Where the world was once swathed in darkness, there had been a sudden rush of sound. It deadened into one deep roll of bass, before a brilliant light washed over everything.
For those who had stood against that light, only seconds had passed. But for Rukia, it had taken years to put everything back the way it should have been. The broken souls were mended and made whole, sent back to their worlds. And yet, those in Crystallis still remained if she'd found that stubborn kernel of yearning within their hearts. They existed as two, their lives diverging to follow the destinies they desired, just as she had wished so fervently for herself.
Those who had perished at Narasimha's command lived. The soldiers who gave their lives were returned to their families. No one was the wiser that theirs had been a grisly fate, save for those Heroes of Light who had seen them fall. Nebilim lived, touched with the knowledge of who she had once been, retaining the feelings and wisdom she'd once had without the pain of her passing. Queen Sarah returned to her throne to lead her people to a new era of prosperity and peace.
And yet, some would swear that in this renewed world, there was something missing...
It could not be helped. It would have been better to erase the memories entirely, but it seemed too cruel a betrayal. It was bad enough that she'd broken her pact of faith and trust, taking the deal Kalki offered instead of believing in their dedication to fix what the Ancients had done. Would she shatter their memories too? No...but she would bury them deep and lock them up tight, for the shame of her choice would continue to haunt her. And those who wouldn't have hated her surely did not need to remember her sacrifice and rack up the weight of guilt if they thought they'd failed her. Maybe sometimes they'd look at a rabbit and feel a twinge of nostalgia, or feel the warmth of the Crystal of Fire under their palms and suddenly recall just a whisper of a voice, a brief smile, a teasing jab, only to have that glimpse slip away again and disappear. Just a shard of a dream they'd forgotten, surely. A flash of deja vu. Nothing more.
She did miss them. Sometimes she looked down at the cities and plains from her perch on the highest tower of the Floating Ruins as the big island floated by, innocuous and ignored. The interior had been replaced with a simple Japanese style that greatly resembled her room in the Kuchiki manor. But unlike her room, this was filled with keepsakes -- a couple of plush rabbits of varying sizes and colors, a pair of handknit gloves and a scarf on the wall, a pair of bunny socks...every gift she'd received was collected and hidden here.
She could see their faces if she closed her eyes and concentrated on their unique spiritual signature down below. Doing that would drive away the loneliness if only for a little while. Those fleeting moments made it all of the solitude, regret, and guilt worthwhile, because it reminded her why she'd made her choice. They were safe, and the planet could truly begin to flourish and prosper naturally as it should have long ago.
Rukia made just one little mistake -- while the memories of the Heroes of Light had been sealed, there were still some doppelgangers and natives who remembered her, and what she'd done. It was just a matter of time before someone asked the right question at the right moment.
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Where the world was once swathed in darkness, there had been a sudden rush of sound. It deadened into one deep roll of bass, before a brilliant light washed over everything.
For those who had stood against that light, only seconds had passed. But for Rukia, it had taken years to put everything back the way it should have been. The broken souls were mended and made whole, sent back to their worlds. And yet, those in Crystallis still remained if she'd found that stubborn kernel of yearning within their hearts. They existed as two, their lives diverging to follow the destinies they desired, just as she had wished so fervently for herself.
Those who had perished at Narasimha's command lived. The soldiers who gave their lives were returned to their families. No one was the wiser that theirs had been a grisly fate, save for those Heroes of Light who had seen them fall. Nebilim lived, touched with the knowledge of who she had once been, retaining the feelings and wisdom she'd once had without the pain of her passing. Queen Sarah returned to her throne to lead her people to a new era of prosperity and peace.
And yet, some would swear that in this renewed world, there was something missing...
It could not be helped. It would have been better to erase the memories entirely, but it seemed too cruel a betrayal. It was bad enough that she'd broken her pact of faith and trust, taking the deal Kalki offered instead of believing in their dedication to fix what the Ancients had done. Would she shatter their memories too? No...but she would bury them deep and lock them up tight, for the shame of her choice would continue to haunt her. And those who wouldn't have hated her surely did not need to remember her sacrifice and rack up the weight of guilt if they thought they'd failed her. Maybe sometimes they'd look at a rabbit and feel a twinge of nostalgia, or feel the warmth of the Crystal of Fire under their palms and suddenly recall just a whisper of a voice, a brief smile, a teasing jab, only to have that glimpse slip away again and disappear. Just a shard of a dream they'd forgotten, surely. A flash of deja vu. Nothing more.
She did miss them. Sometimes she looked down at the cities and plains from her perch on the highest tower of the Floating Ruins as the big island floated by, innocuous and ignored. The interior had been replaced with a simple Japanese style that greatly resembled her room in the Kuchiki manor. But unlike her room, this was filled with keepsakes -- a couple of plush rabbits of varying sizes and colors, a pair of handknit gloves and a scarf on the wall, a pair of bunny socks...every gift she'd received was collected and hidden here.
She could see their faces if she closed her eyes and concentrated on their unique spiritual signature down below. Doing that would drive away the loneliness if only for a little while. Those fleeting moments made it all of the solitude, regret, and guilt worthwhile, because it reminded her why she'd made her choice. They were safe, and the planet could truly begin to flourish and prosper naturally as it should have long ago.
Rukia made just one little mistake -- while the memories of the Heroes of Light had been sealed, there were still some doppelgangers and natives who remembered her, and what she'd done. It was just a matter of time before someone asked the right question at the right moment.