Hero Vs Villain (BoyxBoy)

You are Loved

Author's Note: Sorry this is a day late, I couldn't post yesterday because of Thanksgiving. We're almost to the end, guys! Only three chapters left!!! Sharing this amazing fanart of Ridley from @theunenthusiastic on IG. Literally...the detail in this picture left me speechless. 

Vandel

I attempted to ignore the searing pain in my legs and side as I finally managed to rise to my feet.

The Bone King cast me a mocking glance. "You can barely even do this and yet you still think you're going to be able to reach him?"

I took a small step forward, then another, my limbs screaming in protest as I made my way towards Ridley.

If I hadn't known he'd once been the flesh and blood version of the man I loved, I would've thought someone had carved a massive statue of Ridley from marble. He was just standing there, still as death without having been given any orders from the Bone King.

The Bone King simply stood there, watching me stumble towards him as a smirk pulled at his lips. Clearly watching me struggle to reach Ridley was providing him with some sort of sick, twisted entertainment.

I took another step forward and, despite myself, I felt my legs give out from under me. The sharp prick of the bones bit mercilessly into my skin as my knees hit the ground.

I heard the Bone King's cruel laughter echo around me but I couldn't give up. I just couldn't.

I started to drag myself towards Ridley. The pain from my wounds stabbed into me at each movement but my teeth sunk into my lower lip to stop myself from whimpering. The bones covering the floor ripped into my palms, painting my hands in scarlet as I continued towards him.

With my breathing ragged and my movements desperate, I finally managed to drag myself before Ridley's feet. My entire body was trembling violently from the effort and I was hardly able to tilt my head up to look at him.

I let out a low, shaky breath. "Ridley," I rasped, "Ridley, please....please come back to me."

I was met with a horrible silence.

Ridley continued to stand there, still as stone, his eyes glazed and lifeless. I heard the sound of clapping and the crunch of bones as the Bone King stepped up beside me.

"Wonderful show," he chuckled. "What a beautiful display of the selflessness of true love." He shoved the heel of his boot into my ribs, hard enough for a small hiss of pain to escape me. The Bone King smirked as he stared down at me and I knew I must be a pathetic sight, crumpled on the ground like this. "Goodbye, Vandel." He offered me a thin smile. "Thank you, and I sincerely mean this...for being truly entertaining."

With those words, he snapped his fingers and Ridley stirred back to life.

My body was begging me to give up. In fact, it wanted nothing more than to finally be released from the agonizing pain of it all.

But I was looking at Ridley and Ridley alone.

And I couldn't give in to death. Not yet. Not when I was so sure I could still reach him.

I knew it seemed hopeless, but deep down in the pit of my stomach, I knew I could. I just needed to get closer...I had to get closer. But how? I didn't have enough power to turn into my bird form, or even my hybrid form...but maybe there was a third option? I thought of my mother in those last moments and suddenly an idea came to me.

I smiled to myself. This would probably kill me before Ridley did, which would at least let me go out in true Vandel fashion...incredibly dramatically.

With that thought, Ridley's massive hand swung out to crush me. With the last of my strength, I managed to roll out of the way. As Ridley moved for another attack, I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing the last of my power to surge through me. It thrummed against my chest and burned through my veins. Despite myself, I couldn't bite back the small mew of pain that escaped me as I felt my bones and tendons shifting in my back. Ridley swung at me again, but as he did, two massive wings sprung from my back and suddenly I was in the air.

I was hanging on by only a thread, my body on the brink of collapse at any moment.

But a thread was all I needed.

I was level with him now. As Ridley moved to strike me, I shot forward, shoving my palm against his chest. My fingers spread out, pressing gently into the marble where his heart had once been.

"Ridley," I said softly. "Remember what you told me..."

Ridley

I was floating.

Weightless.

Drowned in the depths of a sea of red.

For some reason it wasn't frightening. Quite the opposite really. It was calm. So silent. So still.

Everything was slipping from me into the scarlet waters. My thoughts, my pain, my memories, my name.

What was my name?

Who was I...I couldn't remember anything past the red.

Did it even matter who I was before?

What reason could I have had to keep fighting for so long when it was just so much easier to gently sink into oblivion.

But that's when I suddenly felt a light pressure on my chest. It was odd, like I had forgotten the sensation of being touched. It felt like someone's hand was there despite the fact that I couldn't see who it belonged to.

"Ridley," I heard a muffled voice ripple through the red, coming from above me. I couldn't seem to remember who it belonged to, but the sound of it made my heart ache.

Ridley?

Had that been my name?

The voice came again and it made my chest feel warm and empty all at once. It was as if I had been pulled away from a fireplace with only the ghost of its warmth there before the cold would set in once more.

"Remember what you told me..." the voice called, still muffled by the red haze. "You placed your hand on my heart, just like this." I felt a gentle increase of pressure on my chest and, despite the thickness and heaviness of the red, I managed to move my arm, pressing my hand to the same spot. "You told me," the voice continued, "that no matter what happens... you'd always be here, didn't you?"

The shadows of memories flashed through my mind at the words. The touch of skin, a smile, the softness of lips against mine, his laugh.

My heart was pounding. Before I had felt so calm, so ready to let go. But this person...without them I felt empty, the stillness unbearably lonely.

"You promised I'd never lose you," the voice said softly. "So please...come back, Ridley. Come back to me. I love you."

The words vibrated through me.

He loved me.

And I loved him.

Even without my memories, I knew I loved him more than I had ever loved anything. He was my heart, my breath, my world.

I couldn't let myself be swallowed up.

I had to keep fighting to get back to him.

I began to thrash desperately, the scarlet waters weighing me down, determined to drag me to the very bottom of its depths. I continued to struggle, fighting against it, pulling myself upwards.

I had to keep moving towards that voice.

I had to reach him.