As Is

Farewell to the Sorrows

(Warnings: Light smut, a bun in the oven, a wedding, a happy ending~...In that order~!)

Soft trickles of light cascaded through light satin curtains, sounds of movements on carpet rousing her awake. Esther squinted, the light not even harsh, but it still hurt slightly after being asleep for so long.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake," a kind male voice, greeted, sounding close as she let her eyes focus.

A damp washcloth dabbed her forehead, but was immediately removed when Esther forced herself to sit up, her body stiff and sore all over.

Abel Nightroad was sitting in a small stool, looking tired and yet peaceful. When their eyes met, a sharp pain filled Esther's mind as the last few months poured through her mind to fill her with what had happened, and what she'd done.

She began to tremble and cry, tears pouring from her eyes. "F-Father, what have I done to you?" her voice quavered, tears cascading instantly down her cheeks. She remembered shooting Abel, fighting him, the venomous return to the Vatican, the declaration of hatred against him, partnering herself with Dietrich and weaving conspiracies with him that made her shudder to her core. All of it was met with reality and because of it she wept.

"Now, now, it's all over now. You were being possessed by my brother, but you resisted and freed yourself. It takes a rare kind of strength to be able to do that, Esther," Abel praised lightly, acting like the serious man she knew him for. But, what his seriousness was directed at concerned her.

"Father, do you realize the implications of my actions? I conspired with the enemy, and committed treason against the Vatican! I deserve to be arrested!" Esther cried, her tears drying up into a stillness of fear.

"We'll speak of this later, Esther. I'm taking us somewhere to be alone. I know that you'll have questions, but right now I can't answer them. It'll only be another hour. Rest, and then you may ask me whatever you like." With that Abel left the room, the door shwooshing shut behind.

Esther's heart raced into her throat, and fear began to climb into and claim her mind.

At this point in time, she could only clasp her hands together and pray.

In the hour that she'd been given Esther had dressed quickly, having put on a simple travel dress much like the one she'd worn before their mission two months before. Her heart clenched guiltily, remembering that it had all began with her falling prey to Stella's seductions to her petty little problems. She knew better than to think that Cain's plan had been centered around her, but her participation in it had made it that much harder for Abel.

She still felt the same as before, completely uncertain as to Abel's feelings for her. When he'd spoken, he'd sounded sad and disappointed, but also detached like his mind was elsewhere. She could imagine why. Abel had spent the past two months fighting his heart out to maintain the balance of the world, and when he'd rescued her and foiled the last of Cain's dreams of war with nightmares of peace, she must've only been a hindrance to him. As far as she was concerned, they were most likely on an airship returning to the Vatican where they would part ways for good.

After all, if she were him, she'd do the same for someone as much of a burden as she was.

Esther walked over to the small room's window and brushed away a curtain, pressing her forehead to the cool glass, watching as a sea of clouds drifted by, the languid ormnithopter beating its wings slowly, the lonely expanse of unprotected sky rising aloft into an unexplored distance. Suddenly, she felt a creaking and buckling of inner mechanisms as the airship began to slowly descend.

Startled, she pulled the curtains closed in haste, her heart hammering in her throat. She noticed in alarm as a creaking metal shield enclosed the window, reducing the room to the one light dangling from its sconce above, making her feel like a prisoner condemned to death.

She steeled herself, feeling like how she did when she and Sherah had defied both the empire and the Vatican in order to save her comrades. No matter what would happen, whether it was excommunication from the church or imprisonment, she would remain as strong as Sherah had been.

The door opened and Abel was waiting, his face unnervingly solemn as he stood before her, motioning with a hand for her to come to him. She did, and she felt slightly shocked as he tied a blindfold over her eyes.

"We'll be entering an undisclosed location that must remain secret. I'm afraid that you'll have to bear with me until we arrive to where we need to be." She nodded, unresistant to his demands.

She smiled sadly. "I'm going to face severe consequences for my actions, isn't that so? I suppose it's inevitable considering that I assisted the enemy, controlled by him or not. Father, I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happens, you did your duty where I failed. You'll always be a dear friend to me."

"Is that so," he responded in monotone.

A hand to her back led her through winding halls and mazes, putting complete faith in the one who led her. She felt so at peace, knowing that Cain's plan had been foiled and that peace might finally be achieved with him out of the way. No matter what her fate would come to, that single fact filled her with a sense of unrelenting peace.

She heard as a loud hatch became disengaged, lowering shakily to the ground. Both she and Abel, knowing fully that it was him leading her, descended it, somewhat surprised when her footsteps crunched over grass.

It was most likely the Vatican lawns since they must've rushed to prepare a trial upon her capture. By the tint staining the blindfold, she surmised that it was sunset.

Both of them stopped as the dissonance of the ormnithoper thumped away, soon completely alone wherever they were. Gentle fingers unknotted the blindfold, Esther completely shocked as to what lay before her.

It wasn't the grand facade of the Vatican or even St. Peter's Square. It was a lush field crowned with an endless blanket of tall sweet grasses that filled her senses with unerring comfort and serenity. Supple blooms of wildflowers sprouted intermittently, adding to the delicate spring fragrances, the late June air slipping into the warmth of summer. A tall ring of broad leaf trees brimmed over the field in a soothing embrace, each topped by golden leaves aflame in the setting sun. Each leaf was ablaze with the light of the late day, motes of dust and pollen catching the light like tender stars. The sky was ablaze with gold from the sun, a halo of beamed light split by every tree, sinking to sleep in a bed of nature. The sunset was soon being hushed by clouds in multitudes of warm and cool colors, sending Esther into a feeling of nirvana.

Esther wandered around in delirium, her mind reeling.

She came before Abel, the man silent as she spoke, "Father, I thought that I was going to be arrested and sent to trial. This isn't—"

He seized her in his arms, holding her so tightly she thought that she might suffocate. "Nothing of the sort will befall you, Esther," Abel said in a sweet whisper, cloaking her within his warm embrace.

"Then what am I doing here, Father?" she asked incredulously, her eyes filled with innocent bewilderment as she gazed up at him.

He brought them both to the ground, Esther sinking beside him. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you, Esther. There's something very important that I've been keeping from you."

Esther clenched some of the grass, nearly ripping it out.

"The real reason I've been so secretive is that I've only this evening and tomorrow to live. I will die unless I find a mate, the Crusnik's Shadow, and produce a child through her that will inherit Crusnik genealogy, and become the same as me. This woman needs to be someone that I love, otherwise it will fail and tomorrow will be my last day upon this earth. The mission truly put me into dire straits, Esther. For the last two months, as I approached my Millennium, I was charged with fighting Cain who was preparing to force both sides into war. And because of completing it in its totality only as of yesterday, the urgency of this mission eclipsing my need to find a Shadow, I couldn't find the time to properly prepare this woman," Abel explained, eyes watching the fireflies drift beautifully through the taller jade grasses.

The truth as he spoke it weighed upon her shoulders word by word, filling her heart with more dread then anything she'd thought she'd ever face. Abel was going to die...and the woman he loved was dead. Now there was no one. But, she couldn't let it hang like this. She had to tell him before it was too late.

Esther hung her head, completely averting Abel, scooting away from him as she began to speak in an inaudible voice. "I haven't been entirely honest either, Father," she began, heart throbbing into her throat. "The real reason Stella was able to win me over and then control me was because of you...because of my feelings for you. I-I know that this isn't my place to speak, but please, if you and I can only be here together now, then I have to say this... I'm...in love with you, Father. I've been this way for awhile. But, I know that you still love Lilith. I'm pathetic for feeling this way, and when Stella made me realize how much I bother and hinder you...I saw the light of truth. You'll always love Lilith above every other woman who might have feelings for you... And your Shadow...I'm sure Lady Sforza could fill that role. I know that by how she looks at you and..."

"I don't want Caterina as my Shadow, Esther."

Esther immediately raised her head, protesting, "But, Lilith is gone! What will you—"

Abel raised himself on all fours, nearing inexorably close to Esther, they face to face. "I don't want Caterina or even Lilith, Esther. I've loved you for so long now that you're the one I want. And hearing you reciprocate my feelings makes me the happiest man in the world," he said softly, like the warm and fragrant breeze wafting through his bangs delicately.

"You do?" Esther squeaked, feeling a searing heat rise within her. Abel advanced over her, their faces exceedingly close, Esther barely propped on her elbows.

"I love you, Esther Blanchett, Star of Istvan," he murmured, finally closing the gap between their lips with a tender kiss, his eyes sinking closed while hers remained wide.

"Father...I love you, too..." Esther finally said as they drew apart, Abel smiling softly and chuckling to himself.

"It's somewhat hard to believe that you fell for me when you've made it very clear that you find me annoying," Abel chuckled, both finally resting on the ground, his cheek resting against her bosom.

Esther flushed and looked away, trying hard not to look him in the eye. "No, I actually think that you're pretty cute when you act that way..." she admitted with whispered reluctance.

She felt him smile. "That makes me incredibly glad." A pregnant spell of silence spanned between them, the air growing somewhat tense despite its laden warmth.

"Esther, I'm sorry, but time is running out. I'm afraid that we have to...before it's too late," Abel urged with a slight blush to his cheeks, rising, sliding his glasses up his nose as they had fallen slightly.

He pulled Esther into his lap, blanketing her once more and resting his chin on her head. She held his hands, feeling smaller then ever in his embrace. "...You want me to create a life with you, right? And if I don't, you'll die..."

"Yes," Abel confirmed in a strained voice, "but you're still only nineteen, still so young."

"I love you, Father...I'll do anything for you..." Esther promised.

He let her off, she sitting before him. His eyes seemed to melt warmly as he smiled endearingly at her. Abel bent forward to whisper in her ear, "Do what you want, Esther."

Abel released her and closed his eyes, letting Esther do as she willed. As he he sat motionless, she stroked a hand over his face, lingering at his lips, trailing down to his collar. She timidly unhooked his cassock, the man shrugging it off his shoulders to the ground in a heap. She slowly undid belts at his waist, setting them aside, returning to his over-tunic that she unzipped, seeing a peek of his naked flesh beneath, Abel opening his eyes as he stripped it off, left to his pants.

Esther stopped, rising up to kiss his lips hesitantly, creeping lower towards his neck, then reaching his chest where she stopped over his heart. She noticed with a heart fluttering in apprehension the sinking sun as it neared nightfall, barely a sliver of light left.

"It's almost night, Father," she told him, he merely smiling kindly in turn.

"Don't worry; I'll protect you if anything happens," he whispered reassuringly, gladly kissing her. "There's nothing that you need to worry about."

Abel took his turn in topping her, Esther's vision slightly blinded from the lack of sunlight, a rich chorus of grasshoppers playing the melody of summer the fireflies danced lightly along to, drifting through their love-making with occasional jumps of light that illuminated the older man's giddy face.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," he reassured with a teasing kiss to her cheek.

She couldn't think twice as Abel's hand crept up her thigh, lingering over every contour, encountering a slew on tingling flesh unused to a romantic touch. Esther's breath hitched as he gently groped her breasts, seeming to savor the moment with a little bit too much fervor for her liking. His long hair became undone as she undid the ribbon, waves of long silver hair like starlight spilled over his shoulders and all around them. Abel lowered himself his kiss her intensely, tongue snaking into her mouth, met with meager resistance.

She barely comprehended as Abel slipped the dress over her head, moving to her bra and panties, soon reduced to nothing but bare skin. She shivered beneath his bare form, foreign sensations riddling her body.

"I'll be gentle," a voice hushed, seeming to have a profound effect on her body that relaxed as his warm form molded to hers.

Suddenly, she felt something pierce inside of her, she gasping as it dug deeper and deeper into her core. She felt her mind taken up into dizzying heights as it was riddled it like a drug, searing her through the heat of hell with pleasure like heaven. She felt a new connection tied taut within him, becoming as one. Kisses rained down upon her face and body, their limbs entwining, everything becoming like a crystalline existence.

She tossed back her head and gasped as they climaxed together, breaking their fleeting yet inseperable bond at last. Tears built up in her eyes, but she forced herself to hold them back, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

"Esther, are you alright?" Abel asked with tender concern, his eyes shining and sparkling as a firefly drifted in between them.

She nodded her head determinedly, Abel smiling as he kissed her.

Esther pushed herself from under Abel and fumbled around for her undergarments and dress, putting them on as quickly as possible. She heard the distant zip of Abel dressing himself as well, peeking shyly over to him.

She squeaked as she felt his arms encircle her, the familiar cassock draped over his shoulders. "Should I be concerned by your shyness?" he asked teasingly, she falling reluctantly into his lap.

"You're my first time! What, am I supposed to be jumping for joy?" she snapped, simmering like her old self again. Abel chuckled but continued holding her, Esther only pouted childishly, mouth clamped shut. Abel chuckled at her return to herself, feeling as if nothing had changed between them despite her new status as his Shadow.

"I have good news you might like to hear, Esther," he said enticingly, the girl's anger melting away into curiosity.

She craned her head up at the taller man. "What is it?" she asked insistently, so much like a child.

He pulled her a little closer, she now buried within him. "My Crusnik informed me that everything was successful. It seems that I'll be alive for millennium to come, thanks to you. And...you may be receiving some very good news of your own within a few days or weeks," he whispered with a quiet smile alighting to his face, kissing the back of her head.

"I'll be a mother soon, won't I? And you'll be the father..." Esther's head slightly hurt at the thought. In less than twenty-four hours she went from complete uncertainty over her future with the Vatican and Abel to becoming his lover and the future mother of his child.

"Yes, you will. And you'll be the prettiest mommy in the world," Abel sighed, hands coming to rest on her lower abdomen, on what would be the womb for a child.

Their child, she realized with trepidation.

"Esther! Is it really true?" Ion Fortuna called with desperation as Esther turned to look at him, the Methuselah and Shadow taking a stroll through the Vatican gardens at night over a week later.

The past week and a half had been extremely busy. Because of the success of Abel's mission, the man had risen in the ranks of AX and was called on a mission to throughly inspect the sabotaged bases Cain had created months before as part of a plan that had fallen into complete ruin. In doing so, he'd been summoned in the early morning after that night to fulfill the last leg of the inspections collaborated upon by the Empire and the Vatican in conjunction. It'd been over a week since she'd seen Abel, but she felt alienated from him despite their newfound relationship. The reality of their stations, a man of action and a lady-saint, made her feel as though nothing had really changed, and that they were back to where they'd started. And lately, she'd begun to feel extremely run down with the burgeoning of new duties.

While Caterina assured her that there was no way that she could be charged for treason, her kidnapping (as the Vatican had rehashed the past few months to the public) into Cain's clutches had terribly shaken many within the congregation and beyond, her life now reduced to a guarded, sandbox existence. Even the pope had managed to work up the courage to mandate an order for her continual protection and surveillance by friends and strongarms. It made her already hectic life even more busy, rumors of a European tour for religious resurgences in the works.

Esther gazed at Ion with a tired kindness in her eyes for her dear friend, smiling brightly. "So what have you heard, Ion? If it's about the religious tour, it seems to just be a rumor at the moment."

Ion came to her side, taking the bouquet of flowers Esther had been gathering from her hands, cradling them in an arm. "When I was speaking with Lady Sforza on the progress of her most recent mission undertaken by AX, she asked if I'd be seeing you this evening. When I said yes, she requested me to tell you that Father Nightroad has been annoying her with calls concerning you several times a day and she wants you to finally call him since I guess you haven't. What's going on, Esther?" he asked, standing by his friend.

Esther peeked over his shoulder at Father Tres who was standing nearby as a sentinel, watching her every movement with a stiff eye. She glanced back at Ion. "Let's go over to the gazebo overlooking the lake. That way Father Tres won't see or hear us," she smiled sneakily, causing Ion to blush at her cuteness.

Ion let her take an arm like a gentleman, both of them walking a short distance to the gazebo overlooking the lake, a quiet mirror to the sky overhead lit brightly with stars like diamonds and a crescent moon like a Cheshire's smile.

They sat on the benches interwoven in the small gazebo, peacefully gazing out on the moonlit lake smooth as mercury.

"You're wearing a ring, Esther," Ion observed slyly, seated next to her and giving her an expectant look.

"I have a lot to tell you, don't I?" Esther sighed, smoothing out some crinkles on the seat of her habit. Ion was leaning against one of the supports of the wiry gazebo, glancing away apprehensively.

"You don't have much too tell me, Esther, to be honest. Lady Sforza told me everything... You just looked so tired and alone that I thought maybe talking will help you," Ion confessed, cheeks flushed in shame under the light of a small lamp post.

"He never told me anything when he left, but when I woke up, I had this ring around my finger. I guess it means that he proposed," Esther figured, smiling as she gazed out at the moon with a twinge of sadness tugging at her heart.

"He's been calling you to ask about you...and the baby, hasn't he?" Ion asked gingerly, they matching eyes.

Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes, but she fought them back. "F-Father Tres told me when I woke up this m-morning that his sensors picked up signs of i-imperceptible life inside of me... He told me that...I'm pregnant..." Esther bit back a sob, breathing deeply to hold it in, Ion looking increasingly concerned.

He seized her in a hug. "Don't hold back, Esther. It's okay to cry sometimes..."

"I miss him so much! I just want him here, Ion! It's unbearable without him!" Esther sobbed into her hands, breath and face consumed by a salty heat. Ion let her cry, even though it seemed that his chances with her were lost forever.

"I don't suppose I'm too late, am I? I just got back from Iceland, too! Talk about cold~" a familiar voice she longed for cut through, Esther rising to meet a sheepish smile and a man coated with comedic piles of snow.

"Father!" she cried, breaking from Ion's arms and rushing into Abel's waiting ones, the force nearly sending him to the ground. She squeezed tightly, surprising even Abel.

"I heard everything," he said quietly, kissing the crown of her head. "Were you alright when I was away?'

"She's been really tired. They won't seem to cut back on her work, and she's had virtually no privacy. I've been with her these past few weeks, in the night time mostly. She's been made to stay up, the whole works. I've helped her when I can, but most of it is way beyond me. Not even Lady Sforza could mediate and lighten her load. ...The baby must be taking a lot out of her, too," Ion meekly added, watching them with conflicted emotions despite the smile painted on his lips.

"Thank you for being there for her, Ion. You have no idea how much that means to me," Abel said gratefully. "It must be hard being away from the Empire for so long, though."

Ion simply shrugged, propping his arms behind his neck like a kid. "I would do it if only she'd ask. She my best friend, you know," he pointed out. "Oh, um, congratulations to the both of you on your baby. The Empress herself relayed a message to me that she wants to see Esther as soon as possible when I told her this afternoon. She misses you, too, Abel."

"I'm sure she does. I would gladly call her, but right now this one needs me," he said apologetically, gently lifting Esther in his arms.

"I'm fine! I can walk!" Esther insisted, struggling slightly. Abel just held her more tightly, grinning smugly.

"Oh, come on, Esther! We're almost husband and wife, so why not loosen up a little? Besides, I've been terribly lonely without you..." Abel pouted cutely, making Esther look away in embarrassment.

When those words processed through her mind, she snapped back to attention. "Wait, husband and wife?"

Abel smiled sheepishly. "Ah, you see, I went through the trouble of arranging the wedding, and my dear sister has agreed to host it. I don't suppose you'll be busy this time next month?"

"You're having a wedding in the Empire?" Ion piped up, walking at Abel's side as they returned within the Vatican towards personal quarters of personnel.

"Yes, you see, since Esther became my Shadow and we both love each other, it seems only sensible, especially since she's the mother of my child," he determined with hamster-like satisfaction.

"Our child," someone corrected softly.

Abel glanced down, a bemused expression on his face. "Come again?"

"Abel..." his name used with extreme reluctance "this child wasn't born out of necessity. Like a covenant of love, children are born of mutual will. ...That's what Bishop Laura told me when I was young..." Esther interjected quietly, dipping her head.

"That's right, isn't it? Our child..." Abel sighed, nuzzling into Esther's hair.

"Hey, come to think of it, you're a thousand years old, aren't you?" Ion's childish voice loudly questioned, spoiling their intimate moment. "That's...kinda a REALLY big age difference.

"Oh, come on now! Age is only a number!" Abel loudly protested. "There's nothing wrong with the fact that Esther looks...like a severely tempting and beautiful young lady..." Abel gulped, his hole halfway dug.

Esther was too smothered by a blush to respond, a growing smirk spreading on Ion's face. "I mean, at least I look to be about Esther's age. You look as if you could have at least ten years on her, even if you were Terran."

"Well now!" Abel sputtered indignantly. "Even if you were Terran, you'd be too young for her!"

Esther's face became a bemused blank and she quietly removed herself from Abel's arms, the weight of her tiredness practically weighing on her shoulders.

"Esther!" Ion sped towards Esther's side to catch her as she fell, the girl lifting herself resolutely and picking her way back through the hall.

"I'm fine. It was just a bit of vertigo. I just need to keep my window open and let the fresh air clear my head. I'll be fine by morning," she reassured, her smile and step weak. She stubbornly refused Ion and Abel as the men seemed ready to catch her if she were to fall, their every movement ready to anticipate her own.

Abel sighed and stood before her, hefting the girl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as if it were the norm. Ion stood stupefied as Esther lay paralyzed, barely comprehending the situation.

"Father, put her down!"

"Not on your life~"

Abel and Esther had finally made it back into her room, Esther deciding to let the priest support her by shoulders as he lay her on the bed, the man resting next to her as she crawled beneath the sheets, utterly exhausted.

Feeling comfortable in her cocoon of warm sheets, she couldn't help but feel disgruntled when Abel pulled her free, groaning sleepily as he pulled her into his arms.

"Don't you have a room of your own, Father?" she said with tired polity, blearily blinking as she tried to wrench herself from his arms, much too tired for romance.

"It's been over a week since you've seen me. You ran into my arms only an hour before, and you seemed to miss me terribly. I wonder why you're being so cold towards me now?" he asked, stroking a cheek with the soft underside of his hand.

She gazed up at him with sweet, innocent eyes. Then, they closed, not out of tiredness; rather, it was as if to lock out nightmares. "I'm scared, Abel. Before you spoke with me, Father Tres sat me down and made it clear that this baby probably won't grow like a normal one. ...That scares me so much. I don't know what's going to happen now."

Abel pulled her close. 'I suppose I see why you're so afraid. It's only to be expected since I myself am a monster."

Esther shot up and whacked his back somewhat harshly, a fierceness burning within her eyes. "I never said that you were a monster, and as I've told you before, I'm not afraid of you! So shut up and stop saying things like that! I'm scared because this is my first time pregnant, and no one in history has ever been in the situation that I am," she retorted strongly. "I love this child, Abel, just as much as I love you! I want both of you, but I can't help but be scared! I don't know what's going to happen, so you're going to have to deal with the fact that I'm just a human and not special like you!"

Abel sat up, a bittersweet smile on his face as he reached out to her, Esther wrapping her arms around him tightly as in defiance to his preconceptions of her feelings. "If I were scared of you, I wouldn't have been in love with you for as long as I have. You're such an idiot, Abel...' Esther murmured grudgingly into his chest.

"Agh!" Abel started, flinching away from Esther as his side started sharply. She sat up, slightly alarmed but ready like the tomboy she was, at a shot to his side.

"Where are you hurt?" she demanded, fixing his eyes with a pressing look. He placed a hand over his side, Esther noticing the bandages on the half-naked man. She didn't bother asking as she gently unwrapped them, unperturbed as she investigated malignant looking scar wounds coiled around his waist like burning chains had struck him.

"What happened?' she demanded commandingly, studying them intently.

Abel smiled sheepishly. "You see, before we left Iceland, I had quite a treacherous fall on some ice in one of the abandoned bases we'd finished up cleaning house in. And, well, this one doesn't seem to be healing as quickly as others."

Esther suddenly became very still, as if pulled into a trance. Her hand floated by its own accord over the wound, radiant blue light softly touching the wounded skin, flesh reconstructing and scars closing into new skin like a baby's. In a matter of minutes, his scars ceased to exist.

She gaped down at her work, clenching that hand into a fist as she intently studied her palm. "What was that?" she breathed, flipping it over and over yet finding no distinguishing marks.

"Ah, you see, it's one of the perks of being a Crusnik's Shadow, you gain everlasting immortality and regeneration for yourself and others that you can heal at will. As part of our investigations of the bases, we found countless research journals. One belonged to Cain himself that chronicled his experimentation on his first shadow. The one we battled, Stella, was the original clone made in Lilith's image. She was a human turned Shadow by Cain and experimented upon for centuries it seems. She had the powers mentioned, as well as living an exceptionally long life," Abel explained, touching his healed skin with child-like wonder in his eyes.

Esther's eyes narrowed. "What about his children? Were any produced?"

Abel looked down, as if an incomplete thought was all all he could say. "Much of this journal was destroyed, but a last page mentioned that all of her inconceivable eggs were harvested and fertilized by male Methuselah turned into beasts to produce clones with attributes like the original, clones in appearance and thought, but able to transform into beast forms at will like their fathers. Stella's child by Cain, as it said, was aborted..."

Esther lost all of her ferocity, slipping away into bittersweet sadness, holding her lower abdomen with detachment in her eyes. "This one might've had a cousin, then, and maybe they could've seen a different future..."

Abel placed a hand on her shoulder. "It may have been for the best. Both of them would've fought by instinct, as my brother and I have been driven to do for centuries. The world doesn't need to suffer anymore because of us, let alone our descendants. It only serves to prove Cain's true nature, even going so far as to slay innocent kin."

She fell into his arms, both melting into the warm and soft embrace of the bed. "I'll do my best to be this child's mother, Abel..."

"I know that you will, Esther... Good night..."

Never before had the Empire been in such an uproar over a public event, and since the revels and the masquerading celebrations were initiated by the Empress in celebration of the success in thwarting Cain's diabolical plot, the Empire was still in the throes of celebration by the time Abel and Esther arrived at the Empress's palace.

"I can't believe that it's already been almost two months since it all ended," Esther exclaimed, basking in the warm sun of the morning.

Abel followed suit, finding her hand and clasping it, bringing it to his lips and gently kissing it. Esther smiled knowingly at her husband-to-be, the other hand settling on her bare midriff, still perfectly flat despite being pregnant for over a month.

The past three weeks or so had been extraordinarily hectic. Esther, the lady-saint and new symbol of hope after the near disaster, had been inundated with more work than ever before, travelling throughout all of Italy to serve mass at many a beautiful cathedral as well as your through small provincial towns and the like doing hard humanitarian work despite her status. Luckily, the week before much of the public had been informed of her pregnancy and impending marriage to the hero of their efforts, Abel Nightroad, and it was received with international zeal and adulation from millions across the faithful world. Word had even reached the Empire where many old friends sent their congratulations. Although Esther didn't want to be in the spotlight as much as she was, in he heart of hearts she felt that the world deserved this uplifting and uniting peace, for once breaking down barriers between Methuselah and Terrans over an event that affected them all. Cain would be back, someday, and by then they would be ready.

"It's hard to believe that there's so much peace in the world. I'm not sure how long it will last, but it's nice knowing that it's even here. Ion even said that Terrans in the Empire have been much friendlier than before, and it's looking like the Empire will enjoy much more tranquility." Esther closed her eyes, letting a calm breeze ruffle through her hair. It felt strange not to wear the habit, but she'd been excused from it due to their incognito location, the place of the wedding secret from even themselves, everything left in Seth's hands.

"Cain is still out there. But, the next time we meet, I won't be fighting alone." It seemed that being a Crusnik's Shadow yielded more benefits than originally thought, such as an increase in strength, endurance, and stamina, which put her fighting prowess nearly on par with the average Methuselah. Although she could never defeat a powerful noble or other decorated battle veteran, together with Abel they made a hard-pressed duo to beat. Due to his slightly heightened rank within AX, Abel had taken the month off in order to spend as much time as possible with Esther, even going so far as to act as a personal aide, their days colored by companionship and a growing depth of their love for one another.

"Still, Seth told me that there's going to be a huge banquet! Ah, she said that there's going to be an exorbitant amount of food! I can't wait!" Abel cried in greedy anticipation, mouth salivating like a heated dog.

"What about last night's bachelor party the Duchess of Kiev dragged you out on? You got rip-roaring drunk, ate enough food for a week, and gambled away your month's salary to boot! Haven't you had enough?" Esther scolded, slapping his arm with every sentence uttered in scorn for last night's behavior.

"What about you, Ion, and Seth?" Abel meekly protested, once more looking like a kicked puppy.

Esther stopped short, her turn to fluster. "We went...shopping for baby items... Lady Caterina Sforza agreed to let me conceive the baby here, in case something goes awry. You wouldn't believe what Seth has in the works! A nursery in the palace, and a team of scientists and medical specialists of both races studying Cain's journals... It feels like too much," she admitted, hugging herself for a moment.

Abel smiled softly, coiling one of Esther's side bangs around a finger. "She's doing it because she cares. As her older brother, I am eternally grateful. I suppose that we both can be, since you're just as immortal as I am."

She gazed downwards. "I guess that means that I'll outlive all of my friends... Except for those who are Methuselah. It feels so...strange, knowing that I may one day be as old as you are now..."

"I suppose that's why you have me. You won't be going through this alone, Esther," he promised softly, gathering her into his arms.

"I know..." she replied softly, losing herself in his warmth.

"Alright, just a little more lip gloss, and maybe a dash of eye shadow there. Um...curl your eyelashes here, then..." Seth murmured to herself, squinting inches away from Esther's face, dabbing a silken brush laden with some unknown powder or cream.

"You don't have to do this...your Majesty," Esther vacillated, feeling bad that she had no knowledge in the application of make-up whatsoever. She felt yet another layer of gloss smothered on her lips, starting to resent its stickiness whenever she opened her mouth to speak.

"Nonsense! My future little sis has to look nice for her wedding, which is in an hour mind you, and I'm the only one who should be entrusted with such a precious task. Besides, I have a lot of experience as doing it as a part-time job. I'm literally the best in the Empire!" Seth asserted, dabbing Esther's face with the last of the odds and ends, the last of the finishing touches.

Esther grumbled under her breath, her face feeling as if it were pasted in plaster.

"Oh, it'll be over before you know it! The ceremony will only be an hour, and then the reception will be in the gardens, so you can change into whatever you like after it's all over," Seth assured, poking Esther's face with a few cotton swabs.

"Alright, all done!" Seth proclaimed, whirling the little swiveling chair before an enormous mirror that took up an entire wall.

Esther was shocked, completely taken away by what she saw. Before her was a beautiful, unearthly woman. Her eyes were large and shone like moonstone, possibly due to special contacts, ringed by long, luxuriously thick lashes. Her high cheekbones were almost severely accented, but not too much, her cheeks dusted pink that added color to her extremely pale skin. Her complexion was flawless, and her lips were at a full, tender pout, lightly colored a slightly darker pink than their natural tone.

"Is that...really me?" Esther gaped, her mind drawing a blank before she could think of anything else to say.

"I did take my time, but you're really naturally beautiful so I hardly had to do anything. What took the longest was your hair...though I probably could've finished it sooner," Seth commented, rising from her own stool to contemplate Esther like she was a finished painting.

The shortest part of her hair had been made to slightly curl in the back, bunched into wavy curls and fanned around the back of her head, her longer bangs curled into fanciful ringlets around her face and over her ears with her shorter ones swiped to the right across her forehead in a slant, cut to look edgy. Her hair had a healthy sheen to it, the color somewhat intensified by a few added dyes to even out the tone.

She stood, almost too afraid to poke a cheek or nudge her stiff hair. "Um, when we're supposed to kiss...will the make-up get in the way at all?" she asked tentatively, her lips nearly sealing together when she closed her mouth.

"Nope~ I thought everything out beforehand. The lip gloss is actually flavored so he might not want to stop," Seth added suggestively.

The younger Nightroad suddenly had her hands to Esther's back, pushing her behind a silk screen. She tore off the towel clothing the girl, revealing an expensive looking satin corset ornately beaded with pearls and diamonds in fluttery, flower-like accents. Her small panties were layered beneath a complicated garter belt that Seth literally had to talk Esther into, the modest nun never having acquainted herself with sexy lingerie before in her life.

Esther yelped as Seth wrestled the older-looking girl into her wedding dress, whirling harshly here and there, Esther having no conception at all as to what was going on.

Finished, Seth sat her down on a stool outside of the changing screen, delicately sliding on a pair of starched silk boots, they conforming to her feet and legs, made of a sheer material that revealed a hazy outline of her legs, reaching up to her knees and layered over the translucent stockings hauled up by the garter belt.

"Stand up," Seth encouraged, stepping away and letting Esther avail herself before the mirror.

The dress was a gorgeous, almost Victorian era design with many modern alterations. The tight bodice was decorated with ornate lace and gold piping along the details, lace flaring from the rims. Beneath that was a loose top that revealed ample cleavage with bell sleeves made entirely of satin, wispy, longer sleeves flowing away from it like insect's wings, sleeves under that pulled taut against her skin by golden accents. The waist was highly accentuated by a tight mold of starched white satin, a long skirt flaring around her body and pooling around her like an upturned rose, several symmetrical panels of curving and arcing flowers ornamenting it. The front had been cut away to reveal an inner skirt like two lily petals that peeked up her thigh, just barely concealing the necessary bits. Her legs were fully exposed, the long stretch of them easily showcasing the parts of the garterbelt and translucent thigh-stockings, down to her knee-high boots that easily elevated her at least six inches.

Seth stood on one of the stools and nestled a delicate tiara weaved with silver and gold, diamonds and moonstones accenting it where it would, like jewelry pulled from the heart of nature. A long veil spilled behind that she could see settled to her waist, a good precaution considering the nature of her dress.

Esther stared transfixed at the stern looking, absolutely ethereal woman staring back, almost expecting her to jump out and wring her neck she looked so hostile. Smiling looked ridiculous as she tried to look pleasant, hoping that Seth was too busy fussing over last minute details to catch the older teen making strange faces to herself in the mirror.

She sighed, settling for the hostile look from before. It looked kind of regal, if not slightly conceited. It really was the only look that Seth seemed to approve of, anyway.

"What do you think?" Seth asked, fluffing up the veil to give it a little boost.

Esther smiled warmly down at the youngest Crusnik. "It's absolutely beautiful, Seth. Everything is just too perfect," she proclaimed rather softly, feeling somewhat choked up, ready to swoop over and glomp the girl.

"Ah, ah, agh!" Seth yelped, freezing oddly as she jumped out of Esther's reach, 'x'-ing her arms at the Shadow.

"Don't. Ruin. Anything," she warned, tsking irately as she fixed little details Esther failed to catch. "You know what? Just walk and hold your bouquet. Don't do anything else unless you're asked to. From here on out, you're a doll that can walk. Alright?"

Esther nodded in a restrained way, holding herself...like a doll.

Seth huffed finally, walking from beyond Esther's line of sight to fetch the bouquet. It was a beautiful, flawless arrangement of Gardenia, Moonflower, night-blooming Jasmine, and Evening Primrose at the center, Blue Star Ambosia accenting it with cascades of baby's breath dangling over the rim.

"Those flowers bloom only at night, like how the Methuselah live in the world of darkness...and they reminded me of my brother. The blue star ambosia made me think of you, and it's centered just a little bit from the middle, like how you're his Shadow. And the baby's breath for the little one growing inside you, who will make your life spill over with happiness," Seth explained softly before handing off the bouquet to Esther.

"This is too beautiful... I'll treasure it forever," Esther breathed softly, feeling such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude well within her at such a beautifully symbolic bouquet.

One last look in the mirror made Esther swallow with extreme trepidation, her pores too clogged with make-up to even dream of sweating, her body heat noticeably rising. She looked like a blinding white angel with ridiculously white-washed clothing, making even her squint. It was beautiful to behold, but still a little hard on the eyes.

Seth snapped her fingers and Esther froze her face into the decidedly regal one, and yet on the inside she felt like an ant waiting for a boot. Her heart hammered in her throat, stoking her rising body heat and while looking perfectly composed. If only the inside and outside matched.

"Hm, you look so skinny despite that one growing inside of you. Don't worry, you won't be wearing this for long," Seth reassured, slapping her back.

Esther flinched, nearly wobbling over in her ridiculously high heeled boots. Seth nimbly caught her, helping her regain her balance.

"You ready, girl? Once we leave this place, it'll be just you and the wedding...that we never briefed you on nor practiced for... Um, you've seen weddings carried out before, so just copy what you've seen," Seth said with a rather flimsy confidence, ready to lead her out once more.

"All of the nobles are attending?" Esther asked just as they rounded a corner in the labyrinth beneath the noblemen's council used as the place for the wedding.

"Yeeeah, that and some few...thousand...Vatican officials."

"What? Isn't this going a little overboard?" Esther squeaked, completely dependent on Seth as she led them through the winding maze of halls.

"It's a marriage for the hero of the century and the Lady-Saint of Istvan! Besides, Lady Sforza agreed to it over a month ago with Abel and I to officially mark the beginning of talks in order to move towards a possible alliance. It's a happy occasion to start historical decisions towards peace, and everything kinda just fell into my lap pretty nicely, you know?" Seth said sheepishly.

Esther couldn't even dream of retorting before she was thrust out a door, a demure form exactly Seth's height turning towards her.

"The Duchess of Moldova is going in my stead today, so just act the way I said and you'll be fiiiine~" Seth hissed loudly enough for Esther to hear, slamming the door behind her and disappearing from sight.

"Wait, your Majesty—!" she called out in protest, throwing her head over her shoulder.

"Ah, are you ready, sister Esther?" Lady Caterina asked with a velvety voice, dressed in her usual outfit, only it was exacerbated by several golden ornaments and multitudes of golden accessories and ruby gems. "You look absolutely exquisite," she added, almost unsettling Esther from her rigid expression.

"Thank you," she whispered, her lips sucking together as they became pasted shut once more.

In the shadow of one of the upper levels, she could see that it was at night, the stadium illuminated by an ethereally glowing light from above that she couldn't pinpoint.

"You'll be walking with us, so just relax. You look composed enough, so you'll do just fine," Caterina whispered, Esther swallowing nervously as if on cue.

Suddenly, a loud orchestra was struck up, the whinny of violins and other such string instruments leading whatever piece being played, intensified within the echoing confines of the amphitheater-like place. It settled into a dramatic yet romantic theme, a piano trickling through hidden speakers like whispers from heaven all around.

Caterina and the proxy empress began walking, keeping their gaits constrained yet elegant, Esther in stride, both women holding her arms steadily yet loosely.

She nearly gasped as she looked above, dozens of floating lights at least a story tall suspended in midair, each zenith being a crystalline violet light that trickled through hundreds of clear spheres like bunches of grapes, internal violet lights glowing from within and radiating out through the rippling glass that encased each one, filling the stadium with calming violet light.

While Esther seemed entranced by the empirical choice of lighting, ripples of gossip permeating throughout the crowd, many hypnotized by the inhumanly gorgeous young woman walking with such elegant carriage, surely not the modest young slip of a beautiful nun they were so accustomed to seeing.

Esther fixed her eyes ahead, swallowing as she saw Abel ahead turned towards the temporary alter. From behind that she could see that he was dressed in his normal uniform, only it was exclusively ceremonial, with large shining silver pauldrons on each shoulder that reached to his elbows, heavily embossed chains that sourced from a cumbersome brace at his neck extending to his several belts, even his tunic and sleeves burdened with heavy ornaments.

Slowly the love of her life turned around, and she nearly froze, throat constricted from her highly-strung nerves. His front was as heavily ornamented as the back, his hair pulled back into his usual ponytail and ribbon.

Upon seeing her, Abel lost all the seriousness in his face, mouth simply agape at the stunning young woman making way towards him, like an angel that would rival those most beloved to God. He broke out into a hot blush, a stark contrast to Esther's stoic features. He smiled giddily as she ascended a flight of stairs before the alter, demurely hiding her gaze from his, focusing instead on Pope Alessandro who blushed upon seeing the metamorphosed girl who was a dear friend to him.

The boy pope cleared his throat, signaling for the orchestra to cease its floating timbre through the stadium.

"In the name of the Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit," the pope began, making the Sign of the Cross high before him, his gestures wide and pious like that of any Father.

Caterina and the Empress dis-joined from Esther, the girl making herself comfortable as she held her bouquet anew. Both woman seated themselves of a dais raised above the alter, the empress in the middle and elevated slightly higher from the two seats that would seat the pope to her right and Lady Caterina to her left, the pope just slightly higher than his sister.

"In this time of great unrest, two souls chosen by the Lord were brought from the questioning darkness and into the light of truth. A man, who from birth was gifted with magnificent powers to destroy the forces of evil; and a young woman, the one who fought through many trials to emerge a virtuous Lady-Saint, also the one destined to be the salvation for this man, "Alessandro gestured towards Abel, "and the hope of all the world."

Esther and Abel slowly genuflected, folding their hands and bowing their heads as Alessandro prayed over them.

"Lord, you have gathered us here, your Children here on Earth, born of the soothing light of day and the quiet grace of night, to unite these two souls who found each other through the weight of oppression and sought refuge under the Lord's wing. Months before, the world was on the brink of darkness, with the solidarity of all the Lord's children on a terrible precipice. And yet, the Lord God guided their hearts on a mission to bring peace. And through the Lord's mysterious ways, a miracle was bequeathed upon the world, and a new light of a new era was shone upon us all."

Esther felt tears brimming in her eyes at Alessandro's powerful words, the boy's once quavering voice alive and strong with new hope.

"By the Grace of God, I bless you, Lady-Saint Esther Blanchett, Star of Istvan, and you, Father Abel Nightroad, Salvation of a New Era,' the pope concluded, finished presiding over the introduction of their marriage.

The Empress and Caterina rose, both woman coming to the alter.

"Rise, Star of Istvan," the Empress commanded in a voice like a breeze, her massive veil rising with her slightly as she tipped her chin up regally. Esther did as she was told, a veil of her own hiding the secret and small smile for the Duchess of Moldova.

"Rise, Father Abel Nightroad," Caterina ordered, her voice stronger and still elegant. Abel followed in suit, casting a furtive glance at the young girl before bowing his head again as she did.

"Children of the Lord, we are gathered here today to join Sister Esther Blanchett and Father Abel Nightroad in holy matrimony," Caterina began, taking the center of the alter as the Empress sat herself on her own throne, nearly on par with the pope in the middle.

Caterina spoke through the opening, her voice resoundingly sounding throughout the stadium for perhaps another hour, in the semblance of a normal church service.

She bowed her head, a chalice placed before her by a young page who turned out to be none other than Ion Fortuna, he having almost missed his cue from staring at Esther for so long.

Caterina bowed her head and blessed the wine that she raised high, pouring it into the chalice, mixing it with holy water already present.

"Father Abel Nightroad, as you stand before your blessed bretheren here on Earth, do you take Esther Blanchett to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health; for richer and poorer; in dying and receiving eternal life?" She tipped the chalice to his lips, he taking a sip and swallowing.

Abel took Esther's hands, unable to keep himself from smiling. "I do!" he vowed vehemently, focusing entirely on the exquisitely beautiful woman before him.

Esther swallowed, averting her eyes before Caterina's next round of vows made her look back up at him, a small smile playing at her features.

"And do you, Lady-Saint Esther Blanchett, take Father Abel Nightroad to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health; for richer or poorer; in dying and receiving eternal life?" Esther blinked back tears, suddenly finding herself extremely emotional, barely sipping from the chalice. Caterina set it down, waiting for Esther's reply.

"I do with all my heart and soul," she said in a choked up voice, lip quivering as tears trickled down her cheeks. Abel grinned broadly, tearing up a little as well, hands poised beneath the veil.

"You may now kiss the bride," Caterina concluded softly, her voice losing its normal power, the sweet scene before her melting her heart.

Abel gently flung back the veil, it floating to her head, stooping down slightly as he pulled her in by her shoulders, a hand cupping her face, his thumb wiping away the tears. "Esther?" he began, a sweet whisper like soft honeysuckle to the senses.

"Yes?" she responded, just as quiet, smiling joyfully through her tears.

"I love you more than anyone else in the world," he said finally, eyes glittering with tears and smiling as if in disbelief.

"I do, too!" With that, Abel flung his arms around her waist, hefting her up to his chest where their lips smothered together, she clinging for dear life as he whirled her around, her dress becoming a blooming swirl of white around them as he did, thunderous applause rising to meet the quiet night with exuberance unlike any other before seen in the empire.

Joyous smiles came all around, and many would come to recall that day as one that would be forever marked as the new dawn to an era of everlasting peace.

Footfalls on worn and ancient stairs seemed almost unaccepting of the young girl and her new husband trekking down them, echoing cavernously through the tremendously large crypt.

Esther picked her way down, just a day after their wedding and the reception, dressed in her familiar old habit and seeming as if nothing had changed. Abel followed suit, the tenacious young girl boldly leading the way in a place she'd never journeyed to before.

Abel took hold of her hand when she momentarily lost her footing, the girl flashing him a warm smile in quiet thanks.

She came to the catwalk leading to an isolated crypt blanketed by darkness, a single column of light illuminating it in the all-consuming abyss. Esther stood motionless as she saw a man with long blonde hair kneeling before the eldest Crusnik's tomb, turning around to face her.

Cain gazed at her with sad yet somehow soulless eyes, smiling a lonely smile before his face shifted into Dietrich's bearing the same expression. She stood transfixed on the apparition, a hand on her shoulder causing her to break eye contact.

"Esther, are you alright?" Abel asked with concern in his eyes, she smiling with reassurance in hers.

"Yeah." She turned back, only to find Cain's place filled with emptiness. Her brows furrowed in befuddlement, but Abel's hand taking hers made her brush it off.

He led her towards the lone crypt cast in gold, they stopping short of it together.

Abel sank to his knees before it, sighing as he rested his head against the cool metal, breathing in deeply the scent of years that had worn by. Esther knelt next to him, although not before gently setting the bouquet from the wedding atop its center, Ion having been kind enough to preserve it in a special type of resin, guaranteed to make it last forever.

"Lilith, it's me, Abel. I know that it's been many months since I've seen you, and I'm sorry," Esther glanced once at him, "but there was someone I was fighting for."

Esther smiled at him, encouraging him to continue. "You see, in the last year, she's become the woman dearest to my heart... She my Shadow, my wife, the mother of my child... She saved me, just as you did. I wanted to bring her here because I know that you deserve more than anyone else to meet her. I loved you once... I still love you, just like dear family, and you've become like my dearest sister. She's part of our family now, and she wanted to meet you as well."

Esther smiled, considering what to say for a moment before clasping her hands together in prayer, a warm feeling filling her heart. "Lilith, even though I've never met you, I owe you everything. You protected Abel's heart, and you taught him to love again. You showed him how to love all life, and I don't think words can ever express my gratitude." Tears began to build in her eyes, and she let them flow freely.

"I'm pregnant with his child. His younger sister, Seth, told me that this little one will become a girl... I thought for a very long time time, and Abel and I figured out a name. She's going to be called Lilith Laura Nightroad, after you and my own Bishop Laura, who was to me what you are to Abel... She protected me from birth and raised me even though I was never her child. Just as you took in Abel and his siblings under your wing. We owe you so much, both of you. This child is Crusnik, just like you. But, most of all, I want to raise her like you would've. I want her to become just like you," Esther confessed, Abel taking her by her shoulders and holding her to his side.

Suddenly, a glowing array of cobalt raced through the crypt and centered in on a point, flashing once before materializing a suspended hologram of Lilith.

"Lilith!" both cried in unison, jolting from their places.

"Hello, Abel, and happy birthday. The date is 30 August 3088... I'm a little late aren't I? Perhaps you two are wondering why you're hearing me now..."

Abel just gaped, Esther motionless and transfixed, but slowly relaxing.

"The girl who is with you, she's your Shadow, isn't she? I wish that I could meet her. She must be a beautiful girl, with a wonderful heart. Congratulations on your child. I'm sure that whether they've been born or you're still pregnant, that this child will make you extremely happy," Lilith said, a distorting wave running down her image before refocusing.

"I can't talk to you, Abel, nor to your lover. If this message has been activated, then your heart must've found compassion enough to save Cartago... If this were not true, you wouldn't be here with your human mate, who am sure has been through much with you."

"Lilith, can you understand me, at all?" Abel pleaded, still holding Esther by her shoulders.

"A millennium ago, this world didn't know peace. I am not sure how the world is now, but you must do your best to work towards it. A thousand years is a very long time, but it gladdens me that you've learned how to find the truth behind your true feelings for Methuselah and Terrans, who were born from the same seed, just as we Crusnik are no different from them, nor your everlasting Shadow."

"Thank you so much," Esther whispered, Lilith coincidentally smiling down at her.

"I'm not of this age any longer, but I know that my life was not lost in vain. Just as I fought for the redemption of Terrans, you must do your part to do the same for both races. Perhaps by the next time you think of me, you will return and tell me of the Vatican and the Empire making peace and co-existing as one."

"It's already happening, Lilith. The peace your dreamt of isn't far off at all," Abel promised.

"It'll happen before you know it," Esther chimed in, her face one of determination.

"Abel, his dear girl, this time is one of peace...I can feel it in my heart. Whatever you do with your lives, I hope that they're blessed and filled with everlasting happiness. I'm afraid that I must leave now. May you live in the world that I could only dream of. Good-bye, dear Abel, precious Esther."

.never end.

Last thoughts: So, what do you think of the final chapter? I hope that you liked it! I think that it ended well. Tell me what you think!

To be completely honest, I was a little scared about writing the wedding scene. Why? Because the most recent one that I saw was in Breaking Dawn... -cue gagging- At first it seemed like it would head in that direction, but then I did a 180 and I liked it~ And to bee honest, this is how I dreamt of the series ending. Abel and Esther together without making you go 'WTF' at the ending. The anime left too many gaping holes, and didn't make me happy at all. With this ending, there's still the possibility for trouble from Cain, but I wanted it to be more hopeful than that. The wedding was basically the tip-off for a new and peaceful era, which Lilith was talking about. I thought of extending it past the last paragraph of Lilith's, but then decided against it since it seemed like a pretty chill way to end this story. Since ,to be honest, if I'd made it any longer I'd probably turn into its own chapter...which is a no-no since it seemed like a better idea to just end it here. I just wanted to keep it happy and hopeful, which I'm praying you'll think the same of it, too. Concerning the sex scene, I'll be honest in saying that Abel and Esther really don't seem like the types to do it, so I tried to keep them as IC as possible while toning down the details a lot. I probably won't ever write future stories featuring them as a family, since OC kids are kinda squicky with some people in every fandom, so I'll leave that to your imaginations what it's like. Hopefully both details worked out. ^^; Also, what did you think of Abel and Esther's characterizations in the the story? I tried to base Esther off of the manga as much as possible, but maybe knocking her sensitivity to about where anime Esther's is, so I hope maybe this story's Esther got out an okay balance.

Well, I've got nothing left to say. If you've got questions and/or concerns, add it to your review or PM me and I'll do my best to answer them all. I hope that you enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it! I may write more TB fics in the future (but no sequels to this one, sorry!), so keep a weathered eye on the horizon for me. :3

By the way, did you know that this is the shortest amount of time it's taken me to write and complete a fic? Maybe someday I can beat my own record!

~Peace, G.