Posted: June 2004
Title: Hope Rekindled
Author: Estella Greenleaf
Fandom: Real Person Fiction
Genre: RPS
Characters: Viggo/Orlando
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is all untrue. I don't know anything or anyone.
Premise: In this universe, there are two warring races, the Mycenaean and the Atari.
Author's Note: This is a reaction piece to the many angsty V/O stories that I had read. I know I have things to finish, but I have to write this for my emotional balance. My apologies.

*****

Collateral damage, that was what his superiors called it, a village once bustling with life now dead. Perhaps they were right, that now was a time for celebration, the day that marked the end of the Atari insurrection.

Yet, gazing upon the putrefying corpse of a child, Viggo saw no cause for merriment. He wondered what the child had looked in life, before the poison gas ate away the skin. He closed his eyes against the wayward thought, but there was no reprieve. In his mind, he could hear the child's cries of agony lingering in the hallway before death offered its merciful kiss.

Viggo muttered a soft prayer, the irony of the gesture drawing a sigh from his lips. He was a Mycenaean warrior, one of the elite chosen to protect the interest of his people. Pity and mercy had no place in his heart. That was true once, when he hated all Atari; the images of bloodied corpses of his captured comrade-in-arms burnt into his mind, fueling his desire to crush the savage rebels. But that was before he saw the carnage his own people reaped upon the enemy.

Now, Viggo mourned this senseless waste of lives, grieved for the innocent villagers massacred to ensure the death of the prophesied leader of the rebels. Perhaps, in time, the horrors of war would numb his senses again, take away this sliver of compassion he felt for the enemy. But until then, he must suffer, each blameless Atari life taken a stain to taint his soul.

*****

Ever since he was born, Orlando had been taught to hate. His destiny was foretold in the stars; he was the avenging messiah who would destroy the Mycenaeans and lead his people to victory. He believed it once, the teachings of his mentors, that the annihilation of their enemies was the only way to liberate his people.

But that was before Orlando watched his enemies screamed and bled, before he understood that Mycenaeans were sentient humans not much different from his own people. Now, all he wanted was peace, a chance for the Atari to live without fear. In his heart, he believed there was more to life than hate; that victory could be achieved without so much death.

Words reached his ears of the massacre at an Atari Village. Not one of his followers mourned the loss of life; they thanked their gods for keeping Orlando safe. It was all he could take; he would no longer live at the expense of another human life. He would end this feud, once and for all.

*****

Viggo blinked, certain that the ethereal beauty before him was a trick of his inebriated senses. But the beautiful stranger remained, holding him captive with sad molten chocolate eyes. For a short moment, he wondered if his visitor was a ghost, a lost Atari soul sent to torment him. Then, the exquisite creature spoke; in a soft lilting voice, an unlikely tale of destiny and sorrow unfolded.

Viggo could not believe it; before him was his people's greatest enemy. A brutal warrior, he had expected; not this perfect beauty who would willingly surrender his life to end the blood shed. For peace, the prophesized leader of the Atari had said, he would suffer whatever fate the Mycenaeans decided.

Gazing deep into the exquisite youth's eyes, Viggo knew his heart was no longer his own. He could not do what his duty ordained; he could not take the sweet angel to his superiors, knowing what torture awaited there. He thought of all he had witnessed before and made his choice. Taking the dark-haired beauty's hand in his, he knelt and offered his allegiance.

*****

Indescribable joy surged in Orlando's heart. This warrior before him was living proof that he was right to deny his destiny. A tender smile graced his delicate features. A hesitant hand reached out to stroke the soldier's cheek. With a soft kiss, they sealed their fates. From this day on, their lives would be entwined; hand in hand, they would forge a path towards peace. For as long as they had each other's love, they would never lose hope again.

*****

THE END

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Estella Greenleaf