The Next Life (Onira and Phae only)

[Onira]

I'm Sorry

Dear Arcane Academy,

It has been a very long year and a half for me. Over the past while I've met many people, a few I cannot name. But, some I can. This letter is for all those people. To Xeryth, whose stuttering, although sometimes annoying, is always welcome. Please become strong my friend. To Junpei Taltos. One who, although through recent events has become my attacker, is my first and closest friend of the academy. I thank you for the strength you have given me. And lastly, to the one who shall remain dearest to my heart. Phae. You were the one who dug deep down. The one who stuck your hand in the frost for a complete stranger, and pulled him out. You let me become strong. You let me feel the warmth. Let me develop a taste for it once again. I thank you, and all others a Arcane Academy. Whether you were once my enemy or my friend, you all shaped me to be the one I am. And for this, I thank you. Without your strength, I wouldn't have even made it this far. You all remain in my heart, even when it stops beating. And I'm sorry that I will soon be but a memory. I wish for you not to mourn for me, but if you must weep, please do not weep for my life. Weep for the new, not the old. Weep for what may not come, instead of what has come. I thank you for this time, and please remember. Love is eternal.

Sincerely, Riekana Onira
_______________________________________________________________

The young man's hair flailed slowly, the high airs catching but not shaking him. His eyes were empty. Void of everything. As if not even in realization of where he was. What he was doing. Of course not. He wasn't thinking about what he was doing. He was thinking of the after-effect. What happened after. When he joined his master and his family. Happy. Bliss. They would dream and dance and play. Joy for eternity. They would no longer be apart. Instead they would be together. Forever. Inseparable they would become. The master and the student. no longer the two titles, but instead just two people. Just like a father and a son. Enjoying everything and loving all they could. For eternity. Eternity.

The wind blew once again, still not moving the young man. He stood at the edge. At the beginning of the border between two lives. The first life and the after life, where Onira would truly thrive. Where pain would no longer live. Only love existed there. And the wind would take him. Take him to his new life.

"Love."

Onira shoes slowly rotated forward, his body following. He was beginning his descent. Leaving the edge of Babylos to fall to the Earth. Tears in his eyes and his glowing blond hair writhing with the wind. Inside the gate to his next life. He descended toward the earthen wall that was his pass. The pass to his next life.

"Eternal."

[Phae]

Phae walked down the hall. She was going to check on Onira. She knew that he was having as hard if not harder time with the situation that she was and thought she was very angry with him and hurt in more ways than one the painfully thin reflection of what used to be Phae walked down the hall. Her clothes hung off her body a bit now. She had always been thin but lately she had become even more so and more muscular as well as she worked out constanly and ate less than one should to stay alive.

The muscles in her legs shifted under the skin as she moved through the halls. She made it to Onira's room and knocked. No sound came from the room beyond and she wondered if the man was home. But the door swung open having not been closed all the way and she stepped in.

"Onira?" she asked her dull blue eyes scanning the area for him. Her gaze landed on a note placed on the bed. She moved over and picked it up beginning to read. Tears spotted the page as she read further and further. Oh God he was going to kill himself. She shoved the note in her jean pocket and took off down the halls.

She had little time so she had t be right. She had contemplated killing herself and it had been to throw herself off the edge of Babylos. She had thought roof at first but no that wouldn't have worked someone would have healed her and that wasn't what she had wanted. She was slowly getting better thanks to Xeryth and her new friend Jonathon but she was no where near the Phae they had both met. She ran and ran out of the academy her muscular legs getting her there faster than ever suddenly thankful for her crazy one minded determination but knowing she wouldn't last long and would probably faint afterwards as she hadn't eaten in two days.

She came up on the edge and what she feared was what she saw there was Onira standing on the edge of the city looking down. Ready to jump to the Earth below. Phae stopped several feet from him.

"DONT YOU DARE!" her voice screamed as she stood there holding his note in her hand. "How could you! Don't you even contemplate going off the side. Do you know who you leave behind when you do that. This stuff can blow over it isn't the end you still have a friend. I AM YOUR FRIEND."

[Onira]

The young male stood silent and still for a moment, ready to fall off the edge. It seemed no one cared. No one had decided to change what was to happen. Good. That meant Onira could die in peace. With no one sad for his lost life. With no one regretting what they or he had done, and just letting him be. Letting him move on peacefully. Except for one. Phae. Onira had always hoped she would just stay away. Just forget him. But Phae couldn't do it. She had to try. Had to try and help everyone she could. Now she would have to bare witness to the horrible act Onira was to perform.

The young man slowly turned his head to look at Phae. She seemed someone confident and very decided. However, Onira could see she was still very unrested and needed food. Maybe one would help her when she returned to Arcane Academy. But Onira could not be such help. Not now. He had to finish what he had begun. It was his time to pass.

"Remember, Phae. Yesterday, we made an agreement. I told you that I cannot be your friend, for I love you far beyond that. I cannot be your lover, for you do not return my affection. So, therefore, I am but a stranger. An outsider. Unwelcome. You know that the connection is gone, and you and I are merely passers-by. So please, do not try and stop me. I merely wish to rejoin my home. I wish to see my mother and father and my master. I wish to sit with them and dream. I want to feel the sense of warmth that I can accept. Please, do not stop me."

[Phae]

Phae looked at him tears running down her already sore eyes just making them even more so. She shut them for a moment against the stinging sensation. She wanted him to live. No she did not return his love but that didn't mean she didn't care. She opened her eyes again and gave him the softest most caring look in the world.

"Please. You know that that isn't true. I care for you so much Onira. I may not ever be able to return your love but that doesn't mean I do not care for you." she said pleadingly. "Don't throw your life away Onira. You have so much to live for yet. Friends to make, tests to take, a whole life to live, a famliy to raise one day. So many things left undone. Don't take your life away so prematurely."

She knelt in the grass on her knees sitting on her heals as the tears ran from her once beautiful blue eyes.

"Don't...don't please. Stay and live."

[Onira]

Onira gave a small smile to Phae. He was somewhat ammused at her. She cared so much, and Onira felt it, but shed no tears. He didn't want her to cry, but knew he needed to do what he was doing. He knew it was right. The way it was supposed to be. What he was supposed to do. However, Phae needed comfort. Atleast for a moment.

Onira walked to Phae slowly, soon coming to her and bending down. Resting on one knee, he placed a gentle hand to Phae's cheek, looking down at her with soft and wise eyes. He seemed different. Not really kinder or smarter, but wiser. As if he knew what he was doing was absolutely right. As if he had no doubts. No doubts it would work.

The hand gently caressed Phae's face as Onira planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, reminiscent of what a brother would do to help his little sister when she was sad. In that moment, one would swear that Phae and Onira were sibblings. The way he spoke to her was very brotherly and supportive, and could inspire even the coldest of men.

"Remember, Phae. I am always here for you, no matter what happens. I will be there, even if only deep in your heart. I love you enough, that I can guarantee, no matter where you are, my spirit will protect you. Remember the words."

Onira instantly turned around and blasted for the edge of the floating city. He placed the last swift foot on the ground and let the words travel across the wind.

"Love is Eternal."

Onira leaped over the edge, leaving only his last remaining words to Phae.

[Phae]

Phae watched as he came over and knelt down in front of her. He cupped her cheek and she knew that look. The look in his eyes she knew he was saying goodbye which was only going to make things that much harder. How could he have let her not returning his love make him want to give up his life. It was all her fault all her fault and there was nothing she could do about it.

She listened to every word he said and then he ran. Ran right off the cliff killing himself and all she could do was watch. She couldn't cry anymore she was lost. Gone. Something..snapped. She was not the Phae she used to be she was not that woman any more. She was lost

She had lost everything. She had no Junpei he had left and she didn't know when he would come back. He had left and when she needed him more than ever he was not here. Here where she was lost with only one way to return only one way to get back. His name was Junpei and he was gone.

She stood up holding still to the note he had written. She would never forget Onira. Never as long as she lived would she forget him. Though he had done this to her...caused the chain of events that led to this she would never forget. She walked unseeingly back to the academy. Anyone who saw here would think she was almost sleep walking the way she moved without blinking. She moved to her dorm room the one she shared with a room mate no longer there. She opened the door closed and locked it. Opening the window slightly she lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling Onira's letter clutched in her hand as she lay on the bed.

Would she ever be whole again? She didn't know. The only one that had any sort of possibility was Junpei and he wasn't here. Would anyone even check on her? No. She was gone until someone came to bring her back. She had every intention on not moving until someone came..eat, drink, sleep she needed nothing...wanted nothing...but Junpei.