1000 Followers Special:

(F/N) was no stranger to death. And death was no stranger to (F/N). He had seen it on the battlefield, delivered people to its doorstep. Many times, he had wondered what it would be like to die. What would be waiting for him on the other side? He remembered Mitchell Hughes. A good soldier and a devout Catholic who often spoke of the eternal kingdom of Heaven. How unwavering his belief, and his faith that one day he would stand before the presence of God. (F/N) was raised of a similar faith. The more Hughes spoke the more (F/N) remembered the lessons from his childhood. Of God's love. Of His compassion and mercy. It was his forgiveness though, that (F/N) was most drawn too. He once asked Hughes if he thought God could forgive him. Hughes told him if anyone could forgive the things they were doing, it was God.

He and his brother had both been raised Christian, but (F/N) had abandoned it in his early teen years. But in the battlefield, (F/N) found his way back to religion. And back to God. He laid out his sins before the Lord and asked for his forgiveness. Still, he wasn't sure he believed in God. He wasn't sure what he believed in. He supposed, if anything, he believed in her. It was her, not God, that forgave him when he himself could not. It was her that loved him the way he had been told God was supposed to love him. She gave him the strength to carry on and the hope of a better tomorrow. She was his guiding light. His North Star. She was there when he needed her. Whenever he needed her. And then she was gone. Taken from a world that desperately needed her light. A light he relied on. Without it he became lost.

Close your eyes. Breathe. Count to three.

It was all he could think to do. His strength was gone. He had no fight left. He was tired.

One.

He heard the arrow be released from the bow; its sharp tip aimed for his heart.

Two.

In his final moments, he wondered what would be waiting for him. Would he be greeted by the pearlescent gates of Heaven? If what he had been taught as a child was correct, he thought it more likely he'd be cast into Hell's eternal flames. Perhaps Maat would be waiting with a scale, prepared to weigh his heart against a feather. He knew what the outcome would be. Or maybe all the religions had gotten it wrong, and the end was just the end. No light. No darkness. No soul. Perhaps he would simply cease to be. In the end, he didn't care either way. Heaven, Hell, or nothing. A life without Pyrrha was not one he could endure.

Three.

There is a common expression; to see one's life flash before their eyes. But what is life? Life is nothing more than a story. A story without words. A story of people. The people we've loved. The people we've lost. In the time it took for the arrow to stop his heart he saw them all. His family. His mother and father and brother. (B/F/N) and Jada. His soldiers. Pyrrha. It seemed to last forever. He saw the times they shared together, laughing and crying and fighting. He saw their deaths. He saw how he outlived everyone. And then everything was dark. He was adrift. His consciousness floated around an expanse of nothingness. How long was he adrift? Minutes? Hours? Days, years, an eternity? Long enough for him to forget. Everything.

His head was heavy, mind fogged. He didn't know who he was. He didn't care. His eyes opened and he slowly sat upright. He was in an endless expanse of luscious green grass. The cloudless sky was a calming shade of gentle blue. It was neither light nor dark. There was no sun. There was no moon. All that was present in the empty field was a single firefly dancing in the air. It seemed to sing to him. A peaceful song. It was beautiful. The more he listened the louder the music seemed to become, and the louder the music became the brighter the light from the firefly. Eventually, the music overpowered all other senses and the light surged brilliantly, forcing his eyes to close.

The music stopped. He opened his eyes. Before him stood a beautiful young woman in a flowing white gown. Her straw blonde hair danced in the air despite the lack of wind. Her pale pink lips were upturned in a small smile and her blue eyes shined with several tears. She looked extremely familiar, but he was unable to match a name to the face. Slowly, she walked over to him and knelt beside him.

"Hello (F/N)." She said quietly.

"Jada?" He asked slowly. He wasn't sure where the name came from, but as soon as it left his lips, memories flashed in his head. Memories that were new but at the same time felt very old. Memories of a smile. A necklace. A kiss. "W-Where... am I?"

"Shh." She soothed, brushing the hair from his face. She offered her hand. "Come with me."

She helped him to his feet, the grass brushing their shins.

"What... what's happening." (F/N) asked, still confused. "Where are you taking me?"

"There are people waiting to see you." Jada said, gently pulling his arm, leading him towards the horizon.

"People?" (F/N) said, rubbing the side of his head with his free hand. "I... I don't remember."

"You will." Jada said. "When you see them."

The young woman lead him by the hand towards the horizon. As they continued their journey, a white light appeared ahead of them. The closer they got, the brighter it became, until it was so intense that (F/N) was forced to turn and hide his face in his shoulder.

He hesitantly reemerged once the light disappeared from behind his closed eyelids. Jada stood next to him, still holding his hand. They were in the middle of another field, this one very different from the one they had come from. The grass wasn't as green, though it stood much taller, even with his waist. Turning his head upwards, he saw the night sky dotted with stars, the light of a shattered moon bathing the area in an almost ethereal glow. Turning his head, he looked over his shoulder, curious as to what happened to the place they had come from and the light that seemed to have transported them to this new field. The sight that greeted him however, only brought with it more questions. There was a large stone building, a spacious courtyard and many winding stone paths connecting it to other smaller buildings. A tower stretched up towards the heavens, a beacon of green light sitting at the top. Ahead of them, off in the distance where the grass was taller, was a collection of fireflies gathered in the air.

"It's different for everyone." Jada told him. "Sometimes it's a childhood home. Sometimes it's a church. For me it was a playground."

"Where are we?" (F/N) asked.

"Only you can answer that." She said. "Some people would call it their happy place. But it's somewhere from your memories. Somewhere that would bring you peace."

"Why would an empty field bring me piece?" (F/N) asked, still unable to remember.

Jada shrugged. "Maybe it's not the place itself. Maybe it's what happened here, or who it happened with."

(F/N) looked around the place again. It was cold, and the tall grass brushing his arms annoyed him. He looked at the fireflies again. He liked the warmth from their lights. Without realizing it, his hand felt from Jada's and he slowly made his way towards them. They fluttered around his head and landed on his arms, their soft buzzing a pleasant melody. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Now that he thought about it, he did feel at peace.

He opened his eyes to appreciate the luminescent insects once more but was surprised to find they had disappeared. Instead, several dozen people stood around him, each one in smiling at him. Their faces were familiar, and as he looked at each face more closely, he could feel some part of his memories returning.

A group of four men, two large and muscular, the others a bit thinner but still fit. Their grey military fatigues were well cleaned and neatly pressed. They snapped to attention, feet together and right hand raised in salute, before assuming a resting position, feet shoulder width apart and hands folded behind the back.

"Gerick?" (F/N) asked.

"Sir." The largest of the men said, snapping back to attention.

"Fitz? Hughes, Munich?"

The other three saluted again.

"Major (L/N), sir." Gerick said. "Your wolves are ready and await your command."

"As do your ravens." Munich said.

"At ease." (F/N) said gently. "Your job is done. It's over." The men smiled and allowed themselves to relax. "Did any of you... did any of you make it?"

They smiled sadly and Fitz shook his head.

"It's okay." Hughes said. "We don't blame you."

The four men stepped back and parted down the middle as another figure approached. (F/N) didn't even get a look at their face before he was being hugged around the middle, the side of their face pressed against their chest. They stepped back and smiled up at him, eight eyes shining brightly.

"Charlotte?"

"Thank you." She said. "For trying to help me."

(F/N) nodded silently as the young girl moved to the side. More people from his past stepped forward from the circle to greet him. His favorite teacher from elementary school. More soldiers from the war. A tall man that shared his (H/C) hair and defined jawline. A woman with eyes just like his. A younger boy that looked much like he did when he was younger. Next to them stood a man he remembered sharing his childhood with. Silly adventures they used to get lost on, running away and hiding in their imaginations. His mother placed both hands on either side of his face as his father placed a firm hand on his shoulder. His brother punched his arm and his best friend shook his hand, clapping him on the back.

(F/N) smiled. Everyone present had greeted him. His memories were restored. And yet, he still felt empty. Like something was missing. A large hole in his heart still waiting for someone to fill it. Jada took his hand again and gently pulled on his arm, but (F/N) didn't move. He didn't want to leave. Everyone he'd ever loved was here.

"Come on." Jada whispered, giving his arm another gentle tug. "She's waiting for you."

He didn't know who Jada was talking about, but for some reason he felt this was important. He allowed her to lead him away, watching the figures wave goodbye as they departed. Again, the two walked towards a light on the horizon, and after they stepped through the light, (F/N) found himself standing at the edge of a forest, the treetops covered in snow, wind blowing across a frozen lake. A lone wooden cabin stood in the empty space, and (F/N) felt himself being drawn towards it.

He began walking towards the small house, forgetting that he was still holding Jada's hand. He stopped when he felt resistance and looked back at her.

"I'm sorry." She said with a smile. "But I can't go with you."

"Why?" (F/N) asked.

"Because this is your home. Not mine."

He looked back at the cabin. He didn't want to leave her again. Last time he did, she'd died, and he never made it back. But for some reason something inside the cabin was reaching out to him. Calling his name. He looked back at Jada with apologetic eyes.

"It's okay." She said. "Go."

Her hand slipped out of his and she disappeared.

(F/N) shivered as he trudged through the snow. The wind was fiercer in the absence of the trees' protection, biting at his exposed skin. The heavy snowfall obscured his vision, but the cabin seemed to call to him in a way that didn't require his sight. After several minutes of battling through the harsh weather, he reached the door. Without bothering to knock, he opened the door and stepped inside.

A warm fire bathed the inside of the small house in a warm glow. Before it sat a sofa large enough for two, a soft animal skin blanket thrown over the back. A waist high counter separated the living area from a kitchen area, a small wooden square table pushed against the side of the wall, two chairs on either side.

The sound of a door opening drew his attention to the left of the fireplace. From the only other room in the house stepped a beautiful young woman. Instantly, he knew that she was the thing calling to him. Her red hair danced like the flames of the fire lighting the house, pulled back into a loose ponytail. He lost himself in her eyes, a beautiful deep shade of emerald that held nothing but love and tenderness. They glistened with wet tears, and without knowing why, he felt his own eyes begin to dampen as well.

Slowly, he walked into the cabin. He was drawn to her. A powerful force pulling them closer and closer together until they finally reached one another, standing before the warm fire. She smiled at him, tears of happiness falling from her eyes. She let out a watery chuckle and brushed the snow from his shoulders. One of his hands found its way to her cheek, thumb brushing away the tears from her face.

"Pyrrha." He whispered.

There was no flood of memories this time. It was as if they had always been there, just hiding beneath the surface. He repeated her name, simply because he loved the sound of it. Simply because she was the most beautiful thing to ever be.

She rested her palms on his chest and his hands found their familiar place on her waist. Their lips pressed softly together

"Welcome home." She whispered.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers once more. Seasons changed in a single kiss. Years spent wrapped in each other's arms, curled up on the couch. An eternity making love. And when eternity passed, they would still be together.

Forever.