Pour Toujours, mon Amour

June 17th, 1961

Moonlight, beaming down upon the grass. A light, gentle breeze through the night’s air. A quaint riverbank amidst the quiet, serene woods that separated the town from nature. The countless stars in the dark sky that glimmered as impossibly white specks.

On that very riverbank, admiring the sky, was a lone, elegantly dressed Braixen. She was waiting for someone, restless yet patient. She aimlessly kicked her legs over the edge of the bank, hovering but never touching the water, and played around with the grass in her paws. It was a sight that she’d been quite used to by now, but still never failed to captivate her imagination.

Even so, her mind was occupied with the thoughts of something, no, someone else. The very one she had been waiting for during the past hour or so.

Then, from a small distance, the sound of leaves rustling could be heard. The Braixen purposefully did not turn to the source of the noise, and sat still as a small figure emerged from a path through the woods.

“Bonsoir,” the figure called out to her.

She turned around with a slight grin on her face. “There you are! You’re late, you know.”

Before her was the sight of the one she’d been expecting: a handsome, young, and modestly dressed blue Meowstic, his clothes distinctly plainer than her own but no less charming to her eyes.

He let out a small chuckle, and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry about that. Emmy suddenly came down with a headache, and I had to help Maman take care of her. She’s fine now, thankfully.”

“Ah, well that’s good.” The Braixen beamed. “I hope your family is doing well otherwise?”

The Meowstic nodded. “Yeah, they’re doing fine. Maman’s looking for a new job that should help us with our financial situation, even though she’s already got so much on her plate.” He ruefully shook his head. “But enough about my family, what about yours, Desirée?”

She let out a long sigh. “Same as ever. Worrying about this and that. How I should act, how I should manage the family finances in the future, how to get a man’s attention…” She looked wistfully into the distance. “It’s all just so… tiring.”

“Well, then how about we forget all of that, just for tonight?” he replied. “Besides, I think you’ve already caught a man’s attention, haven’t you?” He leaned in closer, giving a knowing smile.

Désirée laughed. “Come now, Dimitri, is that the best you can do?”

“Yeah? Then what about this?” Suddenly, he came even closer, and pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment that was just long enough to leave her stunned.

The Braixen blushed, and stammered slightly before regaining her composure. “D-Dimitri! Not so quick…”

“Ah, my apologies. I hope it was at least satisfactory?” He tilted his head with a playful expression on his face.

She looked aside, before a smile formed on her face as well. “…Yes.” Even though the two of them had been dating for a good little while now, the prospect of actually being in a relationship still made her giddy with excitement, as much as she sometimes tried to hide that fact.

Despite that, something nagged at her. She closed her eyes, and put a paw to her forehead, leaning into her lover. Dimitri blinked, before his gaze softened. “Hmm? What’s the matter, my dear?”

The Braixen shifted slightly before replying, “Oh, nothing, it’s just… well, I’ve already told you about my family, and I know you told me to put those worries aside for now, but I can’t help but fear…” she trailed off as a frown started to form on her face.

“I see.” He pulled her closer, and stroked her fur. “Désirée, nothing can get between us, alright?”

Désirée’s eyes widened as her mood abruptly shifted. “Woah, wh-where’d that suddenly come from, you sap?” She gave a small, stilted laugh, trying to play off his words, but the clear blush on her face betrayed her.

Dimitri, however, seemed to pay no mind, and promptly got up. “Hey, come with me,” he announced, making a beckoning gesture with his paw.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Désirée asked.

His signature smile returned to his face. “I think you and I need a little adventure.”

“Adventure? But we only have so much time together, Dimitri!” She scratched her ear. “What if my parents notice—”

“Shh,” he put a paw over his mouth. “Don’t worry about any of that right now, yeah? It’ll all be alright in the end, we’ll just cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“But…”

A smug grin came over his expression. “Come on, Désirée, I can tell what your real feelings are with my typing, can’t I?”

“Ah, that’s not fair…” The Braixen pouted. “Alright, if you say so…”

Dimitri chuckled. “There we go! Now come, let’s explore!” He turned and started walking away.

“But where exactly are we going?” Désirée asked as she followed him.

“You’ll see.” 

With that, the two of them continued in their walk through the woods. After a while, she finally asked, “Uh, Dimitri, are you absolutely sure we’re heading in the right direction?”

“Patience, my dear. There’s a clear path ahead of us,” he replied.

“Well, forgive me if I can’t exactly see it.”

The Meowstic gave a small chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

Soon enough, there were fewer and fewer trees, until the two of them eventually stopped.

“And there it is. We’ve made it.”

The sight left her speechless. She inched towards the point, mouth agape, reaching out a paw. 

“Is that…?”

He nodded.

What was before them was a clearing, abundant with grass and flowers, allowing moonlight to beam down upon this spot surrounded by the otherwise dim forest. But what was remarkable about the site was not the scenery, but rather what it contained.

On one side was a small, wooden hut covered and hidden in foliage, like something straight out of a fairy tale. On the opposite side was a massive, lone tree that stood out amidst the rest, with a hole in the center that vaguely resembled a heart. To Désirée, there was a certain magic to this place that she couldn’t put into words.

“Not sure if it’s that much, really, but I hope it’s at least something.” An awkward chuckle escaped Dimitir’s mouth as he spoke.

Désirée laughed in return. “Are you kidding? This is… wow.” She turned her head towards him. “When did you find this?”

“Well, last week, actually. I just happened to be exploring, and when I found this place, I thought it might make you happy to see it…” Now, it was his turn to blush, and he began to grab at his tails, a habit which Désirée found particularly endearing.

The Braixen’s smile was reassuring. “Of course it does! I love it.”

“You… you mean it?” Dimitri’s tone sounded uncertain, but his eyes were glimmering with hope.

“Yeah! Come on, what are you worrying about?” She suddenly picked him up with one of her arms. “You said you wanted us to have an adventure, right?”

Dmitiri’s blush deepened as Désirée held him in her arms, but some of his confidence returned. “Yes…”

She set him down. “Then go on, show me around!”

“Alright!” He cleared his throat, his grin returning to his expression. “Now, to be honest, I haven’t actually looked around this place that much, because I wanted to explore it with you,” he said, holding out a paw. “What do you say?”

“Well, then what are we waiting for?”

“Great!” He turned around, and began walking closer towards the site, with Désirée after him. “You know, you’re pretty excited about this, considering your reservations earlier,” remarked Dimitri.

“That may be true, but once I saw it…” A soft giggle came from the Braixen. “Let’s just say anything would be worth this moment.”

“Oh? Who’s the sap now?” 

“Ah, shut up.”

The couple approached the tree first. The bark was coarse and rough to Désirée’s touch, and the leaves carried a gentle, yet heavy fragrance, their shape consisting of five points extending from a flat edge. Upon closer inspection, the heart shaped hole in the tree’s center had some marks of scratching, although they appeared quite heavily faded. 

“Say, what kind of tree is this, Dimitri?” Désirée asked.

“I think it’s some sort of maple tree,” replied Dimitiri. “Weird, considering the rest of the forest is mainly beech and oak.”

“Huh. I guess that makes this one special, doesn’t it?”

“That it does,” Dimitri said, turning to examine the hole in the tree. “Hmm? Hold on, there’s something in here.”

Désirée took a look as well. “Really?”

He nodded, and then pointed inside. “See that? Looks like some kind of box.”

The Braixen reached her paws inside, touching a smooth object. Sure enough, when she pulled the object outside, it was a small, maroon box with a simple latch. 

“Well, you don’t see that everyday,” she remarked. When she tried to open it, however, it wouldn’t budge. “Huh, it’s locked. You think you can use psychic to force this open, Dimitri?”

The Meowstic cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? What if this belongs to someone?”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to just take a look, would it?” A pleading expression appeared on her face. “Come on, don’t you want to know what’s inside?”

Dimitri let out a soft sigh and a chuckle. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot. I do admit I am somewhat curious myself.”

As Désirée passed the box over to him, he unfurled his ears and got to work. “Let’s see…” 

He closed the eyes on his face as the ones on his ears shone brightly. Although Désirée would never admit this to him as to not hurt his feelings, she was always slightly creeped out when he did this, even if a part of her also found it fascinating. She wondered if Meowstics could see out of their hidden pair of eyes.

“Alright… move that, spin that around, push that…” Dimitri’s mumbling filled the quiet night air as he worked at the lock, only interjected by the sounds of the lock’s mechanism shifting around, clicking in place. “And… there!” With one final click, the box promptly opened. “Took longer than I thought it would.”

“Good work, Dimitri! Now then, without further ado…” Désirée snatched the box from Dimitri’s grip and took out what was inside.

Somewhat startled by her sudden movement, he dusted himself off. “You could’ve been a bit more gentle with that. Didn’t think you’d be so excited…” He shook his head and leaned in closer. “Anyway, what is it?”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied it. “Looks like some sort of… note?”

“Is that so? What’s on it?”

“There’s something written here, let me see…” She cleared her throat, and began to read:

“‘If you’re reading this, I’m probably long gone. If it is you, my love, reading this, then I am immensely sorry. However, if you follow what I tell you here, then perhaps we may be whole once more.

“‘It is as follows: Inside our beautiful home across from this tree, I have left something for you, alongside the object of our eternal affection. It is not the complete picture, but it is the only piece I’ve managed to collect myself. You will have to find the rest on your own, which I am sure you will be able to accomplish. 

“‘Unfortunately, that is the most of what I can say. I’m sorry if this is inadequate, but I do not have much time left. I hope we will be able to reunite soon.

“‘—Your love, …’ and that’s it. The name is too faded for me to read,” Désirée said.

Dimitri put a paw to his chin. “Huh… what do you think it means?”

“I’m not sure. It’s a letter from someone to their beloved, that much is clear, but I have no idea what it’s talking about at all.” 

“Indeed. But I’m sure we’ll be able to find whatever it is once we enter that house.”

Désirée nodded. “Good idea. What do you think the ‘symbol of our eternal affection’ is, though? Is it like a kiss?”

“Maybe it’s… y’know.” Dimitri winked and made a gesture with his paws.

A small gasp escaped from the Braixen. “Dimitri!”

He laughed. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He made a small wave. “Now come on, let’s go!”

Désirée ruefully shook her head. “You are such a child sometimes…” 

The two of them marched towards the hut. Up close, the house’s age became even more apparent, with its muted, scratched wood and layers of dust. “My, this building must be at least hundreds of years old, if not older,” Désirée observed, “yet it’s in a remarkably solid condition.”

Dimitri tilted his head. “How could you tell?”

“See how it’s built? This kind of architecture is like something straight out of a history textbook!” She pointed at the structure. “And judging by overgrown it is, it hasn’t been used in a very long time.”

“Wow, you could really gleem all that?”

She scratched the back of her head. “Well, I do quite enjoy learning about history, I suppose, especially historical architecture, hehe.”

“Bookworm,” Dimitri teased.

Désirée merely rolled her eyes. “Anyways, if a house this old belonged to the people in that letter, then when do you think it was written?”

“Probably a very long time ago as well, right? I can’t imagine anybody today living all the way out here.”

The Braixen concurred, “That does seem to be the case.” She went to the house’s door and reached for the handle. It promptly creaked open. “Huh, that’s convenient.” She poked her head inside. “Dear Mew, it’s darker than the forest in here!” Her arm instinctively reached for the stick tucked inside her tail, but Dimitri quickly rushed over.

“Wait! Are you really sure that’s a good idea?” His eyes were wide with worry.

“What? I know how to be careful with my fire. Don’t worry!”

Dimitri’s face reeked of skepticism. “Are you sure?”

“Mhm!” She beamed, lighting her stick aflame, startling the Meowstic. “See? We’re fine! There’s nothing to… woah.”

The inside, now illuminated by Désirée’s flame, could best be described as liminal. There was only one room as far as the eye can see. The furniture was primitive and humble, with tree stumps scattered around functioning as tables and chairs. There were a few pots in the corners of the house, although the plants that once occupied them were long gone, replaced by intruding outside flora. Most peculiar of all, along the walls of the house were circular holes that probably functioned as windows, but for whatever reason all of them were almost completely boarded up.

To Désirée, there was an almost surreal yet nostalgic quality to this place. Like a place that she might’ve played along with her friends in when she was a Fennekin, and when the time came, an old maid would come find her and drag her back to the house. It was as if she had momentarily entered another dimension.

Dimitri, too, seemed to be struck, only standing there, observing. “What is this?” he eventually whispered.

“I don’t know… am I dreaming?”

Towards the back, in the center of the whole house, was yet another tree stump. However, what made this one stand out against the others was the thing atop it.

It was a chest. Small and maroon, just like the box that was in the tree, but stood out against the backdrop of the building. 

Désirée squirlled away her lit stick back into her tail. Slowly, she began to approach the chest. Upon reaching it, she placed a deliberate paw upon its top, the texture firm yet gentle. This time, when she tried to open it, there was no resistance. 

After a little while, Dimitri approached the chest as well. “What’s in it?” he asked.

“Let’s see…” She peered inside. “A scarf and a… fragment of something?”

The Meowstic took the scarf. “Huh. I wonder which of these was supposed to be the ‘symbol of eternal affection.’”

“Well, considering this thing over here is clearly a piece of something,” she said, taking the other object, “then that scarf must be it.”

Dimitri put the scarf around his neck. “I suppose so. I wonder if it was for a rescue team of some kind, then…”

Désirée gave a little smile as she looked at Dimitri. “My, you look quite charming wearing that.”

“R-really?” he blurted out, his face blushing somewhat.

“Yeah! Gosh, you’re even more adorable now!” 

Dimitri awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Oh, come on, cut it out…” He shook his head. “Anyway, then what’s that thing you have there?”

The Braixen brought the fragment close to her fact, meticulously analyzing it. “The gift that the writer of that message must’ve left for their beloved, I imagine…” She tilted her head, squinting her eyes. “Maybe it’s the piece of a rare artifact, or something.”

The fragment was teal blue in color, presumably made out of some sort of precious material. Its shape was quite geometric, like some sort of uncurved circle, with two small rectangles jutting out at its left and right extremes. Embedded within it were dark blue lines that stretched horizontally from the top and down vertically into the two rectangles, with arrows pointing at its ends.

“You know, it might fetch for a pretty good price on the market,” Dimitri commented.

Désirée shook her head. “No… I don’t think this should be sold.”

“Hmm? Why is that?”

She sighed. “It isn’t right. Think about it. This was meant to be a gift for someone special. It’d be just selfish for us to take it and use it for our own ends.”

“Ah. You’re right. Sorry…” His eyes were a bit downcast. “But are we sure those people are even still around anymore? It must’ve been so long ago, I find it hard to imagine…”

Désirée gave a somber nod. “That may very well be so. But I hope that perhaps at least one of them may still be around.”

“Dear, now I feel like we’re intruding on someone else’s private moment…”

The Braixen casted a sidelong glance. “Perhaps, although it seems somewhat doubtful if anyone would’ve discovered it at all if it wasn’t for you happening upon it by fate.”

Dimitri shrugged. “Well, what’s done is done, I suppose.”

“Indeed. Although…” She put a paw to her chin. “Wait.” Suddenly, she took the fragment, and handed it to Dimitri. “Here, take this.”

He tilted his head. “Huh? Why?”

“I think you should have it,” she said. “I want you to hold onto it for as long as possible, and that if you ever meet the person this gift was for, I want you to give it to them. Even if that will never happen, I want you to hold onto it, so that their memory is never forgotten.”

Dimitri’s gaze was touched, yet determined. “I see. Then in that case…” He undoes the scarf around his neck. “I want you to have this.”

“The scarf?” Now it was Désirée’s turn to be surprised.

He nodded. “That’s right. After all, if it was the symbol of their eternal affection, then…” Dimitri’s eyes locked in with hers. “Perhaps it can be ours as well.”

“Dimitri…” Suddenly, Désirée’s face was warm, and something was prickling at her eyes.

He leaned in closer, and put his arms around her shoulders. “Désirée… I love you. So much.”

“Dimitri, I…” Try as she might, not a single coherent sound could come out of her mouth. Her heart was racing.

But in an instant, she didn’t have to respond at all, as she felt Dimitri’s kiss against her mouth. Unlike earlier, by the riverbank, this was no act of playfulness. So Désirée responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his waist as they exchanged their passion. 

In that moment, nothing else mattered. If they remained like this for all of eternity, she would not mind.