Love Can Save {An Aphmau Fanfiction}

Aaron

The light faded, leaving me gasping and stumbling backwards. My hands still remembered the texture of Aphmau's dress, her silky hair, her smooth skin. I could still smell her sweet perfume, along with the smell I had come to associate with long hours taking care of Lilith and spent in front of books and paperwork. She was still before me, hands reaching out with tear-filled eyes.

I finally took a deep breath, reaching out a hand to lean against the wall. How many seconds have passed since I came back? Has Aphmau already had her child? Our child, my mind corrected, leaving me reeling once more. I had never expected to have another child after Jacob. I never thought I'd be able to recover from that terrible loss. But being with Aph filled me with such warmth, the likes of such I hadn't known since those years I had spent in Falconclaw. After so long imagining that I would never have love again, I had suddenly been met with a village that welcomed me with open arms, and a woman and daughter who filled the hole in my heart.

I wanted to sink down to the ground and bury my face in my arms, but I stuck with simply resting my back and head against the wall. I had no idea how many minutes I would be waiting here, how many years that would in turn lead to back home. I had no doubt in my heart at all that Aphmau would succeed, but I didn't want her to rush into something risky like she had been about to do to save Garroth. If it took years and I missed my two children growing up, I wouldn't mind. All I wanted was to see Aphmau again. If I was to live out the rest of my life here in the Dimension where time flowed years slower... I would likely be driven insane. By the time a single year had passed here, all the people I cared for would have been gone for thousands of years.

I sighed, looking up at the sky. Well, the complete bright whiteness that pervaded this entire dimension. I was pretty sure that the only thing here was this church. The only spot of color in this entire place was a smudge of deep red in the center of the room, blood I recognized from the last time I had been in here. That was the blood Garroth had spilled when Zane had struck him, giving him a wound that would have killed him if he and Aphmau hadn't met at the tree I had only just seen her at. My attention kept drifting back to that stain, the one spot of darkness in the complete and unending light.

I sighed again, running my hand over my face as I debated the possible ways to spend the long minutes. It still baffled my mind, the fact that a single minute here was an entire year back home. I had been in this place for about a minute, maybe two, but I had already missed so much. What more would I miss?

I shouted as the realm filled with a brilliant white light, nearly blinding me with the intense blaze. The air crackled with power, and the experience I had gone through but a few minutes ago came rushing back. I crumpled to the side, protecting my face from the light.

Several seconds passed before the light faded and I was once more able to see clearly. I groaned, rolling to the side and sitting up, back pressed up against the wall once more. Rubbing my eyes, I blinked and stared at the scene before me.

"What the hell?" I murmured, pushing myself to my feet and running my hand through my hair. "Who are you?" The Meif'wa woman before me whirled around, energy still crackling at the edges of her form. Her lavender gown was tattered, black and purple hair popping and standing up slightly. Her eyes were lined with silver, and she gasped when she saw me, stumbling backwards and nearly falling. "Woah, I've got you." I crossed the floor in an instant, catching her arm and pulling her back to her feet.

"Thank you," she gasped, staring at me in what could only be described as shock and amazement. "Are... are you Aaron?"

I blinked in surprise, letting go of her arm and taking a step backwards. "I assume you're a friend of Aphmau's?"

"Yes. I... I came to Phoenix Drop about a year ago. I heard all about you from Garroth and Nana." Her eyes were still wide as she took in the dimension we were in. "Ah, sorry. Kawaii~Chan. She hadn't started going by her birth name yet when you... when you came here, had she?"

"Nana... that's a fitting name for her. Tell me, how did you become so close with them? That group doesn't accept new friends into their heart as easily as they seem to."

The Meif'wa blushed, finally managing to control her shock. "I'm Alice. I, I'm Nana's sister. But I don't understand. Why am I here?"

I gave her a half smile, rubbing the back of my neck. "Did you sacrifice yourself to save someone you love? Because that's how I ended up here."

"Well," she hesitated, looking uncomfortable as she turned her thoughts back to the event that had taken her life. "That's exactly what I did. It's a terribly long story, and I'm sure you'll want to hear about everything you've missed from Aphmau." Her voice dropped, and in the span of seconds she was silent, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly she had done to end up here. And who was the one who held so much of her heart? "Lady Aphmau is working really hard to find a way to bring you back, Aaron. She stays up for days, travels across the region, all in the hope of finding something that will work. And I know she will stop for nothing until you are by her side again."

"We're both getting out of here," I assured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "When she manages to open that portal, we are both going to walk through and go back to the people we love." She smiled, and I could see Nana's warmth in the simple expression.

"How much time do you think has passed since I got here?"

I frowned, letting my gaze drift around the empty cathedral. "A minute and a half? Two?" My words were punctuated as a gentle brilliant white light began to fill the realm. My head whipped around, and I saw the portal begin to glow. I inhaled sharply, my heart and mind going haywire as I realized what this meant. I heard a similar gasp from Alice, and I turned to look at her. Giving her a grin, I took her hand in mine.

"She did it. Come on. Let's go home."