#000 // Edensphere // OOC // Dream
[ Thoughts are in italics. Any romantic implications--I'm playing safe and going to say none. ]
Just…let me die…
The sun was painfully bright and hot, beating down on him. He squinted up at it, breathing ragged and agonized. As he parted his lips, they cracked and he could taste the coppery tang of blood on them. But he couldn’t move. Even had he wanted to, he couldn’t. If he raised his head just enough, he could see that he was covered in debilitating injuries-there was a hole in his chest and slash marks on his arms and legs. Moving a finger hurt, breathing hurt. His right hand was wrapped around something, and he didn’t have the strength to let go. A groan escaped from him as he lay there, staring up into the cloudless expanse.
“How long are you gonna lie there, Spike?”
He jerked and rolled his eyeballs in the direction of the voice, catching sight of the figure of a man dressed in a uniform of sorts sitting next to him.
“W-what?” His throat was too dry; his voice cracked hoarsely. Swallowing wasn’t much of a help. “Someone…there?” He picked out dark spiky hair and an x-shaped scar on the person’s cheek.
The form of another individual eclipsed the sun from his face; he blinked and stared straight up.
“Helloo…” This voice was different, he duly noted in the back of his mind, a girl’s. A hand waved in his face, and he could make out a smiling visage and a pair of vibrant green eyes gazing down at him.
“Don’t you remember us?” A third person chimed in, and he nearly jumped. A hand that was definitely feminine rested in his hair, running through the strands in a comforting motion. The fingers were cool and gentle, unlike the sun, and he gazed into a pair of red-brown eyes, feeling himself becoming lost in their depth.
I should remember all of you.
He tried to raise an arm, but pain shot through his body, making him groan and shut his eyes.
Your voices…I know them, but I can’t remember your names. His attempt to draw a deep breath were to no avail; it still hurt too much. Why?
“Spike.” The first voice spoke to him, and he felt someone take his right hand and tighten it around whatever he was holding. “Don’t let him get the best of you.” The hand gripped his. “You’re the proof I existed, remember? My living legacy.”
“I-” His eyes opened as his brow furrowed. He found himself staring up into a face that he knew-Gods, help him, he knew it-that was drawn up with concern. “Who’s ‘he’?”
“The enemy. You’ll know him when you see him.” A flash of silver and cold green mixed with blinding flashes of blue ghosted into his mind. “Just promise you won’t forget it, all right?”
“…won’t,” he gasped out. And as he looked on, the man faded with a parting grin and a wave of his hand.
Don’t go… he silently pleaded, though he didn’t know why.
Gentle tapping on his other hand made him look to the second figure. “Learn to forgive yourself, mm?” Her voice was sweet and reminded him of flowers and gentle sunshine. “I never blamed you. Not once.”
“I want to go-” he started to say. “-with you…”
“Not yet.” A shake of her head, and he saw light brown curls dance. “We’ll be waiting.” He felt her press a kiss to his forehead before she stood and also faded. “You’ll be all right,” he heard her words echo in his mind.
There was a longing that he felt but did not understand.
His gaze flickered to the last person.
“Are you-” he coughed, “-going to leave me, too?”
Those fingers caressed his face. “No. Because you made me a promise.”
“Seems like a made a lot of them,” he injected weakly. “Guess I broke a lot of them, too.”
A soft chuckle. “You didn’t.” She laid her hand on his forehead, and he found himself leaning into the touch. “You always kept them, and you kept yours to me, although-” she tipped her head, a smile on her face, “you were always late, but I never minded.”
“I’m not fit to save anyone.” He shook his head.
“It’s the thought that counts.” Her other hand grasped his left one.
She started to blur in his vision, and his heart rate accelerated. “You’re-”
“No, it’s you. You’re waking up.”
“This is…a dream?”
“Of sorts.” Her voice was fading.
He tried to hold on to her. “There’s-there’s not a thing I don’t cherish,” he gasped out, trying to sit up. The pain was nearly unbearable, but damn it-he was going to fight it. He fixed his eyes on her, trying to memorize her features.
“Shh.” Her arm was around his shoulders, stilling his movement. “No need to tell me that. I know you’re strong. Please-” He concentrated on her lips and her words. “Don’t lose to your memories. I’ll be waiting for you, at home.”
“Home?” Too late, he was slipping away, everything growing dark.
“Your family,” he heard her say as she disappeared from sight and hearing.
At the very least…I’m not alone.
The last thing he felt before all went black was the shape of a ring on her finger and their tightly entwined fingers.
[ Edit: Fixed one typo. ]
Just…let me die…
The sun was painfully bright and hot, beating down on him. He squinted up at it, breathing ragged and agonized. As he parted his lips, they cracked and he could taste the coppery tang of blood on them. But he couldn’t move. Even had he wanted to, he couldn’t. If he raised his head just enough, he could see that he was covered in debilitating injuries-there was a hole in his chest and slash marks on his arms and legs. Moving a finger hurt, breathing hurt. His right hand was wrapped around something, and he didn’t have the strength to let go. A groan escaped from him as he lay there, staring up into the cloudless expanse.
“How long are you gonna lie there, Spike?”
He jerked and rolled his eyeballs in the direction of the voice, catching sight of the figure of a man dressed in a uniform of sorts sitting next to him.
“W-what?” His throat was too dry; his voice cracked hoarsely. Swallowing wasn’t much of a help. “Someone…there?” He picked out dark spiky hair and an x-shaped scar on the person’s cheek.
The form of another individual eclipsed the sun from his face; he blinked and stared straight up.
“Helloo…” This voice was different, he duly noted in the back of his mind, a girl’s. A hand waved in his face, and he could make out a smiling visage and a pair of vibrant green eyes gazing down at him.
“Don’t you remember us?” A third person chimed in, and he nearly jumped. A hand that was definitely feminine rested in his hair, running through the strands in a comforting motion. The fingers were cool and gentle, unlike the sun, and he gazed into a pair of red-brown eyes, feeling himself becoming lost in their depth.
I should remember all of you.
He tried to raise an arm, but pain shot through his body, making him groan and shut his eyes.
Your voices…I know them, but I can’t remember your names. His attempt to draw a deep breath were to no avail; it still hurt too much. Why?
“Spike.” The first voice spoke to him, and he felt someone take his right hand and tighten it around whatever he was holding. “Don’t let him get the best of you.” The hand gripped his. “You’re the proof I existed, remember? My living legacy.”
“I-” His eyes opened as his brow furrowed. He found himself staring up into a face that he knew-Gods, help him, he knew it-that was drawn up with concern. “Who’s ‘he’?”
“The enemy. You’ll know him when you see him.” A flash of silver and cold green mixed with blinding flashes of blue ghosted into his mind. “Just promise you won’t forget it, all right?”
“…won’t,” he gasped out. And as he looked on, the man faded with a parting grin and a wave of his hand.
Don’t go… he silently pleaded, though he didn’t know why.
Gentle tapping on his other hand made him look to the second figure. “Learn to forgive yourself, mm?” Her voice was sweet and reminded him of flowers and gentle sunshine. “I never blamed you. Not once.”
“I want to go-” he started to say. “-with you…”
“Not yet.” A shake of her head, and he saw light brown curls dance. “We’ll be waiting.” He felt her press a kiss to his forehead before she stood and also faded. “You’ll be all right,” he heard her words echo in his mind.
There was a longing that he felt but did not understand.
His gaze flickered to the last person.
“Are you-” he coughed, “-going to leave me, too?”
Those fingers caressed his face. “No. Because you made me a promise.”
“Seems like a made a lot of them,” he injected weakly. “Guess I broke a lot of them, too.”
A soft chuckle. “You didn’t.” She laid her hand on his forehead, and he found himself leaning into the touch. “You always kept them, and you kept yours to me, although-” she tipped her head, a smile on her face, “you were always late, but I never minded.”
“I’m not fit to save anyone.” He shook his head.
“It’s the thought that counts.” Her other hand grasped his left one.
She started to blur in his vision, and his heart rate accelerated. “You’re-”
“No, it’s you. You’re waking up.”
“This is…a dream?”
“Of sorts.” Her voice was fading.
He tried to hold on to her. “There’s-there’s not a thing I don’t cherish,” he gasped out, trying to sit up. The pain was nearly unbearable, but damn it-he was going to fight it. He fixed his eyes on her, trying to memorize her features.
“Shh.” Her arm was around his shoulders, stilling his movement. “No need to tell me that. I know you’re strong. Please-” He concentrated on her lips and her words. “Don’t lose to your memories. I’ll be waiting for you, at home.”
“Home?” Too late, he was slipping away, everything growing dark.
“Your family,” he heard her say as she disappeared from sight and hearing.
At the very least…I’m not alone.
The last thing he felt before all went black was the shape of a ring on her finger and their tightly entwined fingers.
[ Edit: Fixed one typo. ]