What Comes After

What Comes After

I'm not sure when I even woke up, but it seems as if someone just flipped the switch and freed me from whatever state I was in. Because the last thing I remember is falling into a chasm of death and now I'm sitting in a patch of grass, staring at the awfully blue sky. 

Blue sky. It looks nice today. Almost too bright for the…

Wait. Is it?

I feel the grass with my fingertips, the gentle rushing breeze tickling my nose. Am I really back in the real world?

I jump to my feet, looking around the forest, hoping to catch a glance of another human being. Anyone who can confirm that this is my new reality. Hopefully… the one I want to see most. 

Yes, this is the real world.

I shake, looking back and forth in a frenzied attempt to find the source of the whisper. It's the same voice that has followed me in my dreams and throughout my quest. "Who are you?" I called out. "Show yourself!" 

Nothing happens at first, but then something around me shifts in the blink of an eye. The air begins to swirl together, forming a sheer outline that solidifies into a pale, beautiful being wearing a long robe and adorned with broad, delicate wings. Its face is thin, with white eyes that lack pupils, framed by long white eyelashes and small lips. Thick white hair tumbles from its head to its waist, rippling with curls and adding femininity to its, or her appearance. I probably should be more scared, but I feel like I've seen everything by now. And there's so something so comforting about her presence, giving me some indication that she wouldn't hurt me.

"I have been your guide over your journey. I guess you could call me Fate, as you have been describing me for quite some time. Please, don't be frightened," she says, smiling lightly. "You have done well."

I frown, stepping close to her. With shaking fingers, I run my hand down the side of her wing. The soft feathers convince me that I'm not hallucinating. This is actually real. "So everything that happened… was your decision?" I ask slowly.

"No, it wasn't my decision, but a part of something even greater than me. My only purpose was to make sure that the prophecy was fulfilled." 

"Okay," I mumble, my hand falling back to my side. "So you have been in my head all this time? What was even the purpose of the entire prophecy then?"

"Well, I wouldn't quite say that I was in your head, but I guess you could call it something like that. I just whispered to you, or created circumstances that allowed everything to happen that needed to happen. I knew the basic plot line, but every detail and every choice wasn't already planned, as you possess your own free will." She sighs, somehow managing to make that simple action look angelic. "The prophecy allowed for the Shifters—the souls—to decide their own identity within the threat of an inevitable future. How they responded and grew within the given circumstances will dictate their own judgement. Your friend Ray is a clear example of reaching beyond his confinements to obtain something that resembles a quality of life."

My eyes widen as she mentions his name. "Tell me… why am I here when I clearly died? And what happened to Ray… and the werewolves?"

"You didn't clearly die because I carried you out of harm's way. Throwing yourself into the chasm was pretty heroic I'll admit, but you dying had nothing to do with the completion of the prophecy so I made an executive decision. As for your friends, well, it depends." 

"Depends?!" 

"As soon as the crown was consumed, the world was flooded with light. In that single moment, every being was called to the place where he or she belonged. For different people, that means different things. Ray wasn't actually a part of the werewolf society, so he actually moved on to judgement with the rest of the Shifters. In general, the werewolves you know and love still exist but have been scattered, stripped of their powers and given the freedom to find a new purpose for themselves among the humans. Today, you have this freedom as well. You have broken your chains, and now you must choose as the Shifters have chosen."

I stare at my hands, squeezing them into a fist. So.. I'm never going to see Ray again. That fact saddens me, but I know I can't feel too depressed because I know he wanted and needed a resolution. He should have the right to his own happiness. "I'm normal now, right?" I hesitatingly ask, trying to get her to keep talking so I can get as many answers as possible.

"For that question to be answered, you must define normal. Mona, I believe that you are special. Extraordinary even, and you have the power even now to change the world. You don't need supernatural abilities to do so either. So believe in yourself, and gather up the people who care about you the most, because now you belong. Embrace your new destiny, not just for what it will be but for what it is." She smiles widely, lifting her hands into the sky. "Last of all, I'd like to thank you. And as a little parting gift, head to the south for a little while and you'll find him. I know you'll be looking." Her body starts to rise as well, and I subconsciously reach out only to find that only seconds later she is far beyond my reach. After a single blink it seems like she faded into the clouds, only a particle of mist in the endless, blue sky.

The whispers are gone. I feel slightly lonely, but at the same time liberated by the possibilities that this change offers. There is no one to pave the way for me anymore, and I can go in any direction that I choose. Even if Fate was only a figment of my imagination and I'm actually going insane, I can't bring myself to care. 

Instantly I turn and start running to what I know to be the south. Call it intuition, or for all I know it could just be a silly guess. 

But as I run over the peak of the hill and then tumble down the slope, I can make out a figure running my way in the broad clearing. And I would know him from a mile away. 

And suddenly, nothing seems to matter anymore. All my questions, doubts, and suspicions instantly disappear as a pure ecstasy consumes my heart. And even if I don't have powers anymore, my legs still seem to run a mile a minute as I know that he is on the other side waiting for me. This was never goodbye. 

And we're finally here, in a rather large forest, not knowing quite where we are or where we are going, much less where we are even going to start. Yet nothing else has ever felt so right, not in my entire life, with all the shards coming together to form a beautiful picture of a perfect world. 

I choose you.

Immediately we reach for each other, searching for the warmth that only the other person provides. "It's good to see you again," I say laughingly into his ear, stroking his arm. He doesn't answer immediately, crushing my body in a tight embrace with his lips dancing down my neck.

He finally lifts his head, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "I don't really understand anything, but one minute I'm about to get killed by this one lame Shifter and the next I'm sitting in a green field with a strange urge to go north. But the best part is, I don't even care about how strange this may be because somehow I still have you."

"I don't understand much either," I say softly, "But Iet's try to understand together. Here's what I know so far: We are somewhere on Earth, we are free of the prophecy, and our friends are… alive as well. We only have to find them."

"Even Ray?" He asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. My breath catches for a moment, and then I try to keep calm as I form an answer. He seems to guess what I'm about to say from my hesitation, and shakes his head slowly.

"Ray… is in heaven, staring at us from above. He's having the time of his life right now, I just know it." I smile into the clouds, knowing that this has to be true. Ray is priceless to us, even with the web of lies he spun, and he will be within our hearts forever. Xavier looks at me for a minute, and then bows his head, closing his eyes. 

"So, where are the others?" Xavier asks quietly. He rubs my back in slow, circular motions as we briefly dwell in our remembrance of Ray. We stand there for a few minutes, absorbing the fact that Ray is happy and that he wants us to find our own happiness as well.

"I don't know. But that is what we need to do first. Let's find them, and then we can create our new future," I finally say determinedly, "let's not lose anyone else." Both of our expressions brighten, and I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. Our friends could be anywhere, but with our combined, probably obnoxious willpower I know we will reunite with them quickly.

"We will find them," Xavier agrees, "We can't and won't lose anyone else." But then his expression brightens and he smiles devilishly. "But this comes first."

He tackles me, pushing me to the ground while his arms snake around to protect my back from the impact. I can't contain a annoying, rather girly yelp as he moves to trap me in the thick grass, his hands on either side of my head and his torso draped over my own.

"I'm so thankful for you that I just want to show a bit of my appreciation," he says sweetly, "so let me begin with a few bites of my one and only lady." Leaning down, he captures my bottom lip in his teeth, coaxing my mouth open. I shiver in anticipation as he nibbles at my lip before moving in for a tender kiss.

"Xavier, someone will-"

"No one will see us," he slightly growls, "and if they do, let them watch. I've been waiting patiently for you and for this."

He reaches for my shoulder and his fingers dance around my shirt sleeves as he kisses me again. Overwhelming euphoria mounts as the simple kiss grows in breathless intensity. Gently sliding my neckline to stretch over my shoulder, his hand moves to my collarbone, and then trails down teasingly to my waist. 

I helplessly moan in frenzied protest and he stops suddenly, staring at me. "Are you saying you don't want this?" He asks, the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. 

"I just…" Having lost the words, I just stare back at him, desire gnawing at my reservations. What was I trying to say? I don't even remember anymore.

"I'm going to wait until you say it," Xavier shrugs, slowly twisting his body to the side, away from me. At the movement, the sudden loss of warmth jerks me into action and I grab his arm nervously.

"I do…" I manage to choke out, immediately looking to the side so he doesn't see my embarrassment. As soon as I move my head his hand snakes out to the side of my face, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"What do you want, Mona?" he asks softly, teasingly. His other hand slides up my waist to my shoulders, slyly tugging at the thin fabric. This is just too much. I've just about had enough of this.

"Come here," I mumble, jerking his head downwards in a sudden movement and forcing him to meet my lips. No more games, because this is real. And he knows it too, moving furiously, both of us wishing to stop time as we drown in each other's passion.

Yet time does pass, the sun falling on our first day of a new life that shines with the brightness of a happy future. And even though this time around we have no assurances or guarantees, it still feels better this way. Because regardless of where we are or what happens to us, we are home and will always belong to each other. 

This is only the beginning.

**** Thanks for Reading! 

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