FINAL INTERLUDE

From the perspective of one who sought redemption

It was time for me to go Home.

My eleventh-hour Scheme had paid off. Mentoria had risen in the skies of dark, her form mantled with the power of Divinity Itself, seeking Battle against me, certain in her Superiority over mine Ascendancy. Yet that Conflict was never destined to Be, for when she Descended to Strike, I used my Gift of Dominion, and her Will was No More. Master of her Unlimited Potential, I flung Wide Open the Gates of the Temple, and the Road to Eternal Paradise was at last Clear In View.

Triumphant, I set out to Work the Miracle of Ascension, to Light the Shard and start the Singularity. Impatient, I worked with Care; Excited, I checked myself with Temperance; for Time was Short and I had no Right to Mistake, for the Environs bore not the Marks of Before. The Reality Vortex raged like a Distant Kin to the Void Itself, tearing at the Cosmos in a state of downcast Control, and only the Command of my Will and the Shard's own Resonance kept its Hunger in check.

Thus Progress was Slow and I Advanced a Step At A Time, weaving Strands of Essence and lifting the Veils of Undone Reality. Time Passed, yet it carried No Meaning, for I was at the heart of Entropy, Focused and Poised to Heighten the Truest Purpose of the Temple, and Bring Forth the Greatest Legacy.

I was so close...

And then They came.

They all came – Desperate, Fierce, Defiant to the Last: the Knights, and the Soldiers, and the People – led by Airo and Veralla, now joined as One. They All Came. They Descended from the Heavens like Avatars of Justice, carrying their Light, their Hope, and a Leviathan from Days Past. They came to Defend, to Protect, to Ward, like True Knights Hallowed In Radiance.

It was magnificent.

In one Blazing, Final Collision, my Legacy would Endure the Tides of Chaos, in a Battle that was Beyond Good and Evil – it was a fight for the Unity of All.

With Strength borrowed from Mentoria, the Ancillary Primordial, once more I Called Forth my loyal Revenant, the Heralds of the Coming Age of Eternity, and cast them into Battle, Thrice as Stalwart, Hundredfold as Bright, and Incandescent as Ever. They clashed with Holy Passion against that Unwelcomed Interference, Bolstered by the Ancillary Primordial's Presence.

Oh, how foolish Those Against Me acted. The Knights, Valiant to a Fault, took headlong charge against my immortal Revenant. Veralla, filling my heart with Sorrow, faced Alone her Primordial Counterpart. And Airo, Warrior Unyielding, came Down to Lift a Bladed Sun against me.

And he tried to Make me see Reason.

Reason!? Blindness is within you, Dragonslayer! My Vision is Eternal!

We crossed Blades, as Words were without Dimension when such Future was At Stake. My Time was coming to an End, my Life seeping Away, yet Confidence guided my hand, for I was Invincible and Salvation was my Goal. I cast aside the Dragonslayer's mighty blows with Supremacy in Skill and defeated him, letting him to Breathe his Last.

Then Annihilation Happened.

In a hopeless Gambit, They made an astral vessel into a Falling Star – Erasing Everything in Pure Radiance.

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I Held True within that Cleansing Storm, my Soul already beyond Light, and I Marveled at this Desperation given Beauty. Then I Rejoiced, for this Divine Judgment Purified the Temple, and now I needed a Mere Moment to bring forth Miracle.

Turning, I found the Way Barred Still; for now They both stood before me – Airo, the Redeemed Dragonslayer, and Veralla, the True Primordial.

They tried to overcome me with Force, yet I cast Them down with Ease. They rose Again, yet I unleashed my Gift of Dominion, shattering Veralla's Will. Thus Separated, They were turned against Each Other, with No Hope of Triumph, and this was the End.

Or so had I Thought.

There was no Combat between Them. He offered Sacrifice, and this Noble Act enlightened Her Core, freeing Her of my Implacable Grasp.

Impossible! If They had such Power, if Their Perception had soared to such Magnificent Heights, why They did not See the Truth? Why did They reject Paradise? Why did They fight against Eternal Bliss? WHY?

They rose Again, bloody and torn, and assaulted me with both Words and Force, determined to Stop my Vision. Their Ardent Will was Endless: They fought not as Themselves but as All, and for All. Theirs was the Fire Eternal.

Yet I brought Them on Their knees Again, myself Furious, Shaken, Weakened – I was Right and They were Wrong! I brought Unity and They defended Discord. Could They not See! Why do you Resist, o, Blind Guardians! WHY!? I Struck, and Cursed, and Called my Power to bring Them into Oblivion.

Yet They rose again, implacable, immortal, eternal. Already dying, They held to Their Truth until Their last breath.

I fought for Freedom, but so did They.

The fate of the Universe hung in the balance as I Crushed Them Utterly, and lifted my Sun Blade in Final Judgment–

–and then–

–in one endless second, watching them take hold of one another, inseparable even in death, I saw what I thought I would never see again until the very end.

Love.

Pure, unconditional, true Love.

Between Them, between Time, between Eternity.

Love for All.

And for me.

My hand halted for the briefest of moments – and Airo struck me. The Starblade sang in the void, seeking my innermost core, and it pierced through all sins, all sorrow, all grief, ending my mortal existence. In this eternal flash of release, I saw redemption.

I was free.

I fell, and with that fall so did all of my burden, my fear, and my despair. Free from blindness and suffering, I saw light, and lifted my hand to touch it, yet I no longer had the vitality to do so.

I was not alone in my final moments.

Airo took me close and Veralla cast over her bright presence. They held me so, comforting me as my life came pouring into memory. All my deeds, all my crimes, I became aware of them. I realized how far had I gone into the abyss. Yet Airo and Veralla held me, giving me solace, nothing but light and love in their souls.

They... I...

I released my will upon my Starblade and gave it up for good. The two of them were so beautiful. They reminded me... of what had been between me and Kalessia. Passion. Purity. Love. A union of souls, bonded by the greatest force there ever was. Nothing could ever compare. Not even my wildest dreams or my grandest visions. Despite all atrocities, despite all destruction, a transcendent spark had bloomed amidst the darkness, and its light had in the end prevailed. This was the legacy that would arise from this poignant tragedy.

And now... my time had come. My Way had ended. I felt light pouring out from me, millions of tiny motes departing, disjointed, eager, returning to the limitless vastness of the Great Cosmos. They were the nuclei of the souls I had consumed. They were at peace, and so was I.

I sought dearly only one last thing: forgiveness.

Passing into eternal night, I asked Airo and Veralla to forgive me. To forgive me for what I had done to them – my true legacy.

They forgave me. For everything. Hearts filled with kindness, souls bright with compassion, they forgave me.

I... I... I accepted gladly.

Light shone upon my soul once more, and I wept, tears no longer gracing my outward aspect, yet their essence flowed freely within my spirit.

The only thing harder than giving forgiveness is receiving it. I wanted to tell Airo and Veralla that. I wanted to tell them so much more, so many other things. Yet as I lifted my eyes to them both, I felt my life swiftly swirling away.

"Thank you..." I told them, pouring every ounce of kindness and gratefulness I had into the words. With all my remaining strength, I smiled, and that final act of mine was the last love I left behind on this world.

Fading further away, I leaned back, until my gaze came upon the stars. I heard clearly their endless, everlasting music. Out there, on the shores of infinity, was the Fire Eternal. Out there was Kalessia. She sang with the stars, and they all called to me. She called to me. She loved me still, loved me always, forever, and was ready for us to meet again. To join together, and become One.

I closed my eyes, and Ascended.