Through Time and Space: A Love Story

Chapter Eleven: Love Finds a Way

   As soon as she asked, Maeve immediately felt nervous. She was afraid of being rejected yet again. It didn't help that she was just scolded by Furia for rushing things in her love life. But she was too caught up in the heat of the moment. She loved Ash more than words could describe. It felt like the right thing to do. Ash was dead silent, staring at Maeve completely floored by the proposal. Maeve swallowed nervously as she awaited a response. Then the tears came. Ash started crying and picked Maeve up, laughing and kissing her.
   "Yes! Of course I'll marry you!" she squealed. Maeve felt as if she were walking on clouds. The sudden engagement made her ecstatic. She was going to marry her first love, the girl of her dreams. The only problem was explaining everything to Jenos, but Maeve was confident she could figure something out.
   "I'm really sorry, Ash," Maeve said. "Furia was right: I've been neglecting you too much. I was being selfish the other day. I should have enjoyed the date while I had the chance. Hiding my feelings from you has been complete torture and I regret it all. I love you too much to lose you."
   "I'm sorry I've been so harsh to you," Ash replied. "It's just that.... I've never felt this kind of love before. Ever. I don't know how to handle these feelings. It feels so strange and confusing to me. It was childish of me to get so upset about you being pregnant. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Honestly, I don't know how you could even forgive me for it."
   Maeve looked lovingly into her eyes and said "That's what real love is all about." She kissed her once more and held her hands, admiring the ring she had just given her. Maeve was happy about her choice. It fit Ash perfectly, much to her relief.
   "Hey Maeve? How the hell is this gonna work?" Ash asked suddenly.
   "What do you mean?"
   "Am I taking your last name or are you taking mine?" Maeve hadn't thought about that. But now that Ash had mentioned it, the decision was easy.
   "I'll take yours," she quickly responded. "I don't want to be a Leblanc anymore." There was a hint of bitterness in her tone, but she quickly straightened up.
   "You must really hate your family, huh?" she asked. Maeve looked at the floor silently. It was true. She wanted to be free of her family's name. It felt like a curse, so she wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. No sort of connections whatsoever. "Hey," Ash said softly, tilting Maeve's head up. "You don't have to worry about them anymore. They had their chance 20 years ago and they didn't take it. The only family that matters is this one. We're the Paladins, and we'll always treat you better than they ever could." Maeve's eyes started to tear up. Ash was right: the only family Maeve had ever known since her hospitalization was the Paladins. Furia took her in when no one else would. Valera had taught her how to fight. The Resistance always had her back. They were a band of rebels and Maeve had fit right in from day one. Without them, she would be all alone, never knowing what it was like to have friendships.
   Maeve hugged Ash tightly, trying her hardest not to cry. "Thank you," she said, choking back sobs. Ash kissed her on her head, holding Maeve closely.
   "I'm glad we met. Furia made telhe right choice adopting you," Ash told her. She softly stroked Maeve's hair, kissing her tenderly on her head the whole time. Maeve had never been so happy in her life. She was going to get married and have her chance to begin her own family.
   Unfortunately, their happiness would be short-lived. Their moment was interrupted by the arrival of over a dozen guards. Maeve immediately knew something was wrong.
   "We have an urgent message!" the lead guard exclaimed. "Mistress Lian needs you all to report to the boardroom immediately!" Without questioning it, they took off running towards the boardroom. Maeve feared the worst. If that many guards were on edge, something terrible was taking place. Surely enough, the entire Paladins Defense Force was present, including Atlas. Maeve knew right away that if Atlas was needed, something big was occurring.
   "What the hell's going on?!" Ash demanded. Jenos was at the center of the room, staring silently into his orb of power.
   "It's the Abyss," Lian said grimly. She turned towards them. "But this time, it isn't anything like we've faced."
   "What do you mean by that?" Ash asked nervously.
   "The elite soldiers of the Abyss are stepping out of it, and they are determined to destroy the Realm," Atlas spoke up. His words sent a chill down Maeve's spine. If the strongest Abyssal Lords were gathering to destroy the Realm, then they were about to be thrown into yet another war. But this time, the destruction would be far more significant than ever before.
   "Entire cities will be lost if they are not stopped," Seris warned.
   "Then I say we put an end to this fight once and for all," Furia said, slamming her hand against the table.
   "As if we're being given much of a choice," Vivian said. "If this is war they want, then it's war they'll get. The Abyss is throwing its full power at us this time. I suggest we do the same thing."
   "Then let us not waste any more time," Jenos said finally. "Paladins, prepare for war!" The Paladins exited the room, leaving only Ash and Maeve behind. The two stood in silence, the severity of their current situation weighing heavily on their minds. After a while, Maeve was the first to break the silence.
   "Ash, please promise you'll come back safe?" she said timidly. Ash wrapped her arm around Maeve's neck to ruffle her hair.
   "Do you know who you're talking to?" Ash asked teasingly. Maeve knew she was trying to lighten the mood, but she couldn't help worrying.  "If anyone needs to be safe, it's you. Knowing the Abyssal Lords, they're bound to make their way to House Aico first. We're gonna need to find some place safe for you to hide."
   "I can help with that," Moji said, appearing around the corner. "The Leipori will be more than happy to keep her safe."
   Ash turned to Moji and asked "Just how safe is that forest, exactly?"
   "It's very safe," Moji said. "The nature gods keep it hidden with an ancient spell the Abyss can't break."
   "Then I'll go," Maeve finally said. She turned to Ash to give her one last hug, kissing her passionately. "I promise I'll keep the baby safe. Just do your best to make sure you come back safe." When they finally separated, Maeve felt a sudden chill, as if the temperature had rapidly dropped twenty degrees. She could already feel the distance between them, even though they were no more than a few feet apart. She was going to miss the warmth and comfort of cuddling with her best friend.
   Maeve followed Moji out of House Aico and Crosswind Hold. Throughout their entire trip, Maeve kept them shrouded in darkness. Every so often they would stop long enough to scout for any sort of spies the Abyssal Lords would send. Maeve took out about six of them on the way out of the city. When they reached the forum, the presence of the Abyss faded away. The gods really were protecting this place because it felt pure, untouched by any form of Darkness. Maeve wasn't sure how long their spell would hold, but she had to have faith that the forest would stay safe long enough for the Champions to fight off the Lords.
   Once inside the forest of the Leipori, Moji led Maeve to her castle. The interior was far more impressive than what Maeve had expected. The castle itself looked like enchanted vegetation that had grown into the shape of one. But there were also signs of architecture as well. Carpets all along the floor, windows with drapes, paintings hung to the walls, and even lanterns providing a surprising amount of light. They continued through the castle, Moji giving directions to the different rooms around. Finally, they came up on a massive bedroom that was beautifully decorated with exotic plants. There was a round embroidered rug spanning across the floor that also had floral patterns on it. The bedroom was unusually modern, with a full queen-sized bed and a large vanity mirror. Maeve was amazed by Moji's lifestyle. It certainly didn't match her expectations.
   "This is my bedroom, but you can stay in here while we're off fighting the Abyss," Moji told her.
   "Thank you," Maeve said. She had been quiet up until that point, her anxiety getting the best of her. "Do you really think you'll all make it back safely?" she asked. Moji's expression turned grim.
  "I'm not sure," she said. "The Abyss is really throwing everything it has at us this time. If we're gonna win this, we have to use the full extent of our own powers against them. I can't say for certain many of us will be strong enough to hurt them, but we have to try." Maeve had never seen Moji get so serious, or so discouraged before. She knelt down in front of her so they were face to face.
   "The best thing you can do is just have faith," she said. "It's not easy for me, either. Having to be sidelined like this because I'm pregnant is both terrifying and depressing at the same time. I hate that I can't be on the front lines with my best friends, but I can't risk endangering my child. Instead, I just have to stay hopeful and wait to see if you guys will be able to fight off the Abyssal Lords. I'm confident enough that you'll be able to. You didn't become the queen of the Leipori or Pip's wife by running from a challenge. This isn't any different." Moji looked up into Maeve's eyes, her own welling up with tears.
   "Do you really think we can do it?" she asked. Maeve smiled at her and rubbed her head.
   "We're the Champions of the Realm," she said. "We can do anything we set our hearts on." Moji hugged her tightly.
   "Thank you. I needed to hear that," she said sniffling. She quickly regained her composure and got herself ready for the fight ahead. "I've got a war to win. For you and for my people."
   "Best of luck, Moji," Maeve said. After she took off, Maeve went over to lay down on the bed. It was pleasantly comfortable. She reflected back on her life since joining the Resistance. A lot had happened over the years. Furia becoming the angel of the Pyre, Seris becoming the Oracle of the Abyss, the war against the Magistrate. So many events changed Maeve's life in ways she never expected. But nothing impacted her like the recent events in her life. Falling in love seemed like a fairy tale to her. Not having a full understanding of her sexuality wasn't much help, either. Ash was the first girl Maeve ever had a crush on. She remembered the fight vividly.