Chronicles of Lux and Tenebrae: nothing can keep me from you.

(Tenebrae)

"There is nothing in this world that could keep me from loving Lux. No one in this world that could stand between her and me. I was apathetic about everything. I was alone and on top of it all, I was hungry. I was hungry for power, I wanted to best my father and take his place and I knew he ensured I wouldn't try. The harpies who raised me forced admiration and love for the one who birthed me but still, I hungered for his power and crown.

Until I met her.

Meeting her changed everything inside of me. It gave me a purpose. it made me feel alive. it gave me something else to seek for, something other than destruction. I wanted to build. I became dependent on her light, feeding off of it like a starving child.I have been deprived of affection, after all, deprived of touch, of intimacy and she gave it to me. Her loyalty to us, to our love, to her mother and her purpose made me learn about my own realm. I became the protector of the End Realm. The prince of darkness, ah, she had made another man out of me.

There is nothing in this world that could keep me from loving Lux.

Nothing...

No One."

Chronicles of Lux and Tenebrae: A father's burden

A/ N: Because I was thinking a lot about him. They all belong to me! 

xxx xxx

Death had just finished talking to his son through one of his minions. The conversation didn't go very well as he expected Tenebrae constantly opposed him. The king of the End realm was aware of his son's desire to set himself free from what he perceived as oppression. Tenebrae wasn't wrong. Death ruled his kingdom with an iron fist, which was necessary if he wanted to preserve the fabric of the universe. The deity was tense since he learned Life and the Realm of All Beginnings were attacked. Who would be powerful enough to kill Lux and cause serious damage to Life herself? Not many entities could. He went to visit Time himself but came back empty-handed. Time didn't orchestrate the attack. What would be the point in killing Life if not to disrupt the whole universe? What would he gain from such an action? Nothing. Their conversations, however, hinted strongly at Death being the potential real target or his son.

Nobody expected Death to have an heir. What would be the point if he was the end game? Tenebrae's existence was itself a threat to many who believed that the prince was vastly powerful, if not more powerful than his father and viewed his relationship with Lux as being potentially threatening their entire existence. Who could blame them? Time himself decided that Death and Life couldn't fraternize and act on their feelings. Lux and Tenebrae, whenever they touched, caused sparkles of unknown consequences. What could happen if they both had an offspring? Death couldn't ignore the fact that many weren't happy with him having a son, which prompted him to observe Tenebrae from afar. He wouldn't physically be there unless one of his spies informed him of an impending threat that went beyond his son's power but he would keep an eye on him. While Tenebrae would ask the Keeper of Secrets, Death decided to keep investigating. Time was off the table, but he knew of another powerful entity who could have had a say in his son's and Life's son's destiny. Fate.

He rode his undead Stallion «  to Fate's realm. A green palace of pure delight, with an architecture made of the finest glass one, could ever see. It was empty for she didn't have a court like Life or Death. It was just filled with intricate floral designs and extinct animals that were free to frolic in the place. The throne room, where Fate received the rare visitors she actually had -unlike her husband, Time who was always requested- had a throne made of glass and was wearing a long green sleeveless dress. Her skin was beige, her hair was shoulder lengthed and styled in a bob cut and parted in the middle. She was wearing a golden crown made of leaves, à la roman and her eyes were green orbs. As she saw the King of the End Realm, a soft smirk crept on her crimson lips.

« I was expecting you'd come earlier than that. »

« Spare me your sarcasm, Fate. You know very well why I am here. »

Death slightly bowed in front of her in order to pay homage to the queen who lifted her eyebrows but smiled at him nonetheless. He was handsome in his leather coat; with his long white hair teasing the small of his back. His black eyes stared into the green orbs of the deity whose grin grew larger. She leaned her elbow against her lap and bent forward a little bit.

« I do know, indeed. I have some answers for you but I am not sure you would want to listen to what I have to say. »

« Try me. » -He said, crossing his arms over his large chest. He curbed a brow, waiting for her to play his mind like she always did.-

Fate was extremely powerful, she wasn't as powerful as Death per say, but her power wasn't to be underestimated since she could influence the very existence of those gods. While the Keeper of Secret knew everything about everything and everyone but was limited by the « one question only » rule, Fate could predict the future and decide whether or not she wanted it to happen. While her influence was more effective on humans, she still could have a way to intervene in divine matters and was feared and respected by the gods for this very reason. She could mess up with your life, force you to endure a fate that was worse than what was supposed to happen. No wonder Death threaded carefully with her. She grinned at him, her eyes flashing a bright green light before she leaned back into her throne and shrugged her shoulders.

« Well... Let's begin with something you already know. Your son and Life's daughter's lives are entwined. They share a bond that nobody could destroy, not even you...or me. We could say that fate brought them together. » -She claimed-

« Time warned me that we shouldn't fraternize. Our children can't be together... » -He observed, eliciting a frown from the goddess.-

« Have you asked yourself why Time decided something so arbitrary when he himself, fraternized with /me /? » It made Death curb a brow.

« What do you mean? » -He commanded but she brushed him off with another shrug-

« All I'm saying is that Tenebrae and Lux cannot be torn apart and shouldn't. Yes, I know you're wondering why I am telling you this but You know I refuse to reveal what lies in the future. At least, not all of it. »

She winked at him and stood up. Death was staring at her, cold and unreadable as he didn't want her to guess his feelings and act on it. Fate was undeniably gorgeous but it wasn't her beauty that troubled the pale god, no, it was her cryptic words about his son. He watched, unimpressed, as the goddess feather touched his strong arm and leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

« Are you suggesting that they were attacked because Life and I separated our children? » He questioned. Fate grinned and tapped his shoulder.

« It wasn't just your responsibility. Someone else had a hand to play and if you keep looking, you will soon see the whole picture. » She then furrowed her brows. « I am doing you a favor here. I want you to succeed. Those who attacked Life and killed Lux would come back, stronger, far stronger than you can imagine. »

« Do I know them? » She looked up to his eyes and nodded quietly. « Who are they? »

« I cannot say their names. » She started with, biting her bottom lip but Death lost patience and grabbed her shoulders.

« Enough with your games, Fate! Our children lives are at stakes. Life barely brought her own daughter to Life and if I lose my son...Tell me who my enemies are. »

« I cannot do this. I can, however, twist my fundamental rule to help you find the answer yourself. You do need to follow the children and ensure they get to the Keeper of Secrets safe and sound. They aren't aware yet of the great dangers that would come their way and Lux hasn't been fully restored and is dependent on your son. Tenebrae and Lux are the keys..our only true saviors. They must /not/ die. They must not. »

She stopped pretending for a moment and a brief flash of anguish and fear actually crossed her eyes. Death realized that the goddess was genuinely scared. He had never seen her act like this or twist her own rules to give him enough information about the situation. While she didn't directly point at him, she did accuse Time of being behind the attacks and the rule against Life and Him being able to love one another. It didn't make sense to him at first, but he kept the information somewhere in his mind. He would come after Time once he was sure his child was safe and Life came back from her self-imposed coma. He stroked Fate's cheek with the back of his cold hand and turned around.

« Thank you for your words. I will make sure they safely get to the keeper of Secret and stay alive. »

« You don't know who you are up against. There are forces that are far more powerful than you when combined... or alone. I wish your kids to survive and for Life to return to us but... » She said, allowing her fingers to trace the heard lines of his leather-clad back. « You could die...We... could die. Play your part carefully. Be smart. »

« Always. Farewell Fate. I hope to see you again soon. »

He said as he left her realm. As he rode his pallid stallion, Death was processing the words of Fate. If she was right, then he had more questions to ask that he thought he had.

-TBC-

Crippled II

Here we go again, feeling crippled once again. I contemplate my life and all I see is all I couldn't do. One shouldn't wallow in self-pity and I don't even pity myself. My failures are mine. However, I do fail to see my success either and the wins I could snatch from life. I have won, several times. I am alive and I am kicking and I am breathing still. I have demons of my own, demons I try to hide from the rest of my family but they devour me whole. My heart is lonely, I am alone. Alone in a crowd that is. I just watch and I can't help but wonder: Why? When? How? What?

Why the pain? Why the guilt? Why can't I fucking feel like a normal human being? How is that that I only feel like the worst of them? Especially when nothing is going on on my side? I wish I could close my eyes and make it go away. I wish I could just ignore everything but let's be honest, I can't. it doesn't work like this. It doesn't work like this. Today, I am just very tired. I don't want to take my feet out of my house, out of my bed. I used to have a small notepad where I would write down my darkest thoughts. I can't seem to be able to do that anymore. at least, not for now. I used to sketch so easily but I have been blocked. I used to...

I'm turning 30 this year. it's huge. especially for someone who thought they would be dead by 24. I'm alive but I am not at the same time. I'm just spending the days.....I'm wasting away. that's the truth of my life. I'm wasting away and I know that but I cannot move. And do you know why? Because I am crippled. My brain freezes, my body stiffens. I cannot move. I am terrified. Me, who is someone who usually is bold and brave and capable of so much more. I am petrified by my own brain. I cannot fathom the idea of being able to do anything, of being a waste of space and skin, of being untalented and stupid and I mostly de-evaluate myself so much that there is nothing left of anything I know that I can do. It's even worse as people praise me. As they see me as this passionate person and capable person; I believe this image of me feels like a fraud.. while it's the truth.

I am tired, I am so tired......

So tired...

Let me sleep.

(SoA): A call in the middle of the night

Asma's house, 04:00 am, Sunday morning.

"Jessica.

I'm calling you in the middle of the night because I can't sleep and I can't crash to your place. Tig's sleeping next to me and... With all that's been happening recently, I thought... I need to talk. I don't think I can actually speak my mind if we were face to face or talk about it again because I'm not ready, but I'll try okay? Words are crashing in my mind,...It's just... (pauses)

I-I-I've been thinking of my life, you know? of when it turned upside down for the better. Of when I started to feel like I could be saved. It.. it started when we met at my parlor. When you came for your tattoo. When I watched you with Jax, being alive, being in love, being real... being human. You were..you showed me something good. It wasn't the string of crow eaters and assholes who always fill my joint. It was something better, something I never thought I'd see.. it was...(pauses and sniffles)

Meeting you... I don't know how to say that Jess... Meeting you was.. it changed my life, man, it really did. I didn't know it yet but now I see it crystal clear! I told you already, that I love you like my sister because you are family to me. You're always putting others before you, always fight for the safety and happiness of others. You always give your all, and you don't care whether or not you get hurt. Even when you're disappointed, you keep giving to others. You're generous Jess.. and loving and strong and I love this about you. I love you. We went through so much shit together that we are now... family. yeah. We're family. And because we are. I am..terrified at the idea of losing you. It can't happen. I can't. I fucking can't! so you better fucking be careful. Because if you're gone. I will never be able to get up and go on with my life. You hear me? You hear me? Yeah?... Fuck... (pauses and sniffles harder)

I can't sleep. I can't because I said a week or so ago to Tig that I was in love with him. Out of the fucking blue. And I didn't tell you but at Christmas, he offered me a tattoo request. He wants my name on his skin. He wants me to ink him. it's a big step...it's a big step. I think it's too early. I wonder if he truly loves me. he said he does but I kinda forced the words out of his mouth. I don't want to screw that up. He's the first good man I ever had...Am I doing right by him? Is he happy with me? I am freaking out, I know I am. I'm freaking out and I don't know.. I don't know.." (heavy sighs)

But you know? I love you. I love you right? I just wanted you to know that you are.. the best thing to ever happen to me. Do you know that? (is crying over the phone) Do you know that? I don't think you do. Am I saying this enough? Am I showing my love enough? I want to give back all you're giving me, I want to take care of you like you did take care of me. I want you to know that you don't always need to give but you can also take. I want to give back..so much..I think I'm just tired. Maybe, if you have time, can you stop by my place?

chronicles of Lux and Tenebrae: Poor Unfortunate Soul

A/N: Enter Despair, one of the key elements of the storyline.

xxx xxx

There was a saying about Love. It's supposed to be blind. It's supposed to have you make mistakes and act in a way you wouldn't have if you weren't lovesick. Despair was blinded by her love for Tenebrae. She was one of the most powerful beings existing in the End Realm. One of those older souls who got to enter the court of Death. She fell in love with Tenebrae, when she first met him. He already was a man by the time they met and she was instantly drawn towards him. Maybe it had something to do with his power or the fact he was a beautiful man.

She hoped that he would look at her and find her suitable to become his princess. She demonstrated her power in failed attempts to impress him. She would try and spend some time alone with the prince in order to woo him. Despair was a pleasant company. She has had the knowledge, was very funny and would, of course, have been the best choice if his attention was focused on the End Realm but he had to meet Lux. At first, Despair believed that it was just a quick fling, some curiosity caused by her very nature. They were opposites and the universal rule had the realm of All beginnings and the End realm never to fraternize. It was not going to last, or so she thought. But it did.

He fell for lux, so hard that Despair realized she couldn't compete with the goddess. He was so in love with her that they spent more and more time together, raising concerns among the End Realm. Despair refused to let it happen, fearing that it might be the end of everything, so she visited Earth and went to see the keeper of secrets know how to defeat Life and Lux. Since there could only be one question asked to the elder entity, she didn't know what would the outcome be if she awoke the only entities capable of defeating the goddess of Life and her daughter.

Love is a powerful tool and there is a saying that says that love is blind. Despair was blinded by her love for Tenebrae and her jealousy of Lux. She searched for a way to defeat her nemesis and went to the Vanishing point, where creatures were banished so they could never enter either realms or Earth again. She went there, said the magic words and completed the ritual only to see she made a mistake. As they were standing before her, sitting on their horses, the three entities she summoned looked at the frightened princess who froze on spot.

They were as frightening as in the old books written by humanity. They were almost like giants standing before her and the only thing she could do was to kneel before the entities but one of them, the closest from where she stood said in a booming voice.

"Stand up my child. You summoned us to this world so your life would be spared."

"Really?"

"We have one word. It takes a lot of hatred and determination to break the spell that bounded us to the Vanishing Point so you must have a very good reason to have us back. Talk and we will grant you your wish."

"I..I..."

She should have been afraid, she knew it, but anger and jealousy flooded her veins and she couldn't help but remembered the reasons that had her leave the End Realm and search for a way to eliminate her enemy. One of the entities became impatient.

"Speak my child."

"I want to destroy Lux. I want her dead.." She didn't elaborate mostly because she knew it wouldn't matter to them. "Can you do that?"

"Who do you think we are? Of course, we can do that."

"You have in front of you, the Four horsemen of Apocalypse."

The name alone should have been enough to make her back down but instead, it fueled the princess with so much joy that she didn't refuse the hand War handed to her so she could climb on his horse as they left the Vanishing Point. She had no idea of what she had unleashed in the world and would soon enough come to regret it.. or would she?

-TBC-

SoA: hopeful again

(SoA: all usual disclaimers

she was his quiet tomorrows. A promise of an exciting mundane life by her side. He  was the promise of true love, a love that kept fighting against fear. Hers, for Falling prey to another predator or being abandoned. His, for opening his heart again only to lose everything again.

She was his quiet tomorrows and the promise of someone waiting for him at home. She was the promise of eternity and a fountain of youth for the man who saw everything. He was the promise of feeling safe again and alive. The promise of being herself and loved for it. The promise of a better future with someone who looked after her. Both clung to their hopes and dreams but made sure it was a reality.

They were broken, maybe beyond repair but there was hope for them, at last. And maybe of everything they could be for one another, the most important for both was that they both felt hopeful again.

SoA :(Asma and Tig) The Tattoo

A/N: That conversation didn't want to leave my goddamn mind:)

xxx

Sunday morning, 6:30 am Asma's house.

Asma's chuckle echoed through the walls of the bedroom. Tig was on top of her, his strong hands wrapped around her thick leg as his waist bucked against hers. His baby blue eyes were staring at her body, focused on seeing her writhe with pleasure as he pounded into her wet petite core. Her hands were up above her head, holding the pillows as she bit her bottom lip and gently rocked underneath him. He grinned at her as she cupped his cheek and planted several kisses on his lips. She shut her eyes tight and wrapped her legs around his waist, encouraging him to keep going but his phone rang.

« Don't answer.. » Asma said, holding his cheek so he wouldn't look at his phone. « Please, don't... I'm close... » She said, but the phone kept ringing so Tig stopped and withdrew from her.

Chibs was the one calling because he wanted to talk about their current business, which of course made Asma roll her eyes and leave the bed. She was upset, mostly because it wasn't the first time that the two of them were interrupted by a phone call on a Sunday morning. Of course, that meant Tig would have to go and do whatever the club needed him to. She was... fine with it, she said she was, so of course, she was. What she wasn't fine with was the way she told him she was « in love with him ». It came out at the wrong time when she wasn't ready to say the words and since that moment, Asma had been thinking of it. Could they work as a couple? Could they be together and find a way to be happy? Wouldn't he be exhausted by her? By her lack of trust in herself? By her fears and insecurities? She had not truly looked back at her past, at the abuse at the hands of Oscar and how it broke her inside. She never even talked about his death and how she felt since she realized he was gone for good. She wanted to be committed but was afraid to do so and yet, she did confess her true feelings on a whim couple of weeks ago.

She watched as Tig walked in circles as he and Chibs talked about their current job. Asma was too lost into her thoughts to eventually listen to him, instead, she stood up, and walked towards her vanity where Tig's Christmas present was tucked at the corner of the mirror. On Christmas, aside from her own homemade kutte, he requested a tattoo from her. He wanted her to ink her name on his skin, which was one big step forward in their relationship. Both knew what a tattoo meant and how important such a gesture was but it felt like it was too soon for Asma. Why did he want to write his name on her skin, this soon? To have one's name on someone's skin was the highest form of commitment she encountered. It meant more than diamonds and gold, more than flowers and even more than a nice ceremony in front of the mayor. It was a commitment for life and beyond because even in Death the name would still be written on that skin until the body turned into ashes. She agreed to ink him, cried ugly in his arms and put the paper on the corner of her mirror to remind herself that this man was ready and willing to commit. But was he? She touched the paper with the tip of her fingers and sat on her vanity. Her smile was replaced by a worried frown as she crossed her arms on the table and sighed deeply.

He never said the words back, he never said them and it had been weeks. He didn't talk about the tattoo either, which made her believe that he simply wanted to impress her on Christmas. Tig hung up the phone, now aware of what the next move would be. Of course, a call like this killed his libido and Alex looked at his now limp dick that dangled between his legs. He sighed and looked around for Asma, only to find her sitting in front of her vanity. He furrowed his brows but before he could make up his mind, his body was already moving towards her. It always happened, he always felt the urge to make sure she was alright and comfort her, so he did and he put his hands on both her shoulders. She sighed and looked up to his face before she allowed her left hand to brush over his right one.

« I'm sorry about the call. »

« You don't need to apologize for that. It's the job... » She set her hazel eyes on him for a brief moment before she lowered her head and looked straight in the mirror. « Tig...I'm not mad....I'm not angry because of your relationship with the club. » She said, leaning her head against his chest.

« I figured that out. » He said, planting another kiss on top of her head.  « What makes you angry then? »

« I'm not angry. I'm... » She chewed at her bottom lip and gently rolled on herself, turning around so she could face him. She looked up to him and crossed her arms over her ample chest. « I'm thinking of us...I don't quite know... » She stopped talking, unable to find the right words.

« Wait wait ... » He said, crouching in front of her so he would be at her level. « Are you upset because I didn't answer to what you said when I left? » He danced around it and she opened her eyes wide.

« N...No. Not. Not that. I'm upset because I said those words when I wasn't ready to say them. I said... »

« Did you mean your words? » He asked, confused. She always confused him but he realized that she was making progress one day and took several steps back. He should know better, of course, she would. He knew her story, half of it, the part she experienced at the hands of Oscar so it was natural for her to be afraid. She was the prisoner of some sick bastard for years who tried to control every aspect of her life, from what she wore to what she said. She had to endure physical violence from that man and to top it off, she never addressed any of those issues but he knew.

« What if I did? » She asked with a cracked voice, which forced her to put a hand over her plump lips.

« It's not a bad thing, Bella. It's not. » He said, his heart soaring as he heard her confession. He did hear it right when she said it. She was in love with him and the information sent him over the edge. The biker tried to sound as reassuring as he could. His large hand cupped her cheek he started to stroke.

«Yeah? » He nodded, which prompted her to smile to him. Tig put his other hand on her cheek and gave her a tight smile. «Yeah? » He nodded again. « Then... in that case.. I meant my words. I am in love with you.....and it scares me because...I don't know how you feel, how you truly feel or if we're ready for this. » She said, wrapping her hands on his arms. « I want it to work Tig... but..I've been disappointed so much by the men I fell in love with that I am afraid to fall in love again.. but it's too late, I'm already in love with you and... I don't know how to navigate those troubled waters. » She admitted, eyes closed as she couldn't handle his reaction. It made him scoff and then chuckle and then had him stand back up and lean against the vanity.

« Well.....We're on the same boat here Bella. » He said, taking the paper and looking at it fondly. He remembered how her face lit up on Christmas when she saw this present. He remembered how her eyes filled themselves with unshed tears as she realized what it actually meant, but did she actually realize that it was his way of saying he was in love with her too? « I don't know how to do that either. It's been way too fucking long since I let someone in...Too fucking long since I actually had to care for someone else than me. I don't know how to do this or if I'm the right guy for you or if I even... » He trailed off and ran his hand over his face. «... This... this thing we have going on? It makes me feel good. » He admitted. « It makes me feel... Whole. » He handed her the paper.

« This is stressing me out Tig. The tattoo thing... it's a huge commitment you know? It means you want me to be in your life for all eternity.. it means you, love. /me/ enough to have my name on your skin. It means...we're /that/ serious. Are we? Are we? Because I don't think you realize just how. » He had her spin around again, this time facing him again and the mirror of the vanity. Her eyes were still wide open and she shook her head. She ran her hand through her wet locks and looked up at his face. « Do you love me? » She finally asked her hazel eyes shifty eyeing with him.

« I /do/ want your name on my skin...I know what it means and I mean it. » He said, holding her hand. « I-I... » She asked the question and he was left speechless for a while. She looked at him intensely, already convinced that he didn't love her and didn't want to hurt her feelings by asking her a tattoo he could remove with some laser. He knew it was a slippery slope but goddamnit, he couldn't just say the words like that. Why didn't she see the fact he wanted to actually have her name on his skin be the declaration of love he couldn't utter? She tried to remove her hand and he noticed her tears. She quickly wiped her tears off of her face and pushed the chair away but as she stood up, ready to leave the room, he grabbed her wrist, making her freeze. « Fuck that shit, Bella. You know I do. You know I love you. » He said, pulling her into a tight hug. As she held him in her arms, Asma eyes grew wide and she looked at him intensely.

« You do? » Her voice was still cracking but he nodded. « Say it again! »

« I love you, I'm stupidly in love with you okay? So much so that I want your name on my skin. » He planted a kiss on her lips and rubbed her back. « You and me, I know it's messy right now but...We'll learn together. »

« We'll learn together. » She repeated and closed her eyes.

He kissed her forehead and then kept her in a strong embrace. She was still shivering because she did force the words out of his mouth, just like hers left her lips without giving her warning signs. She felt her heart soar at the confession but also realized that he was as scared of love as she was. Both were on the same boat, as Tig said. Both were worried because they didn't have much control over their feelings. She was determined to find the confidence in confronting her past to have a better future. She knew that learning how to shoot would indeed, make her feel stronger and would have her reflect on the trauma she so nicely pushed under the rug of her mind. She closed her eyes and decided to let go of her worries and ran her hands on his back. They would do it together. Always and...

Forever.

-TBC-

Doya: supernatural : She wasn't subtle

Oya and Dean

Of all the things Oya wasn't, Subtle and passive weren't exactly the words chosen to describe her. She was the opposite of subtle. Maybe it had to do with her not really being able to hold a poker face in front of people she cared about, or maybe it had to do with the fact she knew what she wanted and asked/fought for it. Oya was quite simple in her desires and she expressed them as loudly and clearly as possible. It wasn't limited to Dean, to wanting to work cases with him or wanting to have sex with him or just wanting him to hold her at night so she didn't have nightmares. It wasn't limited to her love for hunting and the thrill she got from it or her desire not to think too much about how she truly felt for the brothers. Oya knew what she wanted and made it clear to her entourage what she had in mind, even if that was gross or ridiculous. Dean enjoyed that about her, that she was vocal about her desires and pleasure, that she expressed herself. He encouraged her to keep this trait, especially when she was trying to be « subtle » -which always failed, to his amusement-

Passive couldn't describe Oya as well. She was bossy if anything. She took charge. Oya had this need to control everything in her intimacy. She lost control of her life, of her body and by extension failed to save her former family. So she had to be in control to fix this. For many, this would be a dealbreaker and it had been with a few one-night stands who couldn't handle her dominating nature under the sheets. Dean, however, took it rather well. He never was thrown off by her need to be in control. She'd tell him what she wanted, how she wanted it and when she wanted it and for once, Dean would let someone else lead the way. He was always in control when it came to hunting monsters and saving the world. He always led and took charge when nobody would step up. He had his head filled with dread and a strong and acute sense of duty but giving into her and let Oya decide for both of them was something he enjoyed. She sometimes mused about the two of them and how uncanny yet natural it was to be in the same bed as him. She hummed happily, allowing her nose to rub against his chest while her hands mind-absently stroked his shoulder as he was sleeping. She was happy....and while she refused to think too much about her relationship with Dean, she did feel happy and content...

Chronicles of the primeval gods : The gods

Ayasha

To be so close to power and so far away from it at the same time is painful to the goddess of knowledge. She would have had the world wrapped around her finger if it had not been for her sister and that pathetic creature called a Sin. She was devoured by her own ambition and her hunger for power, to the point of not seeing that neither power or domination were the solutions to her real issues. Ayasha was the unloved child of Khaos and Gaea who only found happiness in being relevant to them, useful. She longed for the love of her parents who only had eyes for their last born and now that her father was dead and her mother was in exile on Earth, she knew that she wouldn't have the recognition she longed for. Ayasha crystallized her pain on Elpis and turned it into pure hatred. She blamed everything -especially her shortcomings- on her little sister and convinced herself that killing Elpis would solve everything. It would not. It couldn't. 

Asma x Pride

Pride, Pride.. when is it that you are supposed to go fight Leviathan? When is it that you are supposed to leave me for battle? I trust your strength and I trust your power. I know you will be able to win the fight and I know you will come back to me. I don't know why I am this worried, maybe it's me, maybe it's her. Did you know she had been talking to me recently? Our connection is getting stronger over time, enough for me to see her clearly in my dreams and talk to her. She is scared of losing you, I am scared of losing you to Leviathan. I know you will win, it's just... I know what's going to happen next. I will forget. I will forget and I will move on. I accepted it already, I am ready for this but before you go, could we... could we have one more night before you go? Could we spend it like the last day on Earth? Could we have it good? I want a night where I would feel like a princess, wear a beautiful gown and go out with you. I want a night just for us, without Elpis in my head, without Leviathan in yours. I want a night to celebrate us, celebrate the woman you helped me become. I am overwhelmed with so much joy when I think of what we've been through and how strong I became over the years. It's all because of her, it's all because of you. I am grateful for that. Can we have that night? Can we? Please?

Elpis x Pride

Tic Tac Tic Tac... my love, I can feel it come faster. I know it's just a matter of time before we finally meet again. Tic Tac Tic Tac... I am nervous when I think about it. Do you know why? We're not the same we used to be. I know you, I know how worse this version of you could be but am I prepared to meet you? I am not. Should I hold your hand like I used to? Should I kiss your lips like I used to? Should I scorn you when you're being stubborn or insufferable like I want to? I have many questions in my mind, racing inside, bumping against my skull as I wonder if you would welcome this new version of me. I am not as naive as I used to be, not as submissive as I used to be. I have a temper, a strong one. You made me discover it before Ishtar stabbed me with the dagger of Fate but you never got to see it full-blown. I am afraid, I have to admit it. I am afraid we no longer match like we used to. I am afraid you would hate this version of me or I would hate this version of you... no... I can't hate any versions of you. I would be angry at you, I would be upset with you but I could never hate you. How can I hate you when you're the very reason I am even alive today? How can I hate you when you're the reason I fought so hard and scratched my seal? I love you. Always and forever.

Ishtar

Ishtar, despite his confrontation with Leviathan months ago, refused to acknowledge that he was just a pawn in the sick game played by his sister. He was nothing but a piece of her chess game. Nothing more. He played a huge part in Elpis' demise and a moment of weakness both allowed her a chance to set herself free but also forced her into a painful existence. He condemned her to a never-ending cycle of reincarnation. Forcing her to be stuck inside those humans she loved so much and live thousands of lives, watching her hosts live and die. He wished his hesitation to kill Elpis would have her forgive him, should she come back to life. He wanted her forgiveness, he needed her understanding but he knew he would have neither of them because she vowed to avenge herself, should she be free again. He loved her, coveted her, despised her and felt betrayed when she fell in love with Pride, a sin, a mortal enemy. His feelings were conflicted and pushed him over the edge. Ishtar was a ticking bomb, the current All-Father whose sanity relied on the fact he still got to provoke wars and do his duty to the God of War. His sanity relied on the lies Ayasha told him to make him feel good about himself.

Leviathan

Leviathan's arrogance would be his doom. He was a powerful God – He was the master of the ocean after all- but he was too confident in his skills to actually think things through. He figured out Ayasha and Ishtar but his hubris and anger would cause him to make mistakes. Pride was underestimated because of the god, he was nothing be a pale imitation of life. He was nothing but a blow-up doll with a sword, nothing of importance. He spent his time -upon learning of the existence of Sins- mocking them, up until the time they actually destroyed the Greek pantheon. He then decided they were a threat. For him, Pride (of all sins) was getting on his way. He was the obstacle he needed to overcome in order to avenge his wounded ego. Elpis rejecting him hurt his ego, so much so that he had to teach her a lesson. He was eager to get his hands on the mortal vessel she was forced into, mostly because he heard this one looked exactly like his sister, save for a detail or two and he needed to make her pay for what Elpis did. He didn't know he was running towards his death because he assumed that Pride was no match for the god of the ocean who possessed two weapons capable of destroying him. His trident AND the Dagger of Fate.

Chronicles of Lux and Tenebrae : What now ?

A/N: just continuing with these two lovebirds.

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Lux had been sleeping since Tenebrae took her to his lair on Earth: The Fortress. It was a very secure place on Earth, imbued with his own energy, which, needless to say, was almost on par with his father's, if not more powerful than him. Tenebrae knew that whoever was after Lux and Life, would not be able to find Life's daughter, at least, not as long as she was with him. That didn't take away his concerns about the whole situation. Life was very powerful, he trusted she would not die. If she did, then it would be the beginning of the end. All living things would die, Earth would wither, too many souls would fill the End realm and who knew what else could happen? A balance was achieved by the presence of life and death, destroying life would just about bring the apocalypse and nobody wanted it, at least, not in Tenebrae's mind.

He found his beloved, but her not being able to remember him was bothering the prince more than he cared to admit. It hurt him to look into her eyes and not see the love that once was there. It hurt him to look at her and think that someone tried to kill her and apparently, succeeded in doing so and he wasn't there to protect her. He wasn't there. He resented his father even more since Death held him back and prevented him from visiting Lux. Why would he -and Live by extension- refuse that the two lovebirds saw each other? Tenebrae did notice the sparkles when he touched Lux. It only added to the pleasure he had by being by her side and she saw it as the physical manifestation of their love but he knew that there was more to it than just sparkles. The keeper of secrets had the answer to that, but like any magical creature of such a magnitude, to benefit from his knowledge came with a price. He could only ask one question. Tenebrae intended to ask how to defeat Death itself but if he did, then he would never be able to know why Lux and he couldn't be together like their parents suggested. Yet, what if that question was trivial and not meaningful, why would he waste an opportunity to become king?

His jet black eyes stared at the sleeping form in his arms. Lux refused to be left alone, now that she had found someone familiar with extraordinary powers like hers and who knew who she was, she refused to leave his side. Exhausted mentally from her centuries-long wandering, she simply fell asleep for days. Tenebrae didn't flinch a muscle for he didn't want to wake her up but he did command his minions to give him information about his father's whereabouts. He discovered that Death had visited Life in the realm of all beginnings and was trying to understand what happened to her and who attacked her. Tenebrae sighed in relief that his father didn't search for him but several weeks after he locked himself in his lair, one of his minions came and through him, Death spoke.

« My son. » Tenebrae narrowed his gaze, his jaw was clenched and he protectively held Lux against his chest. « I see that you found Lux. »

« She is staying with me, father. There is no way I would return her to a compromised place. » He declared, his black pools staring at the avatar of his father.

« I am not asking you to take her back to the Realm of all beginnings. Like you said, it's compromised. »

« Then, why are you using my minions as avatars? » He snapped at him, stroking the long black locks of his sleeping beloved.

« I understand that you are angry. »

« Angry doesn't begin to cover how I feel about you, /father/. » Tenebrae said. « We could have helped them if you didn't decide to lock me in the End Realm. We could have saved them if you and Life didn't have your stupid separation rul-- »

«Enough! I am not here to argue with you. I'd rather have you listen to me, Tenebrae. » His voice boomed, making the walls tremble and shake and Tenebrae, despite showing some bravado in his attitude shook as well. He felt fear sink into him and into the cracks of his bones and it humbled the prince who nodded quietly in submission. « You're finally reasonable. »

« What do you want to say, Father. »

« I wanted to warn you. I am investigating on who would try to attack Life and why. I have an idea but I need to confirm it. Until I have confirmation of the identity of who's behind the attack, you have to be very careful. They would come after Lux in order to destroy her... »

« I will protect her until she's fully recovered and can defend herself. » Tenebrae said, narrowing his eyes, a hint of warning in his voice as he believed his father would ask him to stay away from the deity.

« I was about to say you have to protect her. I do not know where you get the belief I do not care about you or do not love you, but I do. I love you, son. »

Tenebrae chose not to reply to his father and instead looked at Lux who kept on sleeping. He sighed and leaned into his chair. Deities like him, Lux, Death or Life didn't need to sustain themselves to survive. Unlike humans who needed to eat, drink and sleep in order to remain functional. However, when they were critically wounded and needed to recover, sleep became necessary. Like Odin who would enter Odin's sleep, deities needed to regenerate. Lux was reborn, hence why she needed her sleep to fully recover and regain the level of power she had prior to her death and until she achieved it, Tenebrae would keep an eye on her and keep her safe. However, he needed to do something, staying in his lair wasn't helping either of them. It wasn't even helping him find answers to questions he kept asking himself. His father was vague, as usual when talking to him, which annoyed the prince more than anything else.

« We will see each other soon. » Death said as left the minion. Tenebrae shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the sleeping Lux in his arms. He lost his powder snow fingers into her black locks and furrowed his brows.

Could he keep her safe? Could he make sure nothing will happen to her? There would be a moment both would leave the safety of his Fortress and would venture into the vast world. He hoped she would remember him and recover fully by the time they found the Keeper of Secrets. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her groan and shift on top of him. She was waking up, which would inform him in her state of mind and her current condition. Maybe she would wake up with her memories restored and he wouldn't have to worry the way he was. Maybe she wouldn't and he would need to assume the rôle of the protector until she was back to being herself again. She opened her eyes, slowly getting used to the darkness of the place before her hand, warm and soft, cupped his alabaster cheek and stroked it. For a while, they didn't say anything but she whispered.

« Thank you for allowing me to sleep. »

Her eyes still lacked the love they had in them before the attack, which informed the prince that she still didn't remember him. He furrowed his brows, his face becoming even paler than it used to and his black pools slowly turning back into black orbs that stared at her silver ones. He leaned into her touch and nodded quietly.

« It was the least I could do. I know this is a lot for you to digest...and you might still not remember who you are but we don't have the luxury of time and we would need to leave soon. »

« To get answers? » She asked, her voice still heavy from the sleep she'd just emerged from. He nodded. « Fine. I have a feeling I will remember soon. »

« It would be for the best if you did. I am looking forward to seeing it happen.. » He said, trying to sound reassuring but failing to do so. She could feel how worried he was, and instinctively stroked his cheek some more.

« I will remember. You wouldn't need to worry like you do now, Tenebrae. » Her voice was reassuring and without her realizing it, a soft glow came from her hands and soothed his worries.

« I will always worry, Lux... Always... » He gave her a tight smile and then watched as she shifted on him and sat on his lap, her hands on his thighs. « Always... »

-TBC-

Max and Phoenix :The end

A/ N: This is the final chapter of their storyline. I had so much fun crafting their common past. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

Xxxxx

Max didn't come back. He couldn't possibly come back to Phoenix after he nearly killed her. The whole moment was nauseating. He tried to convince her to leave his side and not participate in his vendetta and she ended up saying things that made him angry. The assassin hurt him with her dismissal of his personal tragedy and he couldn't contain himself anymore. He wanted to silence her, make her pay for insulting him and killing her came to mind. She looked at him, ready to die by his hand but the defiance in her eyes snapped him back to reality. Max couldn't do it, he refused to kill her so he left the motel room.

Phoenix chose to stay in that room and used her goggles to spy on the compound that was a couple miles away. Max and she decided that the best moment to attack Cesare and his men was the night, so she spent the day eating burgers and thinking of last night event and what it truly meant to her. She went too far, she was aware of that. Nobody in their right minds would accept the verbal abuse she forced on Max last night. She could have driven the point differential and was now wishing she had done that instead of trying to dismiss the man's pain. He lost his family and his pain was still very real, very palatable and she stomped on their memories without any regards to them or how it would make him feel. Then, he did try to kill her and she welcomed it without a fight.

Her neck recovered from his strangling. She still had the marks of his fingers on her skin but she didn't mind much. Those would heal but the damage she inflicted on Max would not wear off. As she was laying on the bed, waiting for the moment to move, Phoenix leaned her head against the headset of the bed, clenching her fingers at the thought of her behavior. Yes, she acted that way because she felt insulted that he tried to save her. Phoenix felt she was beyond redemption and always told him so. She had blood on her hands and while she didn't regret taking the lives of the crooked and criminals, she did have some serious regret about taking the lives of innocent victims. All the people she had killed regardless of their age and gender.. all those people who shouldn't have been dead were dead by her fault, their blood was on her hands, so dying in itself wasn't such a bad idea. She tried to take her life so many times since she wiped out the organization that turned her into this monster to being with. She tried, so what was one more try?

Her eyes closed as she leaned her head a little harder against the headset. Max was special. He was opening up to her just like she was to him. He went past her defenses and got close to her in ways many people couldn't. She let her fingers run over her plump lips, remembering the taste of his when he kissed her. Her eyes opened and she realized that her heart was aching at the thought as well. Phoenix felt her heartbeats get faster at the thought that maybe, just maybe she actually cared about Max more than she wanted to admit. Her eyes started to look from left to right and she cursed under her breath. «Shit! Shit! It's not true! » It wasn't ! she wasn't attached to Max! It couldn't be! She put her feet on the floor and pushed herself at the edge of the bed, her eyes were still wide open at the realization that actually yes, she did care about Max a lot more than she pretended to. Him leaving, not sending a text or giving her a call was more stressful than tonight's mission. Him leaving felt like a loss, it felt like losing Phaser the first time around and she hated that feeling.

She kept cursing under her breath and felt tears fill her eyes. Why was she like this? Why did she have to push him away after all that happened between the two of them? Did that mean she was beyond repair? Did that mean she was unable to actually build a life for herself? A life she could be satisfied with? What did Max have to do with her ability to find happiness? She couldn't breathe.. she started to take deep breaths and looked left and right, unfocused, unable to stop. Her heart started to beat faster and she ended up screaming. She held fists of honey hair in both hands and started to cry. It was indeed a loss, Max left to never return because she pushed him way too much, way too hard. How could she do something like that to him? Her tears kept rolling on her cheeks, warm, bitter like her heart at the thought that maybe, just maybe, she did actively sabotage herself.

Deep down, she knew that sticking by Max was her way to tell him that she cared for him and wanted to give him the support she thought he needed. Neither of them was good with emotional support, neither of them could give the other what they truly needed. Max needed to snap out of his vendetta before it killed him for good. He needed to give himself a fresh start and mourn for his family's loss. He should have but he couldn't. He allowed anger and despair to take over him, hence why he decided to avenge his family but with his body that dropped on his wake, he sunk further into his pit of darkness with no possibility to get better He was destroying himself but there still was a sliver of hope and he found it in Phoenix. She understood him, she was as broken as he was and yet, she was still trying to do the right thing. He felt guilty, for a brief moment, when he asked her to come with him when she wanted to stay in Boston. She had started to turn on a new leaf, saving lives rather than taking them and he took her with him in his spiral of darkness. He had her kill people again and pushed her in this path. He did that.

But she made him smile again. She made him laugh again. She made life better for him and it scared Max. It scared him because when he looked into Phoenix eyes, he saw a potential future. He saw himself outgrow his vendetta and actually invest in the future, believes in the future and that couldn't happen. It felt like betraying his family and himself. So he had to distance himself from her, push her away so she would return to a better life and to having a shot at redeeming herself by doing good.It didn't work, obviously but it wasn't just because of the way he said it, or the moment he chose to say it. It also didn't work because of her dire need to die and pay for her crimes. Part of him believed that she did it on purpose, rile him up so he could kill her. Better die by the hand of the one you love than one you hate, right? Right? Wait...Did he just assume she loved him? Or did he know already? Max couldn't say. He felt it, the connection between the two of them and the ways she looked at him, talked to him, touched him. He could tell she was attached by the way she kissed him, the way she said his name... They never had sex, they never went as far as a couple of kisses because she still had issues with being touched but they didn't need that to establish how attached they were to one another. They were. He was and coming to realize that he nearly killed her horrified Max. It made him think, it made him leave.

Standing in a room filled with broken pieces of furniture and in tears, Phoenix looked at the compound where Cesare had been hiding and glanced at her watch. It soon was the time she and Max chose to start their assault on Cesare. She cleaned her face with the back of her hand, vowing to herself that she would still carry Max' mission and eventually would meet him there. He wanted answers Cesare had so it made sense he would still go there and kill the man himself after he took the information he needed. She wore her white spandex suit she was infamous for, started to gear up and when she was ready, she looked through the goggles one last time and noticed suspicious movements towards the compound. Intrigued, she left the motel room and went on the rooftop where she would have a better view of what was happening and would have an easier access to the compound without being seen. She heard gunshots on her way to the rooftop and started to run to get there faster. What sounded like an actual raid gone wild. Once on the rooftop, she used her goggles to have a better view of what was happening and noticed FBI vans. She blinked and knelt on the floor as she realized that the feds were called in. Max called them, otherwise, they wouldn't be attacking at the same time the two of them agreed on.

Why did he do that? She sat on the floor, coming to the realization that her journey was abruptly stopped there. She couldn't go further with Max, he wouldn't be back. She couldn't help herself but sob, hard. Her tears kept rolling down her eyes as she realized that this was it. It was over. All she could do now was to move forward and think for herself once again. She would have to come back to the life she left in Boston, helping people again now that her appetite for Death and Destruction was sated for the moment.

«Damnit! Damnit, Max! What did you fucking do? »

She kept repeating, running her hand through her hair. What did he do? Did he actually save her life? Max liked to think he did. It became obvious that the only thing he could do to prevent Phoenix from wasting her life would be to tip the feds on Cesare's whereabouts. They would come and stop Phoenix from actually dying. He wouldn't need to physically be there when that would happen, although he actually did. Because he wanted to make sure she would not be stubborn and actively get herself killed. He hid well, on the rooftop of the building next to the compound and watched a distraught Phoenix, cry out of anger and confusion. He didn't expect her to nor did he enjoy it, but at least she was alive and she didn't try to stop Cesare by herself. At least she was alive and she would return to her old life. He watched as she kept cursing him and cry ugly and watched as she calmed down and just sat there in silence. Allowing Cesare to actually escape from him -he got arrested which at least gave Max a possibility to visit him later on and question him- and be handed out to a system he didn't believe in, was Max' way to actually move forward, try and not let the abyss suck him in. It was a tiny step forward but at this point in his life, he would have taken anything.

« We'll meet again Phoenix. » -He whispered to himself, turning on his heels and leaving the rooftop as he was now certain she survived the night. -

It was the end of their adventure together and both knew that despite taking different paths and being deprived of one another, they both gained something. He did, he found Hope again. He saw a glimpse of what his life could be, once he got his revenge and Max knew he would hold onto that thought. He would hold onto the idea of finding Phoenix again and building something with her. Someday...Maybe. She gained something too. She found parts of herself, of the woman she truly was. With Max she wasn't a fake identity, she wasn't pretending. She was herself, her true self and he unknowingly helped her accept that part of her life, at least, helped her begin to. With Max, she started to have Hope, yes, Hope for a better life. Hope for redemption. She considered a life by his side, something new and sweet with someone who understood and didn't judge her. It felt like a dream but she intended to go back to Boston and work hard to make sure it became true.

But was it an end?

-THE END-