Love

A man decorated in elegant robes dyed with an orange hue sat upon a mejestic throne. His gaze was domineering as the pressure he radiated made everybody before him kneel. A small golden crown was place on top of his head as he gazed at the singular subject below him.

"Report," he commanded.

"Conquering God Malphus, the war isn't proceeding as expected," the man who was the supposed 'Great Leader' who commanded Wilhelm and worked right under Malphus trembled before his God.

Nevertheless, he reported. "The Valerians have prepared weaker forces but there are some talented individuals amongst them. The notable few are Edward Howell, Victor Owings, and Ken Volatir. They are winning the war and giving experience to their soldiers at the same time."

Malphus didn't have a change in expression. "You said Ken Volatir has appeared on the battlefield and is working for Valeria?" He was intrigued as to how that could've happened.

The Great Leader nodded and bowed immediately due to the great pressure keeping him down.

"Did you look into the background of that woman soldier, Celine Lithold?" Malphus was trying to find what was causing the changes in this lifetime.

"Yes, she apparently had disappeared and became untraceable before the tower even came. She was last seen in a location east from her house but we haven't seen her in weeks. Why is she so important thought?" The Great Leader asked.

Suddenly, the Great Leader saw how his God drowned himself in deep thought. His God hadn't even wanted to acknowledge his question while he closed his eyes and thought.

"I can't believe it," Malphus mumbled soon after. The Great Leader was left in confusion but didn't dare raise his head.

"You," Malphus pointed at the Great Leader. "Bring the strongest nuke we have and use it in the next battle. I have some work to finish but here in human land but I will be there shortly."

The Great Leader shivered. "I thought we weren't allowed to use nukes or have godly powers descend! You wish to cause a war between Gods?!" His surprise broke through the fear of being killed but Malphus hadn't cared for that at the moment.

He thought of the Divine Hostage who had somehow broken through the mortal coil and how she was recruiting other strong people like Ken with her as well.

"We cannot let her grasp Divine Power. She will be unstoppable."

…

Celine was having a beer with a few Valerian woman soldiers in the war. Her face was masked with the Divine Power of 'Change' that was unique to Celine.

A few days ago she couldn't use it to mask her and Aria's presence in the forest and instead used her telekinesis but she had grown her mastery now. She felt as if she was getting better at using her divinity by the second.

"Cheers!" The group of four women had a toast and drank their problems away.

They talked about the war and how they felt after the first battle. They were mocking humans for being barbarians and criticizing how powerful their rifles were. Celine stealthily 'changed' the appearance of her sigil so to not appear human.

Frankly, Celine would rather be with Aria and Ken who were training but they said her rambunctious attitude made it impossible for them to focus on the war.

She sighed and agreed and that's what let to her having a drink like a normal soldier. It reminded her of some more simpler days as a weak nobody and not a literal immortal God among mortals.

Celine enjoyed her time with the soldiers for a while before she decided to just go talk to Aria. Her boredom was reaching all-time highs and she wanted nothing more than to talk to Aria.

Aria was talking to Neply and teaching him basic magic control. Apparently he had lacked too much control and was too reckless so he permenantly damaged the amount of magic he could use. The power of his flames was the same but he couldn't keep using them as long or his sigil would literally burn him alive.

Celine approached the two with hands inside her pockets. "Cmon, let's go somewhere," she gestured to Aria.

"I have to-" Aria was cut off when she started to float.

"I'm sorry but I wasn't asking. Blame Ken for giving me some advice." The violet aura followed the two as they gently floated up to the sky under the moon.

It was nighttime and darkness usually meant something eerie or scary was present but the two looked up to the moon glow in awe. It was beautiful in a way words can't describe.

They took imaginative seats in the sky as they sat together while looking at the moon.

Aria, once annoyed, allowed herself to be swept by Celine. "Ken gave you advice?" She asked.

"Yes but that's not important. What's really important is how you must repay me for how lonely I feel. The hours I spent without you were agonizing, you know?"

"You're being too clingy."

"But something tells me you might like that part of me. You might like people who are more assertive than somebody who will stand and watch as their relationship drifts away."

Aria remained silent at Celine's words.

"It looks like I was right," Celine had an annoyingly cocky grin. "Then, because I want you to love me, allow me to be very assertive for you then."

Celine pulled Aria closely and wrapped her arm around Aria's shoulder as they gazed towards the moonlight in each others embrace.

"Aria," she asserted calmly. "I love you and I will never stop loving you no matter what. I love you because you are determined to complete your goals of peace and justice.

I love you because you are beautiful and courageous.

I love you because I know you are a kindhearted person to those you care about, even if you have a hard time showing it.

And most of all, I love you because you are yourself.

I don't just love the past Aria from another lifetime, I love you. You are righteous, caring, beautiful, and willing to sacrifice yourself for what you believe in. That is why I love you."

Celine was breathing slightly heavily and was losing focus. "Was that enough?" It wasn't the first genuine confession she had gave but it was the one that meant the most to her.

If Aria didn't like how clingy Celine had been and grew distant because of this, Celine would never forgive herself.

Celine's face was red in embarrassment but she still found courage to glance at Aria and see what she thought about what had just happened.

The most surprising thing was that Aria was also red from embarrassment as well and the two didn't know what to say. Celine had exposed all of her greatest qualities and what she thought about them so Aria was shocked to say the least.

In the end, Aria put her arm around Celine's shoulder like Celine had done to her and they both sat in the air within each others embrace during the night.

They hadn't moved for an entire hour.

Celine wanted every moment of her loneliness to be repaid and they both found warmth in the strange embrace.

Not another word was said but enough feelings were conveyed by the silence.