...yet our proud smiles and triumphant glares shining...

~

Lying in the water in the middle of this vast and empty space that, for all I know, is what you see when you die, I was beginning to feel hazy.

My thoughts felt... incomplete. Remembering the death of every friend and friendship I had smashed any hope or will I had left in me to get up.

But here was uncomfortable. I mean, my clothes were all soaked through and I was laying down half-covered in water.

One of my eyes could see a reflection of my tired husk of a face in the barely-rippling water. I could also see a little bit of red begin to creep out from around me. Even here I wasn't safe from the clutches of death.

Yeah that's right. I'm dying. Almost forgot about that one.

Nobody was here talking to me. It was just my thoughts and my screeching ears.

I'm not sure if this is just what the body does when you're dying but... I felt strangely calm. Unnervingly calm.

The red in the water grew greater in size and deeper in color. I really didn't feel too bad about all of this.

If you think about it, I was supposed to he dead a long time ago. Both as Vincent and as Lydia. Then again when the castle was attacked.

I think the inevitable has been delayed long enough. Don't you?

I mean who am I to keep Death waiting? The guy is on a schedule. I'm just thankful that I'm not in pain.

I scooted a little and moved my elbow under my hip to prop up my back some, and immediately exhaled in relief.

Who knew death was this... comfortable.

I'm happy that I'll finally get to see Myu and Ayami and Lockwood and my dad and Gabriel again. I started thinking about all the cool stories I would tell my dad especially.

Hystial. I could finally see him too.

Just as I was beginning to drift off to a sleep I planned to not wake from, an incessant rippling in the water began, stopping me from being able to wake up.

When I lifted my head to see what it was, it was like reality had switched back to normal in the blink of an eye.

I remembered Myu was here before I went on a trip in my own mind. That wasn't the case now.

The rippling in the water was coming from beside me. There wasn't any water here anymore, and I couldn't see anything at all in this pitch black cave.

But I could definitely hear it. There was a loud, woody rattle, like someone was picking up a box and shaking it against the floor.

Whatever in this dreaded place could be so rude that I can't even die in some peace and fucking quiet?!

I wanted to smash whatever it was that was making the racket right next to me but I didn't have that kind of strength on a good day, let alone with a hole in my chest.

"Gkkkkk," I strained as I lifted my body slowly with my hands.

I took a deep, raspy breath and whisper counted myself down from three.

"3"

"2"

"1"

I whipped one of my hands over to the area that the noise was coming from and gripped something, but immediately lost balance and toppled over on top of my shoulder with my arm wrapped behind me, which meant I needed to turn over again.

"GAAHHHHH!!" I screamed out as any sort of clotting or remote attempt to repair the irreparable damage done to me was torn apart by my stupidity.

Well, it hurt like hell, but I guess this painfully long death will go a little quicker and hopefully in peace for once.

Now for the source of the noise...

The pain, before like someone placed a firecracker in my stomach and watched it dance, now more of a dull and constant sting, had subsided enough that I felt at what I'd grabbed. A box.

I undid the little metal clip that kept it held together, while the box continued to shake in my hands like something was inside it.

The instant that the box was unlatched, it burst open and I had to immediately close my eyes. Something bright flew out of it.

I slowly opened my eyes and let them adjust to see what looked like a ridiculously bright ball of flame. It moved around my head rather quickly as if by magic.

Once my eyes really adjusted to the bright figure against the total darkness of the cave, I noticed that it had wings.

So... a flying ball of fire.

In a box.

Wait a minute! The box that the twins gave me!

The creature came closer to me, and I realized it looked like a bird, only one made of fire. It looked young and somewhat cute, but mostly like a fierce anomaly of nature.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Wait wouldn't that make it a phoenix??

I gasped in realization, which I then of course immediately regretted and tensed my abs from the stinging..... which then made it worse.

The twins gave me a phoenix. What am I supposed to do with this thing?

It flew over to me and sat atop my shoulder. I expected it to burn me, so too did I expect the literal drops of flame it emitted to do the same, but I seemed to be unaffected.

The bird's flames reminded me of the spell Lasory taught me, how its mystic flames would wrap around my hands and seemingly ooze off.

Though this creature had a more wild, vibrant, deep orange flame.

It looked at me and made a sort of screeching noise, then looked out beyond me and flew up, then back and forth as if trying to signal something to me. It continued to screech louder and louder. Quite frankly the sound was annoying. I guess the universe just really refuses to give me not 10 seconds of total silence.

Its screeching and midair thrashing grew more and more violent. It was like the bird was trying to communicate, but there's no way in hell I could know what it was saying.

"Shut up!" I aggressively grunted at the flaming creature.

Its annoying, pertinent, ear-wrenching screeches grew only louder. At this point I stood and grabbed the bird by the beak, which it definitely did not appreciate, though of course, nor did the hellfire in my stomach that had just calmed down.

"SHUT IT!" I shouted with everything I had in me. "Before I take my own damn guts out of me and finish the job myself."

The phoenix clawed at my hand, drawing blood, and I threw it away in anger. It glared at me and let out a long, deafening scream. As it did, I heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Get out of here!"

I don't know who said it or what it meant... I'm kind of at the bottom of a cave and I don't know what route I took in which means I have no idea how to get out of it.

Of course the phoenix didn't stop its cries, and I wondered if it was it whose voice I'd heard in my head.

Tch. It's not like I have to worry about something coming to kill me.

It sounded like the same voice was trying to break through to my thoughts again as the phoenix grew to near deafening levels of volume.

"...your soul!"

I was too tired to have a grasp on what was happening. All I know is it's way... way too loud.

So I decided to do what this voice said. I put the box back in my pocket, and wrapped my arm around my drenched stomach, presumably in blood, which had soaked through the coat Sage got me.

The phoenix flew off and screeched in the distance. I saw it as my escape from a wild, volatile, and extremely irritating creature, and began to shuffle along.

My progress was slow and not very successful considering I had no light after the noisy fireball left and I kept running into walls. Try stubbing your toe: wounded and at death's door edition.

My blood was audibly dripping on the stone floor, and sometimes in scarily large amounts, like someone threw a fist full or even a cup full of water at the floor.

I knew I was getting hazier and hazier and didn't have long left. I don't know how I've made it this far. My Scar was quite literally burning into my face, but that burning was hardly a slap on the wrist compared to everything else.

My balance was getting weak, and I was hobbling at this point, feeling kind of like when you take a morning shower with a few winks of sleep to the night and you're passing out standing up.

The screeching had faded off into the distance, and I wasn't sure how far I'd make it. I just get the sense that whatever the phoenix was so worked up over was bigger than a matter of death. But I always liked a good walk to clear my head so... I don't mind that being how I go out.

I could tell that the elevation was changing some. A little bit of ups and downs, plenty of turns, and then a decent stretch down. Perhaps that would be enough to confuse and lose that wretched flaming rape whistle. But of course I don't have that kind of luck.

Some time later, I heard the sound of flapping wings, and dreaded the return of that loud bird. I love you Dasmo and Defor, but I don't think this was a funny joke by any stretch of the imagination.

The bird had stopped its screeching, and seemed a little brighter than before. It landed on my shoulder, making almost a coo or purr noise, as though it were trying to apologize.

I chuckled a little, but didn't have the energy to really care at this point. It wasn't screeching like a maniac anymore. That's all that mattered to me.

The phoenix's light was helpful for sure. Now I can rest knowing my shins and toes won't be stolen by the rocks. In all seriousness, I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going.

At some point, I found something that seemed man made, though old and small. It had a stone door with fancy patterns and shapes all over it, which took some effort to open, to say the least.

Of course, I only opened it because the potato-brained bird started to stir and gnaw at the door as though I were supposed to go in it, and made a noise in its throat signaling that it would have no problems with throwing another tantrum. I thought phoenixes were supposed to be all fierce and brave.

I'd like to plead my objections as loudly as possible.

Inside, a large rectangular object sat raised from the ground with highly intricate calligraphy and designs wrapped all around its surface. Dim candles glowing purple hung from the ceiling, and didn't seem to drip any wax from them.

This was a tomb for someone very, very important. Or just a really pretty trap.

I didn't dare open the coffin, which had equally fancy chests and bags and other items strewn around it. Judging by the dust on the floor, I just may be the only person to have ever entered this place.

Oh well.

By now, my time and energy was spent ten times over, and I probably owe someone a hefty debt for it. I've made it this far by sheer luck, now if I could please ask the universe to just grant me one wish: one minute of peace and quiet. That's all I need.

I very slowly and gently slumped up against the wall at the edge of the room and exhaled. Every muscle in my body felt like I was fresh out of leg day. The slightest movements were difficult and accompanied by rough soreness.

The deep purple of the candles was soothing. Its flickering was very minimal, compared to a common desk candle in a drafty room - an epileptic's nightmare on the worst of days.

I rested my eyes some and took very slow, deep breaths, like I'd been out all day and I finally got to lay down in bed and shed off all of the day's events.

Some might think I'm too nonchalant about dying. In reality, I've already cheated death three times, and for someone with my past, those are three major let-downs.

Or perhaps it's that I'm in too much pain to focus on the thought of dying. I'm not scared of it. Whatever awaits me beyond mortality isn't too concerning to me. Best-case-scenario, heaven really is a thing, and my life has just been one long, sick, twisted joke by God, and I'll finally get to breathe and spend an eternity with the people I care about.

But it's like I always have to tell myself. I'm not that lucky.

The phoenix made a sort of coo as it perched atop my finger, which was rested on my knee. It cocked its head at me as I struggled to keep my eyes open or form much of a thought anymore.

There was a wetness on my cheek. A tear. Mine.

I'm scared.

I'm all alone.

I don't want to die alone.

As much as I could in my faded state, I felt a bit of panic. I'm at the bottom of a cave, far away from even a notion of humanity, soon to draw my final breath.

It's terrifying.

That all of it is going to end.

The bird tried to brush at my hand, and I raised it a little, petting the thankfully-not-hot creature, whose warmth and presence was comforting enough. I chuckled a little inside.

You're forgiven.

My eyes closed for good this time.

I guess I am that lucky. A minute of peace and quiet.

It's hard to fall asleep. There's no way to say goodbye. Nobody to say goodbye to. I can't write a note or record a message or something.

I know...

I can just...

Count sheep... like I used to on Sundays.

"One sheep..." I said in my head.

"Two sheep..."

That one looks soft.

"Three... sheep..."

"..."

"Four..."

"..."

"Sheep..."

"..."

"..."

.

"f...."

...

"Five," a deep voice startled me from my drift into the best sleep I've ever felt.

Wait, another voice.

"Let's make a deal," the heavily echoing voice said.

Motherf-