In Every Universe

The Beginning: 3

A million words could be used to describe every violent aspect of the war that ensued.
We could talk about the strong smell of burning flesh. We could describe the wails of the innocent trapped under collapsed structures. We could talk about how real life battle isn't valiant or glorious - in fact, battle literally smells of piss and shit. Blood and vomit.
We could talk about fire dragons and ice dragons decimating each other in the sky, their falling carcasses likewise decimating anything unlucky enough to live down below.  We could talk of magic and spells and divine incantations being used to poison and kill instead of heal. We could talk about the famine that ensued, that no amount of magic can solve.

We could. But the truth is, there is nothing new one can say about war. Even when it is between deities, it is all the same. It is completely unnecessary. It is cruel. It spares no one.

Bright has killed so many and his blood soaked hands will take more lives before this is through. It scared him to think this war would last a millennium just like the last one did. It scared him to think that he has doomed so many just because he dared to fall in love.

This wasn't his fault. This wasn't Metawin's fault. But he knew they would be the ones to pay the price to stop it.

If it were up to him, they would leave this world to burn. They would escape to whatever universe they could and live out the rest of their lives in ignorant happiness. He owed this world nothing and he would not give up the love of his life for it.

But Win was not like him. He felt too much. Cared too much. He was wasting away each day, eyes hollow, cheeks sunken, growing more and more troubled by the ongoing bloodshed.

Bright knew it before Win said it, they needed to give themselves up.

Win wanted to go alone, commanded Bright to escape without him.

But Bright is the Prince of Fire and no one can command the Prince of Fire to do anything, least of all to leave his one true love to his certain death.

They stood before The Benevolent together. Ice and Fire united.

Who are The Benevolent? They are the mightiest gods representing every universe in existence. They make the laws that supposedly balance the cosmos and ensure the continuous flow of life. They do not concern themselves with paltry drama, even if they could end wars or famine, they will not because that is too minuscule a concern for them to bother with.

You would think then that a pair of star crossed lovers would mean nothing to these titans, but you would be wrong.

The animosity between the Kingdom of Ice and the Kingdom of fire is necessary to the status quo of Universe 1228. Theirs was a feud no one was supposed to end. It would take too many words to explain why this was so and those words would be wasted because mortals would not understand what The Benevolent could. It is a necessary feud because they say so. Who are you to question them?

Bright did not care that the collective power of the creatures before him could end his universe a million times over, he was questioning them. Demanding answers, demanding an explanation. With each yell he let out, he could feel his energy growing weaker and weaker as if being absorbed by the audience before him. He didn't care, he kept stating his case over and over. It must have annoyed The Benevolent because one of them raises a finger and points at Win. Immediately, Win falls to the ground. Bright forgets to talk as he rushes to Win's side. He cups the face of his beloved in his hand as he pulls him to his arms. Win looks so tired. Like he was in the brink of death.

Bright's pride finally breaks and he kneels on the ground, as low as he could go. And he begs for Win's life. "It's all my fault. I seduced him. It was I who broke the law first. I made him do it. Spare him please, I beg you. Spare him. It's my fault. He is but collateral damage to my wiles, he is blameless. Spare him, I beg you spare him."

His begging stops when he feels a hand on his arm, pulling him. "I am no collateral damage, Prince of Fire. I am in control of my actions and my decisions and I chose to love you. I was not tricked or seduced. I knowingly chose you. To say otherwise is to insult me and my people. I am the Prince of Ice, and I choose you."

Bright wanted to be moved by those words but all he felt was fear. What if they kill Win for saying those words? What if they raise a finger and take all his energy away? Bright shakes his head. "They should only punish me. Only me. This is my fault alone."

"Do you love me?"

What was Win doing? But Bright didn't have it in him to lie about this. "I love you."

"Do you believe that I love you?"

Tears streamed down Bright's face. "Yes."

Win faces The Benevolent. "I do not comprehend how love is so destructive to your plans for the universes. I do not comprehend how an act so pure and good goes against your will. And my lack of comprehension doesn't make me less than you. In fact it makes me skeptical about how benevolent the lot of you are. Stop this war. Too many have died for your will. We surrender ourselves so you can finally do something right and stop this insanity while there is still a universe left for you to supposedly protect."

"The war will cease," one of them speaks in a cold, airy voice. "But you shall pay for your disobedience."

Win holds Bright's hand. Bright intertwines their fingers. Win places a small kiss on Bright's forehead before facing their gods one more time.
"Til death do we part," he says simply, waiting to be smited.

Instead, they are greeted by a small laugh. The one with the cold voice speaks again. "You are right, love is a powerful act. So powerful it is almost indestructible. Unfortunately for you, your flesh vessels are extremely destructible. A temporal object housing an everlasting power. A power we cannot destroy."

Bright and Win look at each other briefly. They do not understand at all what was being said.

A sigh. "Your love is forbidden and yet it exists. The only way for us to deal with it is to watch it end over and over again."

"I don't understand. Aren't you taking our lives?"

"Death would have been such an easy way out, wouldn't it? No. You are to be punished with a hundred lives each. In each life, in each universe you will suffer the pain of love that cannot last forever."

"Will we be together in all these lifetimes?"

"That would be entirely up to the Prince of Fire. If he can endure the pain of finding you, loving you, making you remember then losing you all over again then yes you will be together in all the universes you find yourself in."

Bright allows himself a smile. "Of course I will find you," he promises Win.

"Time will tell," the deity responds in the same cold unfeeling manner. "There is no such thing as an easy punishment."

"He will find me and he will make me remember. And we will love each other in every lifetime." Win stands in defiance, holding Bright's hand a little tighter.

The deities look uninterested. "He shall or he shall not. This matters not to us. The lifetimes will ebb and flow and disperse so that your love can do the same. If you choose to remember your love or not is not of importance as long as it is not done here where it threatens the fabric of time."

"When does these lifetimes start?"

The Benevolent snap their fingers. "Now."

- - -
Author's Note

Yay! Another chapter!
I have not written anything like this ever so if anything is confusing please tell me and I will see how I can address it.

Thank you for reading! :D