Ficlet - When You Awake (Songfic Version)

[indigoneutrino]

Ah, I'm now remembering what inspired me to write that fic. It was the song "Acoustic Song" by Bruce Dickinson, and this piece of fanart by MegSuccubusFilth (click on the picture to see some more of her work):

I took the song lyrics out when I entered it for the writing competition, but it was originally a songfic. Even if the writing itself is only at the standard of a fourteen year old and needs a lot of work, it still brings back memories of a beautiful song and I think I did manage to capture the feeling of the song and the painting when I wrote it. That's why, despite its flaws, I'm proud of it.

Even though I posted the non-songfic version, I wanted to show how it worked with the lyrics, so here's the original.

When You Awake

We live and die like all the rest
Ever summer has its sunset every year
Love and hope put to the test
Every grain of comfort holds the seed of fear

Day came at last to that place beyond the end of time. At last the sun rose on that desolate place far beyond imagination. Day came when she awoke.

He sat beside her in those halls where she had lain sleeping since before time began, and now as she opened her eyes, for the first time in eternity light shone through the cracks in the curtains, and the great stone halls were illuminated with light, and seemed warm and friendly rather than cold and foreboding as they had done before.

He had one day with her. One day was all that had been allowed. But one day would be enough. 

And I loved you long ago
And I love you still
But the roads that we have travelled
Took us far apart
Scattered to the four winds
Someday we will find the time to heal

He took her hand and they left those great stone rooms, and walked along great stone corridors as they searched for an exit. But it was not urgent. It did not really matter. She laughed and smiled as he had only ever seen her do in dreams, and he laughed with her and was happy.

They found the way out, and they walked through it and left the labyrinth of stone. Outside rich, vibrant fields stretched before them as far as they could see, filled with flowers of every hue, and they ran among them, laughing and feeling alive again.

He held her, and it seemed to him that she was so light she could be swept away in the gentle breeze, her ethereal white wings rippling in the wind. He took a flower from the ground and twisted its stem into her dark hair, and she smiled, and kissed him, and stroked his face, and touched his dark leathery wings, glad to be with her demon lover and no longer in the nightmare world.

In the fields of flowers they lay for a long time, while overhead the clouds rolled by, in the strangest shades of yellow, pink and orange. They lay together, and were glad to be with each other, even if it was for only one day, and then she would never wake again. Neither of them spoke, for words could not describe what they felt. In each others arms they lay, and the day that passed may have lasted for all eternity, for they were beyond time now. But at last, when the sun began to sink low in the sky, he broke the spell that lay upon both of them and spoke. In the quiet he whispered her name, and she watched him, and knew what he was about to say, but it didn't make it any easier for her to hear. "You'll have to go back to sleep soon."

She held his hand tighter and whispered, "But I don't want to."

With great sadness he reached out to her and pulled her closer to him, and caressed her face as he said what he knew he had to say. "I know. But you have to go back to Him."

"Him?"

"Your lover in the dreamworld."

She looked confused and desperate as she tried to understand him, "But you're the only one I love."

"I wish that could be true." She said nothing, but a single tear ran down her face. He gently brushed it away. "But you'll remember you love him when you return."

She didn't speak, but leaned closer to him and tried to savour the last few moments they had together. He wished so much he could keep her here with him for as long as this place existed, but that was impossible. "I promise I'll never forget you." She nodded and understood. "I'll be right here beside you. Forever. For as long as we both exist in this place I'm never going to leave you. And if you ever think you're alone just remember me, because I'll be here."

She nodded again, because there were no words to communicate how she felt. No words needed to be exchanged between them for them to know the truth.

And the scars that bear my name
Are the wounds that never heal
But the roads that we have travelled took us far apart
And I love you still

When the sun sank below the horizon, she closed her eyes and he knew he would never see her open them again. She was lost now to him forever, and he had to keep his promise.

Moonlight caught the silver tears glistening on his cheeks as he lay his head down beside hers, and closed his eyes. In the distance he thought he could hear the sound of waves beating on the shore, but that must be a dream too because the sea was far away now.

In the fields of nowhere they lay together, while their world died around them now that she was no longer awake to bring the daylight. It was over now at last between them, their time spent together nothing but a sweet memory lost in a sea of dreams. And far beyond this place, somewhere back in the nightmare world, someone tried to remember what it was she had left behind.

And I loved you long ago