Through the Shadows: A Laurmau Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Guardian Angel

APHMAU'S POV

We made it about halfway across the bridge before Laurance collapsed. The demonic laughing behind us grew louder until the shadow lord himself stepped onto the bridge. "You thought it would be that easy? We're in the Nether, the birthing place of my shadow knights. Now that I'm back at my full power Laurance has no choice but to obey me." I looked down and saw Laurance curled on the ground, clutching his head.

"Now you," he pointed to Laurance, "kill her."

LAURANCE'S POV

I barely felt myself hit the bridge's hot bricks. The voices had grown unbearably loud and I could barely keep myself in control. I heard Aphmau's screams, but they were... muted. Then suddenly, I didn't have control of myself anymore...

APHMAU'S POV

"Laurance..." I whispered pleadingly, tears welling in my eyes.

"Go on. Kill. Her." The Shadow lord laughed.

Laurance was shaking again. His ruby blade was up to my neck, but he wasn't making any moves. For a few moments we stared into each other's eyes.

"Laurance, please..." tears began streaming down my face.

"What are you waiting for?? KILL HER." He yelled.

Then Laurance spoke. "Aph...mau..." still shaking, and now breathing heavily he turned his back on he to face the shadow lord, now pointing his sword at him. "I...will...ki...ll...you..." Laurance gasped.

The shadow lord narrowed his eyes. "Pathetic." And with one swipe of his sword, Laurance collapsed.

"LAURANCE," I screamed. Half falling, half kneeling beside him. I could hear the shadow lord laughing in the background. My ears were ringing, and all that my eyes could see were Laurance and the light fading from his eyes. He had a deep gash in his abdomen, extendeding from his left hip diagonally to his ribcage.

"Aph...mau..." He gasped and turned his head to me. "I...love...you." and with a final breath, all life left him.

"L-Laurance... N-NO. LAURANCE, LAURANCE." I screamed. My screams quickly turned into sobbing, however, as I closed my eyes and cradled his head. I realized something in that moment. Laurance wasn't just a guard to me, he was much more. A friend who I could trust with my life, and he had just given his to save mine. This whole time I've been pushing him away when really... "Laurance... I love you..." I whispered in his ear.

"Oh, did you LOVE him? Are you SAD now?" The Shadow lord sneered.

My hearing cleared again and my head snapped up. I haven't felt this way before. Not even when facing the shadow souls that took the Meteli villagers. It was a blind, mindless fury that came over me. "You.... YOU. I WILL KILL YOU." I screamed.

The shadow lord's sneer quickly turned into one of confusion, then horror as light flooded the bridge. This time, my divine form wasn't just powerful. It was deadly.

"HOW DARE YOU." I screamed again, slashing my long blade into Sasha's body. I saw the shadow leave her, then dissapear into the light. I struck Sasha through the middle, knocking her off the bridge and into the lava. An ironic end.

I was beginning to regain control of myself. I looked over the bridge at Sasha who was slowly sinking into the lava. She turned her head toward me, her eyes full of pain though she was making no noise and mouthed "I'm sorry." I couldn't sense the darkness anymore. Sasha was just...Sasha. Her head dissappeared under the lava, never to be seen again.

The full reality of what happened hit me like a punch in the gut, causing me to cry again. "Laurance..." I turned to his body to bring him to the overworld, maybe somebody could work a miracle. Maybe I could myself, I was still in my divine form. When I turned to Laurance, his body was gone.

LAURANCE'S POV

I was barely concious of anything I was doing. All I knew was that I HAD to kill Aphmau. There was no other way.

"No other way to what?" A small voice inside of me said. Never mind, I thought, I must focus.

My sword was at Aphmau's throat. All I could hear were the voices, encouraging me. Then there was one voice that cut through them all. "Laurance, please..."

"What are you doing?" The voice inside of me said. "This is Aphmau. The woman you love, the woman you swore to protect." It was soon drowned out by the voices. I knew it was right. This was Aphmau and... what was I doing? And why?

"Aph...mau..." as soon as I said her name my head grew clearer. I could hear the shadow lord laughing behind me. I knew I couldn't let him hurt Aphmau. With the small amount of self-control I had left I turned to him. "I...will...ki...ll...you..." I gasped. I knew it was him who ordered me to kill, and defying the order was unbelievably painful, but I couldn't let him touch her.

I felt myself fall to the ground and I heard a scream, "LAURANCE." Then the pain hit me. It was white hot, spreading through my entire body. I couldn't scream. I couldn't move. I was trapped.

I felt gentle hands lift my head and I managed to turn to see who it was. Tears, streaming down her face, it was Aphmau. She was beautiful, even when she was sad. I knew she never returned my feelings, but I had to tell her... one last time.

"Aph...mau," I gasped at the pain."I..love...you," I saw her brown eyes stare into mine for one last moment when everything went black.

"Was...was that a dream?" I thought to myself. I woke up, or what seems like it, in a white building, not a spot of color to be seen. For the first time in what seemed like forever, it was peaceful. But then I remebered. "APHMAU. WHERE ARE YOU.... where am I?"

"You are in my palace. Welcome." I looked and saw a beatiful woman walk through in from one of the corridors.

"A-Aphmau?" I gasped. It looked like her... but it couldn't be. She had the same long, black hair and the same tanned skin and the same graceful build, but her eyes were a bright blue. Then I noticed that she had a pair of beautiful angel wings, similar to Aphmau's in her divine form.

The woman smiled. "No, Laurance, I am not Aphmau. I am her mother."

Thanks so much for reading everyone~ I had a ton of fun writing this chapter and I wish I could write the next, but I'm on mobile again and it's getting late. Hope you enjoyed! 

(This is about 12 hours after I published this. I've read through once or twice and I think I've caught all the typos)

Ciao~