Beginning and End

Realizing she would finally have to deal with all her feelings towards the man standing in front of her, Ria balled her hands into fists as she let the tears fall.

"Tell me why I should want to let you live. Tell me why I should continue living with this pain, knowing...knowing I love you as much as I hate you. How could you be unfaithful...even though part of me knew, how could you? I loved you so completely. I gave you everything."

"I know I failed you in more ways than one as Caster, but my love both times wasn't a lie. I came back this time ready to do things right, but it wasn't until Emiya...until I saw your love for Emiya and talked with him about you that I realized just how selfish I had been about my love for you. I never considered you. I only considered myself. I was so insecure in my love for you that it drove me into and out of your arms in ways, I never intended. I can understand not wanting to keep me around, but I swear on my soul that if I fail you this time, I will make sure I never come back. I won't deserve to."

Ria stared at him skeptically.

"I don't want to take you away from Emiya. I want to share a piece of what you two have so I can stay by your side and make up for all the times I failed."

He walked up to her slowly and stood in front of her as she went to sit on the bed. Placing his hand tentatively on her cheek, he stared into her eyes with tears in his. "I love you so damn much it hurts. I'm terrified you will leave me, and I know that isn't fair after all the times I left you, but I never want to live without you. Please, Ria, let me stay with you."

Ria had never seen Cú cry, let alone show any vulnerability. She was moved, and her heart hurt. "The love I gave you was so genuine, so pure. I gave you my love, virginity, and will to live."

He fell to his knees and buried his face in her upturned hands as his tears fell. "I know. I don't deserve another chance. Just, please. I know I can make things right this time."

Looking at his despair Ria's eyes caress his features. He was just as beautiful as he used to be, as he had always been, and she found herself wanting him even more now than she did so many years ago.

"Just know if you betray me again, I will kill myself and make sure your soul dies with you."

Squeezing her hands before he looked at her with grateful surprise, he nodded. "I understand. Thank you for always trusting and loving me even despite myself."

"Don't let me regret it."

"I won't." He dried his tears with the back of his hand.

"Then I will transfer your ownership to me." Reciting the chant, the magic to transfer his ownership, left her in awe of what she saw. The man kneeling suddenly turned into Proto as he was the day he knelt in front of her, vowing his undying love. When he stood, he became Caster as he was the last night they had spent in the cabin in the mountains after getting the stone. Then as he walked towards her, he was Lancer again.

"Cú you...do you have access to your Proto and Caster selves?"

He closed his eyes and then opened them, turning into Caster. "It would seem so."

Ria blushed. "I guess having been together intimately for so long kept our magical signatures stored in your circuits keeping the power to evolve dormant. It must have unlocked due to our intense emotion, though I thought we had to be Life Bonded for that to happen."

"Wouldn't you say at this point we have been Life Bonded since we have shared three lives?" His gaze was full of love as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I guess that could provide a loophole." She answered skeptically.

His eyes light up. "Speaking of loopholes...." reaching up, he removed the earring from his left ear before removing hers from her left and placing each in the other person's vacant home. "...this belongs to you."

Ria's eyes begin to tear. "Do you have any idea-" Raising her hand to her face to try to hide the sobs, "I fucking hate you. I love you so much; I hate you. I missed you so badly. What took you so fucking lo-"

And then his lips were on hers, but not forceful like usual. They were demanding but soft, caressing with each touch as he tried to convey everything lost between them. Having no desire to resist, Ria had to accept she had wanted him badly for so long. Even knowing this would complicate things with Em, her feelings for them were separate yet the same. All she knew at this moment was she needed the man in front of her whom she had cherished for more than half her life.

"Cú, please, dear god, don't break me. Not again. I can't."

"Sing for me, Mo grá. Tell me I still make you happy. Tell me what you need so I can love you the way you deserved all this time."

She moaned through tears as her legs wrapped around his now naked body, her fingers diving into his hair as he gently guided her back against the bed. His lips burn her skin as if his tongue writes runes of fire and passion over every place he licks and sucks while removing her shirt and bra, discarding them god knows where.

"It hurts Cú. It hurts so badly." Her tears turn into sobs as he catches her now exposed nipple between his teeth and nibbles at it gently while sliding his hands down her sides. Ria had never suspected of being in this much pain from losing him all those years ago, but as each touch from his body ignited her, spears of loss, anger, and pain shredded her heart and soul, threatening to disembowel her from the inside.

"Give it all to me, Ria. Let me take it all and show you nothing but love and ecstasy. I won't let you suffer anymore." Then his lips trailed down her stomach and over the crease of her hip and pelvis as he slowly pulled her pants and panties together before delving into her slit.

At that moment, she was back in bed with Caster as he teased her body relentlessly, eliciting every noise she could make. Her hands reached for his hair as he plunged his tongue and fingers deep inside her, seducing her clit. Crying out in pleasure, she also cried from the pain of being deprived of this love for so long.

As her walls began to clamp around his fingers which he inserted and drove deep into her core, he lifted his head from between her legs, removing soaked fingers from her sex. Looking at her with desperate longing, he parted her legs and kissed her knees. "May I make love to you, my Heaven?"

He had never asked; he always just took. Bursting with love and loss, she could tell he was no longer the same foolish man she had promised her everything to in another life.

"Cú?"

" Mo grá?"

"Make love to me like I'm your soulmate. Even after all the pain, you are still the other half of my existence."

Climbing between her legs, she could see his body shaking as he looked her in the eye. "Until the stars fall from your eyes and the world turns dust."

His hand glided down and over her thigh as he kissed her breasts. Humming in pleasure as his tongue flicked over her nipple after tracing over its peak, his hand moved from her inner thigh to her ass and then up the curve of her lower back as he kissed and nipped up her collarbone and over her shoulder.

Gently his hand on her hip pulled her towards him. "Turn over for me. I don't want to miss any part of you."

Having forgotten about her tattoo, she was painfully reminded as his finger traced the outline of the bow and arrow. Turning to look at him, Ria could see a deep sadness in his eyes.

"I don't blame you; I blame myself. I should have made better choices. I should have loved you properly. My love for you is strangling me even more now that I know you love another."

Quickly she rolled back over and yanked the arm his weight was supported on, causing him to fall to his back. Not wishing to lose the advantage, she straddled him, holding his right shoulder down with her hand as her lips crashed against his and the fingers of her free hand wrapped around his cock.

"I have never..." she kissed him "...ever..." and kissed him again "...loved anyone..." and again as her hand stroked up his shaft as she swallowed his moans "...the way I love and have always loved you." her tongue penetrating his parted lips demandingly, caressing his tongue until they both couldn't breathe.

As he lay there panting, staring into her eyes with lust, Ria positioned her hips above him and sheathed him in one swift movement causing her fingers to dig into his shoulder as an "I love you, Mo grá" escaped her lips.

It had been centuries since she last felt his heat penetrate her core, though it had never felt this sweet. Enveloping her lips with his, her hand got a firm grip on his shoulder before shifting her weight and rolling onto her back, pulling him on top of her.

"I missed you so much." Bringing her lips to his neck, she whispered before kissing his sensitive skin.

"I missed you too, more than I ever thought possible. Being without you has been like losing half of my very existence."

Kissing him more aggressively, her hands rake down his back. "You are just as fucking sexy as the last time I was under you. The feel of your strong yet delicate hands on my thighs, your well-defined chest above me as your back muscles tense and harden when you thrust into me, and then your ass. God, I love your ass. I always have."

Cú had now turned bright red. Leaning down to hide his face in her chest, he mumbles in embarrassment. "Do you find me that attractive?" His voice was sheepish and insecure but so cute.

"I always have. You have always been my fantasy and reality."

He groaned in embarrassment. "You are so mean, Ria!"

"Should I not tell you how I feel?"

"I didn't say that, but maybe not when I'm trying to make love to you." He looked at her bashfully, causing her to bring her lips to his ear.

"Would you rather I told you to fuck me senseless with that raging cock of yours until I can't see straight?"

He growled then before digging his fingers into her ass and thrusting in hard enough to bottom out, causing her back to arch as a soundless gasp crossed her lips. "You make me want you more than I ever have before." His voice suddenly takes on a savage tone, one that speaks of animal instinct and desire.

"Ravage me." Ria's voice was pure unbridled seduction as one hand caressed down his neck while the other drug its nails up his back. Savoring the shudder his whole body gave, all she could do was release a silent gasp as he bit down on her neck and thrusts into her with the force of a man crazed. Keeping her lips at his ear, her moans tear from her as wanting him has never been so raw.

Taking her legs, he puts them over his shoulders before he sits up and grabs her hips, digging his fingers into the soft flesh. It is when he sits up that she then notices the designs now painted on his chest and face. His eyes also hold darkness that wasn't there before, but before she can focus on it, he pulls out of her and flips her over, only to penetrate her from behind.

As a hand grips her ass, another snakes around to stimulate her from the front. Cold and demanding, it feels like all the heat has been drained from his body, but the cold against her wet heat stimulates her even more. Gripping the sheets, he pounds into her drawing out her orgasm with his aggressive attentiveness to her clit.

"Cú...I'm..."

And then she is face down on the mattress as her hips buck against him, convulsing in the aftermath of an intense orgasm. Screaming into the bed, he thrusts deep and hard until her body stops spasming. Only then does she feel a hand gently rub up and down her back as something heavy lands on the bed and begins thumping against the mattress softly. Looking up in confusion, she saw a sizeable spiked tail in front of her, lazily wagging up and down.

"Don't be afraid, Mo grá it's just me."

Shifting to look behind her, she sees Cú's soft eyes looking at her from the body of her nightmare; she remains frozen in confusion.

"Cú?"

"It would seem we have awoken my final self." He raised a spiked hand to her cheek.

"Can you still love me, knowing I am something from your nightmares?"

Putting a hand over his heart, Ria smiled. "As long as your heart stays yours, I suspect I can."

Then his arms are wrapped around her as he pulls her into him for a loving kiss. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me you will always love me despite myself."

Sighing, she kissed him again. "I promise."

Then he took her left hand and ran a finger over her ring finger as blue runes covered it in a band of light.

"What does it say?"

"My beloved. I should have done that a long time ago." Then he kissed the finger as the light of the runes died. "You are mine for all eternity now. I won't live if you don't."

Curling up against his chest, she prayed this moment could last forever, but Cú's words brought her back to reality sharply.

"So what are you going to do?"

She winced. "About Em?"

"Well, yes, but no. I was more meaningful about the other me. He says you have to choose. Do you want a clean slate where you don't have to worry about sharing, or will you come back to me and let me love you until the world ends?"

I bring my finger to his lips and smile. "I never wanted to live without you, so it's a no-brainer."

I knew you would make the right choice, Child of Man. I chose well in passing my soul onto you. Now you must go forth and defeat your end to start your beginning.

"Thank you, Skellig."

Anytime Child. Just know this. In accepting my soul, you took on an incredible burden for humanity. You have now been charged with saving humanity and creating a new race of Mage, one that can combat the oncoming darkness with ancient magic instead of this soul-devouring dribble mages play with now. That can only happen with the man that you have chosen as your Soulmate and your Guardian. That doesn't mean you cannot breed with others; you will have the greatest chance of offspring with ancient magic between these two.

Ria's eyes light up. "So I can have children?!"

The voice laughs, " Of course, Child. I would not deny you that right to make a home of your body.

"Then why haven't I gotten pregnant?"

Because you haven't wanted to, you are part dragon now, and dragons decide who they will mate with and when they will breed. Your heart has been too divided, so naturally, your body wasn't ready to produce.

Blushing furiously, a finger slide over Ria's ass, and she could see the smile on Cú's face without looking.

"Holding out for me, weren't you, Mo grá?" Then he licked the rim of her ear.

"Shut up, you idiot." Half ass pushing his chest, causing him to chuckle.

There is also the issue of this space. The place you are in is known as a dragon marble. Each dragon has one, and it is the kingdom of its soul. It is where they house their greatest treasures and is accessible only to other dragons and dragon-gifted or dragon blessed. Since it resides in you, you are free to use it as I no longer can, but my presence will always remain here as our souls never indeed die being the essence of magic itself. It will be the best place for the two of you to breed as it is filled with my ancient magic, providing the best chance for offspring with the gift. While you are here, time on the outside will stop, a direct effect of me being the Time Lord. Each dragon marble has a power similar to that. When you are ready to return and finish the final battle, time will resume. Just say the words, and you will be back.

Ria turns to Cú. "I hate to leave your arms, but we need to finish this."

He frowned slightly.

"It'll be alright. I won't leave you."

One last thing. When the battle is over and you are home, I wish to speak with your Guardian, the one you call Emiya. Call your staff and plant it in the ground having him hold it. He can talk to me as long as he holds the staff.

"As you request, Lord of Time."

Pulling herself up from Cú's arms and rising to dress, Ria gathered Cú's clothes and returned them to him. "Until the stars fall from your eyes and the world turns dust." Then she touched his earring and smiled. "My love for you is greater than the seas and more endless than the night. Come with me, beloved. Let us begin again."