[Fourth Wall Finale] Day: Break

[thewatchers]

[Fourth Wall Finale] Day: Break
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Suneater falls like a star’s dark mirror, crashing to the Earth in a haze of icy blackness so hard it shakes the ground for miles- but it still falls.

As the first rays of light begin to dawn on the horizon, the massive dragon raises its’ head one last time, straining to open its’ jaws in one last, hungry attempt to devour the light… and collapses completely, breaking apart into smoke and dust.

When it dissipates, only a massive skeleton is left behind, bones as clean and dry as if they had been resting there for years.

And very, very softly, so faint it almost can’t be heard, every Candle living hears the voice of something very far away- not even remotely human, but so deeply, endlessly warm:

”Thank you.”

It isn’t a voice you’ve ever heard before… but something about it makes you instinctively look up, towards the rising Sun. Somehow, the light and the voice remind you of each other.

Though the final blow doesn’t instantly destroy the various zealots and opportunists that followed in the last Herald’s wake, Suneater’s death and the knowledge that Nightfall has been lost to them is an unrecoverable blow to the enemy’s morale, and the remaining foes are fairly simple for Daybreak’s forces to finish up- those that don’t simply flee or surrender outright.

When the last of the opposition is fled, dead, or safely in custody, and none of the scouts or Seers report any further traps or tricks in store, the word goes out. The Headmistress, leaning heavily on her sword to support herself in her exhaustion, lifts her hand and calls out the signal, which is taken up and passed along:

The battle is over.

Cassandra sinks gently, carefully to one knee and plants her own massive sword in the ground, a golden grave marker for everyone lost in the struggle to stop the night... and maybe even for Suneater as well, last and lost master of a wild, primal world long gone, twisted though it was by the end.

Under her steady digital guidance, the vast construct disassembles itself and once more resumes the form of the school as you’ve known it.

...And yes, all your belongings were stored safely during the fight. (You may return to your dorms to find some particularly fragile items covered in bubble wrap. It’s unclear whether this served a practical purpose or was just a discreet little joke on Cassandra’s part.)

It’s time to lay down your weapons, treat the wounded, bury the dead. The cleanup may well take years, and those lost to the last Herald of Night may never be returned to us- but the casualties were the tiniest fraction of what the world would have suffered if the battle had been lost, and those who survived have time now. You are no longer the generation born into a world on the brink of disaster, a world running out of time. You can recover, rest, and rebuild at your leisure.

The duty of Daybreak Academy is complete.

Your job is done.

But…

Well. You’ve learned a lot, haven’t you? Part of it was just how cruel and wicked the world can be… but part of it was how beautiful and wondrous it is, too.

Even though its’ duty is done, Daybreak Academy will remain, offering guidance and knowledge to anyone who asks for it- and beyond the Academy’s doors, there’s a whole new horizon out there. Earth and the Outlands are open and free for anyone willing to brave the journey. In the world that has not died, there are endless possibilities for you to explore and discover, to find joy and sorrow and everything that you never expected until you found it.

It’s a brand new day.

Comments

dumb karaoke night toplevel

[spelleton]

[ Perhaps surprisingly, it's Ekkehardt who organizes this little get-together, 'for old times' sake'. The bar they'd used last time for karaoke in Soleil hasn't gone anywhere, and is more than happy to accept their patronage once again.

Ekkehardt himself doesn't seem particularly self-motivated to sing, but he seems to be basking happily in the company of people he genuinely likes. He's having plenty of fun. ]

[unpocoloco]

[Héctor is not allowed to sing. Not because of anything terrible, not because he feels any guilt. He's not allowed because he's a celebrity now and if he doesn't want this place overrun with fans or the like, he needs to wait until everyone's had their turn. It's the same reason he's not a skeleton on this night.

He doesn't need a machine anyway, just as before, he'll play on his own. The song of choice? An old classic in honor of Garcie and the rest of his time here. And his wife, of course.

He cheers all his friends on from the sidelines, and to Ekkehardt, has to say; I remember when we sang la Seinne. I think I know why you chose that now. Having been to death's river and back and all.

He finds himself laughing much of the night. And it occurs to him again, besides his primos, besides the family he's going home with, he might have made just one more family.

It's that thought that eventually has him sing and play just a snippet of an old song, one he decided he didn't want anymore... but one he thinks he can use now. With some adjustment.]

...To be here with you tonight brings me joy, que alegria
For this music is my language, and my world es mi familia
For this music is my language, and my world es mi familia
For this music is my language...

...And you guys are mi familia.

[He smiles softly into the mic.]

Goodnight, everyone.