A/N: Welcome to the book, honored reader! Thanks so much for deciding to click the 'read' button, because you're definitely in for your OTP to suffer the angst you were promised. *weird laugh* Because the characters are up to you to decide—which means I have no idea of their names or gender—I will address them as "[A]" and "[B]" and use the pronouns "he," "she," and "they."

Most 'Imagine Your OTP' books are just short prompts for the reader to do most of the thinking, but here I'll be narrating in the format of a regular story. Therefore, each chapter will be as long as a short story.

This is the first time I decided to include a sample in the introduction chapter, but it's supposed to work as a sort of teaser trailer, to provide you an idea of my writing style and ability. It also works in favor of me, since I can get a grip of your opinions (if you comment a review, that is, which I really hope you do), and see what I can do to improve myself as a writer by connecting with you readers.

The sample story is told through third person, but I will try and alternate between first and third, as well as the level of angst. It also contains the element of fantasy, and the mood won't always stay depressing although the ending is bittersweet. With that said, please sit back, relax, and enjoy the anngsstttt.

~*~

"When I die, I wanna become a star," said [A] randomly as [he/she/they] picked at a patch of grass, dying the beds of [his/her/their] fingernails dirt green. [A] wrinkled [his/her/their] nose at the the unattractive color.

[He/She/They]'d been playing with the grass ever since [he/she/they] decided [his/her/their] back ached from climbing up the hill and rolling down again, which was what [B] suggested an hour ago. Plus, the slowly darkening evening sky made it harder to see, creating entrance for the sprinkle of stars that dotted the night sky like an unkempt row of glittering freckles.

"Why?" giggled [B]. "So you can float in the sky for eternity millions of miles up in the air, doing absolutely nothing?" [He/She/They] lazily sat up from where [he/she/they]'d been laying on the ground.

[C], who'd been weaving a chain of daisies, smirked. "The way you put that makes it seem really boring."

[A] sat up too. [His/Her/Their] chubby face wrinkled into a scowl as [he/she/they] reprimanded the other two ten-year-olds. "You guys always ruin the fun."

"You know you love us," chuckled [C] as [B] made obnoxious kissing noises. [B] leaned in for a teasing peck on the cheek when [his/her/their] expression darkened as [he/she/they] noticed something.

"Did she hurt you again?" whispered [B]. [He/She/They] had always been the first one to notice any new blemishes that entered [A]'s skin. [C] followed [B]'s gaze to the tip of a deep scar poking out on [A]'s right collarbone. If [A] had lifted [his/her/their] tunic up another inch, [B]'s sharp eye would've aimlessly wandered past it.

[A]'s hands immediately fluttered over the scar. "I-It's nothing. Mother didn't even h-hit hard with that whip." [His/Her/Their] gaze darted to the bandage tightly hugging the left side of [B]'s face, meant to serve as an eyepatch. "Besides, what happened with you and your eye was way worse."

"That happened when we were five; my eye's okay now," sighed [B]. "And the rumor [D] spread about my eye being cursed only lasted a couple months. [A], you can't wait until we're fourteen and able to live in our own houses. Your lying demon of a mother's bound to continue injuring you almost every day."

[A] said nothing. [B]'s words held the saddening truth about how [A]'s mother turned into an sadistic drunkard ever since the passing of [his/her/their] father two years ago, taking her grief out on both alcohol and her child. At first the abuse started small, just a light slap on the cheek when [A]'s school grades dropped low, or [he/she/they] uttered something the slightest bit inappropriate. But it worsened over time, up to the point that [A] had to stay at the healer's four days straight the past week.

"I can't believe she managed to scrape by using the insanity plea. Someone needs to consult the village's head about this." [C] muttered. "C'mon, let's go home."

[A], [B], and [C] were extremely lucky their houses were in the same square. As they parted to say goodbye, [C] paused. "Wait, there's something I have to show you guys."

Without waiting for a response, the child touched [A]'s scar. A thin silver glow emitted around [C]'s pointer finger. When [C] pulled away, in place of the scar was nothing but tender skin.

"Whoa [C], you have magic?" cried [A] and [B] at the same time. "That's so-"

"Shh!" hissed [C]. "Don't say anything. I don't want to become a healer, cooped up in that tiny tent all day."

'That's too bad then, isn't it?" chuckled a low, sultry voice. A new hand grabbed [C] by the shoulder.

"You're coming with me," sneered the eavesdropper. Panic flashed in [C]'s eyes. [He/She/They] kicked and screamed, flailing helplessly against the village official's unfair strength. [B] and [A] reached for [C], but two pairs of firm hands held them back. It wasn't until [C] had disappeared into the Main Street, that the guards released them and walked away.

[A] and [B] looked at each other. [B] sighed and turned to leave when [A] took [his/her/their] arm. [B] winced as [A]'s nails dug into [his/her/their] skin.

"[B], you've got to promise me something," pleaded [A]. [He/She/They] gestured upwards. "That's the Gemini constellation. You ... you swear that the two of us will be together forever, just like them, right?"

"Of course." The tip of [B]'s pinky met [A]'s. "Forever and always."

[B] and [A] saw [C] less and less as time passed. During those magical moments all three managed to walk in on each other, [C] almost always held a basket of remedies and potions, only let out to run an errand. [He/She/They] couldn't chat more than five minutes without facing punishment.

The annual Fireflower Festival was coming up, though, a valuable excuse for the couple hundred villagers to party and get drunk on the most exquisite of beverages, to try out fresh, hot dishes at a ridiculously low price.

To give [A] and [B] a chance to be with [C] all night long, partying, dining, and conversing like they used to. Curse that wretched eagle-eyed officer who snuck on [C]'s powers.

When the day rolled around, [B] spotted [C] at the village hall's entrance. Traditional clothing similar to what [B] was wearing hugged [C]'s body, but—having a more sensitive immune system—[he/she/they] had to wear a cloak over it to put up with the chilly autumn air.

"Where's [A]?" [C] asked. [His/Her/Their] voice was a pitch lower than [B] remembered, having hit adolescence just like [A] and [B].

"I don't know," said [B]. "Let's check [his/her/their] home."

The walk back home was silent. [B] felt an indescribable pang of sadness at how distant [he/she/they] and [C] had grown. Now they couldn't even exchange a casual conversation. When the two arrived, [C] frowned and stopped.

"They removed the flower bed," [he/she/they] sighed. "And one of the trees. It feels so weird being back here after living at the healer's quarters the past years."

[B] nodded. "[A] is-"

A piercing shriek sliced through the air. One exchanged glance between [C] and [A] was all it took before they rushed to the house. The door was unlocked.

[A] was crumpled to the ground like a wilted flower, heaving in loud, uneven breaths. Curled in a fetal position, both of [his/her/their] crimson-stained hands clutched a newly opened cut across [his/her/their] stomach.

[C] got to work immediately. Closing [his/her/their] eyes, [he/she/they] pressed [his/her/their] glowing hands over the wound, which must have been quite serious judging by the beads of sweat pouring down [C]'s forehead, over [his/her/their] tight jaw.

"Almost done, hang on," grunted [C] through clenched teeth. "Did I forget to mention how energy-tolling this is as well? No need to thank me, [A], this isn't your fault. And ... done!"

[A] slowly sat up. A quavering smile crept across [his/her/their] face. "Thanks, guys."

"Did anything else happen?" asked [B], catching the feeling that [A] wasn't telling them something.

"N-Nothing, other than the cutting," said [A].

"[A]," [B] pressed. [He/She/They] touched [A]'s shoulder. "Tell me."

A silence settled in the air as tears met [A]'s eyes. "She ... she called me a disappointment." [He/She/They] buried [his/her/their] head in [his/her/their] arms. "And that Father w-would hate me if he were a-alive."

"Don't listen to her, that's not true," said [C].

"But it is!" yelled [A].

Memories flashed through [A]'s mind. Once again, [his/her/their] heart throbbed as [his/her/their] father's cold words rang in [his/her/their] head, continuing to penetrate [his/her/their] heart hours after he left. [A] saw the harsh disappointment that flashed in [his/her/their] father's eyes. It was there every time he bothered to look at his child.

Most of all, [A] heard silence. It shrouded [his/her/their] father like a cloak, something he wore everywhere he walked. It released no noise, yet said everything about how worthless of a child [A] was. [A] tried multiple times to get answers, demanding to know why [he/she/they] was treated this way. Still, nothing but silence.

That silence would continue to linger above [A]'s father's tombstone, mocking [A] everytime [he/she/they] passed by the cemetery.

"I tried so hard to make him happy," [A] sniffed, "but my father never smiled. He was never proud of me. And now he's gone, and I'll never get the chance to prove myself to him. I'm worthless!"

[B] and [C] jumped, [B] returning to wrap [his/her/their] arms around [A]'s shoulder and stroke [his/her/their] hair. [A]'s tears soaked through the thin fabric of [B]'s shirt, sobbing in loud, uneven breaths. [B] rubbed circles over [A]'s back until [his/her/their] breathing stabilized.

[A]'s mother never came back, and [C] left when [he/she/they] remembered [his/her/their] curfew. The two remaining thirteen-year-olds stayed there, unmoving. Every now and then, a wild thought would cross [A]'s mind, and the tears returned two seconds later. [B] would cradle [him/her/them] in [his/her/their] arms until [A] stopped crying. 

[B] recalled how excited [he/she/they] had been for the festival, finally able to down alcohol and lose [himself/herself/themself] to the appeal of spellbinding music that lifted [his/her/their] feet, forcing [him/her/them] to dance until the golden dawn awoke.

But that didn't matter, now that [A] was in need of [B]. And [B] knew that from the start.

~*~

[A]'s fourteenth birthday rolled around, and [he/she/they] instantly purchased a house to share with [B]. They lived a comfortable year, before tensions rose the upcoming spring.

[B] never considered that [his/her/their] kingdom would go to war, but when conscription posters began hanging on every door and wooden post, [he/she/they] found [himself/herself/themself] gripping the handle of a gleaming rapier, clashing blades with [A].

Having held many playfights and footraces when they were little, [A] and [B]'s endurance helped them move up the ranks. When the first battle approached, [A] was ordered to lead [his/her/their] assigned company at the front lines. [B], who's specialty turned out to be archery, would command a large group of archers up in the highest tower.

That night, [B] found [A] perched on top of a fence that provided a view of the battlefield. "Whatcha thinking of?" asked [B].

"Don't know," muttered [A]. "It's just ... I can't believe we're going to war. And I know you'll be all the way up in the air, but I can't stand the idea of losing you."

"I could say the same to you," whispered [B], taking [A] by the hand.

"Exactly. That's why I wanted to tell you something." Under the silver moonlight, [B] could've sworn [he/she/they] saw a faint blush cloud [A]'s cheeks.

[B] reached up to touch [A]'s face, a soothing hot like the fireplace during winter.

"You have feelings for me, don't you?" blurted [B]. "It's okay, I ... um, I've had the same feelings toward you for the longest time ever."

"Really?" smiled [A].

When [B] nodded, a pair of soft lips met [his/her/their] own. [B] froze for two seconds, registering the kiss before returning it. [A] wrapped [his/her/their] arms around [B]'s waist, digging [his/her/their] hands under [his/her/their] new partner's shirt, exploring every inch of [B]'s back. [A] had never felt skin this smooth, this delicate. If only [he/she/they] could touch it forever. [B] ran [his/her/their] way through [A]'s hair, then pushed it aside to plant little butterfly kisses over [A]'s exposed neck. [A]'s pleasured sighs said everything. [B] continued [his/her/their] kisses down toward [A]'s collarbone.

Eventually the two pulled apart. A thin layer of rose dusted [A]'s cheeks, but [B]'s entire face was dyed crimson. [A] grinned at the sight. [B] may have been red faced and too embarrassed to speak, but [A] found that strangely attractive.

An arm chilling gust of wind danced around the newfound lovers, telling them it was time to retreat to the warmth of their shared headquarters. [B] linked arms with [A] as they slowly walked, neither in a hurry. Sleeping could wait.

[A]'s boots made little crunching noises against the dead grass that covered the battlefield. [His/Her/Their] troops followed close behind. They were to charge at the first sight of the enemy.

[A] gazed into the air, thinking of everything that couldn't have happened without [B]. [B] was the one who wiped [A]'s tears away, who made [A] feel safe in [his/her/their] arms. [B] was a hilarious partner with a sly wit and a charming voice [A] could spend hours listening to. [B] was [A]'s first kiss.

"Captain!"

[A] blinked, back to reality. A swarm of enemy troops had begun ascending the hill. [He/She/They] drew [his/her/their] sword, lifting it into the air.

"Forward!" [A] yelled. Excited cries spread among the crowd as the company charged. They had the upper hand.

[A]'s ambitious blade drew blood from [his/her/their] first opponent. The soldier fell. Barely a second passed until another sword met [A]'s face. [He/She/They] blocked it and kicked the attacker's stomach, knocking him off guard. [A] took this chance to make a stab.

Just like training, [A] told [himself/herself/themself]. This is just like training. The instructor's words echoed inside [his/her/their] head. Stab. Block. Parry. Slash.

The next few minutes were a combination of arm slicing, chest stabbing, weapon dodging, and any combination of the three.

A streak of sweat slid down [A]'s forehead. [His/Her/Their] arm had turned into rubber, and [his/her/their] sword into a thousand-pound slab of stone. [A] wondered how much longer both sides could keep this up.

[A] lifted to swing [his/her/their] sword when a sickening pain hit [his/her/their] side. In a desperate rush of adrenaline, [he/she/they] killed the attacker.

Clutching [his/her/their] wound, [A] retreated half jogging, half limping. A thin trail of blood escaped [his/her/their] lip. Beneath [his/her/their] feet, the ground twisted, lifted, stretched. [A] felt like [his/her/their] breath was being sucked out of [his/her/their] lungs.

"Need to ... get to [B]," [he/she/they] croaked in heaving breaths. [A]'s feet collapsed, giving way to the earth. Taking a heaving breath, [A] struggled to stand back up. [He/She/They] stumbled a few feet before a medic carrying a stretcher spotted [him/her/them].

The next moments flashed before [A]'s eyes. [He/She/They] was carried away on a stretcher. The medics chattered in words [A] could barely understand, something about telling [A] to "Don't fall asleep" and "Breathe steadily."

They were about two meters from the healer's tent, when stars swarmed in front of [A], and the world faded to black.

~*~

The battle ended fifteen minutes later, heavy casualties on both sides. As soon as [B] caught news of [A]'s injury, [his/her/their] knees turned to jello. Somehow, those jello legs carried [him/her/them] to the healer's tent at ground breaking speed.

When [he/she/they] asked to see [A], [B] was denied permission by a group of medics.

"Please," begged [B].

"I'm sorry, it's against the policy to do so," replied a medic, emotionless eyes not meeting [B]'s. "You have to understand-"

"Let [him/her/them] in," said a new voice.

The medics whipped around. "Oh, [C]," the same medic changed his voice to a sickening sweet tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was assigned [A]," replied [C]. "Now let [B] in."

"But-"

"Now," snapped [C].

[B] doubled at the sight of [A], sucking in a breath. A long, deep slash mark covered most of [his/her/their] partner's side. Blood was still oozing, and ... was that pus forming at the edges?

[B] couldn't stand to look at [A]'s face. It looked lifeless, just a pale, emotionless mask that hid [A]'s true colors. Here, [B] saw nothing but a plain face among dozens.

"Can't you treat [A] with magic?" demanded [B] when [C] took out a basket of vials and bandages.

"It's protocol that weapon-caused wounds be treated with regular medicine. You remember how tired I was after I healed [him/her/them] using just my powers. If I did that, I'd only have the energy to treat one soldier per day." [C] replied.

"I see ..." [B] knew [he/she/they] should stop pressing, but a bitterness resided within [his/her/their] gut. "And you can't make an exception just for [A]?"

"There are many more who need to be tended to," was all [C] said.

"I understand," Swallowing, [B] pushed back a forming layer of tears. "I ... there's something I need to go do."

"Of course," The knowing look in [C]'s eyes said all.

~*~

"Hey, [B]?"

[B] perked at the sound of [A]'s voice—rough and throaty, but alive. It was the first thing that escaped [A]'s mouth, after two agonizingly silent day/night cycles that [B] spent wide awake. The truth was evident in the sodden bags under [B]'s eyelids.

"What is it, [A]?" hummed [B].

[He/She/They] ran a hand through [A]'s hair, starting deep in the roots, then working a path across all the way until [A]'s locks came to an end. They felt greasy, but sanitation was the least of [his/her/their] worries when in this simple gesture, [B] realized how desperate [his/her/their] fingers had been to reunite with [A] again.

"Look up at the night sky," [A] said. "And tell me what you see."

[B]'s gaze instantly caught hold of the cluster of stars reflected in [A]'s dim pupils. "It's the Gemini constellation, isn't it?"

"What else?" laughed [A], then winced as [he/she/they] clutched [his/her/their] chest. "... I can't believe you remembered after all these years."

"We pinky-promised on that, didn't we?" inquired [B]. "I'll never defy anything I swear upon." [His/Her/Their] arms were beginning to strain against the weight of [A]'s body, but [B] would never let go.

"[B], you're starting to tire," [A] whispered. "We can go back now."

"How do you know I'm getting tired?" laughed [B].

"When you're tired," said [A], "your limbs loosen, but don't lose their firmness. It's like you bear the pain by trying to avoid it the closest way possible, but you still deal with it. You're smart that way."

"Well look at you, you sweet little person-reading intellectual," [B] teased. "But it's okay. We can stay here as long as you want. You need some fresh air anyway, after been cooped up in the healer's place all day long."

[A] said nothing, just pressed [his/her/their] lips against the back of [B]'s neck. A warm, tingling shiver dissolved all across the veins in [B]'s body. [He/She/They]'d lost count of how many kisses [he/she/they] shared with [B], but the heart pounding, electrifying pleasence was never lost over time.

[A] started coughing. [B] lifted a foot and began [his/her/their] descent down the mossy hill, away from the evening stars. When they reached the healer's, [B] slowly lowered [his/her/their] lover until [he/she/they] heard the soft thud of [A]'s feet hitting the ground. Suddenly [A] groaned.

"What is it?" [B] asked.

"I have to take that gross medicine again," sighed [A]. "It's the bane of my existence."

[B] chuckled. "What a drama queen. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. I think you'll be released soon, in less than a week."

~*~

[B] was at the healer's hut before the sun began making its ascend across the vast skyline. No one else was awake except for [him/her/them]. The corners of [B]'s lips tilted upward into an instant smile as [he/she/they] walked over to lay [his/her/their] hand on [A]'s.

[B] screamed.

[A]'s hand was stiff, ice cold. [His/Her/Their] skin felt like rubber in [B]'s palm. [B] wasted no time in placing [his/her/their] head against [A]'s chest, pleading for a heartbeat.

There was none.

[B]'s breath hitched. The world froze for a minute, then two, then five. All [he/she/they] could do was lay motionless on [A]'s unmoving chest as a rogue tear released, carving a crooked track down [his/her/their] cheek. More tears fell, but the rest of [B] was still in denial.

[He/she/they] came to [his/her/their] senses when [he/she/they] heard the door creak open, piercing the silence. [C]'s assistant stood at the doorway balancing a tray of breakfast, eyes widening at the sight as [he/she/they] registered the scene.

"What happened?" [B] choked, leaping to [his/her/their] feet. A spontaneous array of black spots clouded [his/her/their] vision at the sudden movement, joined by a thick wave of tears threatening to spill over [his/her/their] eyelids.

[C]'s assistant knelt at the foot of the bed, checking [A]'s wrist for its nonexistent pulse. "I ... I don't k-know, everything was going fine yesterday. [A] took [his/her/their] meds, went to sleep on time ..." The assistant shook [his/her/their] head as [B] sprinted out.

Heart thrashing, feet flying above the ground, [B] reached [C]'s door in record-breaking time. [His/Her/Their] fist released an enfilade of vicious knocks on the wooden surface, loud enough [B] didn't realize [C] had answered until [he/she/they] opened the door.

"For God's sake, what is it?" mumbled [C]. "It's only-" [He/She/They] checked [his/her/their] watch. "Six in the morning. What's so impor-"

[C] was cut off as [B] reached up, snatching [C]'s collar. [His/Her/Their] knuckles were a deathly white. The frenzied look in [B]'s red eyes sent chills down [C]'s spine. Suddenly [C] couldn't feel [his/her/their] heartbeat.

"[A] is gone," [B] hissed. A shuddering breath escaped [his/her/their] throat, followed by another. When [B] regained [himself/herself/themself], [he/she/they] whispered, "And you were in charge of [A]."

[C] struggled to pry [B]'s trembling hands off [his/her/their] neck. "C-calm down, [B]. Don't p-panic so soon, there's still h-hope. I still have to do a close inspection. [A] isn't dead unless-"

"[His/Her/Their] hand is frost cold!" snapped [B]. "I put my head on [his/her/their] chest for five minutes. Five. Bloody. Minutes. There's no heartbeat." [B]'s narrowed, slit pupils pierced the wide, terrified ones of [C].

"I ... I don't ..." [C] stuttered. [He/She/They] was at a lost for words.

"What other proof do you need?!" [B] yelled. "You-" The words spewed out of [his/her/their] mouth, harsh and uncontrolled and furious. "You murderer!"

[B]'s fist flew at [C]'s jaw. [C] stumbled back, reaching to cradle [his/her/their] face. [His/Her/Their] other hand weakly shielded [himself/herself/themself] from another attack.

The strategy didn't work. [B] kicked at where [he/she/they] thought [C]'s shin was. [C] fell over with a muffled groan. Foot on [his/her/their] chest, [B] landed a flurry of punches across [C]'s face.

[C]'s pleas for help were unheard; nobody came to help [him/her/them]. [B]'s agonized screams had made sure of that.

~*~

A pleasant late spring breeze blew against [B]'s cheek. [He/She/They] softly grinned. Maybe this was [A]'s spirit planting a kiss? [B] certainly found it comforting to think of it that way.

The warrior's soft footsteps made little pat pat sounds as [he/she/they] ascended the hill. Thousands of stars were strewn across the deep blue night sky, but [B]'s gaze stopped at the one cluster [he/she/they] was looking for.

"Gemini," whispered [B]. [His/Her/Their] neck ached from gazing at the night sky so long, but [B] didn't care. "[A], our special constellation is out again. It's been a couple months, but I've been getting better. I miss you though. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night sobbing."

The downhill stream seemed to sing to [him/her/them] in reply.

[B] smiled wistfully. "[C]'s forgiven me, and vice versa. We're super close friends again, just like you'd want it to be. It's getting late and all, but I still want to sit out here five more minutes, okay with you?"

[A]'s answer was immediate. A warm breeze that blew against [B]'s other cheek was all it took for [him/her/then] to chuckle and lay down on the soft, welcoming grass. [B] was swept under a kaleidoscope of memories, of all the times they sat here as children, chatting up a thunderstorm of naivety before the terrors of adulthood and war struck.

[B] wondered if it was possible to recreate those precious moments again. The future gave no promises, but [he/she/they] could certainly try.

A/N: Phew! That was the longest chapter I've ever written! Comment what you think, okay?