********* (I Love You) Aki LXVI: Arino -A FFXI Love StoryFollow

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It’s been a hectic while irl for me, but here’s another chapter. We are drawing closer and closer to the ending...

I've got most of the next chapter already written, so it should hopefully be up soon.

Read and review :D

Previous chapters, aki, and Interludes

Part I - Connection (Enishi)

Kasho II - Kodoku (Solitude)

Part III - Reunion (Saikai)

Kasho IV- Suriyoru (Closer)

Part V- Secrets (Hiou)

Kasho VI- Hanarebanare (Apart)

Part VII- Longing (Akogare)

Kasho VIII- Takatobi (Escape)

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(Chapter LVII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=1158658394285452028;num=8;page=1

(Aki LVIII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=1160487418129598544

(Chapter LIX)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35&mid=116215072938586841#116232451255312339

(Aki LX)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=11683340869501875

(Chapter LXI)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=1170686480312991438

(Aki LXII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35&mid=1173454020128048747

(Chapter LXIII)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10;mid=117708938380248789

(Aki LXIV)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35;mid=1177332956241669586

(Chapter LXV)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=1182858527209482995

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Bonus Story: Rainfall Memories

Bonus Story: Morning After


*****
Aki LXVI: Arino
*****

The sky was black, the air felt thick.

The snow was glossy, my feet not really even sinking into it as I clutched the hourglass tightly in my hand. With every breath I exhaled, it felt like a little more of my soul was leaking back into the frozen air. The wind whipped through my armor, but I set it aside as I tried to peer past the black cloud heavens for a sign of the girl that I was promised there.

"Butterfly?..." I said softly, calling out the pet name I had given her.

The only response was a freshly starting shower of white sleet upon the landscape.

If this is the Underworld...it’s a lot warmer than I expected it to be.

I took another step forward, then suddenly broke out into a run. My footsteps became quickly broken into the powdered snow, leaving behind a deep groove of my heel and toes in my wake. I flipped down the cover to my koenig helmet to block out what I could of the snow from getting into my armor and melting against my flesh.

After running for what seemed like forever, I finally happened upon a rock outcropping and I paused behind it to catch my breath.

It’s fairly empt-

Flap, Flap

The soft beating of the wings on the other side of the rockface took me by surprise, and I bemused unhappily the fact that I would probably have to fight. I drew out my sword soundlessly from it’s sleeve as I tucked the hourglass away safely within a webbed slot in my armor’s side, the same pocket that used to hold the Secret of the Gods themselves.

Holding the sword in a semi-loose grip, I sidestepped out from behind the wall and found myself facing the yellowed-haired back of a floating eyeball, who’s brown-tipped arched wings kept beating the air to help support it as it doubtlessly stood at attention for whatever ruled this world of darkness. It’s pathetically-minuscule arms and legs were dangling out from either side of it, and I couldn’t help but feel a measure of sympathy for the creature at what I was going to do.

Steeling my mind, I felt the sword plunge straight through the creature’s body and what I knew would be squarely through the hazel irised eye on it’s front. The monster let out one slow moan of deep agony before it flopped face-down into the snow. I placed my right foot on the fresh carcass’ back and pressed against it, creating a sickening sucking sound as I pulled my sword back out and examined it.

Because of (or in spite of) the dark-tinted lighting from the sky above, I could just barely make out the black blood that was covering my cherished blade up to about a half-cilm away from the hilt as it dripped away. Not really wanting to put that filth into my scabbard, I scrubbed away the fluid away with several handfuls of snow that I rubbed up and down it’s metal side. After a couple moments, I had gotten it satisfactorily cleaned enough that I felt comfortable putting the weapon back away.

I then dug my hands into the snow and started to throw fistfuls of the substance away into an increasingly large pile beside me. After another few minutes, I had dug a hole that satisfied me. Kneeling down next to the Ahriman, I then scooped my wrists underneath it’s armpits and then dragged the body down into the shallow grave that I had made for it. Closing the single gigantic eyelid, I then started to cover the body up with enough snow that I hoped that the corpse would go unnoticed long enough for me to find my beloved mage and then get us both the hell out of this place.

After lastly turning down the snow that the blood had leaked out upon, I stepped back and looked at my handiwork for a moment or two, my eyes sweeping back and forth to see if there was anything that I had missed. Finally (somewhat) satisfied with what I had done, I continued forward.

I could see a castle in the distance, and I knew almost instantly that that must be where my beautiful butterfly was being held.

I’m coming.

~Fin Aki LXVI: Arino