She lay beneath the tree, trying to breathe before the pain took her again. Infinite times living this moment and the one thing that never changed was the pain. It was a terrible price to pay, but the children within her were worth it. They would know more pain than ever she had, but for this one moment she could protect them from it. One day, she knew, would be the last one. Maybe it would be this time through the loop. It didn't matter. As long as He arrived at the appointed time, there was always hope. Maybe this time, she could sleep at last.
The pain returned, as it always did. The scream she could never stop, the sound that destroyed entire Realities, marked the beginning of two new ones.
-
The old man stood some distance away, watching Daerna's labored breathing, knowing he could do nothing to ease the pain she was in. It was necessary, and no birthing was ever easy. Neither was the task ahead of him. As always, the scream that tore through the world shook him to his very being. Knowing it was coming never prepared him for it. Like the countless times before, it heralded the beginning of his task. But this time would end it all. This time he would end the loop.
He walked over to the motionless body of his friend, trying to contain the despair he always felt at this moment. The children needed him, and it was not the time to grieve. That would come later. Two precious babies, each resembling an aspect of their mother - one feline, the other a wolf - lay blindly making the most heart-wrenching cries for comfort in their new-found world.
The tears came then, as unstoppable as the task he had ahead. Laying a hand on the head of the small wolven form, he reached to pick up the tiny cat-like being. No, there was no stopping the tears, but this time it would be different. Struggling against the overwhelming desire to take both children, he made a vow to the pup.
"This is the last time, my precious young one. I swear I will never take your sister away from you ever again."
-
Reltin watched the scene playing out before him. So many times in this moment he had wanted to reach out to comfort him. One time he even tried. That did not go well. Certainly the Eldest knew he was there, just on the other side of the Veil. Just as they both certainly knew what they had to do. Once the man disappeared with the catling, he pondered what the old man had said to the pup. Dangerous, a vow like that. It couldn't be broken. More importantly it had never happened before. Did the Eldest finally find what they were looking for? A way out? Impossible. What always was would always be, and though it may be different every time, it couldn't be stopped.
An unbreakable vow that could never be fulfilled would have unimaginable consequences.
Shrugging off such maudlin thoughts, Reltin approached the tiny pup. This was no easier for him than it was for the old man. Carefully cradling his new responsibility to his chest, he couldn't help but think again of that promise the old man made. Can he do it? he wondered. Can we save these children and finally be free? The sheer scope of such a possibility nearly crushed him, nearly broke his resolve. But no, the children... ever the children first. We'll worry about damned souls another time. Today, we give you a name. After that, we can all be damned together.
"C'mon, little Wolf, we have a new Universe to build." Ignoring the others hiding nearby, another thing different, he and the newly christened Wolf disappeared.
-
Apollo and Artemis stood silently staring at each other, unable to comprehend the events they had just witnessed. They both knew it was impossible for them to be here, yet here they were.
"What in Hades just happened?" Artemis asked her brother, who was obviously just as shaken as she was.
"I haven't the slightest clue. This place and time doesn't even exist, it's impossible for us to be here in the first place." he replied. "All I know is the old man said to follow him and to bring you along. He kept mumbling something about 'endings'."
"And what about the kid that was hiding in the Mists? He was human! They can't do that!" Artemis was starting to sound a bit hysterical. Apollo could definitely relate.
"I don't know, dear sister, but no matter what the old man said about endings..." He began.
"I think we just witnessed a beginning." She finished for him.
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