“But she killed the Dark Queen.”
“Yeah, she’s tougher than us.”
“That is true,” the first said looking down in thought. “But still, I want to do everything I can to help her and keep her safe. She’s special to me. I’m not going to let anyone get by me again, I won’t. This time I’m prepared for anyone to come here, nobody will suspect I’m hiding in this hole while invisible. They’ll never see me coming.”
“She has a point there,” the first mentioned glancing up curiously.
“Yeah, they’ll never suspect we’re both hiding in holes and invisible in them. That could work.”
The two desuwraiths quickly started digging out holes with all their hands next to their sister, with patrolling ant girls glancing to them confusedly while those stationed at the entrance slowly shook their heads at the sight.
“Girls,” Nuci sighed as she watched the two monsters burrowing down into narrow holes at a quickened pace. “That’s not necessary. You don’t need to hide down there or at all for that matter. Nobody is going to be coming down here now.”
“We are helping!” the three desuwraiths cheered. Nuci shook her head at seeing the girls burying themselves then looked down to where Aeon rested at the base of her blossom. The chronofly had flowers and colorful fauna cradling her body and wings while vines with purple roses gently held onto her legs and waist. Across her chest and covering the spot where she had been pierced through were colorful bouquets of flowers that had a small radiance to them. Nuci knelt down in her flower and gently brushed Aeon’s hair, a remorseful sigh coming from the alurane as she held back her tears from seeing the woman in this state.
“I’m so sorry, Aeon,” she faintly spoke. “This isn’t how I wanted it to end. I hope you can forgive me. I hope wherever you are now you can remember, you can remember why I… why we… oh, Aeon.”
Everything fell silent around the alurane, with the woman pausing for a moment before sensing something was off. Not a sound was being made. No distant rumbles or explosions from the ant girls and their digging, no marching boots from the patrolling guards, no chatter from the desuwraith sisters, not a single sound was heard in the air. Slowly Nuci turned her eyes and looked around, a curious expression coming over her before being replaced with absolute fright. She saw the ant girls in the cave remaining still as stone. She saw rocks and dirt that was tossed into the air over the desuwraiths remaining suspended in midair. She saw everyone and everything in the cavern having frozen completely. Fearing what she already knew to be true she slowly looked back down, a nervous tremble and shaky whine being made as she saw the bedding of flowers and vines having no chronofly lying atop them now.
“It can’t be…” Nuci breathed out. Standing upright on her flower she gulped before slowly turning her head, her eyes widening at seeing the Dark Queen standing behind her with glaring, glowing green eyes fixated on her. The chronofly’s wings slowly fluttered, causing wavy distortions to ripple away in the air, while her piercing gaze remained locked on the terrified alurane’s.
“Aeon,” Nuci quietly said above a whisper. “You’re… alive.”
“Did you think I could be slain so easily?” Aeon asked. “Did you forget who I am? Did you forget what I am?”
Slowly the Dark Queen walked around the alurane, watching with a cold glare as Nuci tried her best to calm her breathing and not shake in fear.
“Aeon, I-” Nuci started to say before the chronofly gently reached out and held her jaw, silencing the guardian who felt a very cold chill run down her spine.
“You tried to kill me,” Aeon scolded shaking her head. “I will admit I didn’t see that coming. I was very surprised that you of all people would have the audacity to attempt murdering me. I suppose I should commend you on your bravery. You certainly acted as a proper guardian and chose to fight instead of shrinking away into your flowers. I honestly didn’t think you had it in you.”
“I’m sorry,” Nuci whimpered.
“I know you are,” Aeon said while cocking her head slightly. “I heard you crying all night. Pleading for forgiveness to the one you tried to kill.”
“How… how are you alive again?”
“I never died,” Aeon scoffed. “You idiot. You really did forget, didn’t you? I control time.”
“I destroyed your heart,” Nuci said looking to the chronofly’s chest, seeing not a scratch on her now. “I pierced you myself. I don’t understand-”
“Time!” Aeon shouted. “Time, you fool! I control time itself! Do you really think I would let my own time expire? I can stop time for anyone, for anything! That includes myself and any injuries you or anyone could possibly inflict me with!”
Nuci stared at her with wide eyes as the chronofly stepped closer, the Dark Queen’s hands holding onto the alurane’s cheeks before slowly running down along her body to her hips.
“All I had to do was stop time for myself. My body’s life may have become frozen in time but my soul did not. To you pitiful creatures it wouldn’t appear any different than being a corpse I’m sure, but I assure you I never stopped living for a single moment. I’ve been wide awake, examining the timestream and the changes that have been happening in it, seeing the pieces on the board being placed into new positions, and deliberating what to do with all this disorder in my world as the rightful queen over you all.”
“You stopped time for yourself?” Nuci slowly asked.
“After you pierced my heart I stopped the injury from becoming fatal,” Aeon explained. “It was just a matter of reversing your pitiful attack’s damage at a moment of my choosing. I spent the night carefully examining the timestream, seeing what paths were being made and which may be crossed, which would be most beneficial for me and my upcoming reign over this world, and also contemplating what do with those who defied me. Such as yourself.”
“You… but I…”
“And I heard everything you cried into my ear last night,” Aeon solemnly continued. “Every single word. Every single prayer. All the words you spoke in mourning for me. Words that you wished for your poor mother to hear. Words that she heard very clearly while lying at your feet.”
Nuci fell silent as the chronofly moved closer and hugged her, a stunned expression remaining on the alurane’s face as the Dark Queen then spoke softly to her with a gentle demeanor coming over her.
“I’ve never forgotten,” she said, with Nuci gasping quietly. “Never. I know how far back you and I go. I always knew the truth that you were unable to fully speak. I know exactly who you are, Nuciferyne. My beautiful alurane.”
“Aeon,” Nuci breathed out. She shakily held the chronofly while tears started to well up in her eyes. “You… remember me? You know who I am to you?”
“Of course I do,” Aeon promised as she held the alurane close. “I’ve always known. How could I forget?”
“Aeon,” Nuci whimpered.
“I know things have been strained between us to say the least. We’ve both said and done things that we regret. But there doesn’t need to be any animosity between us. Truth be told, I’ve missed holding you like this. I really have.”
“Aeon,” Nuci sobbed as she buried her face in the chronofly’s shoulder. Her vines around the base of her flower curled and swayed near them as the alurane broke down into tears in the arms of the Dark Queen.
“It’s okay,” Aeon cooed while gently patting Nuci’s back. “It’s going to be okay now.”
“I thought you would never remember,” Nuci cried. “I was afraid I really had lost you all these years. I had always hoped you would come back, but I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“It’s alright,” Aeon said as she closed her eyes, a remorseful smile coming across her face. “Please, no tears are needed. Please don’t cry anymore, my dear girl.”
“Aeon!” Nuci bawled into her chest. The chronofly held the alurane with a gentle smile and patted the sobbing woman’s head, the echoing cries sounding off in the cavern while everyone remained frozen
still in time around them.
“Shh,” Aeon gently hushed. “It’s alright, Nuciferyne. Everything is going to be okay. Hey, please stop that. Oh, my dear girl.”
“I love you, mother!” Nuci whined as she nuzzled her head against the chronofly’s shoulder. “I wanted to say those words to you for so long! I missed you so much! Mother!”
“Oh, Nuciferyne,” Aeon cooed while holding the alurane dearly. “It’s going to be okay. You know, I heard everything you said while crying for me last night. I even heard you calling me by my original name. You haven’t forgotten that name, have you?”
“Your original name,” Nuci whimpered with a smile slowly forming. “Yes, of course. I’ve never forgotten. I was afraid you did. I called it out to you so many times so long ago, so many times, but I thought it fell upon deaf ears. Do you remember it?”
“I remember it,” Aeon softly said. “I do. It’s so clear in my mind. Please, my dear, say that name again. Say it to me once more. Call to your mother like you did before. Would you do that for me?”
Nuci caught her breath and nodded before holding onto the chronofly with her head resting against the woman’s. Silence filled the cavern as the alurane felt a growing sense of relief and joy building within her that she feared would have never been felt again in her life.
“Veronica,” she said, the word barely carrying over her breath as she felt her soul glowing from saying the name again. The chronofly sighed softly and slowly nodded as she held the alurane close to her.
“My mother’s name is Veronica,” Nuci softly praised. After a pause Aeon gently kissed Nuci’s cheek then spoke into her ear.
“Veronica is dead.”
A loud crunch sounded out as Nuci jumped in shock, her eyes wide along with her mouth as blood started to drip out over her tongue. She felt her chest having been impaled right below her breasts, however she wasn’t sure if it was her body that was in more pain or her heart as the truth dawned upon her. Slowly she leaned back and stared in horror at seeing Aeon glaring at her with a chilling smile, the chronofly’s arm being plunged through the alurane’s body with blood running down onto the flower below them.
“Veronica is no more,” Aeon coldly spoke. “Only Aeon exists now. So please, save your foolish words for her soul. Don’t ever cry for her. Because she’s never coming back, and she’s never going to hear your voice again.”
“N… o…” Nuci faintly said before Aeon yanked her arm out, the alurane wavering for a moment before dropping back with a frozen look of heartbreak on her face. Aeon chuckled then laughed loudly, her voice filling the cavern as she watched Nuci’s eyes lose focus while she lay in a growing pool of her own blood. The chronofly laughed heartily at the sight then slowly caught her breath, her eyes looking over the fallen guardian while she waved her arm to the side and magically erased the blood that coated it. She chuckled then snapped her fingers, an echoing clack sounding out in the air before Nuci’s body lifted back off the ground to where she was a moment ago. Her body reversed from having a hole punched clear through her to returning to normal again along with a surprised gasp coming from her mouth as she came back from the dead. She quickly looked down to where her hands frantically patted her stomach and saw she was in one piece again before Aeon grabbed her wrists, the alurane then slowly and fearfully turning her gaze up to see the chronofly smiling at her while being unable to pull her hands free from her powerful grip.
“I’ve waited so long for this moment,” Aeon taunted.
“No,” Nuci whimpered while struggling to pull free.
“For so long you kept me locked away in that infernal prison.”
“I’m sorry, I had to do it.”
“You kept me sealed away, intending for me to be forgotten! To rot away in that accursed tomb from the past!”
“I didn’t want you to suffer such a fate, I swear.”
“You treated me like a child! Like you had any right to tell me what to do!”
“Veronica, please-”
“Shut up!” Aeon shouted before striking her hand through the alurane’s heart. Nuci hoarsely gasped as the chronofly glared at her with anger. “My name is Aeon! I am Aeon! Never call me by that weak name again!”
She yanked her hand out then ripped off the alurane’s head with a furious roar. With a hard swing she splattered the severed skull of the guardian onto the ground before snapping her fingers, causing time to reverse with a loud clack echoing throughout the cave. Nuci reversed in time and reformed in one piece then gasped in shock as she came to her senses before Aeon grabbed her hair with a painful grip.
“Your queen’s name is Aeon! You got that?”
“Please,” Nuci pleaded before screaming as her hair was ripped out.
“Do you understand me?” Aeon demanded as she grabbed her throat. The alurane choked and gasped in pain as blood ran down her head, the woman crying with teary eyes at seeing the cold glare Aeon was giving her.
“Please,” she coughed out.
“Do not make me repeat myself!” Aeon yelled. She grabbed and ripped the alurane’s arms off with loud snaps, with the mutilated guardian shrieking in pain while her vines and roots snapped about through the ground around her.
“Who! Is! Your! Queen?” Aeon shouted before she struck her hand into the alurane’s chest and ripped out her heart. “Say her name! Speak when I tell you to!”
Nuci faintly breathed out before dropping back dead with a thump. Aeon snapped her fingers and reversed time, watching with a furious scowl as the alurane returned back to one piece before she started screaming and shaking her head.
“Wait, please stop!”
“Answer me!” Aeon demanded as she grabbed the woman’s head. “Who is your queen? I’m going to make you say my name, you better believe I will. I’m going to make you scream it with all your might!”
“Please don’t do this!” Nuci cried out.
Aeon clutched the alurane’s throat tightly, the choking monster gripping her arms while lowering down onto her flower’s bud.
“You had the audacity to try to kill your queen! You kept her prisoner in that infernal cage for over a thousand years! You had the nerve to treat her as a child!”
“I’m sorry for what I did,” Nuci choked out. “Please, I never… wanted to hurt you. I swear.”
“But I’ve wanted to hurt you,” Aeon cursed. “So much. The world around us may have stopped but we certainly won’t be sitting still. I’m going to make you beg for mercy like you never thought possible. I’m going to make you grovel before your queen just as you should. And I’m going to take all the time I want in doing so. We have all the time in the world in our own little eternity for you to be taught your lesson.”
“I beg of you, stop,” Nuci whimpered. “Please… stop this…”
“Don’t tell me what to do! Nobody tells me what to do! Know your place, you fucking worm! Now start begging, I want to hear you plead for mercy while I crush the life out of you!”
Nuci screamed loudly as her roots struck up from the ground all around them, thrusting towards Aeon before they froze in place with a loud clack sounding off. The alurane yelled as loud as she could while summoning all her magic, blue wisps of light lifting up from the dirt under her before they too froze in place with a snap and crackle. Nuci shakily looked around at seeing all her efforts having been halted immediately then up at Aeon with fright as the chronofly merely glared at her with a dull scowl.
“You dare defy me still?”
“I… am your guardian… I… must… fulfill my… duty.”
“Save it,” Aeon said tilting her head slightly. “You’re no longer a guardian of anything. You’re nothing but a misguided weed that needs to be taught her place in this world. And as luck would have it, we have all the time we need for you to be punished for your horrible behavior and learn where you belong in life.”
The cavern filled with the sounds of Nuci shrieking in agony along with flesh being torn and bones being broken, the echoing
screams of the alurane sounding off loudly before falling silent only to then be followed by the same haunting clack being heard in the air. Aeon watched the alurane in her grip with unblinking eyes, paying no mind to the gurgled screams, blood spraying on her face, or hands that weakly batted against her arms and shoulders before always falling again. The chronofly showed a cruel smile as she murdered the guardian and reversed time, over and over again while the ground was constantly soaked with the woman’s blood before rewinding to having the alurane’s flowers blooming peacefully again atop the dirt. Time became lost to Nuci entirely as she was never allowed rest between dying again and again, the alurane being forced to watch as the chronofly ripped her apart one way then another before murdering her in every fashion possible. Her vines and roots flailed in the air while being unable to strike at the chronofly, always being locked in time if they ever attempted to touch the Dark Queen while the alurane’s magic was always frozen and dispelled before being able to take form.
“Let this be a lesson to you,” Aeon coldly said as she shoved her thumbs into the screaming alurane’s eyes. “You will bow to your queen, or you will suffer for all time.”
*****
All around the cavern everything was still and quiet. Ant girls and the desuwraith sisters remained frozen just as they were, unware that anything at all happened between the seconds they were stopped and the ones about to happen next. To them nothing was changing, time was remaining constant for them as they remained ready to progress to the next second of their timelines. However for two others in the cave time had progressed much further than a simple second, and plenty of changes had occurred in that suspended moment.
Standing in the blooming flowers and weeds that grew in a small patch in the cave Aeon was coldly smiling down at something while her wings gently fluttered behind, her head cocking one way then another as she admired her handiwork with a quiet chuckle.
“Now then. Who is your queen?”
“Aeon is my queen,” Nuci faintly spoke, the alurane slumped down on her knees atop her flower bud with her side resting against the chronofly. Her eyes stared off into space without focus while she twitched now and again as the Dark Queen gently brushed her hair.
Chronicles of Eden - Act XI Page 46
