#the thought of Emet harboring Darkness is a very interesting thought to me

[soothingmind]

[Thou must Live, Die, and ... not Know. Azem & Emet, Final Days]

“You have the nerve to show yourself in times like these.”

Emet-Selch didn't move an inch as he felt a very familiar person approaching him. His gaze was yet still drawn into the distance, the darkened red sky covering everything and beyond the far reaches of Amaurot.

“Greetings to you too, Emet-Selch.” Luxu let out an elaborated sigh as they placed a hand on their hip, shaking their head. “I, for one, was hoping I could find you in these last few hours.”

That made him finally turn around and face Luxu, his face ever so stern like Luxu expected it to be. They reached for their blackened mask and let it hang off their neck. And as always their blue eye - ever gazing, ever watchful - glowed stronger than their other.

A small smile started to play on Luxu's lips as they held their palm above their chest, and with closed eyes they went for a small bow.

“I … just wanted to say thank you.”

“... Stop.”

“No, I mean it.” Luxu took a step forward and while Emet-Selch tried his hardest to avoid his gaze, Luxu never took their eyes off him. “This journey means a lot to me. I experienced a lot, saw a lot, laughed a lot - with you, Hythlodaeus, -”

The mention of his name made Emet-Selch grit his teeth and Luxu held up their hand before he could interrupt them with anything.

“What I'm saying is, I'm glad I ran into you all, and I'm glad I could call you a friend.”

“... Azem -”

Luxu turned away from him and took a few steps back, motioning their hand in a manner of speech. “But my journey - my mission - is far from over.”

A Pause. Too long for Emet-Selch's liking, as the world continued to fall apart around them.

“I will continue to watch.” Luxu eyed him again, and Emet-Selch could have sworn that their eye burned into him. “No matter what, I will see it to the end.”

Emet-Selch crossed his arms. The air became much thicker than before, for one last time Luxu's antics didn't make sense to him.

“... Why don't you come with us, then?”

Luxu chuckled and shook their head.

“My other selves will continue. And I hope when you do find them, you will treat them the same as me.”

Another pause. Slowly the realization dawned on him and Emet-Selch released his crossed arms. “Wait, you know about Venat's plan.”

“I was the first to know about it.” A smile. “And I know you and two others are trying to escape it.”

Of course they would know. Nothing ever eludes them! … Elidibus, when I see you next time - Emet-Selch was left with an opened mouth, unable to speak the words that ran through his head.

“But enough about that.” Again, Luxu motioned with their hands. “I actually … wanted to ask you for one last favor. … As a friend.”

After all they just had spoken about, only Luxu could have had the guts to take this conversation to this with Emet-Selch.

“There is a piece of me that cannot, under any circumstances, get sundered.” They took a step forward, closer, much closer than Emet-Selch liked them to be right now. “If it does, then all will be for naught, regardless of what we do now or in the future.”

He squinted his eyes.

“... And I want you to have it.”

Of course his immediate reaction would be to shake his head. Luxu hadn’t expected anything less, and so they continued to press on.

“You may recognize my other selves, but they may not recognize you. But if I maintain even just a sliver of myself in them, then maybe … the chance remains.”

Emet-Selch started to rub his temples with his thumb and pointer finger, covering his face with his palm. “You know you come to me with this at the worst timing ever.”

A half-hearted chuckle. Typical.

“I apologize, I couldn't have done that sooner. Besides, I …” Their expression turned a bit more grim, which Emet-Selch immediately noticed. “... this is not easy for me. And I thought long about who to actually ask in the end.”

Ah. “... I surmise you thought about Elidibus first.” This was hardly a secret as to why and Luxu nodded. It only made Emet-Selch shake his head once more. “What even is this piece? If it's so important that it can't get torn apart, then this is quite a secret you've kept all this time.”

Luxu took a deep breath and held firm their hand above their chest. They wished it would never come to this, but the time was running out and this decision was far from easy.

“An … entity I trapped in my heart a very long time ago, back in my home world.” Luxu never spoke much about their old world, but when they did, it was always with fondness. Much so these words Emet-Selch gathered them with the same good intention. “Me and my friends all trapped a piece of it in us, so it wouldn't initiate the destruction of the world. So …”

Judging by Emet-Selch's changed-to-worse expression, Luxu realized how ironic this all must sound.

“... Do you see now why I don't want it to split apart? Handled by the wrong person, or not handled at all, this could end up even worse than this.”

There were so many things Emet-Selch wanted to ask, he wasn’t even sure where to begin in the first place, let alone if there even was enough time for an explanation why they kept it to themselves all this time.

“Azem, this is quite a lot you ask of me here.” A harsh tone, but Luxu didn't flinch.

“I'm aware.” Their gaze faced the ground and they took a deep breath. “But … this is the only choice I have, if I want to prevent the destruction meant for one world.”

Emet-Selch let out a disappointing sigh and turned his head towards the distance again. The doom and destruction were unmissable, the fires and raging storms hailing down the sky just as far as the eye could see.

What else could be worse than this? What else had the power to eradicate all in its wake, if he wanted to trust Luxu's words?

“Hades?”

The call of his name sent flashes of warmth down his spine, emotions he did not think that would surface in these calamitous hours. He was their friend, he was the person they thought about carrying this burden they held on for so long. They went through so many ups and downs, laughter and antics, and in the end it was a bond he couldn't deny to be fond of.

He turned to Luxu again, his expression telling a tale of defeat, yet with a smile he couldn't hide.

“Alright, fine.” He held out his arms to the side. “I take it. Whatever you need to do, do it.”

Luxu shared the expression and went right into concentrating, closing their eyes to find the ability to draw it out as they held their palm firmly over their chest. The split wasn't easy, their heart had held onto it for so long that there was a notable tug that left them shaking, but thankfully the small orb entombed in dark swirls manifested in their hand right after.

“Don't worry.” Luxu's words were a bit shaky. “The gaol I created for it is indestructible, as long as it always stays together.” Again Emet-Selch wished they could elaborate more, but Luxu was already guiding it towards him. “Thank you, my friend …”

Gently Luxu placed their hand on Emet-Selch's chest, and with ease the orb found its way into his body. A colder shiver rushed through him, having him believe the whole ordeal worked.

Just as the feeling vanished Luxu collapsed right in front of him, grabbing onto his black robe to hold themselves steady -

“Luxu-!” And in his sudden panic, Emet-Selch embraced Luxu in his arms to prevent them from falling to the ground.

“... It appears this took a toll on me. I must apologize.” Luxu mumbled into the black fabric their face was pressed in, slowly regaining strength in their legs again. “But it seems this was a success.”

The success they spoke of could only be summarized by the hole they felt in their heart and the dark presence they now spotted in Emet-Selch's. Nothing he could handle, Luxu specifically picked him for that reason, and as for their own heart - well, it would only be a short while now.

Emet-Selch held them for what must have felt like several minutes. Time he held dear, a feeling and memory none would ever get to know, forever buried into his soul.

Luxu took a deep breath as they finally moved away from Emet-Selch's embrace, their smile ever present.

They both knew the time they now have together was short. To spend these last moments like this -

“... Would you mind staying for a few more moments?” Emet-Selch's words surprised Luxu quite a bit, but they nodded regardless. “Maybe you can tell me about your home one last time.”

With a chuckle Luxu joined his side, both of them drawing their gaze into the distance.

[chrysalispen]

Prompt #8 - Concession

"Emet-Selch," she said.

He didn't register surprise, or turn around at the sound of his name, not that Aurelia had expected him to do so: he was looking up at the sky very intently, arms folded across his chest. He was still wearing that ridiculous ceremonial coat, completely ill-suited to the warm and humid climate of the Greatwood, and she had to wonder how he put up with it. Unless despite his insistence to the contrary, he was merely taking this form to amuse himself.

She said none of this, simply coming up alongside him to stare up at the stars. As it had been in Il Mheg and in Lakeland, she felt a certain euphoria in seeing it, in watching the stunned joy in the faces of the people to behold a sight no one in this land had seen in a hundred of their years. It made her current discomfort worth it, the faint sense of nausea and the initial pain that had lanced through her chest mostly memories.

"So this is what the people here call the sunless sea." 

Emet-Selch said nothing, though she felt his gaze drift away from the sky to fall upon her at last. As if she had not noticed his silence, she hummed softly to herself, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the cool night air before she continued. 

"I learned to read the stars the way the Sharlayans do, a bit. But it's... different here. There's a reverence that's almost worshipful. It reminds me of-"

"Surely you did not seek me out to make small talk, hero."

Aurelia could hear the sneering undercurrent in his voice and thought at first he meant to take his leave as he had the first time they'd encountered the Night's Blessed, perhaps with one of his flippant and derisive little waves. Did he truly not wish to interact with her, or the others, she knew Emet-Selch could have hidden himself away as long as he desired-- he'd already done it countless times.

"No," she said.

"And yet here you are, chattering away inanely. Cooperation does not make me your friend nor your confidante." The slouching man paused, then shook his head. "...But I suppose just this once I shall humor you. Yes. You like the stars. Watched them as a girl, or wished upon them, or something of the like, I suppose?"

"Wishing upon a star would avail me nothing, unless I'd a convenient pile of crystals nearby-"

"Such cynicism! Ah, but you are a daughter of Garlemald, after all. I forget myself."

Aurelia rolled her eyes.

"What I meant to say, if you would let me continue, is that I've always found a comfort of sorts in the night." She curled her hands in the material of the long skirt she currently wore, her eyes seeking out the familiar patterns of constellations in this alien world. "It... strips away pretense. Everything and everyone are equal in the darkness, all considered. I suppose that is why it's so closely associated with chaos in this world."

"...Mm. An unusually insightful sentiment, and one even I can appreciate, at that. Will wonders never cease." Emet-Selch tilted his chin towards her just enough to catch the sheen of one golden eye, reflected torchlight flickering in its depths. "Though it is not one I would have expected from a woman who bears the so-called 'Blessing of Light'."

The stiffness in his body had not lessened a whit, despite the droll and relaxed cadence of his voice.

"You're right. I didn't come here for small talk."

"You don't say," the Ascian drawled.

"I came to apologize to you."

"Oh? Did my earlier gesture finally convince you of my intentions?"

"Of course not," she said. "Perhaps I lack the breadth of your knowledge but I am not a fool, for all you appear to believe otherwise."

"Still my adversary, then. I should expect no less." Her words seemed to have broken their silent impasse. Emet-Selch's smile, as usual, never quite reached the murky depths of his eyes. "You are laughably predictable in some ways, Warrior of Light - or perhaps I should say 'Darkness'. Predictable, and noble. And terribly dull."

"I am not come to the First to provide you entertainment, Emet-Selch, so do not mistake my words or actions as an attempt to impress you." Aurelia was careful to keep her voice measured and even. "But given our... arrangement, the very least you should be able to expect from me and the others, despite our ideological differences is some small measure of civility."

"...Well?" he asked, when she paused in trying to find her words. "Go on, hero."

"What you did for Y'shtola made me realize that I have been unfair to you. I'm sorry."

His smile faded, replaced by that strange expression once more, the one she could never quite read.

"Apology accepted. Though I trust you will at least believe what I told you."

"I do."

She thought about the pictographs on the cave walls, the wrenching sensation in her heart when she had beheld the image of a burning city she knew she had never seen. She recalled the forlorn look on the man's face as he explained the images to them - the death of a civilization, the loss of his god, the loss of his world - and thought maybe she understood him a little better.

Then again, maybe not. Loss and grief had eaten their own holes in her heart over the years, but they had never been so black or so deep that she could consider the path he walked.

"Emet?"

"Hm?"

"When you look at me, what is it that you keep seeking?"

There was such a long and awkward silence that she finally glanced away from her study of the stars to look at him, wondering if he'd found the question impertinent--only to discover that she had instead caught him by surprise. His eyes were very wide and very startled, black brows knitted in open consternation, mouth slightly slack.

"Every time you look at me, if you're not telling me what a fool I am, you always seem like you're looking for something." She hesitated. "I thought at first it was physical attraction, but then I remembered that you're an Ascian, so obviously-"

"Obviously I wouldn't harbor interest of a more prurient sort? What an odd assumption."

"What?"

This time it was his turn to roll his eyes, complete with a long-suffering sigh.

"I am endlessly amazed by this long list of things you believe we supposedly do not do. Eating, sleeping, feeling. Making friends. Making love. Do you do those things?"

"What?" Despite herself, she felt her cheeks flush scarlet at the Ascian's candor. "Of course I do. Why w-"

"Then there is your answer," he scoffed. "Do you truly think that we spend our every waking moment lurking in the shadows, menacing the smallfolk and whispering lies into kings' ears? Complete with ridiculously overwrought ominous laughter? Perhaps paired with an evil monologue or three?"

"Wh- I shall have you know that Lahabrea did every single one of those things. In most cases, he did several of them all at once."

To Aurelia's surprise, rather than bristle, Emet-Selch laughed. He laughed.

It was a soft, bright sound that was actually quite... lovely?

"...Let the record show I stand corrected." 

His arms swept open in the grandiose shrug to which they'd all become accustomed with time and cautious familiarity. This time, however, there was something almost mirthful in his smile: as though he wanted to laugh, but had thought better of it.