Work Text:
Something was bothering Arnice, of that much Lilysse was certain. Since settling down in this abandoned house on the outskirts of a small village, Arnice hadn't been herself. After a year of traveling, Lilysse had been excited at the idea of finally settling down, but now, she wasn't so certain.
Purchased foodstuffs in arm, Lilysse walked the increasingly familiar forest path to hers and Arnice's home. Nearby was a ruined manor the other villagers said was haunted, although Arnice and Lilysse had yet to explore it. Lilysse had once, not entirely seriously, suggested that there may be demons inside, but Arnice had simply and uncharacteristically gave a noncommittal answer. Lilysse's arms tightened around her basket; in some ways, it was easy to forget Arnice was the new Nightlord, but she also knew Arnice couldn't hide her newfound powers forever.
For now, though, she wanted to enjoy this peace with her beloved, however fleeting it was.
When Lilysse returned home, she found Arnice in the garden. Arnice was surprisingly good with plants, and they had taken to selling many of the herbs they grew. "Arnice, I'm home," Lilysse called out.
A slow, careful smile came upon Arnice's lips. "Welcome back, Lily."
They entered the cottage together and put away the food Lilysse had gotten, although Lilysse couldn't ignore the space Arnice left between them. She was afraid, Lilysse realized. Of what, she was determined to find out, even if she didn't know where to begin. But maybe that wasn't so surprising; Arnice was usually guarded about her feelings, and Lilysse had to confess she wasn't much better. For so long she had suppressed her feelings for Arnice to accept her duty as a Saint marked for sacrifice. But things were supposed to be different between her and Arnice now. They had to be.
Today Lilysse cooked - before, neither had much experience with cooking, and traveling had left them little choice but to learn, and now they cooked on alternating days - and supper was uneventful. Lilysse tried to speak of small, insignificant things to ease Arnice's unknown worries, but still Arnice seemed distracted, so silence soon fell over them.
Once the dishes were cleaned and put away, the tense atmosphere grew unbearable, and Lilysse decided to just ask Arnice outright. "Arnice, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Arnice answered quickly, too quickly.
"No, something really is bothering you! I can tell!"
Arnice rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding Lilysse's gaze. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm fine, really."
"Arnice!" Lilysse exclaimed, and immediately regretted how whiny she sounded. She wanted Arnice to take her seriously, not think her clingy or childish.
"Lily." Arnice's eyes grew pleading as she gripped Lilysse's shoulders. "Trust me, please."
"I…" Lilysse let her gaze fall. She hated seeing Arnice like this, and she couldn't help but worry even more. "I wish you'd trust me too."
Arnice's red eyes went wide for a moment as she bit her lip, and she released Lilysse and tried to smile. "Everything is fine, I promise."
Lilysse wanted to believe Arnice, she really did. But when Arnice grew this guarded, Lilysse never knew what to say or do. She didn't want to be left behind again. She didn't want to take her precious memories of Arnice for granted.
They exchanged few other words that evening, but despite the tension between them, they took to bed together, as they always did. Laying close beside Lilysse, Arnice fell asleep first, her breathing slow and steady, and even without the light of the moon, Lilysse could still picture her profile clearly. Not much had changed between them since they had left Hotel Ende together, but not for the first time Lilysse wondered how long this fragile peace could last.
When Lilysse finally fell asleep, it was far from restful. At the Blue Altar, all she saw was Arnice's back, and no matter how much she ran and cried out, she could never catch up to Arnice. Darkness engulfed her, consuming her precious memories of Arnice until there was nothing left of her. The nightmares were always the same. Once, she had been a Saint whose duty was to support the knight who would delay the Eternal Night. Her sacrifice would mean that the world would live another day and Arnice could live freely. Everything always ended with Arnice and Lilysse being torn apart. Their love would condemn the world.
"No!" Lilysse cried, her eyes shooting open. It was still dark, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. Her cheeks flushing, she turned her head to apologize to Arnice for that sudden outburst, but then her blood ran cold.
Arnice was gone.
Quickly Lilysse sat up, glancing around, but saw no signs of Arnice. Was she still dreaming? No, her heart raced too painfully for this to be a mere nightmare. But why would Arnice leave with no warning? Was it something Lilysse had said?
Lilysse brought her knees to her chest and pressed her face against the bed sheets. Was it because of their argument earlier? But that could hardly be called an "argument" - they'd fought worse during their time in Hotel Ende. So why? Why had Arnice left?
Yet Lilysse still remembered Arnice, and that had to count for something.
She stood and quickly dressed. She didn't have much of a plan, but maybe Arnice hadn't gone far. Maybe she had just gone out for fresh air. Maybe she had heard a strange noise and left to investigate. Maybe she was injured and needed Lilysse's help. Whatever the reason, Lilysse had to remain hopeful, she told herself.
As she threw on a cloak, she opened the door and chill night air greeted her. She held up a lit lantern, as there was no moonlight to guide her. "Arnice, I'll find you this time," she said aloud. "I promise."
Once outside, a particular direction caught her attention almost immediately. She turned her head and saw the ruined manor just beyond the trees; said manor was rumored to be haunted, she remembered. A dark, wordless voice tugged at her mind, beckoning her toward the manor, and she resisted the urge to flinch away. This was the presence of a demon, it had to be, and maybe Arnice had sensed that same presence and left to investigate. But that she had gone alone without telling Lilysse - although dread filled Lilysse, and she couldn't ignore that strange lure, however dangerous it would be. Thus she pushed forward, through the forest path to the abandoned manor.
Despite the season, the trees grew more and more barren the closer Lilysse came to the manor, and dried dead leaves rustled in the wind like distorted whispers. The light from her lantern cast long shadows, and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she shivered violently. She was careful not to snag her clothes on any of the sharp branches, and with each step she took, the ground seemed to groan beneath her feet.
When she finally reached the manor itself, it was no less uninviting. The gate was rusted and collapsed, and pieces of broken statues were littered about, no longer recognizable as what they once were. The walls were cracked and the roof partially collapsed, and the windows were little more than shattered shards of glass. Lilysse took a step forward, being mindful of the tangled overgrowth, and made her way to the entrance. No door barred her way, and yet she hesitated a moment before stepping over the threshold, as if stepping into an entirely different world.
Welcome, fallen Saint.
At the sound of that twisted, formless voice, Lilysse dropped her lantern and clutched her head. An oppressive atmosphere threatened to suffocate her, and she inhaled deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She forced herself to open her eyes, and the interior of the manor was as ruined as she had expected. However, despite the flame of her lantern having been snuffed, a pale, silent light still surrounded her.
She took a careful step forward, toward the source of the light. Underneath the crumbling mezzanine was a crystalline cocoon pulsing like a faint heartbeat, and similar such webbing covered the walls and floor. Lilysse came closer toward the strange cocoon, feeling drawn to it for reasons she couldn't explain, but gasped upon seeing what was inside the cocoon. Or rather, who was inside.
Through the smoky white veil, Arnice's eyes were closed ad her knees drawn to her chest. She was still, too still, as if frozen in time, and Lilysse couldn't tell if she was alive or not.
"Arnice!" Lilysse cried. No, Arnice had to still be alive, Lilysse was sure of that. She pounded on the cocoon and despite how fragile it appeared, it was hard as crystal. Yet Lilysse kept striking it as she shouted Arnice's name. Whatever haunted this manor, it was not going to take her beloved Arnice away from her.
Lilysse…
Lilysse froze upon hearing that familiar voice, although she felt it like a knife to her chest. "Arnice? Can you hear me?"
She's not a Saint anymore. She doesn't need to sacrifice herself. She even remembers me. I should be happy. I am happy. But…
"Arnice, what are you talking about? Is that what's bothering you?" Lilysse pressed her hands against the crystal cocoon and tried to smile. "I told you, I'm not angry anymore! I forgive you!"
Ah, I'm so selfish, aren't I? Lily is human, she deserves a normal human life. I haven't been human in a long time. I've lived for so long, but the idea of Lily dying… what can I say to her?
"You could just talk to me, you know," Lilysse muttered, although the knowledge that Arnice would vastly outlive her wasn't something she liked to dwell on either.
I'm scared. I'm supposed to be the Nightlord. I took that power to save Lily and her world. But what if I forget her? She'll die someday and I'll live forever, and then…
"Oh, Arnice," Lilysse said, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "It does hurt, not remembering the one you love. What can I do for you…?"
A shadow flickered across the cocoon, and Arnice stirred. Through her eyes remained closed, tears began to roll down her cheeks. A blue aura began to engulf her, a shade of blue that reminded Lilysse much of demonic blood. Arnice wasn't simply any human turned demonic - she had inherited the power of the Nightlord, the very same power Ludegert had stolen all those centuries ago. The Curia had continued that cycle of sacrifice, until Arnice had finally broken it, all to save Lilysse.
Lilysse inhaled a deep breath. Even if she didn't have powers like Arnice did, she could still be strong. Even if she was only human, even if she was only a fallen Saint as that demonic voice had called her, Arnice could still lean on her sometimes. Neither of them had to shoulder everything alone.
"Arnice," she said firmly. "I'm here for you. I won't leave you, no matter what. I know how much it hurts to forget the one you love. I know you'll outlive me. But that's all the more reason to be together! You can rely on me! You don't need to be strong all the time! I can be strong too!" Again she pounded the crystalline cocoon, over and over, and her own tears began to fall too. "I'll make sure you never forget me, I promise!" Her vision blurring, she pressed her lips against the cold cocoon, and it tasted vaguely of blood.
Much to Lilysse's surprise, the cocoon began to crack, and as a bright light engulfed it, Lilysse was forced to shield her eyes. The cocoon shattered into countless shards, and as the light dissolved, Arnice lay on the ground. "Arnice!" Lilysse exclaimed, kneeling beside Arnice. She pressed her ear against Arnice's chest and let out a sigh of relief upon hearing a heartbeat. "Oh, Arnice… Thank goodness…"
Arnice's eyes slowly opened. "Lily?" she said, raising a hand to touch Lilysse's face. However, her expression hardened and she shoved Lilysse away, and Lilysse was about to protest, but Arnice had drawn her sword, her stance battle-ready. In the blink of an eye, Arnice impaled her blade through a serpentine creature made of pure darkness, and the fiend squirmed helplessly for a moment and then went limp and dissolved into blue dust.
Lilysse carefully got to her feet. "Arnice?" she said, and she winced at how hesitant her voice sounded. It'd been a long time she had seen Arnice kill any fiends.
A deep sigh fell from Arnice's lips. "It was a demon. No, more of a spirit of a demon. I was bothered by the rumors of this place being haunted, and then suddenly I felt compelled to investigate, like I was sleepwalking." She shook her head. "I was careless. This demon had some control over fears and dreams. Before I knew it, I was trapped."
"When… when I saw you were gone, I was so scared," Lilysse said, trying to stop her voice from trembling. "And somehow I just knew you were here. Maybe that demon was trying to lure me too, to trap us both."
"I probably should've questioned the demon before killing it, huh?" Yet Arnice smiled as she reached out to touch Lilysse's cheek. "Thank you for finding me."
Lilysse pressed her hand against Arnice's. "Let's head back now, and then we can talk."
Arnice offered her arm to Lilysse, which Lilysse eagerly accepted, and they left the ruined manor together. With the sun just beginning to rise above the horizon, the thick forest path didn't seem as foreboding, and in no time at all, the two women had reached their humble little cottage. Lilysse had grown fond of it, but if a demon had been targeting her and Arnice specifically, she wondered if they could stay here much longer.
"When I was trapped in that cocoon, I heard your voice," Arnice said to Lilysse once they were settled on the sofa.
Lilysse folded her hands in her lap. "And I heard your thoughts. That you might someday forget me - is that what's been bothering you lately?"
Arnice nodded slowly. "I don't know what the demon's goal was, exposing my fears like that, but…" She bit her lip. "I could say I didn't want to worry you, but looks like I still did. I'm sorry."
"Arnice." Lilysse touched Arnice's shoulders. "It scares me too, the idea of my life just being a flash compared to yours, and it hurts knowing we can't do anything about that. You'll have to watch me grow old while you remain youthful, and then…"
A faint smile tugged at Arnice's lips. "You already sound like you plan on staying with me the rest of your life."
"Of course!" Lilysse replied as she clasped Arnice's hand between hers. "I won't let you go again, not ever!"
Arnice's face fell, her red eyes growing clouded. "It really is painful forgetting the one you love, isn't it?"
Lilysse brushed her lips against Arnice's knuckles. "Yes, it is. That's why I want you to trust me too. We're together now, aren't we?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you." Arnice bent to kiss Lilysse. "I really do love you, Lily."
"And I love you too." Lilysse rested her head against Arnice's shoulder. While there were no easy answers to Arnice's fears, Lilysse's heart felt lighter just hearing Arnice put those worries to words. It was a start, at least. "I'll make sure you never forget me, Arnice. I'll even make you the most memorable cupcakes you've ever tasted."
Arnice's face paled for just a moment as an awkward yet sincere smile crossed her lips, and gently she stroked Lilysse's hair. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot, Lily."