Life and Death [DMC/Alito]

What was the essence of life? The essence of hope? The origin of action, the genesis of mistake, regret. Of a thing's essence lies in birth, then life must surely be self contrived; but what if it were otherwise? Defined by its only logical outcome, life and death would disprove their mutual existence. So what's left, then, if they are both lies?
Lies. A strangely familiar word, undoubtedly for a reason. Lies were the only recurring facts regardless of how deep Aegis pondered. Life and death, and rebirth and repose. Impossible facts, all of them, so what divine ploy could have spawned such terrible weavings?

---A slow breath was the only answer. A meditative trance -- the only escape from that hell of betrayal. The knight truly could not escape those trickling thoughts that seeped through every crack in his mind like tar, like poison. Perhaps it was only natural. Idealism lasts for as long as its founding purity avoids the inescapable demise for which it was created. And after? Death. Of the soul, of the mind, of the heart; the death of an ideal, festering like a blooming flower in ash.
Yes, death was the only natural outcome, yet his own never came. There was a time when he did not know and there is a time when he does, but it changes nothing. Death is a comfort he may never have. So in a world built on fractal lies, what hope is there for the one cursed with eternity?

--- A slow breath was the only frail answer. Rhythmical, subjective, like a dagger set to pierce. A clean incision right at the throat, ending all thought.
... Some called it meditation. Yet to others, it is simple sanctuary, and Aegis undoubtedly sought it. There was too much turmoil, like a whirlpool of black sludge set to revolve around a core that is forever hollow; left hollow by the mindless revolution. But emptiness is, too, an illusion built for comfort. That core did exist. The vile machination that spun death and destiny alike around its egoistic being was far too real to ignore.

Ideals.

Excalibur.

The sword of swords.

---

The cool winds danced gracefully around the knight sitting on his heels. They danced with a fluidity too perfect to pass -- even time stopped to leer. A tender whistle, a cool wave gliding over the frigid ice coat, arguably too long, that always held the knight's frame like a lover. The Azure Knight's lover; it even gave him his name.
Perhaps there was more to it than colour alone, as the meadow's serenity seemed concentrated around his unmoving figure -- nay, it seemed attuned to it. Each gentle breath formed a tug, each slight -- a gusting fury. The area had solidified, melding into one homogeneous being controlled by his consciousness, or at least explored by it.

He was calm.

Despite everything. But would that truly last?
"Are you another omen of death, I wonder." Or merely that of a new beginning? The intrusive presence could be either, it could be neither. Nothing was certain any more. Or so Aegis hoped.
As if tugged by some invisible reins, the knight's head followed towards where his hair wavered like a ripple, and eyed the distanced presence. An eternal glare. No doubt a veiled plea. Undeserving?
Withdrawing his notice, Aegis cut the thought short. Thinking was redundant. Deduction was excessive. Things are what they are, but only for as long as they are. When faced with such pointlessness, one can only discard any notion of phantasmal "concepts" and exist solely for self-gratification. Straining to think would go against that, no? So, Aegis chose to silence his mind.

Even if he knew the futility of it. A soul as defective as his will never succumb to such stupidity.
So wasn't that, too, just a lie, in the end?

Indeed, Aegis was found, and with his presence came the introduction of a soothing breeze. This breeze did not fade, surprisingly, regardless of the lively Ankhseram within Alito's soul; a being that reduced whatever it could for the sake of suffering. Alito always thought why Ankhseram chose to do so; to erase human happiness and replace it with misery. Albeit, the debut of feeling such a sensation was lovely. This breeze was smooth; a smoothness Alito had never experienced- even in his numerous centuries of life, to this day.

Of course, all good things had to come to an end, which in this case, upon notice of another living being came the exclusion of this wonderful air. Aegis: Guardian of Death, and Light of Hope. His livelihood alone rivalled Alito to disappoint the god within, which was quite impressive. It was not a shocking fact to witness Aegis' immediate knowledge of Alito's true appearance: an omen of death. On the contrary, one word in the embodiment of life did go beyond Alito's expectations of this meeting. "Another?" The Child of Ankhseram questioned. He sighed. Never did Alito entitle himself this way. If anything, Alito thought of himself solely as an observer; nothing more, nothing less. "A Shinigami created by a god of life and death." Alito began, "Heard of Ankhseram, Aegis?"

This son of a god wondered what Aegis thought in terms of his knowledge. It frightened some people to have their identities known to complete strangers, after all, yet nobody was a stranger to Alito. The boy had lived for centuries, and had therefore grown the desire to investigate each and every single body of extraordinary strength possible to spot in the continent. Aegis, however, was not one Alito could get too close to, as Aegis' existence reminded Ankhseram of the fearsome shield superior to even gods, themselves. Oh, how Alito would adore seeing a similar force present by the male ahead. "Divine swordsman, would you believe me if I said I could become a god?" Alito asked his possible acquaintance, "Become the new Ankhseram, and grant life myself?" Silence enveloped the environment as this was all Alito had to offer to Aegis prior to his own response, which the Child of Ankhseram hoped would arise.

There was nothing to say.
There was nothing to say.
There was nothing---

... There certainly were too many things to say; misleading himself was not going to work any more. Why not accept his destiny, then? Rebelling didn't achieve much on the positive spectrum -- fighting was clearly futile. Yet he was created to fight. His fate was sealed with the purpose for which he was constructed; there simply was no way around that single, most infuriating fact.
I do not believe in destiny! Yet could he deny simple fact? Recurrence alone was enough to prove him wrong. If the events of one's life a distributed into cycles, then his are the cycles of war. Of death. Of apocalypse, heralding oblivious ages one after the other. Death and death and death, death and nothing more. Could that inescapable hideousness truly be fate? He refused to believe it; it was all Aegis could do to retain whatever fragment of himself still remained.

There were certainly too many things to say. Too many things wrong with that innocent question, but the knight could only scoff. It was happening again, wasn't it? He could almost feel the hands of destiny around his throat.

"The only things I believe in are life eternal. And death, infernal." He smirked lightly; why are morbid things easiest to make lyrical? "But, of course, that is a lie. As is your question. And I doubt you'll simply shrug and walk away now, either."
Azure coat catching the tug of nature, fluttering just barely: that was the only sound that was ever heard. A mere streak gliding over grass, like another smear in an impressionistic painting before the movement crashed into an end.
A breath was all it took for Aegis to find himself next to the intruder, sword against the man's throat. The cool, expressionless face he had become renown for seemed layered, now. Like it hid something too starkly different.
"... If you call me divine one more time, even in your sleep, I will make sure you never wake from it. Or perhaps you will wake? Even better. Things do seem to come back from the dead lately, but that's fine. I have enough swords for that."
Aegis wasn't entirely sure what he was saying, only dimly aware that it wasn't complete nonsense. Really, his mind was elsewhere, in some parallel duplicate of that very same situation, analyzing. Thinking, or trying to. And it still made no sense. It cannot -- must not -- make sense. And yet grim realization kept on stalking him from the shadows.
Withdrawing his weapon with a flourish, Aegis suddenly spun backwards, lacing the ground with masterful footwork. This is too much. It cannot be making sense. The knight's sense of defeat grew heavier by the moment. Admitting failure meant admitting most of his life was insubstantial. Was it not an unbearable thought, even for him? And so he sought escape, to dance away the excessive thoughts with the only kind of dance he knew.

A sound not unlike the breaking of glass, but reversed, chimed the beginning of the dervish. Two unremarkable swords lined his figure with arms, completing it. Truly the blades flashed and glinted in tune with his step, and that -- with his glintless, dull eyes. It was truly not possible for the knight to care less about onlookers at that moment; the whole point was to forget everything, even if it was clear that was not a viable option. But did it matter? Aegis was surely strange to the humans who've seen him. What beheld him now was equally as humanoid, equally human; yet another damned soul after the vile curse he was entitled to!
Gritting teeth crunched like the drums of war, giving flight to flowing moves, making them more ragged and aggressive.
Yes, the azure knight did not give a damn about the nameless intruder any more. It was just a shadow in a dusking world where shadows were overabundant. A world where he alone was subject to the searing sun -- that's how it felt, and no matter how self-centered it was, Aegis could not discard the illusion. The illusion of his reality.
... It was pointless. He was clearly incapable of freeing his mind from thought; action only brought more. Where a meditative void was intended became the breeding grounds for malefic intent. A void no longer devoid of substance. A fake void. Fake. Another lie!

The force of his swings became evident as they bred gust after gust of murderous intent, like a roiling mass engulfing the meadow. Aegis' pants and striking shouts echoed in resonance with his body, each fueling him with the anger needed for the next one hundred. A cursed cycle. But he had enough of cycles and curses and inescapable nonsense. I can just kill it. Yes, kill the cycle and its wretched machinations. Kill everything!

And his gnarl was like a signal flare. Like an infinity of glass panes shattering in rapid succession, the ground, the sky, the trees, the grass -- everything was covered in weapons poised for murder, challenging the raging knight.
What followed was simple skewering. An inescapable prison of blades, yet a prison he himself has wrought infinitely. The prison only he could escape in another futile wish to abandon his darkness.


Eventually, the clangorous destruction ended. Aegis had struck down each of his creations flawlessly, though with obvious excess. It only just dawned on him that he completely razed one of his favourite meadows, yet his level look took it all in like he was surveying this year's crops.
The only two swords that remained were his chosen companions, which were heaving with his breath until they, too, shattered like glass, leaving only Aegis and his graveyard of memories.

"..."
It really could not be avoided, could it?
"........... What do you want from me? Shall I be used by cowardly deities once more?"

A low baritone, rasp with tiredness.
Rasp with the conceit of the brave.

How miserable this meeting was. To assume firsthand that a swordsman would replicate the utopian land named prior to his own well-being, yet the final result opposite to that thought. This creation had its fair share of arsenals, after all, while the utopians that once lived in Aegis after the war of Aragami discarded theirs in celebration of eternal freedom. Until they died of old age, that is. Unless immortal, you see, everyone had their fair share of life to spend until a supreme force would summon them to a new land in which their persona truly belonged- as opposed to this planet, which was only filled with corruption, nefariousness and mystery. Albeit, for centuries, one individual who currently stood in this meeting dealt with it, and admired life for what it had become, regardless of these facts.

Such as the sword that was eventually drawn near him, however, Alito had proven that his own life was bothersome to others, just as life was bothersome to certain personalities throughout the world. Death. Even though it was inevitable to all, those who were capable of wielding this power were highly frowned upon, and ultimately disowned by society. It was ironic in this case, now that Alito thought about it. During the Aragami War, Alito's abilities served to annihilate the godly threats with ease, yet these same abilities left the protected frightened by his potential; that Alito was capable of killing anything and anyone just by being near them. Since the end of that war, Alito had become this: an observer overlooking humanity, judging if these people could quit getting absorbed by their emotions, and prove themselves worthy to the gods.

"The only things I believe in are life eternal. And death, infernal." A proud way to think, in Alito's opinion. Maybe some goods never truly had an end. Maybe the conclusion of one's life on Earth did not conclude one's life everywhere. Maybe the life of oneself accumulated in another universe unknown even to Alito. Death being infernal, however. Unless misinterpreted, it was wise of this man standing in front of the everlasting child to think that infernal death was a lie. It was not just the netherworlds that awaited one's life's conclusion, anyway. To those of good nature, the heavens must exist, correct? Gods must exist, correct? Again, this was just a few reasons as to why life is so mysterious, yet this very mystery makes life all the more interesting.

And so with this sword that crossed Alito's eyes came the thought of death, just as Aegis described. On the other hand, would this swordsman actually be the burden of Alito's existence? Alito could not age, but that did not make him immortal. Alito could surely die by sword, if threatened like this. For once in ages, Alito was in awe. Ankhseram. Was it calling Alito to its own world with this sword? No. It seemed not as the sword was withdrawn. Alito wondered if Aegis could imagine being in the same position as him. The burden of countless deaths, painful memories, agony at its utmost degree, and despair at its finest. Alito believed it was best for him to be the only burden of such madness. "You have my word." Alito replied. While he wanted to speak more, he found himself still in the midst of being erased by Aegis. The shield of light becoming the bringer of darkness. What a thought.

The rampage that became present from the one whom had just put Alito's life on the line with a single phrase was fascinating. How it all began, however, was questionable. Perhaps this was all to scare Alito. The land surrounding madly slaughtered by a single man. Even as a Child of Death, Alito sympathized with the ruins of Aegis' rage. This remarkable scene even made Alito recall what it was like for the poor to endure that Aragami War; the poor being the meadows, while Aegis being the embodiment of the Aragami. Until one found a way to send the godlike beasts through the waters of hell, each and every single living creature stood no chance against the Aragami, just as the once living forestry here did not stand a chance against Aegis' arsenal; an arsenal that also held the chance to ruin Alito, as well.

Admittedly, all of this was quite sudden. Blades shattered alongside the life that had just departed, while conversation rose an additional time. This time, it questioned what Alito desired of somebody so overwhelmingly strong compared to himself, regardless of being death, itself. What could Alito make of this, exactly? It was not until Alito looked over that normally invisible clash of supreme light and dark forces shrouded by life that there was indeed one desire he held. Light and darkness; life and death. There had to be something in between. "Cowardly gods, corruption of souls and rebellion- we both share the same enemies, don't we Aegis?" Alito responded, "An alliance, Aegis. That is what I want from you."

A new calmness settled on Aegis, though not without its set of barbs. The turmoiled mind remained as it were -- forgetting knowledge was unwise, after all -- but the heart was stilled, for now. Such a frail thing, the heart. To that day, the knight was still unsure why he had one. Or why, exactly he hated it.

But with the dusk of disability came wisdom. Cold growing colder, glazed, icy; the most indifferent serenity and the mother of sense. Certainly what he was missing, Aegis subjugated his inborn ability to work with information, doing a more proper analysis this time around.

What exactly had happened? The azure mind surveyed the sequence like a video, from start to finish, but there was little more to spot. He had had his meditation broken by a sudden vision that was too reminiscent of his past, and a crushing sense of doom. Rushing to the scene of the crime, he saw not a blood bath, but a ghost incarnate. Artoria, like an ill omen, was somehow reborn, though with a seemingly massive hole in her memory.
And then came he, armed with a tug in a very much opposite direction. Or was it really? Perhaps Aegis had overlooked one thing: the ordeal was a splendid chance to test his hypothesis regarding the arrangement of events on a timeline. Perhaps not all was bad.

That, of course, means ignoring the issue regarding Ludwig's recurrence but could it be helped? Too little data was gathered; frankly, he only had a vision to go by, and a premonition. If only he could truly ignore the intuition's scream, when it has proven impeccable so many times.

Tightening his eyes, Aegis fixed the still-unknown man in his mind. His function was definitely going to be major in the events to come -- the knight had already settled with the fact that eventfulness would be unavoidable -- though in what way? He walked with a hint of grand ambition, yet at first glance he was not unaware of humility. Was he caring? Or perhaps frail? Yes, certainly if a strong one is turned frail, his ego would most often deflate.
But that all was unimportant. His presence was not a matter of etiquette, but intent, and one that was plainly articulated.

"Become a god."
The violet-eyed swordsman repeated the words slowly with a voice lost half way between rueful disbelief and cynical amusement. Why the humans always chase after things supposedly grander than themselves? Folly.
"... You treat me with balmy respect and uncontroversial familiarity... Alito. Where I rush firmly, you bend artistically. You are intent aligning me to you; or rather, you half-expect it to be a pre-determined fact, do you not?" Regretfully, Aegis noted the absence of wind. It was nice, noting mundane things again. His self control wasn't too unsatisfactory if he could recover so relatively easily.
"And now we are at a standstill. You press knowledge and thirst, and I sigh in defeat, though my defeat rarely means the victory of my enemy. Or you not my enemy, given the circumstances? I had such a dear time, losing myself in self-inflicted spiritual stupor, which I then lost to my own incandescence. It happened here, though few will ever be able to tell, and it is here that you come to me, stalking, with absurd intents when I am least able to defend the remains of my principles. Oh, but fear not. I do not think it was entirely intended. Perhaps you are not responsible for the impending apocalypse, but you will most certainly be someone to profit from it. That much I can tell without Perceiving."

The knight's impervious face cracked in mild distaste. He rarely talked this much any more. Or ever, for that matter, and especially not on such mundane topics.
"... My mind is hazed less than I'd like, but more than enough to impede efficiency. You have," he paused, regarding the deep skies with a leer, "until the sun reveals itself from behind the clouds. When your time is up, I will decide what to do with you. It all depends on what you choose to tell me; I won't Perceive anything for myself. So go on then, amuse me with your ploy towards... divinity."
A purple set of eyes cut into Alito's soul, oddly considering of his being. Was Aegis truly going to kill him if he wasn't convinced? His eyes told the story of blood, but was it true?

It was why he hated interacting with humans. It was distracting, vain and full of pretense too tiring to handle. But Alito was probably not entirely human himself, so why was he even more tiring than the regulars? Perhaps Aegis was still influenced by her; perhaps his judgment was biased. But why should he care? If it's wrong there will be one more dead and lost. Another blessed with eternal release.

... He giggled into his arm. What the hell was that? What is it with all the uncharacteristic thoughts? His low murmur, hidden by a palm, spoke of Ludwig, and of Artoria. Two ghosts incarnate, coming to haunt him as another seeks to topple gods. Aegis truly was laughing, and, in a sense, it was invigorating. But was it because of the absurd adventure, or the promise of misery and death?
"The crack is deepening!" He proclaimed with a sudden mirth, flinging his arm to his side, the slashing motion extending as a sword actually appeared in his arm once more.

"Do hurry up! I still have some sanity left, so let's make the most of it no? Or not. It's your funeral, though with some luck I'll come join you sometime."
It was definitely a funny joke. He was sure of it, even if some quaint little voice kept on whispering in his mind. Steel yourself! No. Focus on reality! Why? You've fought worse! And I've lost easier.

The keen glint of the blade flickered as he waved it lightly in Alito's direction. A small smile, a foreboding sign; Aegis' expression was cracking more and more as if something within him was eager to expunge the irritant and his idiosyncrasy. Or obliterate his world.

Did it even matter which, if it meant forgetting?

What a unique individual this knight was, taking into thorough consideration the words a Child of Death would speak, while others would often be too frightened to negotiate with the host of Ankhseram. Admittedly, Alito had underestimated this particular soul. His actions were always beyond the boy's expectations; his personality completely unknown- undefined, in that matter. So interesting was this man! For once, Alito was hesitant with his thinking, for any mistake, and his life would surely be erased. The obliteration of forestry surely proved this beforehand. The wind had disappeared, and had therefore dismissed the soothing sensation that initially left Alito so lively with it. "We are aligned, indeed." Alito commented, "You judge this planet similarly to myself. You despise humanity to the point of possibility of reducing its population, just as your own blade could have thrown one away mere moments ago. We live in our ideals to keep ourselves sane, don't we Aegis?" It was at this point that Alito had an epiphany. There was no need to keep secrets from somebody who was offered an alliance with the enigma. There was no need to keep secrets from somebody who, at any moment, would kill the human if his words did not satisfy the swordsman. There was just no need...

"Whether we are friends or enemies is up to you, Aegis." Alito added, "Should we be enemies, my life is in your hands; should we be friends, a new life begins. Responsible for an apocalypse? I am too observant of humanity to just end it with a big bang, Aegis." It was at this point that Alito was smiling. Aegis was worth talking to, especially as someone who could stand with a Shinigami for so long. "Ankhseram White Magic: the power to create life. To enhance pre-existing development. The power of absolute advancement. Aegis, this is the parallel of my current abilities. With enough sacrifice, I can recreate humans into utopians, Aegis. There is a land called Nazo; a planet that defies logic, and breaks the laws of physics. You see, Aegis, in this damned planet, I am bound to death only, while the god that curses me is a god of life and death. To surpass these boundaries- or physics- would be to gain access to Ankhseram's second power; manipulation of life! All that is required is a swordsman capable of cutting through the binds that keep us away from Nazo. You can see where I'm headed with my words now, can't you?" Alito seriously wondered if Aegis would proceed to his death after this dream.

"Aegis, allow me this, and your ideals will become reality. Everything you desire...will be in your grasp."' Slight laughter burst from Alito's by the end of his pledge. He was on the borderline of either his own dreamland, or the end of his existence here by Aegis' hands. It was all too amusing! Who was to say that, with this potential, Alito was not a god already? Hands capable of determining death in an instant, or allowing life to proceed. Of course, this one individual, Alito could not kill. This knight was the key to Alito's success, just as long as that same knight allowed Alito's life to proceed, just as Alito had done with countless lives already. How ironic. "Become a god- that's what I said before, right?" Alito confirmed, his hand grabbing a fragment of a shattered sword's blade. Just by touching it, the existence of this fragment began to fade away slowly, the smile on Alito's face growing bigger as the essence behind this creation ran dull. "Behold."

And with this, just as the blade's essence vanished, with similar purpose, the clouds found themselves in the same state, the promised sun symbolizing Alito's fate unraveled.