Sunset ^beta

Izetta often dreamed these nights.

She flew over endless fields of flowers against a moon that shined with its own light. Only the stars, eyes of the night, watched her, and her broom left a trail of golden sparkles that fell to the ground like rain. This was a time of peace, and she no longer needed that rifle. She had fought, had killed, but now she could rest.

Thus magic filled only her dreams, and someday dawn would come to her heart.

Petals danced in the wind as she hummed a song she had shared with Finé. Each petal was a speck of magic - daisy, rose, violet, carnation, lily, edelweiss, and countless more. Their words spoke to her, and she hoped she could still speak those words when she woke.

At the edge of the world Finé waited for her, and her heart soared. A regal glow engulfed Finé, and she held out her arms. Izetta leapt from her broom into Finé's arms, and the soft, flower-coated ground cushioned their fall.

Underneath this starry sky was a world only for them.

"I'll give you the world," Izetta said, burying her face in Finé's shoulder. "The stars, the flowers - I'll give my everything to you."

"My beloved witch," Finé said as she threaded her fingers through Izetta's hair. "All I ask is that you return to me."

Flower petals whirled around them, enveloping them like fragments of magic, and as the stars vanished one by one, Izetta took Finé into her arms and flew beyond the edge of the world.

When Izetta woke that morning, Lotte was already preparing breakfast. "Good morning," she greeted Izetta with a smile. "Lady Finé should be arriving soon."

"That's wonderful," Izetta said as she came to the table. Lotte had grown taller these past several months, and she didn't fuss over Izetta as much anymore. They were both adjusting well, and while Izetta sometimes missed the capital, she rather liked this quiet secluded life, and Finé's visits grew more frequent as the restoration of the capital neared completion.

Someday, Finé had told Izetta, she hoped this small house could be her home too, and Izetta had promised she would wait for Finé, no matter how long it took.

Once she and Lotte finished eating, Izetta headed outside. She had grown accustomed to maneuvering in her wheelchair, especially on grass, and lately she preferred to spend time outdoors, basking in the summer days. Most days were quiet with only the rustling of leaves and the distant cry of wildlife surrounding her.

Izetta inhaled a deep breath as she came to the small lake, and the air was moist on her tongue. She could live here forever, instead of being forced to travel unwanted from place to place. She had lost her parents as a baby - she couldn't even remember their faces - and she had been raised by her grandmother away from the uncertainty and violence of human society. But a forced nomadic life was uncertain too, and when her grandmother had passed away, she had no idea what to do. She had only her magic to guide her, and as the violence of civilization had reached a peak, the Germanian army had captured her.

And then Finé had saved her once again.

Izetta began to hum that song she and Finé had shared so long ago, near the water's edge. Water was life, and this was the peaceful life she had wanted to offer her beloved Finé.

Her dreams of Finé had grown more frequent the closer Finé's visit approached. She wasn't bored with this simple life, mundane life, but Finé's visits were what she looked forward to most. Someday they could be together forever, but until that day, Izetta's heart ached, unfulfilled, each time Finé had to leave.

So of course she would dream constantly of Finé, Izetta told herself. In this peaceful spot, she could almost hear the faint murmurs of the leylines, so when she dreamed, she recalled the magic she had sacrificed to save Finé and her country, the magic that had brought her to Finé. In her dreams she could create miracles, and with those miracles she could bare her very heart and soul to Finé.

As Izetta closed her eyes, the memories of the leylines' voices filled her heart, and she muttered a soft, "Thank you."

"Izetta."

Izetta jolted at the sound of that familiar, pleasant voice, and as she turned around, Finé approached her, and her heart soared. "Finé!" she exclaimed, that name rolling easily from her tongue; she had finally grown accustomed to referring to Finé by name.

Finé smiled warmly; she wore a simple, light dress with a wide hat, and she was as beautiful as ever. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting," she said as she bent over to embrace Izetta.

"No, not at all!" Izetta wrapped her arms tightly around Finé's back; she always feared letting go. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"And the same to you." Finé chuckled softly as she gazed upon the calm lake. "It's always so peaceful here, isn't it?"

Izetta gulped and tugged on her skirt. "It is that busy in the capital?"

"Not so busy I can't slip away and stay a while with you and Lotte." Finé smiled weakly. "But one must be especially vigilant when maintaining peace."

"It should be simpler," Izetta found herself muttering.

"I promised you, didn't I?" Finé touched Izetta's cheek, her hand soft and warm. "That I would create a world where everyone could smile."

"And I believe in you." Izetta pressed her hand against Finé's hand. "So you will stay a while?"

"Yes," Finé said as she knelt and rested her head on Izetta's lap, just as Izetta always allowed her. "I missed you, Izetta."

"I missed you too," Izetta replied as she stroked Finé's beautiful golden hair.

Most days Finé visited they spent like this, the two of them sitting at the edge of the lake, as they once had long ago. At first Izetta had worried Finé would be bored, but Finé always seemed so relaxed and content here, and her mere presence put Izetta's heart at ease, even if a certain longing had begun to fill her.

Finé often spoke of Bianca and Elvira, and how well they helped her handle the affairs of Eylstadt, and sometimes an air of melancholy fell over her and Izetta, as they both still missed Sieg dearly. Sometimes they spoke of news and other countries, such as the rising tensions between the United States of Atlanta and the Volga Federation, and Finé's smile grew bitter. But she still hoped for true peace, she always told Izetta.

Izetta had less to tell Finé, and Finé always listened closely. Perhaps her days held little purpose, Izetta had once confessed, but she was content, and she enjoyed the books Finé her, and she and Lotte often cooked and sewed together.

A quiet laugh slipped from Finé's lips. "Maybe I should get you and Lotte a dog. They make such wonderful companions."

"I've never had a dog before," Izetta said, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Finé's hair. "The one you had as a child was very cute."

Finé's eyes fell closed. "Yes, she was a sweetheart. One like her would be perfect for you."

Izetta couldn't help but laugh too. Their conversations usually went like this, mundane things and simple promises, and Izetta loved all of it. She played with Finé's hair, and even on this summer day, Finé's warmth was pleasant.

But always these days passed too soon.

As evening settled, Lotte joined Izetta and Finé at the lake's shore. They ate supper together, much like a picnic, and even Finé commented that Lotte was growing taller, and Lotte asked about Bianca and the other royal guards. Bianca had only visited Izetta and Lotte once, and Izetta knew it was harder for her to leave the capital than for Finé.

Once they finished eating, they retired inside, and eventually night fell, and the three of them prepared for bed. There was a third bedroom that meant to serve as a guestroom, but the first time Finé had visited, Izetta had invited her to share her bed, and Finé hadn't refused. Thus each visit Izetta offered her bed to Finé, and Finé always accepted.

As they lay in bed, Finé fell asleep quickly, and Izetta stifled a laugh. It had been a tiring day for Finé, as travel always was, so Izetta wasn't surprised.

Carefully Izetta touched Finé's face, feeling strands of soft hair against her fingers. Finé was always so beautiful, and Izetta could never tear her eyes away. When Finé smiled, as she often did lately, Izetta's heart raced.

Her eyes fell upon Finé's bright lips. Her beloved Finé. As sleep overcame her, familiar longing filled her.

That night Izetta dreamed.

Again she dreamed of a garden of night with a full moon. As she walked, the flowers were bright against her white boots, and her white dress fluttered behind her.

Die weisse Hexe. The White Witch of legend, the savior of Eylstadt. But she had fought against the White Witch revived, sacrificed all the magic that remained in this world to defeat her.

Her grandmother had told her she would be the last witch, and Izetta had never quite understood those words.

Izetta raised her hand, as if to grasp the countless stars always out of reach. The White Witch was a traitor because she had fallen in love with a human being, and the one she loved had betrayed her. Human beings were ungrateful creatures, her grandmother had said. Witches weren't supposed to use their magic to interfere with human society. To be a witch was a lonely existence, and the murmur of the leylines had weakened over time.

But when Izetta had met Finé, when Finé had saved her life, she had thought of nothing but devotion to that beautiful, brave girl.

Perhaps witches loved too strongly, and Izetta loved Finé above all else. The world itself didn't matter, as Finé was her whole world.

Izetta fell to her knees, clutching her hands over her racing heart. The murmur of the leylines had grown into a scream, and the magic within her threatened to burst free. Petals danced violently in the gust that consumed her, and the scent of blood filled her nose.

Magic was a distortion. She was unwanted, unneeded. She had destroyed, had killed. Her hands were stained with the blood of countless others. She was–

"My witch." That soft, gentle voice cut through the darkness and the petals settled as the leylines ceased. Finé knelt beside Izetta and embraced her tightly. "My dear Izetta."

Tears fell from Izetta's eyes, and she threw her arms around Finé. Her white dress was covered in blood, but she didn't care. She was alive, and Finé was still beside her. She had sacrificed so much, but never again would she fear losing Finé. Finé had saved her life countless times, so she would offer her whole world to Finé.

She was the last witch. There was no place left for her in this world. Yet she smiled as Finé dried her tears and cupped her face. Finé drew closer to her, and she whispered words that for so long Izetta had desired to hear:

"I love you, Izetta."

The last day of Finé's visit came far too soon, and Izetta still couldn't speak such simple words, even as night fell and they retired to bed.

However, Izetta couldn't sleep, and when she rolled over onto her side, she saw Finé was gone. "Finé?" she said, and carefully she got into her wheelchair and headed out of the bedroom.

The front door was ajar, so Izetta went outside, and as she went down the ramp, she spotted Finé standing at the edge of the lake. "Finé!" she called out, making her way to Finé's side.

A slow smile came upon Finé's lips as she turned her head. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Izetta shook her head, and her heartbeat calmed. "I was just wondering where you were," she said.

Finé's eyes - always a beautiful, regal purple - grew clouded. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought being here would relax me."

"You don't want to return to the capital?"

"It's not quite like that." Finé turned her gaze toward the lake. "Look, fireflies."

Izetta stared at the lake. The calm waters reflected the moon and the stars, and fireflies hovered above the lake like dancing specks of light. "It's peaceful here," she said, echoing Finé's words.

"I know." Finé wrapped her arms around herself. "It's where we first met. When I'm here with you, I can feel alive. Ah, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Not at all." Izetta held out her hand for Finé. "This place is precious to the both of us."

"Oh, Izetta." Finé accepted Izetta's hand and brought it closer to her lips. "My dear, precious, Izetta…"

Izetta's heart began to race. More and more Finé watched her with eyes full of longing, and it filled her with strange yet pleasant warmth. She wanted those deep eyes always following her, always watching her. Finé, who had saved her. Finé, who had forgiven her. Finé, who desired her. She no longer had magic, but Finé still needed her.

Now she had only her heart to offer to her beloved Finé.

Carefully Izetta cupped Finé's face, and guided Finé closer so that she could press her lips against Finé's.

Always she dreamed of Finé, and no longer did she want her dreams to end in regret.

Finé wrapped her arms around Izetta as they held the kiss for a while. Finé's chest pressed against Izetta's, and their heartbeats felt like one. Her heart that she longed to offer to Finé, and Finé's heart. It was a beautiful sound, and only theirs.

When their lips parted, Finé touched Izetta's face, tenderly caressing her cheek. "Someday, this will our home, for the both of us," she said, a new fire lit within her royal eyes. "I promise."

"I love you, Finé," Izetta said, pressing her hand against Finé's. Maybe she didn't need to speak those words now, but it was all she could think to say. After so long, after countless dreams, she could finally speak those simple words.

A quiet laugh slipped from Finé's lips. "I love you too," she whispered, and she bent over to kiss Izetta again.

When morning came, Izetta would see Finé off with both a smile and a kiss, she promised herself.