9,000 Years Later

Robin had chosen to wake me up early when he was leaving the house in the morning. I could understand why. He was mildly concerned that he would never return home. I, of course, knew he would. We had been together too long for me believe that Grima's destruction would mean the end of his life. If nothing else, he and I were bound together too strongly for him to simply vanish. Though of course we had many people close to us who could tether him to this world, I knew that he would not leave me. He would return for me and we would live our remaining years together.

Though I was a dragon, time, in its implacable forward march, was coming to claim me as well. I was now thirteen thousand years old, and I knew that the hour was nearly at hand when I would be called to take my mother's place as humanity's guardian spirit. I did not know exactly how much longer I had, but I knew that it was not long. Thus, as the day of Grima's latest return had drawn near, Robin and I had come to the decision that he would slay his father for good. If my mother was right it would mean that he would lose his dragon essence and become fully human.

I did not know if he would age ten thousands years in a moment, but I chose to believe that he would not. I believed that he would simply live the rest of his years as a human would, perhaps fifty or sixty more. Humans lived much longer than they had in the past, but they were still humans and their bodies still failed at a mere century and a half. Robin could perhaps have as long as that, but it would likely be shorter. He—and I—now fully appeared our ages, though time had not made him any less appealing. If anything he had grown more handsome every day that we had been together. Sometimes I had to remind myself that my entire life was indeed real instead of some blissfully happy dream.

I wished to get out of bed, but I found that I had very little energy to do so. I had always been a heavy sleeper and time had only made me more so. And yet I could not allow myself to sleep. I needed to be awake when he returned, for I knew he would. So I forced myself to sit up and I moved to sit in my chair. Humanity, in their infinite capacity for innovation, had long ago created chairs that allowed the person sitting to move about freely without even touching the ground. It never failed to delight me when I used mine to traverse our home, which in turn always pleased Robin when he saw how happy I was. That would, in turn, make me even happier. Nothing brought me greater joy than the smiling face of the most wonderful man to ever live.

"Dearest, please wake up."

"Mm...beloved, I am awake."

"Today's the day. I only have a couple of hours."

"You will return. I know it. For whose bond is stronger than ours?"

"No one's. I'll be back later. I love you."

"I love you too, my Robin."

I thought back to our conversation before he had departed. He was to meet with some others to travel to the island where his father would return. I was simply too old to go with him, but I would not say goodbye. He was coming back.

My chair took me to the kitchen where I took breakfast. He had left me some food on the table with a note. It was simple.

See you later. Love you. -Your Robin

"Love you," I read aloud. It was impossible to count the number of times he had said or written those words to me. Even when he did not say them I knew he felt them. I heard them all the time, even if they were not spoken. They were in every kiss. In every touch. In every meal. In every small task done to make our home cleaner. In every small gift and every large gift. In every word he said in praise of our children. In every warm summer day we sat together in the shade. In every winter night spent by the fire. In every place he took me. In every warm smile. Everything he did conveyed that message to me.

He loved me.

He had loved me for ten thousand years. Countless human lifetimes had passed. So many things had happened. Humanity had spread among the stars even as he and I allowed our names to fade from history. Many still told our story, but I often heard from my children that those who lived on other planets forgot our names and knew us only as the Voice and the Vessel. I could hardly say I minded that I was no longer treated as an object of worship. My children often told me that the stories they told of us were often filled with contradiction and error, but we took solace in one thing.

All those who told the stories agreed that we loved one another, as husband and wife, above all else.

Once I had finished eating I allowed my chair to take me to the porch so that I could watch the daytime sun. Robin had built the home we now lived in with a porch to the east and the west. He told me that he wanted us to be able to watch the sun rise and set together, and so we did. Though it was often difficult for us to wake up to watch the sun rise together, we always watched it set.

I settled back in my chair as I looked out at the land in front of me. Much of the world was built with cities, but the town in which our house was located was deliberately kept undeveloped. It was, of course, near the Mila Tree. Despite the spread of the human race, many on our world still followed the old ways. They could hardly deny the truth of them, as they often received visits from the one they considered their chief god.

Just as I had that thought, as if I had beckoned her by thinking it, my mother appeared in front of me.

"Good morning, my daughter," she said. She floated several inches above the ground in front of me, which meant that I had to look up at her spectral form.

"Good morning, mother," I said.

"Your husband told me of his plans to destroy the Fell Dragon." I knew he had. He had told me that he would inform her.

"Indeed. The Fell Dragon will not survive the morning."

"You know, of course, that this could mean his end," she said a little sadly.

"It will not, mother. I have faith in him. He will return to me."

"Perhaps. I cannot deny the strength of your bond. Any doubt I may have ever had in him has long been washed away. And yet you must know that, even should he survive, he will be human. He will live out his short life and pass away." I reached a hand out to her and she took it gently. It may have been an illusion, but she was my mother and I still felt the love in her touch.

"I know this, mother," I said. "I have always known it. I have always known that our time together must end eventually. He has given ten thousand years of his life to me. I can hardly ask him for more. I have made my peace with the knowledge that I must be alone in the afterlife. I will simply treasure in my heart the time we were allowed to be together and the new lives that were created as a result of our love."

"And how are your children?" she asked. "Have you spoken to them recently?"

"I speak to them whenever I can," I said, "though it is difficult to keep contact when we have so many who are spread so far."

"I do not think that any other member of the tribe can claim to be the mother of a thousand young," she said. I thought I heard a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Most of them are not so young anymore," I said with a laugh of my own, "but I am more than happy it is so. Each new child we brought into the world only served as further proof of the love I share with him. Even now, after so long, I sometimes feel as though I have been in the midst of a dream."

"In truth it has brought happiness to me as well. Do you recall when I first met him?"

"The details may have faded from my mind, but yes, I do."

"I told him then that, because you had chosen him, I was forced to leave you in his care. I told him that he should care for you and that there would be dire consequences if he did not. And I told him...that I wanted you to be happy. That is all I ever wanted, my daughter. I wanted your happiness, and he has provided it. I am...pleased that you chose him."

"As am I, mother," I said.

"Have you truly accepted that you will be separate from him when he has passed?"

"I have," I said. "I know my hour approaches. I know that soon I will be called upon to take up your mantle. I know that I must exist separate from humans as I watch over them. I am willing to do so. It is my duty." It was difficult to consider, but he had given me so much. I could not have asked him for more. I knew from the beginning that he and I could not be together for eternity, but he had given more years than I could have possibly hoped for. I would face my role as Naga with my head held high and I would keep him in my heart forever.

"Very well, my daughter," she said. "In that case there is something I need to discuss with you if Robin returns."

"He will," I said. "I have faith in him." She nodded. To pass the time I began to speak to her about my family. I received regular messages from all of our children and many of our grandchildren and beyond, though few of them still lived on this planet. They were spread as far away as the very stars themselves. I wondered still if any of the stars that was home to a planet now inhabited by humans was one of those I had lost over time. I knew now what the stars were made of, and yet I still had to wonder if perhaps the souls of those who passed on became a part of the stars.

What felt like hours passed as we spoke of my family and the thousand children Robin and I had brought into the world. When we had decided to have so many children I worried that it might cause me to forget their names or not be able to tell them apart, but I found that such a thing never happened. Instead, each new child I bore him only caused the love I felt for my family to grow. I loved each of my children that much more as they were blessed with a new brother or sister. And, most of all, I loved my husband even more each time I saw him smile and cradle his newborn child.

"Ah," my mother said at one point during the conversation as she put her hands against her temples, "I can no longer feel the Fell Dragon's presence in the world. It is done."

"Good," I said, "now we must await Robin's return." He would come home. It might take him some time because he was slowed with age, but he would come home.

"Indeed."

"You should rest," she said, "you appear tired."

"I am not so old that I need sleep already," I said, "and besides, I wish to be awake when he arrives."

"Very well," she said. She moved to sit next to me. Even so her face was several feet above me. I felt my eyelids grow heavy as I looked out at the morning sun and considered that there would no longer be a Fell Dragon to threaten the world. He had finally done it. We had sealed Grima away so many times, and now it was finally over. Humanity was safe, never again to be threatened with destruction by a dark god.

I felt a hand on my shoulder shake me gently and I blinked several times. I looked up to my right and saw Robin smiling down at me. He had his own chair come over to him and he put it next to mine. The barrier between them retracted and they combined to form a seat for the two of us. He sat down and put his arm around me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I tried to stay awake until you returned, but it appears I could not." He kissed me on the cheek as he so often did.

"It's fine," he said. "Your sleeping face is so cute that I don't mind seeing it."

"Leave it to you to take away my concern with a word, you charmer," I said lightly. I gave him a kiss and rested against him. It was such a warm and familiar position that I nearly fell asleep again. I knew that I could if I wished, for I knew he would remain with me until I awoke.

"It's not my fault you're so cute," he said, "really I'm just being honest." My mother floated back up in front of us. "Hello Naga. You're looking well."

"I am, Robin," she said, "as are you. I have felt the Fell Dragon's destruction, and now I have seen your return. My concerns have been assuaged."

"Yeah, when I finished him off I felt myself...falling, I suppose." He looked at me. "I've told you what it's like when he's inside my head. I thought I was going to fall into the void. But I didn't. Can you guess why?"

"Had I need to guess," I said, "I would guess that I was there beside you in the darkness and I pulled you back." He kissed my forehead.

"You're right," he said, "you didn't need to guess. You've saved me so many times before, I suppose it's only appropriate that you did it again." I murmured in satisfaction and hugged him around the middle.

"And you are now fully human," said my mother. "How do you feel?"

"I don't feel any different," he said, "except maybe a little older."

"You will age much more rapidly now," she said, "as expected of a human."

"Yeah," he said, "I know. It's a little strange to think about, but hopefully I make it another six months at least."

"You should," I said. "You should live several more years at least."

"Good," he said, "I wanted to make it at least until our ten thousandth anniversary."

"Mm. I can hardly believe we have been married for so long." He kissed me again.

"And you've gotten more beautiful every day we've been together," he said.

"Oh you...I wished to say something like that to you first," I said crossly. He laughed and my heart sped up. No matter how many times I heard him laugh it always made me feel warm inside.

"Do you remember what I promised you back when we got engaged?" he asked.

"You will have to remind me," I said. I did, and he knew that I did, but I wanted to hear him say it. And I wanted my mother to hear him say it.

"I promised that, whether we were together for a year, or ten years, or ten thousand years, I would love you more every day." I kissed his cheek several times.

"And did you?" I asked.

"I did."

"Good, because I did as well," I said.

"It makes me glad to hear that," said my mother, "for there is something I must discuss with you both." We looked at her in unison.

"Oh?" he said. I thought I suspected what she was going to say, but I did not want to say anything for fear that I was wrong.

"You, Robin, are the son of the Fell Dragon. Though you have destroyed him and his essence is no longer within you, he remains your father."

"I know," he said, "but I've never let it get me down."

"I know this," she said, "which is why I spoke with the Divine Dragon tribe elders after you told me of your intention to destroy him."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. I convinced them to consider you as much a dragon as anyone else born through the union of a human and a dragon. And now that the Fell Dragon's stain is no longer on your soul...the elder has agreed to perform the ritual to Join you to my daughter."

"Wh-what? Really?" He looked at me and back to my mother several times. "D-did you know about this?" he asked me.

"I suspected it," I said, "but it was only now confirmed to me." I pulled myself tighter against him.

"I...I can't believe it," he said. "I thought you said they would never accept me." My mother, in an exceedingly rare sight, smiled.

"I convinced them to allow it, as you are the one who destroyed the Fell Dragon. It is the least I can do for the man who has brought my daughter ten thousand years of joy." He lost the ability to speak. I saw him begin to cry with delight. He put a hand over his mouth as I felt myself begin to tear up as well.

"We can truly be together forever," I said. "Once I become Naga and even beyond. We need never be apart."

"Indeed," said my mother. "My daughter will soon take up my mantle and I will pass to the heavens. I believe I will do as you suggested so long ago and seek out her father."

"You will find him, mother," I said. "I'm sure he is waiting for you."

"Sh-she's right," said Robin. It was clearly still difficult for him to speak. I did not think I could either. She had done it. My mother had done it. Robin and I could be together forever. We never had to be apart.

"I pray she is," said my mother. She knelt down and put herself at eye level with us. "Though I am sure I know your answer, I must formally ask you both so that I may bring the message back to the elder." She looked at me. "Tiki, do you wish to be Joined to this man? To pledge yourself to him for all eternity?"

"Yes, mother," I said. I looked up at Robin.

"Robin, do you wished to be Joined to my daughter? To pledge yourself to her for all eternity?" Robin looked at me and smiled through his tears. Like it always did, his smile made my heart race. It had done so for ten thousand years. It was the smile of the finest man who ever lived. It was the smile he had always given me whenever I had desired it. It was the smile that never failed to bring me joy. It was the smile of the man I loved with all my heart.

My Beloved.

My Robin.

Though I knew it was difficult for him, he managed to respond. She knew what he would say and I knew what he would say, but I still felt a thrill when I heard his words.

"Of course the answer is yes. The answer has always been yes."

Fin.