Prayer: ~Desperation and Forgiveness~

~Desperation and Forgiveness~

Posted by Toric and a ghost on 11/5/2008, 2:43 am
24.22.74.189

The spirit was waiting.
He knew that sooner or later, Toric would come.

He had kept to himself, kept invisible. No one need know that he still lingered on the mountain. He had hidden himself even from Mal, a fellow spirit who might sympathize with his situation.

He had waited, but even now he did not know what he would say when the expected offer was finally made.

Still, when Toric arrived, the spirit let him know of his presence with a soft touch, a slight twist of the light to make himself faintly visible. He said nothing, however.

Of course, he didn't need to say anything. Toric was speaking as soon as he sensed his brother's presence.
"Lestat... I need your help. Redd's dying. It's the Gift Giver curse. I know you have Trickster... please..."

The spirit of the mountain's enemy solidified further, gaining a touch of color though he was still quite transparent.
'What makes you think I want to help? Didn't I kill her when last we met?' His voice was carefully neutral, and whether that was due to his current state or purposeful could not be determined.

Toric met the ghost's eyes. "If you save her, I'll give you your life back."

'What makes you think I want to live?' Now he did let a touch of emotion into his ethereal voice. It sounded almost like... despair.

The sound gave Toric something to work with, and his own voice took on a passionate tone. "You could redeem yourself! You could be like you were before! I know... I know it was the Vampire Heart blessing that drove you mad. It wasn't just Lily or Kirik or Tazendre. You survived all of that and kept your caring heart. If I revive you, the curse will be gone and you'll be free... Please. I need you..."

'You need me...?' the collie spirit asked cynically. 'Is that why you haven't used your own Trickster Blessing on Redd?'

Toric looked deeply ashamed. "Yes... That's why. I wanted to revive you before, but she wouldn't accept it. I'm sorry, but I couldn't go so directly against her wishes..."

'So you lied to her... and you expect me to accept a gift based on a lie?'

That question actually startled Toric, but at the same time it gave him hope. "You really have changed, haven't you..." he murmured.

The ghost's reply was sudden and fierce, and he almost glowed with his own otherworldly light. Yes, I have changed! You were right, Brother Mine, it wasthe Vampire Heart. I have changed... and I know what I have done. Do you truly want me to come back to that?'

'I did,' said a third voice, and Mal - the spirit of Te'ki - showed himself. Of course he was there. He followed Toric always. 'If Toric and Redd could forgive me, after I destroyed their lives and their homes, then they can do the same for you.'

The ghost of Lestat stared at the wolf spirit long and hard, pain in his eyes. He wanted to live. He had always loved life... but he didn't know how it was possible, after all the harm he'd done in his darkest hour.
But Mal had done the same.

Finally, he looked back to his brother, and said only, 'do it.'

Immediately, Toric activated the Life Blessing he'd been saving and the ghost of his brother was enveloped in a blinding golden light. When it cleared, he stood gasping on shaky legs, whole and alive.
All Life Blessings have slightly different effects. This one had healed all of his scars. Even the ear which Tazendre had bitten off so long ago was whole again. However, the mountain's power seemed to have punished him in another way.
When Lestat had fallen into the vulcanic crevice even as it was stifled with water and thus been boiled alive, the white wings which he had always kept so neatly groomed were the first to go, the flesh stripped away and the feathers scattered. Now, his life returned by the same mountain which had slain him, that scar was the only one left. Where his wings once were, only stubs of bone and flesh remained, shrouded in small white feathers.

Slowly, Lestat raised his head to meet his brother's eyes. For the first time in a long, long while, his own face was not twisted by a cruel sneer or grin. It was open, searching, and guilty.

"This way," was all that Toric said, and then turned to lead his younger brother back to where Redd was waiting.