Andlátkyn; Vandr Sanses unin Alagaësia

One Story Ends, Another Begins

((Here it is. The final chapter.
...You know I'm writing a sequel, right?))

An odd assortment of skeletons and otherwise stood before a very strange tree. Several among them were sobbing, holding one another. A dozen white sheep were gathered there, standing silently. Their hooves were brown, and they carried the scent of apples with them.

Kin, the green Voice of Fortitude, sat on the very edge of the cliff, his backside to the yawning drop behind him as he stared up at the face in the tree.
It appeared to be sleeping, for the most part. It looked like wax had run down its surface, hardening into thick strips of fibrous material and concealing what once had been teeth from view.

The heterochromatic leaves rustled in the breeze, violet and gold fluttering softly, held up by dark, green-tinged wood that was nearly black. The roots spreading out around the frozen feet were blue-black, anchoring the being into the ground.

Life was standing unnervingly still, holding a quiet conversation with Evolution, who kept peering at the now tree. It was in full bloom, dozens of flowers hanging from the branches. The sweet scent of apple blossoms filled the air, though not entirely natural.

The yellow and violet blooms glittered with unusually reflective pollen. A multitude of honeybees had gathered around, a new colony having decided to gather on one of the many branches. No one had the strength to try removing the young hive yet.
".. They're still present." Life finally lifted her voice, though she sounded distant.

Horror, Dust, Killer and Cross all fell dead silent, straightening to look at her. Their faces consisted of varying degrees of hope and terror. The goddess hesitated.
"I believe.. I can feel echoes. Very faint, but still there. For the most part, I feel Emotion. She is very tired. She has.. essentially been at war with herself ever since all of her fragments joined together."

She clasped her paws together, considering what to say next. It was Eve who took over the conversation.
"It may just be possible for your beloved halves to return, though it cannot be here. This.. this is an incredibly fragile state. It can be very easily shattered. Leaving them here is unsafe."

Silence reigned for a minute or so. Elva stepped closer, quietly setting her palm against the tree, over what had once been their hand. Now, gnarled tendrils melded into the surface of a leg.
"I can't feel these echoes." She stated flatly. "Only her pain."

"It requires age and experience to find such things, little one." Life murmured. The starchild scowled, but did not move. Beats slowly copied her, flinching multiple times before finally resting his hand on what had been a shoulder. He scrunched up his face and held his other hand near his headset, before lowering it again. He pulled away then, tapping her shoulder repeatedly until she stepped back too, to which he set his hand fully on her meager frame.

"What do we do." Horror sounded painfully hoarse, regarding the immobile tree.
"They must be moved." Eve explained simply.
"How do you move a tree?" Dust whined, a bit of hysteria in his voice.
"These roots are not developed." Life went on to say, crouching as she brushed her paw against a few tendrils. "They have not grown deep as a tree should. It.. it looks as though they simply anchored themselves here. It is likely not even one of them is more than a meter deep. It would not be difficult to transfer them elsewhere."

"Do you really feel them there?" Cross asked softly, clutching his twin blades uneasily. Life gave him a gentle smile.
"Do you remember the lights in the sky?" She asked instead.
"What does that have to do with anything? That's not what he asked." Killer snapped, grayish tears dripping down his face as he glared.

Life patiently ignored the outburst. "Those lights each came from one of us. Did you see one or two lights from this tree?"
Cross blinked at that question, shifting on his feet as he thought back.
"..Two. Mostly yellow and purple. They were like ribbons."
The goddess smiled, letting them figure out what that meant.