when he reached the spot where he first met, courted, and vowed to be with Anna forever.
39. - Overwhelmed
The appearance of the monster flustered Gilbert, but nothing flustered him more than Anna’s spirit suddenly appearing before him, encouraging, pleading him to go on.
40. - Whisper
"You must live, my love," Anna whispered, afraid (even in ethereal form) to look her husband in the eye; she had stopped crying long ago in death‘s cold arms, and was frightened of starting again.
41.- Wait
"Wait for me Anna," Gilbert murmured as he turned away from the water, digits fingering the short sword that lay invisibly sheathed next to him, as he contemplated on her words, and wished for another way.
42. - Talk
Gilbert was devastated when he heard the news from Cecil: Tellah had died using the spell of Meteo on Golbez (that bastard!), and all but days after amends had been made between the bard and his father-in-law; he nodded weakly, unbelieving, but turned away from the paladin and his friends so that they wouldn’t see the tears forming in his eyes, or hear the breaking in his throat when he tried to see them off.
43. - Search
Gilbert searched through the cold, bleak illusion of Damcyan Castle, trying desperately to find the warmth of life that the moon had kissed in icy blood; though when he did finally unveil the moaning ghosts, he wondered why they still clung to existence, instead of accepting death like his Anna had.
44. - Hope
There is still hope, Gilbert reminded himself, burying his hands in a pile of tools, and withdrawing a hammer which he handed to the Toroian guard helping to rebuild the castle, though she is gone, she will still be here with me.
45. - Eclipse
Standing outside Baron with the Mysidian Elder, Palom, and Porom, discussing plans for Tellah's and Anna's funerals, Gilbert peered up into the night sky, and was shocked to see that the moon, which had overlooked his and Anna’s first nights together was no longer there, almost as though it were eclipsed.
46. - Gravity
The gravity of the moon, Gilbert realized, was much different that the airless jolts that had stricken his stomach whenever he looked at Anna; this time, he had to keep up with Cecil as best he could, or fear being lost.
47. - Highway
As they emerged from the illusionary world set by the Lunarian Ice Queen, Gilbert couldn’t help but reflect on his Damcyan - the stench of death, the bombings that preceded, the murders of his wife and parents that shattered his world - and the perils that he had journeyed across its own private highway; though he knew now Golbez wasn't the one to blame, it'd be a long time before he could clear the road of his thoughts, and travel freely on it again without blame.
48. - Unknown
As Gilbert rushed to and fro, eagerly restoring life to Damcyan Castle, Anna smiled as she looked down on him from her place in the heavens; though it was unknown when their spirits would meet again, they could at least look forward to the day when they finally did.
49. - Lock
Gilbert slowed then, and lifted his eyes to the magnificent skylight that had been built over the chamber where the Crystal of Fire once resided; a stream of golden light had broken through the overcast desert, and was shining on him, invisible arms pulling into an embrace, and the unseen gleam of deep-blue eyes pouring over him, locking and giving in to nostalgic feelings once more.
50. - Breathe
Years had passed, and the King of Damcyan had transgressed smoothly, dark blond now platinum, and the azures of his eyes softer now that he had finally realized, and overcame his worst fears; the best part of it all was that through a life of solitude, he had finally been rewarded with the greatest gift of all: her beautiful face overlooking his, their breaths finally becoming one as they rejoined and danced again all the way to the heavens.
Pairing: Gilbert Chris von Muir x Anna von Muir [Edward Damcyan x Anna Mesiocite]
Theme Set: Gamma
Rating: PG-13 [minor language/sexual themes, death]
Note: Spoilers for FFIV in general, but with a couple of spoilers for Gilbert's/Edward's dungeon in FFIV: Advance. Mostly deals with pre-game/end-game, but bears in-game as well. -Slight- AU; blink, and you'll probably miss it. Some of these follow a set story, while some don't. You've been warned. =D
And why yes, I used "Gilbert" instead of "Edward." O.o; Oh, my.
01. - Ring
Gilbert had never presented Anna with an engagement ring for fear of her father, Sage Tellah, beating him over the head with the ornate staff he carried around, so it was a surprise when his lover came running up to him with two cheap rings wrought of iron, and a coy giggle and kiss for its jewels.
02. - Hero
As a common bard, the Prince of Damcyan was well-known for fleeing at the sight of monsters, though in Anna's eyes, he easily exchanged it for the role as her knight in shining robes, even if Tellah didn't approve of that.
03. - Memory
Returning to Damcyan Castle brought back Gilbert's usual flood of memories: the worried, aging faces of his parents, the chancellors who begged in their stead that he shouldn't leave, and the guards that had demanded to accompany the then-young prince that fateful day he had left; he knew, though, that with Anna by his side - hand in hand - the fires that sparked a hundred resentments would soon be iced over by her nervous, yet beautiful, smile.
04. - Box
There was nothing special about the ornate box Anna had kept underneath her bed in Mysidia: it contained various dolls made from the husks of gyshal greens, tomes on the first few spells she had learned, and a crudely-drawn sketch of a woman she might of known, but was afraid to ask, as Tellah had the original confiscated in her childhood - but Gilbert found it all the more intriguing, especially when he saw the box had been crafted in Kaipo.
05. - Run
Anna had stormed out from the small house near the Kaipoan Oasis in a fiery rush of rage that was fit enough to make the moon break through, and warm the unsettling air of blue that had left her cold and crying; fortunately through the veil of tears, she saw his arms, and ran towards him as though he were the only solace she had in all of Gaia -- her pigheaded, stubborn father be damned to Ifrit's fiery hell.
06. - Hurricane
"What is it, love?" Gilbert murmured, stroking her wavy, cherry hair in a careful attempt to comfort her; he hadn’t seen Anna's frivolous sprint from the house, but from the way she tightly grasped him in an embrace, and hastily buried her face in his chest to sob, he would have thought her the reason why Fabul’s Wind Crystal and Damcyan’s Fire Crystal usually didn’t agree so well over ocean territory.
07. - Wings
Though Anna's face told of composure on the outside, Gilbert honestly wondered what was going on within the inside: had she and Sage Tellah agreed - leaving her wrought with emotion?; did Tellah truly give her his blessing - with the knowledge that the Mysidian still thought he a lowly bard?; it all faded when he looked up at her next to him on the Hovercraft, her arms spread wide as though she were flying in the night sky; he debated on telling her how beautiful she looked, but kept it to himself, delighted to see angel's wings.
08. - Cold
Gilbert's return to Damcyan was about as frigid as Shiva's kiss: he actually -wished- the guards, councilmen, and his parents would've berated him for his countless absences, rather than witness the same take his Anna into their arms, and whisper praises to Gaia for saving their kingdom.
09. - Red
Alone in Gilbert's bedchamber, Anna worriedly surveyed the two dresses the castle's maids had set out for her to wear to dinner - one of rich, crimson velvet and gold lining, and another of the deepest cerulean and silver threading - and wished, for one fleeting moment, that they could adhere to Mysidian customs, aso that she might wear her mage's robes instead.
10. - Drink
Gilbert smiled to himself, cautiously pouring yet another goblet of wine, as he watched Anna's tanned face slowly acquire a reddish color that almost matched the strands of her hair, and wondered what fun they might have later on in the night vespers.
11. - Midnight
Midnight settled over the desert as it had in previous days, but not in the same fashion: a second moon had fallen into place beside the one the prince and his princess had grown so used to witnessing night after night; they only hoped it was a sign of something good, and not of an omen lingering.
12. - Temptation
It was hard, Anna realized, not to fall out of place next to the Damcyani nobles, and rush up to Gilbert, whose soft voice of heaven now accompanied the rest of the castle’s choral sect in a song commonly used by lamias.
13. - View
It was hard, Gilbert realized, to let go of her hand, but he eventually did, reminding himself that they had the rest of their lives to spend together to view the sun setting on yet another day they had spent together.
14. - Music
As they turned away from the Crystal of Fire, the prince and his new bride were shocked to see the people of Damcyan looking on their union; the nobles applauded kindly, while the rest of the angels took up their harps and sweetly sang their melodious music - a fitting reception indeed.
15. - Silk
Dancing close, Gilbert was surprised to find that when he rested his cheek against her cherry hair, the strands that were normally so dry were now full of life, silky as the beautiful gown of red and gold she opted to wear instead of the old yellow dress that had held on to a large part of her life...
16. - Cover
Anna covered her mouth, trying to hide a gasp of surprise as Gilbert presented her with two beautifully crafted ruby rings, one of which he handed to her, while the other he carefully slipped on her finger, and added coyly, "How is this for official?"
17. - Promise
"I promise to love, to cherish, and honor only you," Anna said to Gilbert, stuffing away a fourth helping of the Sandmoth Mincemeat pie rather greedily, "but only if you promise to let me drive the hovercraft sometime," she added with a joking smile, and absent poke at a piece of bread, all of which Gilbert wondered if his new bride was just ferociously hungry, or something else.
18. - Dream
Anna awoke from her dream with a start, her whole body drenched in sweat despite the icy breeze that wafted through the window adjacent to the bed; terrible deeds and the mixtures of death and departure had lead her to questioning if the dream had been a probable premonition - her training to become a sage like her father often rewarded her - but she told herself it was just a nightmare, fluffed out her gown, and settled back next to Gilbert, who was still enshrouded in slumber.
19. - Candle
The candles had long-been extinguished in their bedchamber, the sun's rays streaming in through the window a valid replacement; today was the day they’d return to Kaipo, and confront their worst fears - Tellah - but not without confronting a probable one that had become caught up in their many nights together like the burning flames.
20. - Talent
Gilbert had a natural affinity for calming hearts of despair, while Anna still retained all her training as a sage: together, their talents could tie into one to continue the legacy of Damcyan, the Damcyani nobles realized, as the prince and his princess walked towards the gates, bound for Kaipo.
21. - Silence
For the most part, all Gilbert and his bride did was laugh nervously - they were going to Kaipo to see Tellah, after all, and both were scared senseless that the noble Mysidian would curse them both for marrying, royalty or not - and they would have kept it all the way to the hovercraft, had they not come face to face with a guard, slumped over in a pool of blood on the granite ground, and bearing a silence that would haunt them.
22. - Journey
"He's dead," Anna whispered as she stood back up, trying to fight off the shaking that claimed her body, and the feeling of nausea that stirred in her stomach and threatened to upheaval her breakfast; Gilbert slowly, but insistently, pulled her to him, and started to backtrack into the castle, which would truly be the longest journey of their lives.
23. - Fire
The area around them was burning with red before either knew it: countless screams, cries, and pleading were all strung into one as the roof above started to cave and collapse, the force of sky bound airships dropping strings of bombs and soldiers atop the instigation behind it; though neither would admit it, Gilbert and Anna were scared.
24. - Strength
"We have to help everyone make it out safely," Anna suddenly said, pushing a stunned Gilbert away as she strode forward with a newfound strength, "lets split up; I'll be fine by myself," she added, searching his eyes for some indication that they’d see through to the end.
25. - Mask
Gilbert had worn many masks for Anna before - hope, love, mocked bravery - but now that the moment of truth had arisen between the two, he found it difficult to put this one - his own - on.
26. - Ice
"Stop where you are," a cold, unfamiliar voice called out to Gilbert, who rounded about to face a cloaked man, clad in the insignia of Baron, pointing a string of arrows at him: the prince closed his eyes, and braced himself for the fire, but when it never came, he looked down at the ground and broke into an icy sweat, despite the heat engulfing.
27. - Fall
It didn't hurt Anna when she fell to the ground, the front of her body full of the arrows she had leapt in front of to shield Gilbert from; rather, it hurt her to look up into the prince’s eyes, which were becoming less and less clear to her now...
28. - Forgotten
Speechless, Gilbert hoisted Anna into his arms, and ran, looking back at the cloaked man only once: the other soldiers following in his trek towards the crystal’s altar had dubbed him Golbez - a name which would never be forgotten so long as the prince would live.
29. - Dance
When the pillaging had stopped, and the Red Wings took to the skies, Gilbert returned towards the dais where he and Anna had shared a dance and a feast nearly a fortnight ago, and worked on removing the arrows from her body, alternating with the recovery water Damcyan held; nothing, though, could prepare him for the other dance that was looming just behind him.
30. - Body
Gilbert held back a yelp as Tellah's fist connected with his face, his staff jabbing at his chest, but he endured it, if only for the bleeding, broken body that laid on the ground with little life clinging onto it.
31. - Sacred
Tellah held Anna's hand, while Gilbert held the other, both listening quietly as the woman they considered the sacred of most began to slip further and further into the embrace of death; all Anna saw was gold light and a woman standing idly at the other side.
32. - Farewells
Long after Anna's eyes closed for the last time, and Tellah stormed out in a fit of rage, Gilbert set her body down in the mausoleum, along with his parents and the other victims of Damcyan’s tragedy; it was here he tried his best to tell her his final farewell, but failed miserably and sank into a pool of tears.
33. - World
Even before he had met Anna, Gilbert had traveled the world under the guise of a bard, but he had hoped that his travels thereafter would always involve her.
34. - Formal
Gilbert wasn’t used to being so formal around people other than those of the castle, his parents, and Anna: for now, the next time someone addressed him as "King Gilbert" would certainly be their last.
35. - Fever
Gilbert traveled with Cecil and Rydia to help extract the Sandruby from the antlion - a gem needed to cure Rosa’s ailment with the Desert fever; needless to say, Anna was never far from his thoughts, and there were nights he’d awaken in his tent, silently, feverishly sobbing for her.
36. - Laugh
His dreams of her always pictured her laughing, sometimes dancing with an infant girl that greatly resembled her; it always ended the same, however: both would be arrowed down by Golbez, followed by his cold laughter that made him hate the bastard all the more.
37. - Lies
"Of... of course I’m fine," Gilbert replied to the vexed voice of Cecil, who called out from his tent to see if the bard was alright, when, in actuality, he was far from it.
38. - Forever
Later on in the night, Gilbert set foot from the Kaipoan house, and out to the oasis surrounding the desert city, stopping only when he reached the spot where he first met, courted, and vowed to be with Anna forever.
39. - Overwhelmed
The appearance of the monster flustered Gilbert, but nothing flustered him more than Anna’s spirit suddenly appearing before him, encouraging, pleading him to go on.
40. - Whisper
"You must live, my love," Anna whispered, afraid (even in ethereal form) to look her husband in the eye; she had stopped crying long ago in death‘s cold arms, and was frightened of starting again.
41.- Wait
"Wait for me Anna," Gilbert murmured as he turned away from the water, digits fingering the short sword that lay invisibly sheathed next to him, as he contemplated on her words, and wished for another way.
42. - Talk
Gilbert was devastated when he heard the news from Cecil: Tellah had died using the spell of Meteo on Golbez (that bastard!), and all but days after amends had been made between the bard and his father-in-law; he nodded weakly, unbelieving, but turned away from the paladin and his friends so that they wouldn’t see the tears forming in his eyes, or hear the breaking in his throat when he tried to see them off.
43. - Search
Gilbert searched through the cold, bleak illusion of Damcyan Castle, trying desperately to find the warmth of life that the moon had kissed in icy blood; though when he did finally unveil the moaning ghosts, he wondered why they still clung to existence, instead of accepting death like his Anna had.
44. - Hope
There is still hope, Gilbert reminded himself, burying his hands in a pile of tools, and withdrawing a hammer which he handed to the Toroian guard helping to rebuild the castle, though she is gone, she will still be here with me.
45. - Eclipse
Standing outside Baron with the Mysidian Elder, Palom, and Porom, discussing plans for Tellah's and Anna's funerals, Gilbert peered up into the night sky, and was shocked to see that the moon, which had overlooked his and Anna’s first nights together was no longer there, almost as though it were eclipsed.
46. - Gravity
The gravity of the moon, Gilbert realized, was much different that the airless jolts that had stricken his stomach whenever he looked at Anna; this time, he had to keep up with Cecil as best he could, or fear being lost.
47. - Highway
As they emerged from the illusionary world set by the Lunarian Ice Queen, Gilbert couldn’t help but reflect on his Damcyan - the stench of death, the bombings that preceded, the murders of his wife and parents that shattered his world - and the perils that he had journeyed across its own private highway; though he knew now Golbez wasn't the one to blame, it'd be a long time before he could clear the road of his thoughts, and travel freely on it again without blame.
48. - Unknown
As Gilbert rushed to and fro, eagerly restoring life to Damcyan Castle, Anna smiled as she looked down on him from her place in the heavens; though it was unknown when their spirits would meet again, they could at least look forward to the day when they finally did.
49. - Lock
Gilbert slowed then, and lifted his eyes to the magnificent skylight that had been built over the chamber where the Crystal of Fire once resided; a stream of golden light had broken through the overcast desert, and was shining on him, invisible arms pulling into an embrace, and the unseen gleam of deep-blue eyes pouring over him, locking and giving in to nostalgic feelings once more.
50. - Breathe
Years had passed, and the King of Damcyan had transgressed smoothly, dark blond now platinum, and the azures of his eyes softer now that he had finally realized, and overcame his worst fears; the best part of it all was that through a life of solitude, he had finally been rewarded with the greatest gift of all: her beautiful face overlooking his, their breaths finally becoming one as they rejoined and danced again all the way to the heavens.