(Aerion's POV)
I straightened up, not able to believe my eyes, "M-M-Mother?" I stammered, "I-Is that you?"
She was sitting on a log, looking at me, "Yes." She said, "I know it's hard to believe. I found it hard myself when I ended up here.....but I suppose the afterlife existed after all."
I took a step forward, my eyes widened in pure disbelief. My own Mother, just the way I remembered her. The image of her beautiful face was forever etched into my memory.
She looked at the flames, "At first, I was skeptical, wondering if everything I ever believed was wrong....asking myself how such a thing could exist without us ever knowing about it." She said as I slowly stepped towards her, "But then I remembered one thing; I bore a Targaryen son. He would claim a dragon, magically bound to his blood. Reminding myself of that is what brought me to my sense. I never thought I would ever come to say this; Magic is real...."
I walked up to her, slowly reaching for face, wondering if any of this was real.
She looked up at me, "Hm?" She said, "Oh. You're wondering if this is real.....it is, my boy. No illusion....this is real....Here, feel it....the warmth...."
She grabbed my hand, the one I had lost, and pushed it against her cheek. It felt real, the warmth of her cheek was real, and her warmth resonated with my hand.
"I...." I said shakily
"There is no lie here, my boy." she said with a smile, "It really is me.."
My legs wobbled as I was brought down to my knees, "N-No....I...." I said as tears ran down my face, "It really is you...."
"Aerion...." She said as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "Oh, how I've yearned to see you....."
I felt her arms hug me, pulling me into her chest. I could not help but release tears as I wrapped my arms around her, embracing her. It was real, she was real. I couldn't believe it, after all these years, I would get to see her again.
My final memory was that of her donning this same armor and telling me to begin my studies, opening the Old Valyrian Tome that Uncle had sent a month prior. She had given me a kiss on the cheek and walked away, telling me that she'd return later.
She never did. She never returned and I was angry at the world because of that.
And he was never there for me, the anger boiling up deep inside me for years to come, and he was not there. But her family was...and that was all that mattered now.
"M-Mother...." I sobbed, "I....I'm sorry!!! I..I failed you!!"
"Failed me?" She said with a soothing voice, "Aerion....you never once failed me, my beautiful boy....You are my son, my pride and joy....I will always love you..."
I felt her hand caress my head, her fingers running through my hair as I embraced her tightly. I didn't want to let go, I was just a child when I lost her. I didn't want to let her go, It was wrong. It was wrong of what had happened. I lost her so early, I wasn't ready to lose her. I was just a boy...
Everything I did after, I did it in her memory and when I married Rhaenyra, I did it for her.
I....
I lost both of them.
I failed.
I don't deserve this.
I don't deserve to be held by the woman who I have loved, the woman who gave birth to me, the one who brought me into this world. I don't deserve to have such a beautiful person holding me, like I didn't commit such terrible sins.
"Aerion..." Mother said as she lifted my head up, "Nothing is your fault. Maybe if I didn't leave that day, I would've returned....and I could've raised you the way I always wanted to.....I wanted you to be the man you were meant to be....but I think you did just that...."
She leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.
"I....." I said as I trembled, "N-No....I didn't...I failed...."
"My beautiful boy...." She said with a smile, "Claiming the Bronze Fury? King Jaehaerys's dragon? Becoming a Knight? You did exactly that. I couldn't be any prouder."
I blinked, "H-How did you....?"
"Gerold." She said as she stood up, gesturing at me to do the same, "He's out there, somewhere, about to bring in some rabbit."
I stood up and looked around, "U-Uncle....?" He said, "H-He's here??"
"Mhm.." She said as she held my hand, "I still don't understand how all of this works. There are others beyond the horizon. If we venture far enough, we could see them. However, I stayed here, in my home. Time works differently here, I think.....I don't think it's been months since I've come.....maybe a year at most....I don't know.....everything here puts me at ease....It's peaceful...."
I looked at her hand, she was grasping it tightly. I felt her warmth, it soothed me.
"That means...." I said softly
She looked at me, "Hm?"
"R-Rhaenyra...." I said as I wiped my tears and looked towards the south, "She may be somewhere here..."
"The Princess?" She asked
I looked at her, "I....." I said, "I don't know what you know, Mother...."
She reached and patted my cheek, "Only that my son became a powerful warrior and rider of the mightiest dragon." She said with a smile, "It brought me an indescribable joy....."
"I married her, Mother...." I said softly
"Rhaenyra?" She asked, "Oh....that's surprising....."
I nodded, "It was out of necessity..." I said softly, "Uncle....he...."
"He's the King." She said, "Whatever he says or does, he means well."
I nodded, "He was....." I said
"I see." She said softly, "I am sorry, I don't hear much....and well, you know....it's all..."
"N-No, it's okay...." I said as I looked to my side, "I fell in love with her, Mother....she is my everything....Rhaenyra bore my children..."
"Oh..." She said as she pointed my head to face her, "You gave me beautiful grandchildren? And that must mean that after Viserys's death, you became King-Consort...right?"
I nodded as tears flowed out of my eyes, "Y-Yes....." I said, "T-They're perfect.....my children are perfect! I named my youngest daughter after you....! I.....I'm sorry, I....I..."
"Shh..." She said, "I understand....tell me, my boy....did they come before you?"
I shook my head, "No...." I said as I stepped back and tried to compose myself, "Only Rhaenyra.....I hope they don't follow....."
"Hm...." She said, "I saw a black-haired boy wander the hills not too long ago...I swear he wore the Targaryen crest....I wonder if he passed in The Vale..."
I turned my head around quickly, "J-Jace...!" I said, "He was here? Where is he?"
She shook her head, "I don't know..." She said, "Out there, more than likely. I don't move from this area. I don't even want to approach Runestone, it'll remind me of our last memory....and it'll hurt me too much..."
Jace was here...I.....I needed to see him. If this was the afterlife, I wonder if I could see the others.
Mother looked at me, "I am glad, Aerion..." She said softly, "You were able to build a family that you loved and cared for. I only hope you fought for them...."
I wiped the tears away, "I did....." I said, "I really did...."
"I see..." She said as she walked up to me and grabbed my hands, "You should not have any regrets...."
"M-Mother...." I said as I looked at her scar
"Hm?" she said with a smile
"I...." I gulped, "Did he do it?"
Her smile faded and a frown appeared on her face, "I...." She said, "You know?"
"He told me." I said softly
"I'm sorry..." She looked down, "I....I never hated him, you see...even after what he did...."
"Mother.." I patted her cheek, "He hurt you..."
"But he gave me you....." She grabbed my hand, "You were the best thing to ever come out of that marriage...You were the best thing to ever happen to me, Aerion. I don't regret anything....I am only glad he didn't hurt you...."
I lowered my hand and stepped back, "I hated him all my life..." I said as I looked down, "He.....betrayed me...I....."
"Aerion?" She said
"I'm sorry...." I said, "I can't...look you in the eye..."
"Aerion....." She reached for my hand
I pulled it away, "I'm a Kinslayer....." I said softly, "I failed you, Mother....I failed everyone that raised me...."
"Oh...." She said, "Wait....D-Daemon?"
I nodded silently.
She grabbed my hand, "I don't care." She said as she patted her finger on my chest, at my heart, "You are my son....you hear me? Mine. Not his. You will never be him. This.....what you have in here, it's nothing like what he has in there."
"I...." I said, "I killed him....I was cursed, Mother...I can't..."
"I see...." She said with a smile, "Well, it makes sense....."
"What does?" I asked her
"Why you're fading...." She said
I looked at my hands, seeing that they were slowly fading into nothingness.
"W-Wait, no...." I said
"I'm glad you still have time on that other side." She said with a soothing voice, patting my cheek, "I'll wait for you when your time truly comes, my boy. For us, it won't be long....compared to you...."
"M-Mother...no..." I said as I tried to touch her but my hands slipped through her body, "I.....I have to stay....I want to see her....P-Please..."
A single tear ran down her cheek, "I'm sorry, my boy...." She said with a shaky voice, "I love you..."
Suddenly, everything faded out as I let out a yell.
Everything went black.
*************
"N-NO!!!" I shouted as I sat up
I felt an overwhelming pain all throughout my body, my left side throbbing greatly.
"A-Aghh!!" I groaned as I tried to clutch it with my left arm
There was no feeling, other than the pain on what felt like a stump.
I looked to see that my arm was gone after all, bandages wrapped around the stump. My entire body was also bandaged up, wrapped tightly.
"W-What..." I said as I gently patted the left side of my face, "It....was that a dream.....?"
Everything hurt, my left eye and arm were gone. Every inch of my body was screaming in pain as thousands of needles were piercing my head, or at least that's what it felt like.
I looked around, seeing that I was in a bed, inside a dark room. Only a candle's light illuminating a portion of it. There was a scent of lavender, which took me by surprise. It felt cold, so cold, despite all the pain I felt.
"You crossed over?" I heard a voice say, "To the other side? And you came back, without any aid? You truly are the one...."
I turned to my left to see a woman sitting at the far side of the room, draped in a black veil.
I widened my eye, "Y-You!!" I exclaimed as I tried to get off the bed, "It's you!!"
I couldn't move much, only stumbled down onto the floor, hitting the stone hard and causing more pain to overwhelm my body.
"Tsk tsk!" She said with a thick accent, "You should rest. Your wounds are quite grave. But your body is quite amazing...to survive so much blood drained.....You were in no need of a transfusion....that is why we retrieved you..."
I slowly looked up, "H-Huh?"
"We had no guarantee that your boy, Aegon, would produce children as powerful as you." She said as she stood up, her green eyes glowing through the veil, "So we had to make sure we preserved you instead..."
"W-What?" I said as I struggled to get to my knees, "A-Aegon? Where is he?!"
"Westeros." She said and walked over to a cupboard, where there was something draped in a blanket, "We're in Essos. I went to the trouble of bringing you all the way here."
She then pulled the blanket off to reveal several jars that had bright green glows inside them, shining brightly.
"Ah..." I said as I covered my face with my arm
"The Blood of The Chosen should bring about Zaldrizes Jaes." She said, "We of Old Valyria foresaw the Doom and the End of Time. The Long Night, it was called. Aegon's Dream, a Targaryen should sit the throne to unite the Realm....all of that is a lie...."
I frowned, "I...." I said, "What...?"
My entire head throbbed with pain, I was starting to get disoriented.
"We know how to truly stop the End." She said, "With Zaldrizes Jaes, we raze the entire continent down.....everything is set ablaze and the Others burn with it...."
"Zaldrizes....Jaes...?" I panted
"You have a choice, Aerion Targaryen..." She said, "Will you help us? Or will you defy us?"
She then gestured to the side. I turned to see two other women, draped in black veils standing at the side, the flickering light illuminating their figures. Behind them, I saw the figure of another woman kneeling down, covering her face.
"W-What is this?" I asked with a scowl, "What do you want of me? Take me back to Westeros!! Now!!"
"Your son is King." She said, "We didn't expect that a War breaks out so suddenly, so we had to act. Aegon II was not the Prince that Was Promised. I mean, there is no Prince, only Zaldrizes Jaes. We eliminated every piece on the board and Aerion's War proved that it is your blood that will be pivotal for the Future. You are strong, Aerion. You are perfect. As assurance, we decided to have your boy sit on the Throne and we'll step back, and see how Westeros fares. There is still time..... "
"For what?" I asked as I clutched my arm's stump
"The Long Night." She said, "Caraxes, Silverwing, and Seasmoke. Those three are the last of the Targaryen's full-grown dragons. We foresaw that soon, the rest of the dragons will die out. Will they survive? It is up to Fate, now. We will not interfere anymore."
"So choose." She said suddenly in High-Valyrian, "Help us or Defy us. Choose wisely, or we'll come to the conclusion that we made a mistake in preserving her."
"Her?" I said as I looked to the woman that was knelt down
I noticed a glint of white hair
The other women gently pulled her arms out of her face, "Sweet child...." one of them said with a sweet tone, "Do not be afraid, your fated is here...."
I widened my eyes as I saw Helaena kneeling down, her hair was cut short to her neck. She was trembling and her eyes were full of fear.
She looked at me, "A-Aerion?" She said softly,
"Is that you?"