Nature Boy (COMPLETED)

Valhalla

Up above the chaos, Solas sat with Inuwa on top of the fairy tree. The younger boy laying next to the fairy prince.

"It's a beautiful night." Solas says, attempting to distract Inuwa from his imminent demise.

Inuwa gives a weak chuckle. "Yeah. So many stars."

Solas's wings materialize and flap once before stretching out much like one does with a morning yawn before vanishing again. "I wish...we could look at stars every night...together."

"I'd like that." Inuwa says, smiling at the fairy prince.

Solas imagined a future for them together. Going wherever they want, doing whatever they want, having fun and ending everyday with just the two of them laying next to each other, looking up at the universe as it's mysteries danced around them. Solas wanted that future so bad. But thinking about it now... Solas clenched his fist.

"Hey." Inuwa calls, softly.

"Hmm?" Solas snaps his attention back to the hunter.

"Remember that time...in the slopes?" Inuwa asks.

"With that cat siths? yeah." Solas answers.

"I'd like...to see them again."

"Sure. Let's go right now." Solas smiles, willing to do anything for Inuwa's comfort.

Inuwa shakes his head. "That's okay. I just want to rest with you awhile."

Tears well up in Solas's eyes, knowing that there was nothing he could do but wait with him until the end. "Okay." His voice trembles, the nearer to the end they got the more the finality of it tore Solas apart.

Inuwa softly hums the song that he and his mother made up about the Nature Boy. Eventually his hums fade into silence as his struggle to draw breath only worsens. Minutes passed like hours as the pair waited. Out on the horizon, the sun finally began to rise, the light of dawn shining across the land. Solas marveled at the amazing view. He'd never seen a sunrise so beautiful before. He was glad that he got to share at least this much with the boy he loved.

"S-solas." Inuwa calls out.

Solas is quick to Inuwa's side, sensing the fear in his voice. "What is it?"

"Solas, where are you?" Inuwa calls.

Solas takes Inuwa's hand into his own, entering his field of vision. "I'm right here, Inuwa."

Solas's expression falls as he realizes that Inuwa didn't seem to be looking at him...or anything. His eyes seemed to vacillate slightly as he stared into the void. Nor did Solas's voice seem to reach his ears.

"I can't see anything." Inuwa mumbles to himself. "I can't hear anything. Can't feel anything." Tears fall from Inuwa's eyes. "It's dark. It's so dark. I'm scared. Father? M-mama?" Inuwa sobs.

Solas, unwilling to accept the inevitable, holds Inuwa close to his chest. "No, no, no." Solas rocks back and forth, desperate for a miracle. "Stay with me. Stay with me, please." The prince prays

Inuwa could feel himself falling into the darkness, fading into it. "I don't want to die." He whispers with his last breath.

Slowly but surely, the expression on Inuwa's face grows vacant as he slips into the arms of oblivion. Solas cries out, the entirety of Hawthorn hearing him. All battles below the tree cease in response to the heartbreaking wail. Solas clings to the void that remained in the absence of Inuwa's presence, his heart shattered. The world around them quiets in a surreal stillness. In that instant, Aodh flies up to the top of the tree with Nagona in tow. The father rushing to his son's body, immediately distraught with tears, seeing that it was too late.