11-18-2019, 08:16 AM
For a moment, the plan works - she expects it to work, but there is something not quite right. A small glance to the side and she notices that the mare in the water looks extremely strained, as Ozzie and several others all take a route that they think will work.
All of them together, a the same time, it doesn’t work.
She realizes it only a fraction of a heartbeat before Odd does, he yells something at her, but she doesn’t hear what exactly he is saying in that fraction of time, that eternal fraction that seems to stretch and stretch until she can’t see the end of it -
Then, she slips on ice, and he does too, and time catches up to her as if to compensate with the slow-down from before. Landing on something hard, once, twice, like being beaten and falling on hard ice - and then they’re toppling over a waterfall. She’s falling, falling, no unlike last time, not unlike thousands of times before.
But this time they fall together.
The realization that this is for real, that this is definite, comes crashing on her much harder than the crash she makes below the waterfall. Tons of water crash onto her and she cannot breathe, but she is dead - she is dead and he is too, and this time she has failed to save him. This time she’s failed to save the world.
All things must end, a familiar voice hums against her ear, and she sighs, knows it is true. But I don’t want it to end yet, she tells him - and Odd shakes his head and then nods to the mare who came with them. Ozzie follows his gaze; indeed, the black mare speaks now. She tells them she cannot save them all - half of them can go back, the others must stay here.
She’s torn. She doesn’t want to go, but she doesn’t want to stay either. Yet it is only her decision - Odd looks at her, his eyes sparkling, I know your decision is the right one. Whatever she chooses… will it be okay? She knows the cycle, their endless cycle - she always knows that he is worth saving, that he is the savior of her tiny little world as it is then; there’s no denying it. And always she is there to do so, to help him survive long enough to do what he must do. She is the pawn that needs to be sacrificed for the king to win the game.
What if he didn’t go back? What would happen then? Would she take his place or would the world die? Their balance would be off…
What is she didn’t go back? What could happen then? Would he die like in all those instances in which she intervened, would evil then triumph? The balance would be off…
She shakes her head. ”It’s impossible.” she says to no-one in particular.
”Yes,” comes the voice next to her. ”But you’re the impossible girl.”
He’s gauding her into leaving, but she smiles. ”Yes, I am. Now run, you clever boy. And remember.”
And she will stay, like she had a thousand times before, and will do so for a million times more.
All of them together, a the same time, it doesn’t work.
She realizes it only a fraction of a heartbeat before Odd does, he yells something at her, but she doesn’t hear what exactly he is saying in that fraction of time, that eternal fraction that seems to stretch and stretch until she can’t see the end of it -
Then, she slips on ice, and he does too, and time catches up to her as if to compensate with the slow-down from before. Landing on something hard, once, twice, like being beaten and falling on hard ice - and then they’re toppling over a waterfall. She’s falling, falling, no unlike last time, not unlike thousands of times before.
But this time they fall together.
The realization that this is for real, that this is definite, comes crashing on her much harder than the crash she makes below the waterfall. Tons of water crash onto her and she cannot breathe, but she is dead - she is dead and he is too, and this time she has failed to save him. This time she’s failed to save the world.
All things must end, a familiar voice hums against her ear, and she sighs, knows it is true. But I don’t want it to end yet, she tells him - and Odd shakes his head and then nods to the mare who came with them. Ozzie follows his gaze; indeed, the black mare speaks now. She tells them she cannot save them all - half of them can go back, the others must stay here.
She’s torn. She doesn’t want to go, but she doesn’t want to stay either. Yet it is only her decision - Odd looks at her, his eyes sparkling, I know your decision is the right one. Whatever she chooses… will it be okay? She knows the cycle, their endless cycle - she always knows that he is worth saving, that he is the savior of her tiny little world as it is then; there’s no denying it. And always she is there to do so, to help him survive long enough to do what he must do. She is the pawn that needs to be sacrificed for the king to win the game.
What if he didn’t go back? What would happen then? Would she take his place or would the world die? Their balance would be off…
What is she didn’t go back? What could happen then? Would he die like in all those instances in which she intervened, would evil then triumph? The balance would be off…
She shakes her head. ”It’s impossible.” she says to no-one in particular.
”Yes,” comes the voice next to her. ”But you’re the impossible girl.”
He’s gauding her into leaving, but she smiles. ”Yes, I am. Now run, you clever boy. And remember.”
And she will stay, like she had a thousand times before, and will do so for a million times more.