pyrphóros –& a justice paralogue
Third Act, following Unbound:
☆ — she doesn’t think there are any heroes that are actually happy. not really. not in the way that all the stories made them out to be. not anymore. she thinks of chrom, left behind with an entire halidom to guide in the absence of emmeryn, who leapt into death’s waiting arms to protect them. she thinks of lucina, with only the falchion and the failure of a generation of heroes that were venerated in their memories. she thinks of sumia and gaius and of the child they left behind. heroes, she thinks. what did being selfless do except get you a lifetime of troubles and being left to the mercy of whatever decided you lived or died?
she thinks of aeschylus now, who did not turn away when his truths became lies and whose death came in trying to prevent theirs. she thinks of him, as snow ( it’s gray, slushy ) crunches beneath her boots, her hand pressed against her chest as the dull throbbing of a few broken ribs becomes excruciating when the adrenaline fades. where was his happy ending? where were the parades to be thrown in his honor, the cries of joy to be heard in the loudness of his absence?
’ WHAT PURPOSE DOES THIS DESTRUCTION SERVE? ’
her eyes turn to the wreckage of the village that was. the inn where they had slept just the night before, now reduced to a pile of rubble and destruction. watches as pent runs, digs out the two that they had saved. she wonders why it feels like home.
feathery wings suddenly occupy her vision, the soft clop of buttercup’s horseshoes hitting the torn path beside her. she lifts her eyes to the pegasus, allowing a small smile to surface as cynthia’s hand comes to rest against her muzzle. for once, she does not retreat. instead, bunny sneaks her head beneath the pegasus knight’s arm. cynthia leans against her. “i know."
’ WHAT OF YOUR PROMISES? ’
agate falls on her allies, battle-worn and beaten black and blue. she looks at the ones that fell and didn’t get up again. ( azura, niles, ingrid. she’d have to make sure that they were remembered in all this. ) cynthia almost wants to apologize for not being stronger or faster or smarter. but, it doesn’t mean anything. if she had been, would she have been able to save them? had she been too selfish this time? too concerned with the fighting that she’d forgotten to protect like she promised she would? how will she tell the people they loved that they were gone? she’d thought before that saying they’d fought until the very end was comforting.
but, what did that mean, when it was the person who survived that told the tale? how did you tell them that their life mattered, but not enough for her to give in exchange of her own? — had she given them their best opportunity to survive? if she had just been more, just been better —
’ WHO ARE YOU LIBERATING? ’
cynthia finds aeschylus, still wrapped in his dark cloak. still, just as she had left him before she’d gone to fight again. she kneels. his tunic is soaked in the dark blood that she had so readily spilled when she’d thought it appropriate to justify the frelian prince’s death. an eye for an eye, a life for a life. she hadn’t felt any better then when she killed them and she didn’t feel any better now. he was always pretty quiet. although, she supposes anyone’s pretty quiet when you compare them to her. she talked too much, but she can’t think of anything to say now.
should she call him a hero? that he bought them much needed time? should she tell him that they were okay? should she tell herself that he’s still alive, even when she felt his pulse fading? ( he wouldn’t hear her. ) her vision blurs and cynthia scrubs furiously at her eyes because she’s not allowed to cry. she wasn’t even as close with him as she’s sure hesperos was or even like professor pent and she can’t cry. it’s not her loss to cry about except that it is and she’s crying because it is and she hates it because if he just stayed down then he’d still be alive and instead, he’s here. dead. cold. alone. dead. cold. alone. dead. cold. alone.
’ — THIS IS NOT JUSTICE! ’
Feathers fall as four white hooves connect with the ground, snow crunching under weight that had long since earned its rest. Slowly, carefully, her charge descends from saddle, nearly falling as she reaches the ground; balance, wounds, distress, the reason mattered not.
“...I should have done more. I’m sorry.”
Cautious steps, slow, light, the breaking tide ever closer with each movement. She steadies herself, golden locks catch attention alongside azure and ivory twice over.
Balance finally gives way once the kitsune reaches her charge, knees colliding with snow and muck, tar and gravel beneath it all, the sting a constant reminder that this is real, it’s not a dream, there is no waking up. One hand hovers, hesitant, closure just as frightening as the beast that tore worlds apart, but Selkie pushes on, she has to push on, she always pushed on, never backed down, always on the front lines, should have been on the front lines, should have been closer,
Never with these injuries, against a foe like this, with this situation, with civilians around - nothing to be done, nothing could have been done.
Determination breaks a mask of fear and loneliness, ice where skin should be, silence where songs once rang
The silence stays, she says nothing, what could she say? There’s no justice in it.
Lost in thoughts all alone
“Thank you. You protected us again... you protected everyone again, with your life. You... you shouldn’t have had to, but you did. I’m sorry.”
It would have to do; work to be done, homes to be found, lives to be destroyed.
She almost lifts with her left arm; stops, examines, almost laughs.
Carefully, one arm reaches underneath, Azura’s weight shifted onto her shoulder; she stumbles, a moment, but catches herself. It still hurts, but it could be worse. It always could be worse. Smile, because it could be worse.
“You didn’t... we didn’t have anything to bury, last time,” a pained sigh as eyes of dandelion finally raise from the ground, weary, crimson overtaken. “I’ll take you home.”
It’s the least she could do.
dailybridgerton
germansingergirl
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
