By Achernotia 6/8/2008
Three months later...
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She feels herself begin to shake, she feels herself shudder suddenly, violently, then shatter around herself in an agonizing jolt. Empty, weightless, bodiless - the memory of that final moment slams into her as though it were the fist of Gruul himself and she picks up her desperate affirmation where she left off, without a hitch, without missing a word, not one syllable, not a single second.
"...him, it's for her, it's for the Grim, it's for the Mandate, it's for the Horde, it's for the best, it's for him, it's for her, it's for the Grim, it's for the Mandate, it's for the Horde, it's for the best, it's for..."
-- she chanted the words to herself as the tearing pain intensified, as she clutched at her body, as she flowed through him and in and around, between each of his thoughts and each of his bones she flowed but finally the words stopped and she came to rest in the palm of his hand, solid, unmoving, feeling his trembling fingers close around her in a last moment of awareness before losing all time, all memory, all thought, until this moment of release, of freedom, surely it isn't happening again --
"-- him, it's for her, it's for the Grim, it's for the Mandate, it's for the Horde, it's for the best --"
-- but no, the pain has stopped and she doesn't need to tell herself anything anymore.
I'm dead. Again.
She isn't entirely sure which part of her reaches out to the presence she doesn't even realize is nearby. As soon as she stretches herself out towards it, it's there. It's a moment of disorientation, up is down, east is west, where in hellfire am I?, right has become wrong has become right again, and here is something that knows how to unravel all the secrets of how to sort it all out once again, excuse-me-but-I-seem-to-have-lost-my-self-can-you-help-me?
It's hesitant at first, but she feels it catch her up in an embrace that she feels around herself and inside herself all at once, but there must have been some mistake because she recognizes him and he should never be touching her this way. He should never even be capable of touching her this way. She tries to shake herself free, but he is firm, he is stronger than she is for once, no, Tía.
Syreena was worried. Greebo was resolute. Aleryn was screaming.
She's there
-- need you --
before she even knows that he's begun to guide her
-- here, my Lady --
to lead her
-- forgive me --
and she turns to question, where?, but it is too late.
-- blue, blue, cornflower blue, my Lady...oh, Light, forgive me.
The dead woman's eyes open.
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To be continued...