Divinitas

047 - Spark of Flame

That Ignited our Forced Fate

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He had lied. The satisfied smirk lingered on Aether\'s lips as he allowed himself to slip into the warm steaming water. Well, perhaps not \'lied\' exactly. Just neglected to tell Deus he had very much planned on staying awhile before finding his overly genki sister and dragging her back to Chikyuu. After all, Genesis didn\'t have such large and overly extravagant bathrooms.

If nothing else, Aether was a sensual being. To balance out, perhaps, the fact that he couldn\'t feel on a purelytiontional basis.

The smirk turned bitter. Oh yes, his lack of emotional soundness. Being the God of Soul for an eternity tended to strip empathy from the most kind and caring of gods.

The water shifted around him, soft and warm, like a living entity enfolding him into a loving embrace. Water from one of the three waterfalls that fed the large lake-like bath sprayed a warm mist over the god, its misty fingers caressing and seductive.

The God of Soul dipped his head under the shimmering curtain of the waterfall, passing under to the hidden retreat behind it. It was perhaps the one place he truly liked within Ten. One Deus did not know of to molest him in, and a place where he could be alone to forget about the rest of eternity that awaited him.

Aether closed his eyes and submerged himself completely in the warm depths, letting his mind wander as it desired.

Something he would want enough to sell half his soul for…

When was the last time he had wanted anything aside from some trivial physical luxury like this bath? When was the last time he felt desire, had a Dream or a Wish…

An empty doll, that could feel little aside from the physical. That was what he was. One who had forgotten how to feel or want, who allowed Deus to play with him because he did not care either way.

So what could there possibly be that would entice Aether to part with half his soul? Certainly no material object. Even Deus\' suggestion that he would desire some mortal turned god from his own realm was laughable.

Still, it might be amusing to play along. After all, wasn\'t that why Aether came to Ten in the first place? To be amused?

The God of Soul resurfaced, deep amethyst eyes playing over the dark rocky ceiling of the tiny cave. His sister would come looking for him soon, if he did not go to her. Casimir seemed to enjoy poking and prodding him to return to Chikyuu if he lingered too long in Ten. It was his duty and birthright, she preached, to watch over all the souls, living and dead in Chikyuu. He should be happy and proud, to do such a thing, she would say. Aether rolled his eyes. Let her listen to the dull prattling of those souls for one day and see how enjoyable she found it.

Aether closed his eyes, letting the water support his slight weight as he leaned back into it, half floating, half submerged, the warmth lapping at his naked skin. Let Casimir find him here then. He suddenly had no intention of moving.

\"I will not die!\"

The proclamation cut through the immense bathroom, penetrating through the tinkling waterfall like a hot knife through butter. Burning light flared across the curtain of water, lighting up the tiny cavern in flashes of angry red and gold. Even the constant bubbling sounds of water tumbling into water could not hide the sounds of conflict beyond the waterfall.

A curious Aether emerged from the waterfall to witness a sheet clad dirty boy lose the said sheet and shove his attending Tenshi into the immense steaming pool. The God of Soul barely had a moment to observe the boy\'s aesthetic endowments with amusement before an unseen force slammed into his body and soul.

I will not die.

The words repeated themselves with a vengeance in Aether\'s being. Without wanting it, the God of Soul knew and understood.

This was a Child of Fire, taken from death in the womb of his realm. He was beyond hunger, beyond exhaustion. Fear and hatred and a relentless will drove him, kept his flame burning forever bright. His desperate heart and soul had made an unshakable oath without consulting his mind. He had been offered a chance to live forever here in Ten, in Heaven, and he would not die without achieving it. He would never die. He would never lose. He would fight and win the glory of Heaven. And he was not about to let these Tenshi kill him as they had the other Elemental Children before he honored his own oath.

The Tenshi who had escorted the boy thus far climbed from the heated pool calmly and with elegance as if nothing unexpected has happened. He silently regarded the glowering Child of Fire before him: body tense, the flames licking down his arms and around his fingers, desiring to be released with burning purpose.

\"I will not be the one to kill you, Child of Fire. No one of Ten will attempt such a deed now that you are the Property of Heaven. If you are to die, it will be by the hands of one of your own,\" the Tenshi said quietly, soothingly. \"Please, Child of Fire, bathe and relax here whilst you wait for your Keeper to arrive. Your Keeper will be your companion and advisor here until you die or gain your divinity.\"

The Child of Fire watched with fierce crimson eyes as the Tenshi left through the wide arched doorway, leaving a wide berth between himself and the boy. Only when the Tenshi was out of sight did the flames die from his hands and eyes.

It was clear that the boy was only staying on his feet by sheer will. His body all but wavered at the lip of the pool, threatening at any moment to topple into it.

A hand suddenly reached out of the pool and grasped the boy\'s ankle, pulling him with a powerful jerk into the water.

Great splashes of water erupted from the once calm surface as the Child of Fire embraced it violently, crying out in alarm. Malevolent waves rippled around the pool as one body fought with another beneath the surface.

\"Who the fuck are you…\" A feral growl, low and short of breath. Water dripped from darkened blood-red hair, ran in pale streaks down a charcoal stained face, molded with a wild perfection.

Cloudy amethyst studied the blood red crimson that had flared back to life the moment Aether had pulled him into the water. A human boy. A human boy had projected his desires and his emotions to his soul. He was the God of Soul. Such a thing should not have happened unless he commanded it. And now this boy with his undeniable Wish and Dream held him pinned by his throat up against the wall of the deep steaming pool.

A wicked thought presented itself to Aether, tugging his kissable lips up into a sly smile. Very well. Deus wanted to play his little games. So play he would. This boy was full of desire, full of passion, enough so to project his Wish and Dream to Aether without the God of Soul asking for them. He would certainly keep Aether amused.

\"I think I\'m offended,\" Aether answered lightly, presenting a relaxed façade to the boy standing before him, naked as he was, up to his heaving chest in hot steaming water. \"You are of Chikyuu, yet you do not know your own God?\"

The blood red crimson eyes widened with comprehension as the softly and maliciously spoken words seeped into his mind. This was the God he had prayed to his entire life. This was the God he had cursed and begged. This was the God who had remained silent. Anger flared, overwhelming the shock.

\"The God of Chikyuu. The God of Soul,\" the boy hissed harshly. \"Where the fuck were you when I screamed out for you again and again when entombed in your dirty earth?!\" His fingers dug into Aether\'s flesh, the fire flaring again, licking against the God of Soul\'s very skin.

The fire burned. Its anger and heat seared Aether\'s flesh and soul. A frown flickered across Aether\'s flawless face. How was this possible. Fire from his Divine Beast of Fire should not have hurt him. Why was it that this boy could weld it so that it could and did?

Aether\'s hand lifted, closing around the boy\'s wrist. The inner flesh of his palm sealed against the boy\'s, skin pressing against skin. It was all Aether could do not to flinch. The scream from this boy\'s soul intensified ten folds.

I will never die! I will live and never return to you or worship you again!

Subconsciously shoving away the feeling that had caused the desire to flinch, the God of Soul smirked to himself. Yes. If he was to play Deus\' little game, then it would be with this boy that he played it. He needed passion and fire in his life, so why not take the one that may very well burn him? An added bonus was most certainly his atheistic beauty which would shine brightly once someone washed away all that lingering dirt and soot.

\"I hate you,\" the boy breathed, eyes burning. \"Hate you for giving me these cursed flames. It is because of you that I can\'t even remember my own name! Because of you I\'ve been cast into this pathetic life where everyone has feared and despised me!\" His fingernails cut into Aether\'s flawless flesh, lines of red seeping out from under the boy\'s hand. The flames leapt higher, burning the God of Souls\' flesh without marking it. \"I am unwanted by everyone because of you!\"

The silence and the words should have stung. But Aether only smiled, his other hand reaching out behind the boy\'s neck and pulling him up against his body in one fluid motion, pressing cheek against cheek.

\"I\'m glad… Because I want you, Phoenix.\"

The boy\'s body flinched at the words, freezing up against Aether\'s warm naked body and letting the flames die from his fingertips. Only his heart beat wildly in his chest, raging for one long moment with a flare of desperate need and desire.

The absence of movement quickly shattered as anger and hatred flooded through him, his body suddenly rejecting the words, the contact, and most of all, the God of Soul holding him in such a mockingly intimate embrace.

Sick delight lighted Aether\'s eyes as he watched the boy shove himself away from him, falling back into the water and creating violent waves that lapped up against his chest. Perfect. The smile of Aether\'s lips widened. Perfect, how the crimson eyes stared at him. If there was anything besides absolute loathing, it was hidden too well for Aether to see without the use of his divine gift. Red eyes that accused him, rejected him. They wanted ip hip him to shreds. The God of Soul wanted to laugh. Yes, he would enjoy playing this game very, very much.

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Dark smoky blue eyes closed, smiling to themselves. Deus had merely stacked the firewood into a beautiful pyre, desiring to burn away his weakness for the God of Soul. But not even the God of Ten could have imagined that it would spark so easily by itself, nor burn so very brightly. The ash-winged Tenshi smirked. No, not even the God of Soul himself realised the power of the flame that now burned within his own soul. For that, he would need more than a few prods and hints if he was ever to even begin to comprehend.

He had watched Aether for a very long time. After all, he was his Father\'s son, so how could he not be interested in that beautiful doll? But no, he would never touch the God of Soul as Deus did. It would be far more interesting to play with him through other means. A challenge indeed, to bring to life Aether\'s precious heart, and then watch it shatter without ever laying a finger on him. And Aether, bless his fragile soul, had just given him the very means of doing so.

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