//------------------------------// // 5. Break // Story: A Loving Angel // by TheWingman //------------------------------// Through the door stepped a man around the same age as Celestia. Around the same height, decent build, long hair and a goatee colored light crimson with streaks of orange, he had to have been what Celestia was reluctant to tell Gemini about. His mind was beset by confusion as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. To him, none of it made sense. “Gemini,” Celestia sighed, “this… is my boyfriend.” For a few scant moments, time seemed to stop for Gemini. Celestia never told him she had a boyfriend. After spending the better part of the day making her comfortable and proving his love her, was it all for naught? He couldn’t say anything or move. He was a slave to his own shock and shattered emotions. “So, this is the kid you’ve talked about.” The man mused with a genuinely warm smile, “Hello, I’m Argent Radiance. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his arm with an open hand. Gemini knew what the gesture meant. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to. Anger, sadness, betrayal, and many more emotions flooded his mind. He felt his feelings being ground into dust as his heart imploded. Celestia already had a lover and he never stood a chance. “Is there something wrong?” Argent asked as his face became a slight frown, growing concerned. “Ce-Celestia,” Gemini’s voice shuddered with betrayal, “why?” Oh dear. Celestia thought to herself, I knew this was going to happen. She tried putting a hand on Gemini’s shoulder to calm him down. Instead, he jerked his body away from her, shocking her. “Gemini, please calm down. Let me explain.” “Explain what?!” He snapped with tears welling in his eyes, “You’ve had a boyfriend all this time and you didn’t bother to tell me?!” His fists were balled up, filled with anger and pain. Where his heart used to be, nothing remained. It was all just a void of nothingness. His heart was beyond broken; it was shattered, disintegrated. “Gemini, please see reason!” Celestia’s pleas fell on deaf ears as he got up, silently sobbing from a broken heart. “Gemini, if you’d calm down, we can talk this out.” Argent calmly pleaded with Gemini as the latter threw the door open wide. Like his girlfriend, his words had no effect. “NO!” Gemini screamed, “NO! YOU ALL LIED TO ME! GET AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!” As quickly as he screamed his pain, he ran out of the house and down the street. As much as she wanted to, Celestia thought it best to leave him alone, knowing his mental state. As she and Argent sat on the couch in silence, Luna walked in, confused by what she saw. “Tia, what happened with Gemini?” She asked, “I just saw him running out crying but wha-” There, she also took notice of Argent’s presence. It didn’t take her long to deduce what triggered the student’s outburst. “He found out.” “Afraid so.” Celestia somberly said, “I was… too indecisive about telling him.” “I honestly never expected him to react that way, dear.” Argent sighed, “It wasn’t your fault.” “But, I-I think he hates me now.” Not wanting to see his girlfriend stress out, Argent pulled her into a loving hug, pecking her on the forehead. Though some tears formed, Celestia didn’t cry. She was more worried than sad, worried about the wellbeing of her student, “I don’t know what to do.” “Well Tia,” Luna pondered for a moment, “we’ve gotten him back from the brink before. This time, it shouldn’t be any different.” “But, we don’t know what is eating him.” “Let me look through his room and we might know.” “Very well.” Luna walked down the hall and into Gemini’s room. A bit on the messy side, it was mostly kept orderly. Slowly, Luna scanned the room, checking anywhere from his closet to his drawers until his nightstand was left. Opening it, Luna dug through it until she saw a folded up piece of paper, very much a note. Unfolding it, Luna skimmed through it until she nodded. Walking back to the living room, she sighed and cleared her throat. “What did you find, Luna?” Celestia asked. “It’s best if I read it.” Straightening the paper and with a gulp of air, Luna composed herself as she prepared to read the contents. Well, I’m finally free in more ways than one. From school and the worries of my old home life, none of them will be troubling me anymore. For that, I give all my gratitude to Principal Celestia. If it weren’t for her, I might not have made it at school or worse, died. On the first day where she brought me to live with her and Luna, I had the most vivid dream of her. She looked like an angel, beautiful and serene. Yet, her aura was motherly. After that, I became split on what to see her as. She’s beautiful and attractive but motherly and caring. All this is hurting my mind and heart. I really can’t decide. Maybe later today if I confront her about this, she’ll hopefully understand. No matter what, I’ll still love her. They were rendered speechless over the heartfelt note. Despite bringing him to their house, he rarely talked about his feelings. For Celestia, the note explained much about his thoughts. He cared deeply for her, evident when he defended her honor from his father. Even though, she realized his thoughts about her were conflicted. “Goodness.” Celestia sighed as she sat back on the couch, “It's that bad?” “And that makes the situation more precarious for him.” Argent remarked as he sat up, straightening his coat. Having a doctorate in psychology, he knew where Gemini would likely end up if his conflict is left unresolved. As a result, he shared the same concerns as Celestia. Though he knew that he hated him, Argent realized that only talking to Gemini will help him. “I’m going to go find him.” “Are you sure he’ll respond to you?” Celestia worriedly asked. “It’s worth a shot.” He muttered as he grabbed his keys, “I’m just as concerned about him as are you, dear. I want to help him out. Just give me one shot and I’ll bring him back. I promise.” Walking over to her, Argent gingerly embraced Celestia and plants a quick kiss on her lips. Breaking it, she placed a hand on his cheek with a smile most warm. “Please bring him back.” “I promise.” The sun was beginning to set as Argent drove around town. Keeping his head on a swivel, he kept his open for any hints of Gemini’s whereabouts. After being told his story by Celestia, he shared the same worry as his girlfriend. In his mind, he’s a good kid with issues he needed help with. After years of studying the human psyche, he knew how to handle it and he had to with the finesse of an ice skater. After nearly twenty minutes of driving around, his eyes caught the sight of some hooded figure sitting on some bench on a hill. Right away, he knew it was Gemini, seeking to be away from human contact. Parking his car, he took a deep breath as he cleared his mind. Alright Argent, you can do this. He thought to himself. Just keep calm and he’ll come around. Exiting his car, Argent strolled over to the bench as the breeze blew against his face. Though he suspected that Gemini was alerted to his presence, he could tell he was in too much pain to care. He didn’t want to talk to anyone or acknowledge them. He wanted isolation, feeling that he wasn’t loved. With a sigh, Argent sat next to Gemini who was slumped up against the backboard. “Hey uh-, Gemini.” Argent sighed as he adjusted his posture, “It’s- I know I’m the last person you want to see. But, I just want to talk to you.” His words were met with only silence, just as he anticipated. Yet, he had to press on for his and Celestia’s sake. “Like Luna, I’m trained as a psychologist. You don’t have to feel ashamed about your thoughts. I’ll listen to you no matter what.” Again, not a single sigh or noise was made in response. Apart from soft breathing, the air was mostly silent. Argent didn’t jump into the situation thinking that it was going to be easy. He knew nothing worthwhile in life ever was. “Gemini, I know you hate me. I didn’t come here expecting you wouldn’t. But, I came here because Celestia wants you back. She’s worried sick about you. You don’t have to like me. All I want for you to do is hear me out.” … … … “Why?” Gemini asked, breaking his silence “What?” Argent replied. “Why does she still care about me?” “Well, she does because she still loves you.” Argent stated, “She’s worried about you and so am I.” “Bullshit! She never did give a shit about me! All that time of her being nice to me was nothing more than lies!” With that, Gemini’s emotional walls started to erode further. Argent had seen things like his case. Talking to him would work but he’d needed to be persistent. As quickly as he let his guard down, Gemini could rebound just as easily. “Gemini, through the four months I’ve gotten to know her, she’s the farthest from a liar.” Argent said as he got closer to Gemini, “As a psychologist, I see the truth as being better in the long run than a little white lie. I don’t lie when I say that you’re a good kid. I care about you just as much as Celestia and Luna does.” “LIES! NOBODY CARED ABOUT ME! NOT EVEN MY PARENTS LOVED ME AT ALL!” “I know that love is an issue for you. We all know that you suffer an inner conflict about Celestia.” “How did you know?!” “Luna found that note of yours in your room. She read it to us and now we know why you acted the way you did. You are torn up about what you see her as.” For a moment, Gemini said nothing. His breathing hitched as he turned further away from the man. They read his note, the entirety of his heart and mind written on a piece of paper. Embarrassed, he struggled to do or say anything. Then, he felt a bit of warmth on his shoulder as Argent placed his hand on his shoulder. Why would he extend such a gesture to him? Argent had him right where he wanted him and was ready to ask him the question. “I know that your heart is concerned with love. It’s a concept that affects the heart the most, whether it be familial or romantic. I’ve heard many cases from my clients about that. When my patients have that sort of conflict, I would ask them a question and now I ask you this: Who are you and what do you want?” “I-I-I don’t know!” Gemini snapped. His last bit of resistance was beginning to breakdown. Mind racing at an exponential rate, he cupped his forehead as he grunted in pain from his confusion. “I mean I love her but… I DON’T KNOW WHICH WAY!!!” “And that brings me to my next question. What do you truly see in her: A lover that you want or a mother that you lack and need?” For a moment, Gemini stared blankly out into space as new thoughts snapped to him. Throughout most of his life, things weren’t well with his parents. Between their relatives disowning them and their resulting addictions, he felt isolated, alone, like he never mattered. Yet, when Celestia took notice of his plight, going to lengths to help him, it was like someone truly cared for him as a mother would. We’re just concerned that some of your teachers said that they’ve seen you napping during class time for the past few weeks. I’m sorry they treated you like that. But what matters now is that you’re safe. Don’t feel ashamed about it. Everything is going to be alright, I swear it. I’m here for you now. Don’t hold back, let your feelings out. “Mother.” Gemini croaked. Argent’s gaze drifted back to the young man on the brink of tears. Though it was softly spoken, he understood what he meant. Through all that inner conflict and heartbreak, his mind was able to settle on one view. Celestia always had his back, treated him with love and care when he had nowhere to go. She was like the mother he never had and viewing her as something other than that filled him with regret. “Oh god, what have I done?!” Unable to contain himself any longer, Gemini lunged Argent with a hug and began crying in his shoulders. Having gotten him in a moment of weakness, Argent returned the hug, patting him on the back to calm him down. He accomplished what he came to do but it’s all a matter of how he’s feeling about it. Breaking the hug, Argent smiled upon Gemini as he struggled to compose himself. “I know that letting go of romantic feelings is difficult for someone your age. Especially for one in your condition, it’s a difficult thing to do. In a relationship, would you rather see the one you love being happy even if it meant letting her go?” For a moment, Gemini considered Argent’s words. All that time, his romantic interest in Celestia was purely for his own gratification. Despite all that, Celestia still showed him love. If not romantic, it was still loving nonetheless. As much as he hated to, Gemini felt it best to let her go if that would make her happy. As long as she is, he is. “Okay,” Gemini croaked, “I’ll come home, but, that I should probably apologize to her for how I’ve treated her.” “If you want to, it’s your call.” Argent said as he reached for his phone, “Though I think she may have already forgiven you.” Pushing a few buttons on his phone, Argent brought it to his ear. “Hello?” “Hey dear.” “Yeah, I got him. I’ve also managed to calm him down.” “Well, I did give him a talk and I think he understands now.” “But, I think he has something he wants to say to you in person when we return.” “Okay, very well. I see you in a little bit.” “Love you too, dear. Bye.” “Come Gemini, let’s go home.” Pulling up to the driveway, Argent looked at a nervous Gemini. Shifting around in his seat, he nervously looked around. Despite being gone for nearly an hour, he was still unsure about how to approach it. “Gemini,” Argent sighed, “I know you feel nervous about this. But what you’re doing takes a lot of courage.” “I know.” Gemini answered back, “I wonder if she’s still mad at me.” “Trust me. I don’t think she is. Sometimes, you just need to take a leap of faith. But don’t worry, I got your back.” With a nod, Gemini climbed out of the car and approached the front door. Gripping the handle, Gemini took a big gulp of air before he opened it. Walking in, he saw Celestia and Luna sitting on the couch. Upon seeing him enter, Celestia’s eyes opened up along with a face of relief. Before she could lunge at him for an embrace, Gemini held up an open hand with a solemn look on his face. “Celestia,” Gemini breathed, “I’ve had some time to think after my little outing. Ever since you brought me in, you’ve not only given me hope and a place to live. You’ve given me the l-l… love that I never had. But, I was a fool and saw your gestures in the wrong light. I thought that… that I saw you as a lover but you didn’t see it that way. For that, I took your kindness for granted and believed that you saw me as a lover. But, still, you cared for me and I still care for you. For that, I’m so sorry for treating you as merely an object of my heart’s desires, I really am! I know you must hate me after what happened and you have every right to. But know this, if you’re truly happy with him, then so am I.” The air was silent as both principals were left without words. Despite expecting a hug or silence, they got a heartfelt apology, no crying and little stuttering. To them, he seemed like a different person. With a gulp of air, Gemini felt a great burden lifted from his shoulders. He said what he wanted to and there was nothing else left for him to say. “If you want to talk to me. I’ll be in my room.” He turned around and started toward his room. Before his hand touched the handle, a voice as smooth as honey called out to him. “Gemini.” As he turned around, Gemini only got a brief glimpse of Celestia before she wrapped him in a tight embrace. As always, it was a loving hug, filled with every bit of warmth in her being and of the life she grows within her. As the moment went on, he realized that Argent was right. “Celestia,” Gemini stuttered, “I thought…” “Gemini, I was never angry with you.” Celestia whispered, “I was worried about your wellbeing. I’ve known about your infatuation towards me but it was my indecisiveness that hurt you. However, I’m proud that you came to terms with your feelings and I was touched by what you said.” “And I’ve meant every single bit of that. If you’re truly happy with him, then I’m happy.” “Gemini, thank you. Now remember, smile… no matter what happens, if not for me but for yourself.” As he pulled away from the hug, his frown gradually grew to a smile. Celestia couldn’t help but do so in kind. “I won’t forget, Celestia.” Gemini sighed as he nodded, “Not ever.” “See, I told you she would understand.” Argent quipped as he walked in, shaking Gemini’s hand, “I have to say that you handled it in a mature manner.” “I did the best I could, Argent.” Gemini sighed as realized something else, “I know that I should put this behind me, but, you have Celestia and Luna has Time Turner. Will I ever find that special somebody?” “Don’t fret over it. You know, once upon a time, I did have a girlfriend. After she dumped me, I too felt the same way you did. When Celestia came along, she taught me that though things may seem barren and hopeless, a flower, much like love, will always bloom.” Flower, Flower, Flower, Flower… Fleur… Fleur De Lis! How could he have forgotten about her? He first met the transfer student from Crystal Prep during art class when his senior year began. Being paired with her, Gemini formed a close bond with her. At times, she was flirty with him but his fatigue dulled him to her advances. “Shit, I hope I’m not too late!” Sprinting to the couch, Gemini quickly dialed in her phone number. After a set of ringing, he was answered by a familiar voice. “Bon jour?” Fleur sang. “Uhhh- Hey Fleur,” Gemini answered, “how are you doing?” “Gemini! Mon amie, how are you?” “Doing good. Uhhh listen, I’ve been wondering if you wanna, you know, go hang out this weekend? Maybe, grab some lunch and maybe a movie?” “Are you proposing a date? “Wha- No- errr, I mean… yes, it is.” Gemini internally panicked as he messed up the delivery. Way to leave a tied up tongue to ruin a chance to go out with a lady friend. “I’d thought you’d never ask.” “Whoa. Uhhh- Really?” “Oui. I was wondering when you would get the hint back in school.” “Well, it’s kind of a long story. Maybe we can talk about it over lunch. I’ll pay.” “Very well. I look forward to our time together, mon amour.” “Okay, see you then.” He hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. Though he only knew a tiny bit of French, Gemini guessed her last words meant “my love”. He didn’t expect to get into a relationship with her so soon but he eagerly awaits to see where it’ll go. “See?” Argent teasingly sang. “I told you so.”