Her heart is beating wildly in her chest, her blood pumping through her veins that has been laced with adrenaline and something else, something she cannot place. She feels alive and she feels so very free. It had been weeks since her discussion with Metaphor in the stillness of winter. Weeks that she had mauled over what to say to Isra, how to ask her for permission to bless a union that she was raised to believe was forbidden. Warriors were meant to fight, not to love or raise families. It had been a thought that was so hard not to live by when her heart was tugging her into a whole other direction. Perhaps she was not the warrior she thought she was going to be.
She arrives at the creek and sets about making the moment perfect. She had not told Metaphor that she was going. She had Finnick wait until she was out of Denocte to tell him to join her. It would give her these last few moments of peace to ensure that everything was so perfect. To open herself up in this way for Metaphor was something that had taken her a considerable amount of thought, but in the end she knew that her heart was right this one time. Metaphor deserved all of her love. So many things had happened between the two of them, so many lost moments. This would not be one of those time, this would be one of those moments that she would cherish for a lifetime.
A fire crackled lightly in a dusk sky, the fire flickering towards the heavens as it burned through logs placed expertly. Eyes looked over the beauty of the creek and the way the moving water trickled swiftly over stones covered in moss. She had picked this spot, a spot decorated in flowers and lightning bugs. As spring had blossomed, bringing new hope to Denocte, with it had finally come the desire to have a family with Metaphor. The timing was not perfect, but it was perfect for them.
Finnick had been instructed to stay home, the bird not needing to be privy to such an intimate moment between two lovers. He had seen the way the two loved each other so fiercely, but the moment their loved turned into something much more was for their eyes only. And so, she waited almost impatiently as she stood next to the fire, her eyes waiting to rest on the sorrel as he came to her. Her heart was still racing, despite her body being so very still. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, a feeling that made her nauseous. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
And when she saw him appear through the early dusk fog, her lips curled into a smile. She waited for him to come to her. Feet danced in place, a mixture of nerves and excitement that she could not contain. And when he joined her, she stepped towards him and brushed her nose against his nape. “I have missed you.” Her breath was hot against his skin as she breathed in his natural cologne that made her crazy for him. She had been preoccupied lately planning revenge with Isra. But this moment was for them. All thoughts of war and revenge were pushed aside. This moment was for something far greater.
Her message had found its way to him on a dark morning, one where he’d woken alone and his nose had stung with the scent of fire on the wind. So much had happened lately, and as he rolled from the bed that they shared, he saw Finnick waiting for him with a message to meet his love far from here, in the place where lovers met. A momentary sense of fear that he’d woken with faded, replaced with something that bloomed warm in his chest as a slow smile spread across his face. It would seem she had made her decision.
He was pleased that she was wanting to try again, to be a mother and to raise a family. This time, it would be different. This time, she would have all the emotion that a mother should feel toward her child, because this time the child would be borne from love. He too was emotional at the thought, blinking away a tear as he imagined the look of a child – half Katniss, half him. The wonder and deep love he felt for his partner was enough to press forward from the Night Court, racing as fast as he could manage toward her beckoning call to the lover’s creek.
Breathlessly, he found his way toward her, shifting aside filigree leaves which draped from weeping trees. Along the sapphire banks of the peacefully gurgling brook, he found his lover. She stood waiting for him, her eyes bright with promise and the air around them thick with the scent of budding blossoms. Dusky light clung to her every curve, and as he steps toward her, blinking softly as his chocolate eyes roamed every inch of her.
As I have missed you he responds, meeting her touch with a gentle brush of his lips against her neck. As they stood alone along the water’s edge, night began to fall around them, blanketing them both with indigo hues. His lips travel from her neck to her withers, resting there for a moment before massaging and tangling in her mane, drawing in the scent of her and willing himself to memorize every detail of their encounter. Every detail, which he knew she had painstakingly organized for this to be a perfect moment of union.
It is beautiful here… almost as beautiful as you. His voice is little more than a whisper against his ear as a shiver of anticipation washes over him, and he waits for her to allow him to explore further.
She meets his embrace and she can feel that her body instantly relaxes against him. She presses herself closer to him, as if she could wedge her body even more tightly against his own. She relishes the tender caresses that he places along her nape and withers, enjoying the way his touch made her heart flutter deep within her chest. It is a moment that she wants to relish, even if she knows what will come next will only last but a moment.
His compliment brings the smile brighter against her face, enjoying the compliment. She had never been one to enjoy such words from others, finding such things mostly unnecessary. But since first meeting Metaphor, she cannot help but want more from him. She found that she enjoyed the compliments, the stolen caresses, and his constant companionship.
Since their discussion in the dead of winter, Katniss had thought a lot about what she saw for her future with Metaphor. She was entrapped in war games, her heart battling so hard with her mind. She needed to fight for Denocte, to avenge all those who had caused Denocte so much pain. But in the same breath, she could not deny the love she felt for Metaphor. Having grown up thinking that love was weakness and was something to be suppressed, she had grown so much. She now happily admitted that she loved the sorrel stallion and she wanted a future with him.
Perhaps the two of them would have had a family much sooner, but Katniss had always been weary of children, unsure of what to do. She had no maternal instincts and she had been a poor mother when she had been given the opportunity. It had been a mistake and her daughters had suffered so much for that. But in this moment, she had confidence that Metaphor would not leave her like her last lover. She was confident in his knowledge that she would be a great mother. Time had helped her mature and no longer was she a naïve three year old. She was a mature woman. But she was still scared. She did not have those maternal instincts that she had seen so many have. Perhaps it came with motherhood and would come when she met her child for the first time. It was still so scary.
Her mind is a flurry of thoughts and reservations, of hopes, and of promises. She had to trust in what she had with Metaphor. Now was their time. She had planned this evening so perfectly and it would be a shame to let it go to waste. Hormones were a funny thing, easing the mind into trusting the unknown. She took a deep breath, trying to relax her nerves and just enjoy this moment with Metaphor. “I have done quite a bit of thinking…” Her voice fades softly as she searches for the right words. Now the pressure was on and she could not ruin this beautiful moment. “I want to see you as a father, Metaphor. You will be such a perfect father…” Lips lipped nervously at his mane, trying so hard to find the perfect words. “…I want to trust that I will be a better mother, that my love for you will prevent history from repeating itself.” Her tone is nervous, portraying the nerves that she felt in every inch of her body. And yet, she wanted him to know that despite her nerves, she trusted what they had together.
She steps forward, her body brushing alongside his own, touching each inch of his skin as she turns around at his rump, traveling back up his body. Neck arches into his own, the comfort she draws from him is instantaneous. She turns her body so she can face him, eye to eye. She wants him to see that she trusts him unconditionally. “I want to give you the world.” Head dips low so her forehead could press to his own. Eyes flutter closed and she takes a moment to just enjoy this soft moment of peace.
She gives herself helplessly to him, and he can do little more than to offer her the same in kind. As her words reach his ears, an overwhelming sense of burden is lifted from him – as if all the stresses of the past few months and the impending call of war were simply gone. In their place is only her, warm and alive beneath his touch. Here, they could be in this paradise built only for them, away from all prying eyes and mantles of responsibility. Here, they could be simply a man and his lover, lost to each other in the dying strains of daylight.
He wanted the moment to last forever, gently touching his own forehead against hers as chills dance up his spine. The gift of fatherhood was more than he could ever have asked… and as much as she wouldn’t admit it, he knew the gift was for her as well. In motherhood, she would come into her own. Even if she didn’t feel ready yet, he knew she was. He knew she would rise to it and fiercely love and protect the life they brought into the world together. It was more in her nature than she realized… but he saw it.
He saw it in the passion she brought to her duties at the Night Court and at Elysian before that. Though she’d been through more than she ever should have to, he knew Katniss to be a resilient creature and one who would rise to any challenge presented. You honor me, Katniss… but it is not I who will prevent history from repeating itself… it’s you. You’re ready – we’re both ready. And this child will love you as unconditionally as I… our story will be complete, the circle round again.
Perhaps their timing wasn’t perfect, with all the chaos in the world… but yes, it would be perfect for them. They would see to it that the child grew in love and duty to the Night Court. So many thoughts pierced through his moment of peace, but he gently pushed them away to focus on the present – to focus on her. His eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her, memorizing every curve as he drank in the scent of her, wanting to remember this moment forever.
As she stood beneath his touch, Metaphor allowed his lips to roam over the ridges in her face, hovering at the corners of her closed eyes, trailing upward to the curve of her ears. He nibbles down her neck, tousling her mane with his breath, and onward down her spine. As she shivers in anticipation, he can do little more than give in to her desires. You are my world. His ragged whisper is the only sound to break through the hum of night creatures as he smiles softly against the warmth of her, anticipation building as he waits for her to open to his touch.
Despite all that had happened, despite all they had been through as a court and as a couple, Katniss knows that Metaphor will always be with her. She knows that she will always feel his presence, even when he is not close. She will always smell him in the home they had made together. She will always desire what he desires. It is love that brought the two of them together and it would be love that would see them through anything.
Even if she was not confident in her skills as mother or a lover, she cannot help but trust that Metaphor would be right by her side, walking this road with her. He would not leave her, he would not forsake her. He would be there with her through thick and thin. He would guide her down this new path, walking with her hand and hand, leading her towards redemption.
His words seemed to ground her, to make her feel alive in this moment. She needs to feel his touch so closely, to tell her that it will all be okay. “I trust you.” She might not feel completely ready, but she had to trust that Metaphor would not leave her. She had to trust that what she felt towards him was real and that their love made her ready. It made her able to take on the world and the scary things that dwelled within it. With him, anything was possible.
She can feel the way his lips travel over her face, her neck, her back. She can feel the twitch of her skin beneath his touch and his hot breath. She can even feel the heat from the fire, setting her heart ablaze for him. And when he tells her that she is his world, she cannot help the smile that creeps onto her lips, the flutter of her hear as it beats a little faster, or the butterflies that seem to dance in her stomach. “As you are mine.” And it was in this moment that she gave herself completely to him, opening up her heart, her soul, her mind, and her body for him. And for the first time in a long time, she does not regret any of it.
[time passes]
As she lay curled up next to her lover alongside the fire, she leans her weight against him. Her body is relaxed, her mind clear. For the first time in a long time, she is utterly content. The only thing that worries her is the fact that she does not feel what she had with her first pregnancy. She does not feel the sudden swelling of her abdomen, the sudden kicking of the foal growing within her. She does not let him know that she is worried that their union has not taken, that despite all that she had said to him, she could not give him the gift of fatherhood. It does not occur to her that perhaps her first pregnancy had been a fluke, nothing short of magic and that this pregnancy might take a more natural course. She tries not to let it bother her, she only leans into him for comfort. “Come, let’s go home.” Even in the stillness of this moment, Katniss knows that she cannot stay here forever. She knows that she must return home to her court, to Isra, to Finnick. While she might want to stay in this moment forever and relive it over and over again, she knows that she must go back to reality. At least she will still have her lover with her along the journey.
He wants to stay here forever, entwined in his lover and completely at peace beside the creek. In the moonlight, she glows with an ethereal perfection, and his love for her seems only stronger as he watches her quiet movements in the night. Her breathing is slow and steady beside him, the scent of sweat on her skin a quiet reminder of their lovemaking, and his smile is gentle as he presses a hint of a kiss against her. Neither one speaks for the longest time, prolonging the inevitable return to reality. I love you. he whispers at long last, his words holding a promise and a truth, a dedication to be hers forever.
At her suggestion that they return, he groans quietly, laughing into the curve of her neck as they both drag their feet for a few minutes longer… but he knows she is right. Leaning close to press his forehead against the swell of her belly, he whispers a silent prayer to Caligo for the safety and health of their unborn child, knowing that the miracle of life was starting within her with an instinct he couldn’t explain. There is a peace that washes over him, knowing that whatever the future might hold, they were ready to face it together… but at the same time there is something else that pulls at him.
It is a sense of dread, remote but quietly nagging in his mind. A sense that something dark was coming. While he didn’t claim to have any sort of premonition in such things, it is a feeling he cannot seem to shake as he nods to Katniss and rises slowly to his feet. I suppose you’re right… best to get home. Home. He let the feeling of home push away the darkness that tangled in his mind as he falls into an easy pace beside her, turning toward the Night Court and leading the way in the darkness.
Stardust lights their path as the lovers depart this place of peace and desire. All around them, the world is still and reverent, no sound filling the easy silence between them as they journey onward, each thinking of the encounter which would be a stolen memory between them forever. He watches her quietly, turning to look at his lover as they walked, a smile crossing his face as he drifts a bit further from her, eager to get a better look at the way she wore the moonlight like a bride might wear a veil.
As he strays from her, time seems to stand still for the briefest of moments, each heartbeat amplified as the peace of their night is shattered in an instant. Metaphor steps confidently in the underbrush, his hoof landing on something foreign, snapping the device with a quiet click, and before he has a moment to react, he is thrown in a powerful explosion far from Katniss.
The world is dark and immediately acrid, a ringing sensation filling his ears as the scent of blood clouds his senses. Metaphor blinks against the dark night, willing a dizzy feeling away as he tries to focus, opening his mouth to scream for his lover to ensure she was alright… but finding his scream to be only a whisper against the smoldering world around them. Kat… niss… He wheezes as smoke fills his lungs, adrenaline coursing through his broken body to mask the pain which only now begins setting in.
Around them, the world is alight with flames, the beautiful greenery which surrounded Amare Creek blistering with heat and angry fire. As he struggles to make sense of what happened, his chocolate eyes find Katniss, thrown to the ground not far from where he lay.
Metaphor tries to stand, tries to find his way to her side… but his body stays broken on the burning earth. Lifting his head in frustration, he gasps, finding crimson blood beginning to pool around him, stemming from a deep wound across his chest, side, and flank. It is then that the red stallion knows his hope is gone – for the healer in him knows his wounds are too severe to overcome, even as he blinks away tears of frustration and pain, a thousand memories clouding his thoughts – the greatest of these regret at their future lost. The knowledge that he would have to leave her again, more painful than he could bear to stand.
Katniss? He wills his lover to his side, praying all the while that she was alright… choking on her name as his lungs begin to fill with blood. Katniss, I’m so sorry…
Despite knowing that she needs to return home, to return to her post, she doesn’t want to leave this moment. She wants to stay curled beside him for the rest of her life, relishing in the feel of his body against her own. But she knows that she cannot stay here forever and reluctantly, she stands with him. She kicks dirt over their fire, snuffing it and readying it for the next couple that finds this spot.
She begins to lead him home, their bodies still touching. It was a perfect moment, the two of them walking side by side. She cannot help but want to feel his touch so close to her own body. She needs his touch like she needs air to breathe. She feels him hang back, his body no longer pressing firmly to her own. She looks behind her, almost ready to ask why he has strayed from her, but then she sees the smile he has and she knows he just wants to watch her. Reluctantly, she silently agrees to give him this moment to watch her walk home beneath the moonlight.
Her attention is turned back to the path ahead of her, unaware of the trap they were walking into. She sighs softly, her thoughts still reliving their evening together. But in a moment, her thoughts are taken from her as a loud explosion rings out. The sound is deafening, the heat searing. Her body is thrown forward, thrust onto the group with a force she can only dream about. And for a moment, she loses consciousness.
When she finally comes to, she coughs at the onslaught of smoke that fills her lungs. She can feel the heat from the burning forest and it seems to rouse her from her unintended sleep. When she finally comes too completely, she looks around for Metaphor. He is not immediately beside her. She stumbles to her feet, her rib broken and a large gash in her hip. She does not feel pain until she tries to walk, to search for her lover.
It doesn’t take long until she sees his limp body. She rushes forward, her leg paining her but she refuses to allow it to hold her back. Her lover is hurt far worse than she is and as she comes upon him, her eyes survey his damage. She knows the damage is far too great to heal and she is angry that her magic cannot be used to save him. But she tries anyway, tries to heal him but finds she’s only healing herself. It angers her that she can be healed and her lover cannot.
Collapsing next to him, she brings his head to rest against her chest. She has seen injuries like this in war, and she knows what is coming. She knows what is coming and she hates herself for it. “Shhhhh…it’s going to be okay.” her words are unsteady and she can feel the emotion in them, but she tries to hide her fear. She was supposed to live out her days with Metaphor. She was supposed to welcome a child with him. Now their happiness was being taken from her and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it. She was angry, upset, furious that he was being taken from her. But most importantly, she felt guilty. If she had not let him steal that moment to look at her in the moonlight, her lover might still be walking beside her. Because she let him have that moment, he was being taken from her. The gods were so cruel to give her a moment of happiness only to take it away.
She can see the blood pooling even more, covering her own body in his blood. She can feel the heat of it as it soaks into her dark coat. It’s a feeling she hates, but one she cherishes. At least she knows his suffering will end in a very short moment. His body cannot maintain such blood loss for long. And while she waits for him drift off into his forever sleep, she wraps him into a lover’s embrace.
He knew the end was near… but the fool in him tries to hold on, pulling himself from the brink of death to watch her as she came to him like an angel of salvation. His breathing is labored now as he offers her a weak and sheepish smile, fighting through the pain even as his eyes give it away. They find hers and hold, and he sighs deeply, knowing the agony and concern in her own eyes would be the last thing he would ever see… broken in knowing the pain she would go through now, alone.
Shhhhh…it’s going to be okay. Her reassurance stills him for the briefest of moments as he leans his head against her chest, smearing his blood against the dark hue of her coat as he listens for the beat of her heart to comfort him. As the two lay together on the broken ground, Maeemo’s protection orb hovers beside them, the light flickering for the first time, as if it knows the end is near… but it is a light which brings him some comfort as the memories of his life play before his eyes, and he smiles… for his life had been a full one, brimming with happy moments, and culminating in this final embrace with his lover – the last he’d ever know.
Stay strong. he whispers to her, wanting to take away the sting of his loss even when he knows it is a hopeless thing. I love you… I love you both… he glances once more toward her belly, the one which would swell with life in the months to come – a life he would never come to know – his greatest regret. Tell our child of my love… be sure they know how much they’re wanted… and as he wheezed his last breath, stardust reached through the smoke to blanket them both as Maaemo’s light blinked to darkness and Metaphor’s eyes closed for the last time.
Stay strong… His words are hard for her to hear, knowing that nothing about this moment will allow her to be strong. In this moment, she is anything but strong. She is broken, beaten, and weak. She holds onto her lover, watching as his breathing is coming in short, staggered breaths. She hates seeing him like this and she wishes there were more than he could do. But her power is weak and his isn’t strong enough to heal him from this. She wants to cry out for help but she knows there is no one here to listen.
His profession of love causes her to lose the resolve she had been trying to maintain. She was trying to gather strength, but she loses it the moment he says he loves them both. “I love you more than anything.” Her words are barely above a whisper, but it’s enough for him to hear them.
She breaks down when he asks her to tell their child of his love, and that the child was most certainly wanted. Katniss doesn’t have the heart to tell him that she is unsure if the pregnancy will take. So many things could go wrong between now and then, so many things were already different from her last. But she doesn’t want to ruin his last ounce of happiness with her doubt. So she only offers him a smile and a gentle embrace.
She watches as the life slips away from him, his orb finally flickered into darkness. She is left feeling so very alone and helpless. At first his death is hard for her to accept and it takes her a long while for her to ease herself up from her position. Already his body is turning cool and as she stands, she looks down at him. As if something exploded inside of her, she screams something straight out of a horror film. It’s long and comes from deep within her soul. It’s filled with anguish and anger, and all the love she has for him.
And when she finally is out of air, silence fills the area. The only noise is the flickering of the fire that still burns from the explosion. Using her telekinesis, she pulls together palms and weaves them into a mat finished with a reinforced strap so she might be able to pull him. She will not leave his body out here to rot. He deserves an honorable funeral. She pushes Metaphor’s body over on the mat, ensuring great care to not damage what is not already broken. And as she slips her neck through the strap, she uses all her strength to bring him home.
