Rhene sat beside Celestia as multiple unfulfilled souls ran up to Celestia and cuddled up with her.
The moon goddess turned her head towards Rhene and handed her an unfulfilled soul. The pure and innocent soul who had manifested itself in the form of a rabbit was now in the arms of Rhene.
Celestia picked up another soul and started to pet its head. Rhene thought about what had happened to Aylin, she had enforced her will over Aylin's body and let her own husband sacrifice Aylin's soul just so she could come back to him.
Guilt-stricken Celestia asked if Aylin had become an unfulfilled soul just like her.
"She has," Celestia said calmly.
"Could you please tell me which one of these unfulfilled souls is Aylin?"
"She is in your arms as of right now," said the serene moon goddess.
Rhene looked closer at the rabbit and took it over to the waters where she looked at the soul's reflection. Those blue eyes and pink hair, it was Aylin…
Rhene shook her head in disgust at herself. She had selfishly taken away Aylin's right to live and now she was stuck in this realm until a new host for the Aeon of Desire came along and helped her grant her wishes.
"I'm so sorry, Aylin… this was never supposed to happen."
The little rabbit turned her head in confusion and finally looked into the waters. She saw a person, someone with pink hair and blue eyes. Memories came flooding back as she continued staring into the reflection's eyes.
"I am Aylin!"
Her physical body started to materialise as memories of the past surged forth.
She heard crying and looked over to see Rhene covering her mouth as tears flowed over her hands.
Without even knowing what had happened Aylin ran up to Rhene and hugged her. She reassured Rhene that everything would work out in the end.
Aylin's eyes widened as she found herself on the ground, Rhene had pushed her away.
"This is all my fault," I shouldn't have asked for such a selfish wish.
"What happened?" Aylin stood up and tried to comfort Rhene but to no avail. Every attempt was met with Rhene pushing her even further away.
Celestia had finished putting every other unfulfilled soul to sleep and with serene and unnoticeable steps made her way behind Aylin and Rhene.
"Regretful selfish wishes," with a heavy sigh Celestia turned around.
She reached out both her hands to Aylin and Rhene. They were pale, almost snow-white and so delicate, as Aylin touched Celestia's finger tips she felt as if clouds were wrapping around her body. A soothing warmth spread throughout her body as a bright silvery glow emitted from their contact.
With tears in her eyes, Rhene reached out her hand towards Celestia. She felt how the Moon's embrace gently wrapped around her fingers and welcomed her into her realm.
"There is no such thing as a selfish wish, because all wishes are self-centred. All wishing for the betterment of one's situation."
Celestia paused and thought for a moment.
"I will tell you a story."
There was once a princess who had a very powerful tyrannical father who ruled over an empire which spanned to the edges of the world. The princess was granted everything, living a life in utter luxury without a single care. But then came a day when she wanted something far beyond her reach. Something even her all-powerful father couldn't grant her.
She was seeking the feeling of being desired. She had lived her life always desiring but who desired her? So one day, the princess asked the moon,
"O moon, I yearn for a feeling for which I have not felt."
The moon hearing her prayers decided to grant her wishes. One day came a fearsome prince from a distant land rumoured to have slain thousands in war. He was in the capital to attend a royal council. Everyone averted their eyes at the sight of such an atrocious Prince. Fearing that death might claim their souls if they met the Prince's gaze. But the princess was different.
The moment she saw the Prince, she felt something she had never felt before. She was actually feeling fear, something she had never experienced before. This new emotion made her even more fascinated with the Prince, she would sneak glances at him when he wasn't looking and tried to initiate mundane conversation with him which were always met with a cold response.
The Princess unable to keep her feelings hidden anymore, gathered herself and managed to gaze into the Prince's eyes. And the moment she saw them, she was utterly captivated, how could someone not look at such beautiful jewel-like eyes? Eventually, the Princess and the Prince managed to exchange their vows and eloped.
But one disastrous day, the King died and there were no male heirs. The Prince's homeland demanded someone from their lands to ascend to the throne but the Princess's country wanted her to rule after her late father.
Both kingdoms eventually agreed to let the Princess take over on one condition, that the Prince should never see his wife again.
It was their sin, their castigation.
The Princess watched as her love left her kingdom to return to his homeland. But the Prince had returned the next day, and he had his sword in his hand which was bloodied and chipped. He stood in front of the Princess and all her governors with a large leather sack.
They demanded what he was doing in their kingdom. That told him to return immediately before the other kingdom retaliated for breaking their promise.
With a calm and unsettling tone, the Prince untied the rope around the sack and threw it onto the ground.
Screams of horror echoed out in the royal chamber as the severed heads of all the nobles in his country lay on the floor. Even his own father couldn't escape his wrath.
All the governors trembled and scattered from the royal chamber, scared out of their lives.
"O, my love, what have you done?"
"Erased what stood before me and you."
"Your homeland…"
"There isn't anything left anymore, no one will stand in my way."
They exchanged a long kiss and had a long intimate night together.
The Prince was branded a sinner, but no one dared to say a word in public. Those who insulted what he had to do to be with their Queen suffered a fate worse than death.
The Prince continued to live his life shunned from his country only having the Queen to live for. But then came a day when a baby was born into the world. The Queen had gotten the most experienced and well-trained doctors in the world but still… she succumbed during labour.
A curse was then placed upon the Prince's lineage. For the lives he had taken and the oppression he had inflicted upon his people, he was banished and cursed by all the Aeons.
Every male heir would inherit the guilt and sins of the Prince and they were fated to always meet their love and always see them perish in front of them.
"Rhene." Celestia calmly called out.
Having calmed down a bit Rhene looked up at Celestia holding a crescent moon in her hand.
"The curse placed upon you, and you too Aylin."
Celestia took a deep breath before chanting.
"O, moon I wish for the curse on my daughters to be broken."
The crescent moon in her hand glowed before shattering into pieces in her hand. The mark of Desire appeared on both Aylin's and Rhene's cheeks.
Celestia smiled before turning around.
"As I guessed, the Aeonic realm is still watching us."
"What just happened?" Aylin said confusedly.
Celestia held her chest and bent over in pain as she started to cough intensely.
"They… are punishing me for using my powers…" Celestia fell onto the flowers and her breathing became even more ragged and painful, turning into wheezing.
Aylin and Rhene rushed towards Celestia asking what had happened. But Celestia was already unconscious and in a comatose state.
No matter how much they shook her or called out her name she would not wake up.
But her breathing did seem to become normal again after a few minutes relieving Aylin and Rhene.
Both of them looked at each other, sitting on the crescent moon looking at the floor.
"Rhene, why do you think Celestia told us that story about the Prince and Princess?"
"Maybe she was the Princess?"
"But she said the Princess died during childbirth?"
Rhene looked at the ground embarrassed as she tried to think of something else.
"Maybe the Princess was the host for the Aeon of Desire and the Prince was the host for the Aeon of Guilt?"
"But why would Aeons go in a meddle with humans when they are in the Aeonic realm? Why go so far to punish those two specifically and not people who have done worse?"
Both of them threw glances at Celestia who was still lying in the flower fields.
"Must have had something to do with her and the Aeon of Guilt right?"
Rhene nodded and answered that it was most likely the case. The Aeon of Desire and Aeon of Guilt had probably done something to earn them the hatred of the other Aeons, but what?
It seemed like Rhene had completely calmed down now but inside she was still drowning in guilt for what she had done to Aylin.
"Aylin, if this isn't too personal may I ask when you awakened the Aeon of Desire?"
Aylin smiled bitterly recounting her memories before shaking her head.
"I don't really wanna talk about that."
"How about a person you love?"
The smile on Aylin's face softened as images of Vivshi flashed in her head.
"I met him on a fateful day, I told him about my problems after figuring out that he was also an Aeon and then… he promised he would grant me freedom. So ever since then I followed alongside him on his journey to find his mother. The more time I spent with him, the more I realised how much I actually liked him. He treated me gently and made me feel something I had almost forgotten. But there was still a part of me that thought he was only using me for my Aeon, but even so, if it meant being with him, I wouldn't mind lending him my powers."
Curiously, Rhene asked what Aeon Vivshi was and when Aylin responded with Freedom she went quiet and stared blankly at Aylin as if she had seen a ghost.