Reunion
by, Cony
Chapter 16
"Lady Mercury. Are you Ok?" Mercury sighed, a dreamy stare
still in her eyes. She looked at him and she recovered
complete consciousness.
Suri let go of her hand, as she sat on the bench. "What's
going on?" she asked, blinking her eyes and looking around
her.
"You fainted inside, Lady Mercury."
"I did? Oh, yes; I remember now. I'm sorry if I scared you."
"Don't worry. Now that you are fine, I feel better."
Mercury stretched, and stood up. Suri followed her with his
eyes. She walked to the edge of the balcony, where she
leaned forward, and rested her elbows on it. She started
looking to the stars, to the Moon Gardens they had below
them, to Earth, to space. He didn't know what to do.
Shall I tell her the truth? She seems to have forgotten about
it.
They continued in silence, until a sigh escaped from her lips.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Everything. Life. In nights like this one, I wish I had him by
my side."
Suri thought, about to jump in happiness. Is she thinking
about me? He kept quiet, wanting to hear more. But, she said
nothing, just looked at the stars, and he noticed (with a
mental leap of joy), that her gaze seemed locked to Earth, the
blue planet which hovered above them. Then, he
understood--but if he wanted her to talk, he would have to
make her. He stood up, and walked to her side. There, he
leaned near her, in the same position she was.
"You know something Lady Mercury? You called me Zoisite
before you fainted. Is he the him you've been talking about?"
He saw as Mercury's eyes saddened a little, but he knew he
had crossed her emotional defenses.
"Yes," came the reply, another whisper, as her eyes became
watery. He couldn't hold himself. Her arms ached to embrace
her, to comfort her, to kiss the tears away from her beautiful
eyes, to make her happy again. But then, she talked, silent
tears leaving her eyes, wetting her cheeks, just as three
weeks ago, he had seen her on that fateful beach.
"We were lovers. I loved him with all my soul; I still do. But I
was afraid," she paused, to try and wipe the tears off her
cheeks. It didn't work, they just kept coming. "I was afraid for
him. You see, I've had a doomed destiny since I was born.
First, my father died, defending my planet from an alien
invasion. Then, my mother passed away too, defending me
and our people until her vital energy disappeared completely.
She had reinforced the planetary shields, to keep us safe,
from another aliens. We seem to have a predisposition for
being attacked don't you think?" She stopped again, trying
this time to stable her voice. She had never told this to
anyone, and here she was, telling her deepest secrets to
someone she met just some minutes ago.
She smiled, a faint grin, which trembled as more memories
came. "Then, my dear sister, Lina, took the throne. She was
an excellent queen, but then again, I loved her too much. She
was betrayed by her own lover, and died in front of me. I
couldn't cry, I didn't have any tears left."
"So, when I met him, my Zoi, I was so afraid, yet so
overwhelmed by his love that I couldn't deny my feelings. I had
managed to stay away from men, because I knew that if I ever
loved someone too deeply, he would soon leave me."
"But, when I saw him, it was like a blind-fold was taken away
from my eyes. He helped me overcome my shyness, he was
my support. He occupied the empty space my family had left
in my heart. I loved him so much, it was like being in hell
when I was apart from him. He was everything to me, and for
that, I couldn't let him die. I tried to forget my past, but it was
always there, hunting me like a beast. Whenever I slept,
nightmares would came, and remember me he would die.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother, my father, my
sister, their deaths playing in my mind. I was able to hide it
from him, and from everyone, until that day at the beach."
She silenced again, looking at him this time. Her eyes were
crying, and so was her heart. She was opening to him like a
book, letting him read every single part of her.
"You see? I love him too much to let him suffer. But I couldn't
bring myself to tell him this, I knew I couldn't handle it. But
that day, I fell asleep, and I dreamed again. This time, it was
so real. It was as if I was really there. I could see him,
surrounded by fire, screaming in pain. I saw him calling me,
but I couldn't move. The fire was evil; I could feel it. Around me
were hundreds of eyes, red, evil eyes, which were laughing,
and looking at me, all at the same time. I saw him starting to
burn, but I could do nothing. I tried to get to him, but again I
couldn't move. I screamed for someone to help him, to stop
this torture, but only an evil laughter answered. And then, he
cried, his last cry in agony, and his green eyes looked at me
with love. How could he still love me, if this was all my fault? I
could clearly hear as the laughing went louder, and then
ended abruptly. Zoi's body crushed on the ground, and I could
finally move. But it was too late. She had died, in front of me,
as all my family had!"
Mercury's tears were desperate now. Sobs racked through her
body, and Suri knew what he had to do. He took her shoulder,
and carried her to him. She didn't resist, and let him take her.
He hugged her, and the girl cried in his arms. Suri finally
understood everything. That day, she was crying for me! And I
left her, like an idiot! Why didn't I listen to her? I can be so
stupid sometimes!
He was relieved. Everything was a mistake. He hadn't let her
finish, and that was what had caused all this trouble. How
could I ever doubt of her love? She is so innocent, so pure.
She can't think evil, what was I thinking? Again, he was
interrupted by the muffled voice, which came from against his
chest. Mercury was speaking again.
"He woke me up, and I discovered I had been crying in my
sleep. He convinced me to tell him, but I couldn't find the right
words. I was a fool! I made him believe I didn't love him, and he
left. It's all my fault!"
Suri frowned, and took her face in his hands. She lifted it, and
made her look at him. "No! It wasn't your fault! Don't you ever
think that again! Do you hear me?" Mercury's tears made her
face shine in the night, giving her the appearance of a suffering
angel.
And that's what she is for me, she is my angel, and I made
her suffer!
"But...(sob)... it is. (gasp). Don't you see it? All this is
because of me! I never deserved him, and this is my
punishment" Suri took her by the shoulders now, and he
smiled, as tears started coming out of his eyes too. He tried
to grin, but he couldn't. Then, he started singing, in a whisper,
so low, only she could hear:
"Don't cry anymore baby,
I'm here for you,
Let's play and sing sweetie,
No one will harm you anymore"
Then, he quieted, and silence spread through them. He talked
again, as he saw Mercury was too surprised to speak:
"Mercury--Ami, listen to me. You had nothing to do with this.
You aren't being punished by anyone. You aren't doomed to
be alone, and it wasn't your fault your family died. And forget
about dumping me because of a damn worry. I love you too
much to let you leave me. On the beach, I promised you I
would never let you go, remember? Well, this time, I'm going
to make that promise true."
"I have you back now, and I will never ever let go. I don't care if
our relationship is doomed, because I would be happy to die
tomorrow, if it is in your arms. Believe, I've suffered, too. I
thought you didn't love me any longer, but now I know all this
was a mistake. A mistake we'll never make again. So, do you
hear me? Never ever think that your future is already written.
You make your own future. If you want something, you'll
always achieve it, if you try hard enough."
He had to stop, his emotions were too strong. Only then did
he notice he had been speaking in the first person. He looked
at Mercury, and saw her gasping in surprise, a look of
disbelief in her eyes.
"Zo... Zoi? Is that you?"
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