~JAPETH'S POV~
Back when Japeth first lost Aric—when Aric was first banished from Arbed House—no words Japeth said could've made Aric stay. No words Japeth said to Rhian in the infirmary could've made Rhian see reason and convince him not to banish Aric from Arbed House.
But that was back before Japeth had the ability to change fate, to write anything and make it come true. He had unlimited power at his fingertips. He could wish for anything he wanted. But there was only one thing he wanted in that moment. The one thing he wished for from the start.
This time, words would be enough. But it wasn't the power of a thousand words that would bring Aric back. No. Aric would return thanks to the power of words, but it'd only be a few words that would bring him back to life.
It felt like an eternity that Japeth's flesh burned and sizzled from the magical fire and he was trapped in a space in his mind where all he could grasp onto was the thought of Aric. The thought of seeing him again. The thought of holding him, of hearing his voice.
But then, the flames snuffed out all at once and Japeth collapsed to the floor. He picked himself up and found that he was no longer in the church. Instead, he was standing in a familiar stone chamber whose bookshelves were full of fairytale storybooks.
Except it was eerily quiet. Gone was the familiar sound of scratches from the Storian, busy at work.
When Japeth's gaze found the back of the room where the white stone altar laid, he saw that the Storian wasn't magically floating in the air as it always did. Instead, the once legendary pen was lying upon the floor, no longer full of life, its work done.
Japeth nudged the pen with his foot, half expecting the Storian to suddenly burst to life and rise up. But the Storian didn't move, the engravings in its dulled steel faded. Japeth looked at the open storybook on the table and took a step forward. There was a sickening crunch as the Storian snapped beneath the weight of his boot, and the sound echoed in the chamber, ringing in Japeth's ears.
The Storian had never written The End in The Tale of the Lion and the Snake at all. The last page it left off on was a painting of Japeth and Sophie standing in the church in Ginnymill. In the painting, Japeth was holding the last ring in his hand as he lowered the torch just before the ring was burnt to a crisp. There was only one line the Storian wrote in its elegant, unbroken script; And thus, man became pen.
There was nothing after that. Japeth was left to write the ending to his own story now, to write his happily ever after once and for all.
"Japeth."
By now, Japeth had become used to NotRafal sneaking up on him at the most unexpected times. But still, part of him was startled to hear it. He turned to see the former School Master leaning against the open windowsill, his icy blue gaze unreadable.
"Or should I say...your majesty," NotRafal said.
"Have you come to congratulate me on passing your stupid test?" Japeth snorted, but his voice wasn't too sarcastic. Instead, his voice trembled in the beginnings of excitement. "Or...are you the storian's last desperate plea, a trick?"
NotRafal turned his cold face towards the white stone altar where Japeth stood. There was a a look of resignation on his smooth face as if he was unaccepting of the Storian's fateful end. He'd protected the Storian for centuries thousands of years before and after he tried to control it. Perhaps part of NotRafal was saddened that the pen he'd once been entrusted to protect was now no more.
"Perhaps a congratulations is in order, my son," NotRafal mused. Then, he smiled at Japeth like a father would smile at his son for doing something great.
Japeth suddenly stilled, realizing something. If NotRafal was supposed to be some sort of mirage created by the Storian and the Storian was now no more, then why was NotRafal still here?
"You are Rafal, the real Rafal," Japeth blurted, looking at his father. "So what? You just decided to watch over me, guide me and then show yourself out of nowhere?
Rafal slipped away from the windowsill and glided towards Japeth. He stopped in front of Japeth and bent his head as if in regret or in respect. Japeth didn't know which.
"A long time ago, I entrusted a piece of my soul into one of your scims, the same Scim that showed you the truth; that I was your father and the true path you needed to take," Rafal told Japeth, his blue gaze twinkling. "And despite the fact I killed your mother, you followed the path I set out for you. Why? Because you desired love just as I did once upon a time. You chose everything over a boy, a boy who meant more to you than anything else in your life. Your love for Aric means more to you than blood, more than a crown, more than anything. You followed your own path, not because I wanted you to, but because you were following your heart. And it led you to this moment. I showed up when I had to because you needed guidance and I was the only one who could give you that."
Rafal's words sunk deep into Japeth's soul, winding itself around him, cutting through him. He'd despised his father before for being the cause of his mother's death and for leaving his family over Sophie, but Rafal was the only who understood Japeth. He understood what it meant to destroy his own blood for love, to do everything it took to find a Never After. Aric was Japeth's happy ending. Aric was everything to Japeth.
"I'm proud of you, Japeth," Rafal continued, drawing closer. "You accomplished what I could not. Now that you've attained the powers of the Storian, man has become pen. But I warn you, the balance between good and evil is a delicate one. If that balance were to tip, well..."
Japeth didn't care about the balance between good and evil. All he cared for was getting Aric back. Rafal just didn't want Japeth to mess up like he did when the sun almost died that one time and life in the endless woods almost ceased to exist.
"I'm not gonna burn the whole woods down if that's what you're worried about," Japeth scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I've got this."
But deep down, Japeth didn't yet know the great responsibility that he now held in his hands. The ultimate power he had taken was something that wasn't to be used for wrong doing.
"It's time for you to make your peace. Return your lost love. Truly become king—the One True king, master of fate itself. That's all on you now," Rafal said. His tone was steady and Japeth felt that familiar spark of excitement come back to him, making his whole body tingle in anticipation of Aric's inevitable return.
Japeth conjured Lionsmane, now no longer a Scim at all, but an actual pen. No longer was Lionsmane a shade of pure gold. Instead, it was a deep black adorned with shimmering amethyst gems, the same shade of color as Aric's violet eyes.
Japeth gripped The Tale of the Lion and the Snake in his hands as Lionsmane hovered above it. It was time for a new story. It was time for the beginning of the end.
So with a heavy intake of breath, Japeth directed his hand downwards, fist tightening around Lionsmane. The ink dripped onto the page and Japeth's hand shook. With a flourish, he began to write, his heart thrumming faster and faster with each word that he inscribed on the page.
The Storian was no more and with the rise of the One True King, a new era had come. Tedros had been beaten and "Rhian" was victorious. But peace for the woods was the last thought that crossed the king's mind. The king desired peace for himself, a peace in the form of love.
Japeth's breath hitched and he had to steady his hand as he wrote the next line. He could practically smell the scent of blueberries, feel Aric's pale cheekbones against his fingertips. If Japeth closed his eyes, he could even hear Aric's deep voice and see Aric's piercing violet gaze.
"I told you I'd bring you back, Aric," Japeth whispered fiercely. "I promised we'd be together. That I'd find you. Now, it's time for me to fulfill that promise to you, my friend."
Aric Lesso's return was imminent. So the king did what anyone would do, and with a single swish of his hand, he wrote his lost love back to life in the hope that him and his lost love would find peace together, a peace that was as everlasting as their friendship was true.
Lionsmane glowed, the amethysts glowing with a power that sent Japeth shielding his gaze from the glare. The floor beneath Japeth seemed to give out from beneath him, but when the atmosphere stilled, Japeth found he was still in the School Master's tower.
Japeth swung his head around the chamber, scanning his surroundings in search of Aric. At first, he saw nothing. But then he saw a body stir on the floor.
When the body stood, Japeth saw it was a boy, his arms taut with muscle. His hair was black as the night sky and spiked like raven beaks, and his ghostly pale cheekbones looked sharp and cold to the touch. When the boy's violet gaze met Japeth's, Japeth felt his breath hitch in his throat.
"A—Aric?" Japeth breathed. He found himself stumbling forward, no longer able to walk properly.
"Japeth," Aric said. His voice was just as Japeth remembered it, so deep and husky. It sounded like music to Japeth's ears. It was a melody he would never tire of hearing.
"Is—is it really you?" Japeth stammered. His voice cracked and he struggled to keep the tears at bay. He came closer and he reached out tentatively, half afraid Aric would pull away from him. But Aric didn't, and Japeth rested his hand on Aric's shoulder. Aric felt solid, real, no longer some ghost or a figment of Japeth's imagination.
Then, Japeth was too overcome in that moment and he pulled Aric close, embracing his friend tightly. Aric didn't move as if he too was stunned. Japeth figured coming back to life out of the blue, only to find his best friend who he hasn't seen since being banished from Arbed was a pretty shocking experience for Aric.
Somehow, Aric craned his head, his chin brushing against Japeth's shoulder as he looked about. Seeming to finally collect himself, Aric untangled himself from Japeth's hold and stared at Japeth, bewilderment alight in his violet gaze.
"I don't understand—how—" Aric began, stumbling over his words. It was hard to hear Aric stumbling. Usually, the raven haired boy was so collected and tough. But Japeth didn't blame him for feeling confused in that moment. He would be confused too if he suddenly awoke from the dead after months.
"You're back and that's all that matters, my dear friend," Japeth rasped, his voice thick with emotion. "We've got a lot to catch up on. But all you need to know now is that now that you're back, I'm never gonna let you leave me again. I missed you, Aric. I really really missed you."
Japeth reached out to cup Aric's cheeks, tracing Aric's ghostly pale cheekbones with his fingertips. As moonlight fluttered in through the open window of the School Master's tower, bathing Japeth and Aric in its silvery glow, Japeth's lips neared Aric's. Aric closed the space the rest of the way and wrapped a strong arm around Japeth's back.
Japeth's lips found Aric's nose. The corner of his lip. His chin. His temple. Then, his lips rested upon Aric's forehead. Aric's skin was hot, burning with an intensity that matched the pounding of Japeth's darkened heart.
In each other's arms, they were unbreakable. Nothing could tear them apart. Japeth's skin shone a bright white in the ethereal moonlight and Aric's black hair resembled feathery soft black feathers.
Black and white.
Good and Evil.
Two swans, one white and one black, in perfect balance.
And perhaps Japeth's heart wasn't broken anymore. He felt the pieces of his broken heart fit back in place like a once incomplete puzzle finally restored.
For the first time, Japeth felt like he could breathe. Really breathe. No longer was he dead inside. No longer was he some Snake out to do his brother's dirty work or a false king wearing his brother's face.
No. Instead, Japeth was a boy. A boy who loved a monster, a monster who wasn't a monster at all but a boy just like himself.
"I—Japeth—" Aric started. He clung to Japeth just as much as Japeth clung to him, neither of them willing to let the other one go. "I—I missed you too, Japeth. I missed you so much. I didn't want to miss you, but I did. I really did."
Aric's voice was strangled. Japeth didn't know whether Aric's struggle was from the surreality of this reunion or whether it was from Aric's refusal to show any emotion.
"I know you did," Japeth acknowledged Aric. "I know."
Aric looked about the stone chamber and it seemed he recognized his surroundings. He had been in this tower before, climbed it and served its former master. He could've asked any question at that moment. Japeth was sure Aric had many questions to ask him. But the question that escaped Aric's mouth was "What happened to your clothes?"
Japeth glanced down and realized for the first time that there was a change in his attire. His Scim suit was still intact but he also donned a billowing silver cape, and a silver crown encrusted with swans rested atop his mess of copper hair.
Japeth must've been so occupied bringing Aric back that he didn't realize him burning the last ring had magically changed his attire. But although he was dressed like a king, he didn't feel like one. Sure, he felt the weight of power, but he didn't feel every inch of it.
All Japeth truly felt was happiness. An unconditional feeling of happiness that warmed his darkened heart that was once broken.
Aric's question fully dawned on Japeth and Japeth started laughing at the surreality of that question. It was such an odd question for such a sentimental moment between the two long lost friends. Japeth found himself thrusting his hands out and planting them on Aric's shoulders before he shoved his old friend playfully.
But Aric wasn't expecting it and he stumbled back, landing right on his buttocks. For a moment, Aric sat there, startled and then slowly he started laughing too.
"Of all the questions you could ask me, and you ask that?" Japeth chuckled, watching Aric's violet gaze twinkle in mirth.
"Well, I could've asked why are you dressed like a damn idiot instead, so you should be thanking me for sparing your feelings," Aric fired back, shaking his head.
In that moment, it felt like all was old again. The two friends had fallen back into their old banter as if nothing else bad had ever happened. As if they were students back in Arbed House and that was all.
Japeth held out his hand to Aric. The old Aric might've slapped Japeth's hand away and helped himself up, but instead Aric entangled Japeth's fingers with his own—and then Aric pulled Japeth down causing Japeth to land right upon Aric.
Usually, Japeth would've yelled "Stop" or at the very least, gotten up and brushed himself off whilst promising Aric he'd get him back, but Japeth hadn't seen Aric in so very long. Hadn't felt him or heard him in ages.
So instead, Japeth resorted to wrapping his arms around Aric's back and resting his head upon Aric's shoulder. He could hear the steady thumping of Aric's heartbeat, a clear indication that Aric was indeed alive and here and real. It was a sign that this wasn't a dream. This was reality.
"Hold me," Japeth murmured against Aric's chest. He craned his head up to press his cheek against Aric's own, and Aric slowly wrapped his own arms around Japeth, holding him close just like Japeth wanted.
"I'm not letting you go, Japeth," Aric responded. "I'll never ever try to let you go again, I promise."
Japeth felt his heart swell. Aric's bodily warmth washed over him and encompassed in Aric's arms, he felt so safe. So content. There were no words that could describe the sheer happiness Japeth felt in that moment.
So Japeth lay against Aric's chest and the two boys held each other. And instead of thinking of all the bad things that occurred during Aric's absence, he thought of him and Aric. He thought of the future, and the future was so very bright in Japeth's mind.
Then, Japeth started to tell Aric all that happened while he'd been gone. He told him everything; from him and Rhian taking over Camelot to having to marry Sophie that very night.
All the while, Aric listened. Japeth expected Aric to freak out at realizing Japeth was now married, married to a girl. But Aric was silent the whole time as if he was struggling to process all this news Japeth had given him.
As Japeth rambled on, unable to keep his mouth shut, pale morning sunlight filtered in through the window of the School Master's tower, and shadows stretched across the stone chamber. But the shadows didn't reach Japeth and Aric as they embraced.
"I imagined you'd go off and terrorize kingdoms, but becoming king of Camelot? Marrying a girl?" Aric chuckled, shaking his head as if he thought the whole thing was utterly hilarious.
"I hardly believe it myself," Japeth responded, glad Aric had finally spoken. "But I did what I had to to bring you back. As for you, I hardly imagined you'd go off and terrorize helpless boys in school or become a Dean—"
Japeth saw Aric bite his lips. There was a deep expression on his face, expressing an emotion Japeth couldn't identify. He didn't know whether Aric was somehow regretful of his past actions or what. But he feared asking Aric what the problem was.
After all, Aric had gone through a lot when he left Arbed House and Japeth behind. He'd dealt with his own issues, Japeth knew—even if those issues hadn't been explicitly mentioned in The Tale of Sophie and Agatha.
"We're together now," Japeth told Aric fiercely, snapping Aric out of his reverie. He tightened his hold on Aric and breathed in Aric's familiar scent. "We're together now and that's all that matters."
~~~~~~~~~
It felt a bit strange walking through Camelot with Aric by his side, but Japeth didn't complain. Pinkies intertwined, Japeth led Aric along.
Camelot citizens stared at Them as they passed, some in awe of Japeth and others curious as to why their king was walking so physically close to a strange boy—a boy some of them had only glimpsed in a storybook.
Sophie lagged behind them. She had no words to say to either Japeth or Aric. She'd shown no emotion when Japeth had magically teleported back to the Ginnymill church with Aric at his side, nor had she showed resistance when Japeth took her and Aric back to Camelot.
Japeth had felt bad that Sophie was still in pain from Tedros stabbing her, so he magically healed her using his newfound powers—an easy feat that proved a success because Sophie was now no longer suffering, physically at least.
Japeth strolled into the Camelot palace, at an all time high, giddy with happiness. He ordered a few Camelot guards to escort Sophie to her room and for the first time, she resisted, struggling to free herself as they held onto her arms.
"Please don't kill them, Japeth," Sophie pleaded. It was odd hearing the Witch of Woods Beyond plead, to show desperation.
Japeth couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for Sophie. He hadn't known whether to throw her in the dungeons or whether to let her roam free in the palace. She was his queen, yet he could write her out of everyone's memories simply with a wave of his hand and kill her friends without a second thought.
But That's what the old Japeth would've done. And Japeth wasn't the old Japeth anymore. He had changed.
"Take my wife to the Queen's chambers and see to it that she gets everything she needs, but don't release her from her room," Japeth told the guards.
The guards nodded and whisked Sophie away as Sophie struggled to free herself. But soon enough, they disappeared with Sophie around the corner, leaving Aric and Japeth alone in the empty corridor.
Japeth remembered something all of a sudden and he stuffed his hand into the folds of his cloak, searching for something. His fingers wrapped around the handle of Aric's dagger and he pulled it out.
"Aric, I—I—" Japeth began, holding the dagger out in front of his friend. "I got this back for you. Well, I didn't get it back, but a thief I hired to—"
The sudden thought of Krushem hit Japeth like a smack to the face. Last time he saw the thief, Krushem had been wounded badly and had been on his way to Camelot for medical attention.
"Krushem," Japeth blurted.
Aric raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something but Japeth was already intercepting a nearby Camelot guard to ask him about Krushem. The guard informed him Krushem had arrived a little over thirty minutes ago and was being treated in the medical ward of the palace.
"Krushem was hurt badly in battle. He saved me," Japeth explained to Aric before he nodded to the dagger Aric had taken from his hand. "He got that back for me. He helped me."
Japeth recalled Krushem's confession. The confession that Krushem had feelings for Aric and he once again wondered if Aric had known of Krushem's feelings.
"Krushem—he is devoted to you," Japeth said slowly, watching Aric's expression. But Aric showed no signs of realization. Instead, Aric scoffed and shook his head.
"I don't even know the guy. He just followed me with his buddies," Aric said, making Japeth sigh in relief at the knowledge that Aric indeed held no feelings towards Krushem.
Overcome by that relief, Japeth found himself drawing close to Aric. Nothing stopped Japeth from hugging his best friend close. Nor did anything stop Japeth from bringing his face close to Aric's own.
"You're the best of me, Aric Lesso. And because you're the best of me, you're worth it. You're worth every bit. You are everything," Japeth told Aric fiercely.
Aric said nothing but Japeth could see the emotions betraying him and for the barest moment, Japeth glimpsed Aric's violet gaze grow misty. A single tear rolled down Aric's cheek and fell to his lips.
Japeth tasted Aric's salty tear as he pressed his lips where Aric's tear had fallen, silently promising Aric that he would always fight for him no matter what and that nothing would ever be able to tear them apart again.
Not it Japeth could help it.
———————————
Yayyyy! Aric FINALLY returned. I FINALLY updated. 🤩
This is not yet the end of this fanfic. There'll be a few chapters left.
What'd you guys think of Aric and Japeth's reunion?
Comment and vote.
Thanks for reading!
—Alexis Peters ❤️