Summer Garden

Trei

Trei was conflicted. One one hand, this woman had walked by a known assassin summoning all sorts of hellfire without a single scratch. On the other, she was stark naked, and the flower in her hair wasn't helping with the whole look she was portraying.

Astrian beside him spoke first, "Yio?"

He'd never heard her speak so hesitantly, timidly. He looked at the butler in surprise, and then back to the newcomer, "I'm afraid I don't know the name."

The naked woman shrugged as Rendi appeared behind her, and a gale of flames evaporated before they could touch her. Apparently without her even noticing them. She sat down beside the dead fire, crossing her legs deliberately, "Yes. You were mortal. A pity that you've missed out on so much, Trei. Hopefully, in time, we can rectify that. There are so many beauties, so many wondrous things in these worlds... You could see them all."

Luna sighed heavily, "Cut it out, Rendi. You can't touch a Fate."

Trei smiled ruefully and sat down on the couch, relaxing. "So, you're the one that Summer told me about then... Yio?"

The naked woman nodded, "Yes. I'm the youngest of my sisters. Which isn't really a term that makes sense to you, because, well, time is one my children. I gave birth to it. Lets just say, that in the nonlinear events that transpired before the Fates brought order, some of us were elder, and some were not. I was the least."

Trei laughed, "So that takes care of the question of how old you are, then."

She grinned at him, and Trei winced as he felt Luna dig her fingers into his arm as she sat down next to him. Yio leaned forward, "Oh good. The nerves have begun regenerating. You've made amazing progress, mortal, at learning how to maintain that sodden flesh you call your body."

He yanked his arm away from Luna, who immediately looked like she might cry, and turned his attention back to the newcomer, "I'm sorry, that sounded almost insulting."

"It's not your body anymore." Yio replied, shrugging, before she leaned back, stretching, "You've done well to keep it one piece... But I can do better than that. This body is waiting to die, nothing more. You need to let it go... But I can make a new one for you, it'll be entirely yours. And eternal, like your soul now is. No more worrying about burns or cuts. No more meditating in the garden... Well, not a requirement anymore. That is one indulgence I'd never wish to take from you. I'm quite jealous... Summer's garden is one of my favourite places in all the worlds."

Luna growled beside him, and Trei looked at her in surprise, "My sister is out there dying to keep Trei safe, and you're already trying to one-up her? Claim him?"

"I can't claim him." Yio rolled her eyes, "He's still part mortal. Even if he got the body of a Fate, as is his right. Little Luna, I am no threat to you or your sister's happiness. This one time is the only time I'll be allowed to visit. I created this problem by falling for him... So my sisters have decided that punishment shall be that I can never have him... But my heart will always belong to him."

Luna flinched, pulling back and grabbing Trei's hand, "That's cruel."

"Yes." Yio shrugged, "But I broke a lot of our laws when I tried to fate you, Trei, into loving me. I was a stupid petulant child, trying to make a mortal fall for someone... Different. I changed your fate, and that was cruel to you."

Trei sighed heavily, tossing around his thoughts but not landing on any single one in particular. It was a lot to take it. Especially while Summer was dying, he was facing a probable death at the hand's of an assassin, and might be part Fate. Whatever the blazes that meant.

Yio smiled at him sadly, "You aren't part Fate, Trei. You are human. Completely, and wholly. Just like you were before you died, and just as you are now. You don't lose that just because you get something new. You're human, and you're a ghoul, and you're a Fate. All of them, all equally true."

He sighed heavily, "Great. Just what I needed, another woman who can read my thoughts in my life."

"Not thoughts. Timelines." Yio grinned, "You've asked me that question a few times. I thought I would anticipate it this timeline."

He cocked his head, "What?"

"I'm not linear, like you." Yio sighed heavily, as if she were explaining a difficult topic to a child, "I exist in every possible timeline. I exist in what you think is the past, the present and the future, simultaneously. I am everywhere, and everywhen. That is what being a Fate is... Like. We exist outside of the normal flow of causal relationships. If we didn't, we wouldn't be able to change someone's destiny would we?"

Trei winced, "But... You say I'm Fate. Doesn't that mean I should...?"

"Yes and no." Yio said with clear frustration, "You are outside the normal causal flow of events. You've made three Fae and one human lose their minds over you. You are... Experiencing time as a linear construct, true, in part. Part of that is... Habit. Part of it is the human in you, and I suspect a significant part is also the mindless ghoul in you. Hard for a creature of instinct to respond to a more unified picture of reality."

He sighed, shaking his head, "I... This is too much. Not on top of everything else."

"I'm sorry." Yio said, shrugging, suddenly seeming less confident and much more self-conscious, "I really am. Its my fault."

Her voice cracked as she continued, "I screwed up. And now I'm ruining your life. Again and again. Watching the man I wanted for myself get torn apart by his guilt and worry and... I can only help, right now. I won't be allowed to come back. You don't have the capacity to learn without time passing, and we don't have enough of what you call time to teach you how to use your powers... Once I give you a new body, Trei, just know that you can make things... Better."

Astrian finally spoke from her perch behind them, "You say that this is his right, can he claim it at a later time? Or is this opportunity it?"

Yio smiled over at Luna, "Oh, you should watch her. Trying to deny your own love is far more dangerous than seeking it. No, Astrian, this is not a final offer. Finality would imply time actually exists, but it doesn't. However, claiming the right might be difficult in what you view as the future."

Trei shrugged, "What do I have to lose? Things are pretty bad already."

Luna bristled beside him, looking at the Fate with a look that Trei strongly suspected might be considered a weapon of war in some circles, and then spoke quietly, "You changed my fate too, didn't you?"

"No." Yio yawned, "He did. I think I've said that a few times now. Try and keep up, honey."

Trei flinched as he felt a rush of wind, watching as Luna seemed to be frozen in midair, wings spread. Across from him Yio shook her head sadly, "That one, Trei, is full of anger. Much of it is directed towards you. You'll have to be careful... But, stand up."

He walked over to the naked woman slowly, nervously, and she sized him, considering, "Time for that flesh to die."

He screamed as fire burned through him, as a sensation he could only describe as a tearing overwhelmed his every sense. He fell onto one knee, gasping for breath and holding his chest. He looked up at her weakly, tears in his eyes, "What was that?"

"You think that's air you're breathing?" Yio asked, raising an eyebrow, and Trei looked behind him slowly, staring as he saw himself there, lying prone. He looked at his hands cautiously. He still felt like he was physical. It wasn't like he was transparent or anything.

Yio grabbed his chin, picking him onto his feet with a single swift movement. She twisted his head back and forth, "Good. Your soul is intact. You live, Trei, because you have the will to live. So long as you keep fighting, you will never die. Well, you wouldn't die, but something else. Something worse."

He winced as he felt her fingers holding him, "You're strong."

She smiled cheekily, her eyes shining, "Yes. So are you. More than you know... I..." The Fate paused, touching his cheek softly, "I wish that you would want this. To know me. You could, one day. You could join us, become a real Fate... But you won't."

Trei felt a shiver run down his back, "I don't understand."

"I already know how this turns out." Yio rolled her eyes, "And you... Don't love me. You never do. Goodbye, Trei."

She turned around, and before he could speak she was gone. Luna crashed into the couch in a burst of wood and fluff. Astrian appeared next to his body, crouched, her wings spread. Trei turned, frowning at the butler who had tears in her eyes. "I'm not dead, Astrian."

The Fae's wings twitched and she glanced around, "Trei?"

Luna stood up, picking wood out of her hair, "The Fate killed him, Astrian. He's gone. Just like Summer. Everyone is dead, and everyone else is going to die."

"I'm not dead!" Trei yelled angrily, and Astrian stood up, "I can hear him, Luna. Somewhere nearby... She killed his mortal flesh."

Luna crossed her arms, "Then without a new body, like she promised, he's a goner. The spirits will come and drag his soul off to the next world. So... Yeah, he's dead."

Trei clenched his fists angrily, "I am not goddamn dead, Luna!"

The white-haired Fae went pale white, staring, "Tell me you saw that, Astrian."

The blonde stood up, and nodded slowly, circling where Trei was standing, "I think you can hear us, Trei. We can't see you, we can't hear you... You've been set a task. The only way to survive, to come back to us, is to... Learn how to be a Fate. This is a trial by fire."

Luna swallowed, twirling her hair unconsciously, "Oh, and Trei... You're terrifying."