One Last Letter before Battle

By RaistlinofMetallica

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Blanket disclaimer: Anything you recognize, except for my OCs and the plot, I don't own. I do this for fun and absolutely no profit.

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It was a time for dreams again. She walked the halls of a darkened building, shivering slightly. This place was normally brighter, torches sputtering on the stone walls and shimmering spheres of light floating across the ceiling. Where was he? She had been looking for him, as he usually was here somewhere. Resting her hands on the wood of the doors, she sighed and pushed them open.

A solitary candle cast a weak light over a table in the middle of the dark library. Resting on the table was a single scroll. Curiously, she stepped into the room and lifted up the scroll.

To her ladyship, Crysania of Tarinius, Revered Daughter of Paladine

Puzzled, she broke the wax seal and unfurled the scroll. He had never given her letters before, not here.

Dearest Revered Daughter,

It has been a thousand seasons since last I walked the streets of this ancient city, a thousand seasons since I left it all behind on my misguided quest. I have slept too long in the grace of mercy that I did not deserve. All this while I have dreamt of finding peace and of futures that seem to slip through my fingers like sand. How fleeting are dreams of happiness! And how terrible was destiny, damning all possibilities.

Where to go, now that I have awoken to a broken world? All I knew has gone from this world and all that is left is no longer welcoming. I would have preferred the peace of death to the coma in which I rested. At least in death, no dreams of the impossible - no dreams of what I can never have would have come to me. The dreams of happiness were a more horrible torture than anything my Queen could have visited upon me. Peace, love and happiness: to forever have it dangling just out of reach! I have never known such despair.

Yet, the crisis that plagues the world entered my dream-world as well and I woke up to find the nightmare was real. Chaos the accursed walks the land, thirsty for vengeance on his imprisonment and the heavens threaten to sunder as we wait for answers. You and I both know that answers will be few and many prayers will go unheard during this burning summer.

Do you remember the kiss of the flames, my Crysania? I know you remember the little village of the dead, the bodies of the victims of plague. I know you remember your test in fire, standing in the center of the flames. I can still recall it quite vividly: your shining faith, blazing with defiant courage, leading you into my embrace. There was nothing remaining of that little village when the flame was finished. Those flames will be but a mere breeze when compared to the blaze that threatens to devour us all.

We are being called to arms again - for what are we but soldiers of our gods? Ah, I know what you are thinking. I do serve myself, it is true, but I also serve my art and I am loyal to my god. Our adventure has taught you humility, I suppose, but I will always know your heart as well as my own. We were but two sides of the same coin, back then - one of light and one of dark. Such lofty ambitions we both held, full of youthful arrogance! I digress, dear Revered Daughter. It is the aftereffects of such a long slumber.

Perhaps we will meet our ends in this battle and it is for this reason that I write to you. Dreams can be revealing at times and mine have been most enlightening. A thousand torturous visions of impossible happiness plagued my sleep and each one held you at its core. I was young and my arrogance blinded me, even as the humanity I tried to hide cried out for you. Imprisoned in the world of dreams, I was forced to confront what I dared not admit to myself. Whatever I had told myself during our infamous adventure, I know now were all lies. There was something special between us, no matter how I tried to ignore it; there was a solace that I found in you, that I never found before or since. Damn cruel and fickle fate!

Pride prevented me from realizing the truth of my feelings for you, dear Crysania, and I have no doubts that you have moved on in these long years. I will always be your first love, though, won't I? Perhaps, if something had been different... But, no, it does no good to dwell on broken dreams. I have stolen a part of your heart and I won't give it back without a fight. Instead, I will give you a part of my shattered heart to keep forever and I know you will protect it well. And if I do not see you again on this world, I promise that we will meet again in the next.

Be seeing you,

Raistlin Majere

Raistlin would keep this promise, she knew it. After all, she was one of the few people who truly knew him and she still held a part of his heart for all time. She could tell when he was being clever or insidious, a talent she had developed after their infamous adventure. She missed him, though she would only admit it in secret, when she was sure that no one would hear.

Sighing, Crysania left the library and headed back for the land of the waking, back to blindness and battles.

Perhaps she would see him again.

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AN: Originally done for a letter writing assignment. My teacher is starkers... I think Raistlin was smirking before he signed his name. Or at least he was in my imagination.