𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬² | 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 ✓

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈

"Just come over! You know my mom loves you and my dad can't say no to her." Tobias practically begs his best friend over the phone, making Ren laugh. Tobias still found it weird to talk about his father in the present tense.

To him, his father has been dead for so long with no possibility of ever seeing him again in this life that referring to him in any sense sent chills down his spine.

"You just got your family back Tobes. I don't want to impose." Tobias scoffed, wiping his paint-stained hands on his paint-stained jeans. "Ren, your mom left two days ago and hasn't made a single effort to let you or your dad know where she is. I know you want to stay there in case she comes back but we both know once she does she's going straight to your dad." As much as Tobias' words hurt, Ren knew they were the truth.

She looked out her window again, looking for any sign of her coming back but saw nothing. "Fine." She agreed with a sigh. "I'll be over in a bit and this time, tell her I'm coming over. I don't want to give the poor woman another heart attack." Tobias chuckled, nodding his head before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up.

He stared at the painting he just finished and there stood a self-portrait he didn't realize he was painting.

His breath hitched as the man stared back at him, eyes completely white and hair so pale blonde it was almost light itself.

The more he stared at it, the more his headache grew. Lucine told him this might happen, told him that if he ever got any memories back, even tiny ones, he'd experience a skull-splitting headache, and god, she wasn't joking.

The pain was becoming too much it had him fall to his knees as he continued to stare into the eyes of the painting. His arms hanging limply by his sides. His pupils started bleeding white into the rest of his eyes, his breathing becoming ragged as the white completely covered his eyes, bleeding out onto his face like the wet paint on the canvas fell.

I watched as Lucine ran through the forest she had created in her dream.

I watched how the tears fell down her face as she ran away from Paul and that redhead. I knew Paul wasn't her true love and I knew a small part of her did too. He was nothing but a distraction sent from the gods to make her forget about Rosalie.

But, I knew it would never work. Even if Lucine hadn't come to terms with it yet, I knew the love she had for Rosalie was too strong.

No matter how many times the gods have tried to separate them, they always found their way back to each other. Hopefully, this time won't be as tragic as the last.

Paul already had someone. He hadn't met her yet but there was someone out there that loved him the way he needed.

"Rosalie please." Lucine's voice broke as she tried holding onto Rosalie, but the woman just shrugged her off. Rosalie stared into Lucine's glossy, tear-filled eyes for a second before speaking. "I can't do this anymore. All you do is cause problems and I can't keep defending you from my family." Lucine looked defeated as the words rang in her head.

I wanted to go up to her and drag her out of this nightmare she's built for herself but I couldn't risk showing myself to her. The gods have already put me on probation for the incident last time, I can't risk losing my chance at life again.

"Goodbye, Lucine. I hope to never see you again." I flinched at her words. I didn't know Lucine still retained that memory but it was those words that sent her into a spiral all those years ago. How a soul could live so many lives, have their heart broken so many times and yet still have it in them to keep loving that person was beyond me.

Lucine and Rosalie were one of my favorite couples to follow throughout time because no matter what time their in, no matter what the rules are, they still find some way to love each other.

Even when Rosalie was "madly in love" with a man in the thirties, she still held Lucine in her heart. Even when Lucine lay on her death bed, days after Rosalie told her she wished to never see her again, Lucine still loved her. She held Rosalie in her heart and died waiting for her to come.

And even when Rosalie got turned by Carlisle, she sat in that ally way waiting for Lucine, not a single clue that the woman she loved had died just days prior.

Now, here they were years later with not a single memory of all the lives they've loved together, doing it all over again.

Lucine now sat on the first floor, watching as her tears silently hit the palms of her hands, too tired and devastated to make a sound.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had spent too long not intervening when I could have saved them, and even if this was just a dream, Lucine had too much going on in the outside world to have this nightmare haunting her.

I walked behind her, wrapping my arms around her hoping to warm up her cold body, to give her even a sliver of comfort that she so desperately needed. "It's okay," I whispered, hoping that every version of Lucine could hear my words.

"I'll take care of you." I helped her stand, placing my hand on her cheek as she faced me. "I brought you here out of a promise but if you ever wish it, I will take you away again." I was never one to break a promise. The last time we spoke she was a dying maid in love with the Queen she served.

She made me promise to bring her back one day so she could love the Queen again but she doesn't remember that.

Lucine looked between my eyes, searching for something she was never going to find. She shook her head making a small smile appear on my face. I knew she wouldn't give this all up. She had made a whole new family and knowing her, she would do just about anything to protect them.

"I need to stay, please." I took in the state of her being. Her face was red and puffy from the crying and her voice was so meek and quiet that I could barely hear her.

There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. No matter what version, I would gladly grant her wish because I knew she'd do the same for me.

I sent her back to the land of the living. Hoping, knowing, she'd do the right thing.

Tobias woke up with a gasp, finding himself laying on the floor of his bedroom.

His eyes caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, his eyes had gone back to their original color but his face had paint-stained tears coating them.

He stood up, almost falling over from his legs still not strong enough to hold him up.

When Lucine told him he might get memories back, he didn't believe her, and yet here he was with a memory that cared more about information than he knew what to do with.

All he knew was that he couldn't tell Lucine or Rosalie.

He knew how much Rosalie and Lucine loved each other but it was truly eye-opening to see bits and pieces of all the lives I've seen them live.

"Tobes! I thought I told you to tell your-" Ren's words were cut off when her eyes connected with the disoriented ones of Tobias. "What the hell happened to you?" She said quickly, whispering so his parents wouldn't hear. Tobias shook his head, taking a seat on the edge of his bed as Ren closed the door.

"Nothing, just old angel memories I think." Ren just nodded her head. Too many weird things had been occurring around them for her to be surprised anymore. "Are you okay?" She asked, holding his hand in hers as she rubs her thumb soothingly over his knuckles.

He shakes his head, "Honestly? Not really. Can we just nap?" Ren chuckled while nodding. Tobias didn't wait before lifting his sheets up so he could get under them. Ren took her coat and shoes off before joining him under the covers.

Immediately as he noticed that she got comfortable, he laid his head on her chest, Ren's hands imminently going to his hair to soothe the residual headache.

"Thank you, Ren. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you." He mumbled tiredly. She smiled softly down at him. "We're friends, I'll always be here." She finished before they both dozed off for the rest of the day. Enjoying each other's company.

---

Hehehe, Soul Series Prequel maybe?

Only if you guys would like it.

-HS.*