Making Moves

Artorias had paid close attention to all of Bowen's reactions when he gave her the gift he'd made for her. He'd expected surprise, joy, maybe some emotional choking up. What he hadn't been expecting were the tears. As soon as Bowen had affixed the bracer to her right foreleg and admired it for a minute, Art saw her face contort as if she were fighting back some invisible force, battling with herself. Then she leaned her forehead against his chest and began to cry. Not just happy tears—full on crying. Artorias felt a lump form in his throat, making it hard for him to swallow and impossible to breathe. His heart wrenched to see his sister and his lover in such a state. He wanted to do everything he could to help her, compelled by his nature to protect and fix. But Bowen's demons were not an enemy he could square off with. Oh, how he wished he could simply manifest them right here in the room, give them corporeal flesh so he could tear them limb from limb for daring to plague his Bowen. But life was far too cruel to allow him an easy solution.

Instead, Artorias was forced to watch Bowen go through her emotional catharsis, purging out all the emotions she'd held onto for gods knew how long. Raising his muscular forelegs, Art wrapped Bowen up in a secure embrace, clutching her tightly to him while she sobbed, treating her like his most precious treasure of all. So focused was he on comforting and caring for his sister, the Aegis didn't realize his amber eyes were beginning to mist up as well. The pain in his heart for Bowen was only a fraction of the suffering she felt, he was sure of it, and it spurred him on to do whatever he could for her. He might never fix Bowen—not in the way she wanted, at least—but nothing could ever make him regret having her back in his life, loving her as deeply and as madly as he did. He loved Bowen so much it hurt, stealing his breath from him and making him feel weak.

His forelegs squeezing tighter around Bowen's midsection, Artorias slowly craned his neck down to kiss and nuzzle the top of his sister's crown. He didn't say anything coherent, just murmuring sweet nothings and reassurances into her russet ears. There was nothing he could even think to say. All he wanted was to hold Bowen, let her cry out her pain into his fur so he might absorb it away from her and let her know nothing but his love and warmth and protection. "Shhh... I've got you, Bo... I'm here, I'll always be here..." All the while Artorias stared at the glass orb they'd found together as pups all those years ago. He watched the way the light caught on its smooth unmarred surface. It was like a reminder of how easy their lives had been before, how simple and untroubled they were. Artorias had said he wouldn't change Bowen for the world, and he meant that—but that didn't mean a part of him didn't long to go back to those days. Maybe then he could have prevented Bowen's abduction. Maybe then they could have grown up together the way they were supposed to, going on all the adventures they'd promised one another, discovering their love in their own way over time.

Maybe then life would have turned out differently, without his Bowen hating herself and him feeling powerless to do anything but watch while she imploded...

"Bowen & Artorias"