I Love You, Sky

"You accept what I've done...?" Illya's tears instantly stopped, and her hands sunk down to her sides once more.

"I do. Wholeheartedly. I have nothing to lie about on my deathbed," I told Illya. She smiled, looking all around at the destroyed city around us.

"There's one thing I want to say to you, Sky," Illya told me. I nodded as she got close, and lightly pushed Dani away from me.

"I've known you for four hundred years. You've saved me from the dark parts of my life. You've saved me from my abusive father. You took a hit that permanently scarred your body. You took hits in your life that no other person could take and still stand. You've been thrown around like no other, you've suffered mental, emotional, and physical abuse. You threw so much on the line, and you became a leader no other could step to," Illya said. She looked around at everybody around me, and then continued.

"You've done so much for me... so much for the world... even now, without your memories, without a hint at the person you used to be before... you became that exact person. A great leader, one who threw everything on the line when he needed to. One who sacrificed so much just to get here... and I'm still here... just watching you... I contributed to so much of your suffering, and yet, you still accept me..." Illya mumbled.

"You've prevailed over so much... you became somebody so great... and I'm still baggage. I still slowed you down, even when I said I wouldn't... so, Sky Asterio. You may view me as a sister right now, but during all that time... during our time four hundred years ago, during our time in The First Trial... during our time even now, at this very minute. Even when Dani is standing beside you. I want to tell you that I love you, Sky Asterio," Illya said.

I didn't have an answer for her, not one that she wanted to hear. I absolutely loved Dani with all of my heart... so I stood silent, awkwardly watching Illya raise her head once more again.

"I know you don't love me. I should've known that you'd never love me. It's not a guilt trip, it's just fate if that's what you would call it. My husband died four hundred years ago, and I spent four hundred years trying to bring him back... but he died, and I need to accept that. So, I say that to you now, because it just felt right. I don't want you to feel bad for me, I don't expect you to, and I want you to marry Dani one day, and start a family with her," Illya told me. I was speechless, catching onto her wordplay.

"May I hug him, Dani?" Illya asked. Dani showed obvious signs of wanting to say no but agreed to it with a slight nod.

"So... Sky Asterio... the leader you've become... the person you've become... I can't just let that go. I can't just let that die here... my mission was to restore what you had lost, ever since the beginning. Do you remember what I gave you?" Illya asked me with her head buried in my chest.

"Um... The Incarnation of Transfer, right?" I asked, to which she nodded.

"That's right. The Incarnation of Transfer. That's what I gave you... but I don't want you to only remember that. I want you to remember something else that I've given you," Illya said.

Her grip got tighter and before I could react, I noticed Iridescent Strands start to surround my body.

"I've given you what I could... everything I could... and the last thing I give to you, Sky Asterio... is my remaining lifespan," Illya said.

Everybody shot up from their hands, their tears cleared, and they were frozen in place.

My eyes widened and I tried to pry out of Illya's grasp.

"No! Illya, don't do this! Hold onto it! This is not mine! Keep it! This is yours! You can't do this! Illya!" I tried desperately to pry out of her grasp, but she wouldn't let go, only lying her head on my chest while the strands tightened around me.

"ILLYA!" I screamed out, but she didn't respond.

"There's still work to do, Sky Asterio... I need to go see my husband, from four hundred years ago... please, let me..." Illya whispered into my ear. I found myself in shock, unable to move as the time began to increase in my eye.

The vision in my right eye was restored. In my left eye:

[Lifespan Reduction: 1 Year]

The time was shooting up, rapidly going until the hours, then the minutes, then the seconds.

"Sky... promise me... you won't give up... promise me you'll stop my brother... promise me you'll start that family with Dani... I will tell your friends that everybody is okay and in good hands... if I make it to Heaven. Do you think I will?" Illya asked me.

Her body went limp in my hands as I sunk down, moving with her and resting her head up against my hand.

"You can't... why did you..." Tears started to fall from my eyes onto her chest. She smiled, wiping them from my eyes.

"And cut that damn hair... you look ridiculous... I'm sorry... for everything... for killing your friends... for giving you such a hard time... the cycle will end, Sky... just hang in there, okay?" Illya asked me. Her eyes went dark in my arms and her body went limp. Her fingers fell to the floor after sliding against my arms, and her legs finally dropped in unison while I was stuck staring at her dead body.

Dani, Carl, Lia, Lily, Shike, Belle, Alexia, Boo, Rin, Ren, Ellios, Fudo, Alatus, and Ruby all surrounded me as I held Illya's body in my arms.

"Dad...?" Faith was standing right above me, letting tears loose above Illya's body as well.

"Is Mom... is... is she..." She couldn't muster the words, couldn't say them out loud, and fell into Dani's chest while sobbing loudly.

"I can't believe it... she..." Carl mumbled, staring at her body as well.

I couldn't find the words, couldn't find the emotions...