CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE AFTER
HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE he was. Faint memories prodded at his newly-awoken soul until he suddenly remembered what had led him here, what had led him to dying. Void, the merciless and murderous nogitsune, had died willingly after over 1,000 years of living. Why? To chase after a empathic, stubborn blonde who had stolen his fiercely cold heart that learned to only beat for her.
In sight of this, he turned his head from side to side, ignoring the fact he was in the clothes he had perished in and that he was still in what seemed to be Stiles' body despite the fact that he had exited him before his death. His brown eyes tried to adjust to the darkness around him, a thick fog looming over the area he was in. There appeared to be nothing except him here, and the dark fox began to think that this is what his afterlife was supposed to be like; with him alone, forced to spend eternity by himself with the darkness he was made up of.
Somehow his eyes began to water, another thing he didn't think was possible, the fact that even dying and surrendering wouldn't be enough to see her again. And that's all he wanted — even if it were for a fraction of a second. Void wanted to see her remarkable blue eyes peer up at him, her cute button nose, her knowing, sweet smile, and her soft, golden hair that always fell and framed her beautiful face perfectly.
He craved the way she would hold him, comfortingly and sometimes desperately, showing that she needed him as much as he needed her. The way she would say his name haunted the heartbroken creature even now, from the way the girl growled it out when she was furious at him to the the soft murmur of it she spoke when her love for him was all Pru could concentrate on. It broke him entirely knowing that he would never get to experience any of that ever again.
A sob broke out from him uncontrollably, the pain surfacing and not granting him any sort of mercy as his chest began to rise and fall, and he couldn't breathe. Tears were falling, pouring down his face like a heavy rainstorm, and his face was twisted into sadness once again but he didn't care anymore. This is what he got, this is what he deserved. Of course Void couldn't see Pru again, she was probably in someplace better, and no amount of crying or wishing things were different would change that.
In a way he would have previously found pathetic, the lost spirit fell to his knees, hurting so much that it swallowed him whole. There was so much he could've done differently, so many times he could have done the right thing for her, and... he could have told her he loved her over and over again until the girl wouldn't ever doubt it again. She deserved better from him, she only wanted him to try more, and he understood that now. Void messed up and there was no fixing it, that was clear at this point.
The hollow feeling spreading throughout his chest matched the lonely and bleak atmosphere around him. All he could do was stare forward, into the darkness, deciding this was worse than the hot flames of Hell humans were afraid of. This was his own personal form of torture, this is what it would never stop being like, and more importantly this is how it would be without her. The hope he had foolishly slowly diminished, eventually leading to him bowing his head in complete and utter sorrow.
A soft, faint glow in the distance made him slowly make his head rise again though, his red and puffy eyes focusing on the only source of brightness. He was confused in his shattered state, but wordlessly Void still watched as the light became closer and brighter, blinding him a little even yet still he refused to look away. It was when he saw a silhouette of a person coming from the illuminating cloud of light did his heart began to reawaken, the tears suddenly stopping as his vulnerable eyes went wide.
The fox was speechless once she stepped completely out of the light, seeing her small body dressed in a white dress and her blonde hair curled softly. Her appearance got even more angelic the more he stared, her blue, doe eyes as bright as ever and her pink lips turned up into a slight smile. He was helpless, unable to move as she approached him, mouth parted in disbelief. Void didn't know if he was imagining things or if this was real.
Prudence bent down, getting on her knees as well in front of him, the anguished expression still stuck on his face making her frown a little. "Void."
"Chīsana Hato... Pru." He managed to get out, raising his arm and reaching out to touch her, and he almost let out another sob once his hand found its way to rest on her cheek, feeling the smooth and warm flesh against his palm. She was real.
"It's me," Pru reassured him, tears of her own threatening to fall while she placed her smaller hand overtop of his, "It's me, I promise."
His bottom lip quivered, dark brown eyes getting passionately lost in her deep blue ones. His soul was finally feeling whole, feeling complete. She completed him. She always had.
"How?"
"You know I always find you." The blonde answered simply, knowing that no matter what she would never leave him alone.
After hearing her response, Void finally broke out of his astonished and saddened position, pulling her close to him. His jacket-covered arms wrapped around her, maybe too tightly, but to be fair she did the same, hugging him with everything she had. He buried his head into her shoulder, engulfed by her scent and how her soft skin felt pressed up against him. They never wanted to let go, and now they never had to.
Fights have been fought, death had taken its toll, and now, after everything, here they were. It didn't matter that they were different, that they both have made some wrong choices, because in the end their souls were the exact same, never failing at coming together no matter the circumstances. The pair were practically destined to clash, to love each other so unconditionally, and now the only direction they could follow was one that led them to each other.
"Don't leave me. Please. Not ever again," He whispered against her blonde hair, still holding onto her like she would slip away if he let go.
"I won't. I won't ever have to. We can be together now, forever."
Pru carefully pulled him away from her neck, guiding his face to hers, the utter love written all over his appearance matching hers. Their lips met slowly, noses gently brushing against one another as they affectionately kissed each other, sealing a promise that they would always be by each other's side. Both of them felt alive again, liberated while their lips passionately collided, and this made a feeling of reassurance flood through them. This was it, this was what they had wanted for years, and they finally figured out how to work, how to love the other right.
Void whined when Prudence pulled away reluctantly and stood up, watching as she motioned for him to get up off of the ground as well. He followed through with her wishes, standing up on two shoe-covered feet, and he felt his heart leap as she took ahold of his hand, letting it intertwine with her own. Void was happy, he felt so happy... all because of her.
The girl couldn't help but smile at him before guiding him towards the glowing light she had emerged from, his eyes studying it unsurely at first before deciding to trust and follow her. Wherever she went, he went. He had already decided he would follow her anywhere and he certainly hadn't changed his mind. Although, it still amazed him that Pru had came back to him, he thought this after place would be his home for an infinite amount of time.
"Where are we going?" Void asked her when they had finally reached the only source of brightness in this dark and dreary area, turning his body to face her. The way the light shined on her made her look like even more of an angel, his angel.
"Somewhere better. Unless you want to stay here... but I know you don't, it's obvious you can't live without me," She teased, her grin widening as she looked at his magnificent face she adored.
He shook his head, a small smile of his own forming. "I love you."
"I love you." She spoke back, and then they went into the blinding light, getting their happy ending.
A/N: you obviously did not have to read this, this is just a bonus chapter, but i missed them and i wanted to write what happened after they died. figured y'all needed this after the pain i put you through lmao. but i hoped you enjoyed!