Epilogue: Dawn

From deep inside the swirling chaos, Caius Ballad watched as the last two souls – the ones that mattered most to him, the ones he most wished to see at peace – vanished from his new world. Pitch darkness followed their ascent, except for a scattering of glittering crystals all around. The roaring of the chaotic winds continued, the world still crumbling in on itself. He felt the rock beneath his feet begin to come apart; he looked down to see chaos seeping through his body, shadowy tendrils twisting in the air.

It was done. After countless centuries of planning and waiting, it was done.

He had not been able to speak his deepest heart to Lightning, but what he had said, he knew she had understood.

Perhaps she did not return it. And perhaps that was best.

When he lowered his chin, he felt something behind his eyes – a warmth and pressure he had not known for a very long time, and it escaped enough to run tracks of heat across his skin before he swiped them away, hoping that Yeul had not seen them. Of course she would know of them, as he would not be able to hide everything from her now, but he wanted to retain what dignity he still had.

Inside, he had shattered to pieces, heart broken in ways he had never known before, but he kept a neutral expression on his face, for Yeul's sake. Many of them would hurt enough already, knowing that he could not escape this end. It would do no good to burden them furtherby allowing his face to expose his unhappy thoughts.

At least he had gotten one last chance to see her, if only to torment himself with thoughts of futures long destroyed. At least he had been able to say goodbye to her.

The crystals hung in the air, casting a cold blue-white light on his surroundings. Mwynn was still in the chaos, her existence mingling with the shadows. She would be here, always, reprimanding and remolding her son while tending to the chaos in ways he and Yeul could not. Her great power would keep the world safe from the machinations of false gods. For the first time, mankind was truly free to make their own choices.

It was time to go to his new future.

Yet something kept him rooted to the spot. Though he knew it was time to release his weary body and become one with the chaos forever, through sheer force of will, or determination, or pure stubbornness, he kept his solid form and continued to stare into the darkness above him.

Two millennia of solitude, enforced by his position as a Guardian, had created within him a treacherous sensation of loneliness. A flickering flame of pointless hope to see her again still burned within him. For a short few days, at her side, the loneliness had been kept at bay, and now it returned, black and raw, surging into the void left in her absence – a familiar, creeping, serpentine companion that dripped poison into his mind.

"My Guardian."

Caius lifted his chin again and turned to her.

The Yeul of War was the one who spoke, moving closer with slow and hesitant steps, but her eyes were clear and focused. She came up to him, hands at her sides.

He faced her fully, awaiting her next command. He would begin his eternity as her Guardian now and accept the fate he had given himself. Whatever she wished would be what he would do.

But something else came out of her, a straightforward question he didn't quite expect.

"Does your soul still yearn to follow her?"

He studied her with a heavy heart. Of course she had heard him speaking to Lightning. He had hoped they would be alone, but even in the hollow of her heart, his charge had heard the traitorous words fall from his mouth and betray his true intentions. Hidden from her that had been for so long. Now, they were laid bare. "My duty is here," he told her. "My desires no longer have meaning."

"Caius..." She moved closer, raising her clasped hands, never veering from his eyes. "That is not what I asked. I only desire the truth." When he only kept gazing at her, she tilted her head. An expression of sadness tinged with guilt – something that clenched his heart – reached her face. "You will not tell me. You will never speak the whole truth. That is how you are. Once more, you cast aside your wants, for my sake."

He felt too weary to argue. "It does not matter."

"I have been watching," she continued, lacing her fingers together. "I have seen you with her, listened to the words you spoke to her, felt the way your heart reached out for her. I am no longer the brightest light in your heart. I don't doubt your love, my Guardian, and yet..." Then her chin fell to her chest, hands gripping each other. "No matter how long I keep you here," she continued in a soft voice, "or what I do for you, you will never love me as I wish to be. All of us could be at your side, loving you and watching over you, and you would still be lonely. Your hands would be empty, even if we took them in our own and stayed always. The guilt would remain, and the longing in your heart would consume you. There would never be any rest. After all these centuries, you carry a weary soul. You desire rest from war, and yet, you never take it."

Not comprehending, he only stared at her.

"You sought death. You stayed with us as the world died, then skewered your own body to escape, and yet, you could not. We would not allow you death, nor would we release you to life. We chained you to us, for we needed you more than life, because..." She trailed off, looking into his eyes. "...you are precious, and all we love."

The heavy burdens laced through her words felt like daggers in his heart; he kept his eyes on hers only with great effort, and even then, he felt his neutral expression begin to waver.

"But I am the last of us to keep you. Our despair in watching your heart drift away is what allowed Mwynn to be free." Lifting her head, she smiled at him, but it was the saddest smile he had ever seen. Her voice wavered, as though she had to summon the will to speak at all. "You love us, but your soul cries out for her. Even if it brings you agony, you hope for a future you have only ever glimpsed. You would stay from honor and love, but would always be in pain. We have seen you suffer too long. And I..." Her smile widened, growing even more solemn than before. "...it would be cruel of me to keep you here."

His head swam as realization broke over him.

"I want you to stay," she choked out, eyes glistening in the crystals' light. Then she blinked, and what had been was no more. "More than anything. I have suffered countless partings, again and again. All I have ever wanted is to be with you, and yet... you do not wish the same. Not anymore."

Caius shook his head, trying to clear it, but the roaring of the chaos drowned out his thoughts. The understanding of what she had said devoured his mind.

"But Mwynn is with us. She will be with us." Her eyes seemed to shine again. "All of us who loved you will hurt. You are all many of us have ever known, and we have always been safe within your love. Many do not wish to let you go. Our hearts will long for you always. Yet, what is our love worth if we keep you trapped in a prison you were willing to die to escape? If even your love for us could not keep you anchored, then what good is any of this? What do any of us gain from hurting you?"

Unable to speak, tongue tangling in his mouth, he warred within himself, struggling to comprehend, and he did, and did not, and wanted to argue, wanted to fight, the guilt bubbling up and clawing at his mind, demanding that he turn her down, that he tell her he wished to remain...

But... they were all lies, and she would know that. She already knew, else she would not extend her hand like this.

"You do not want to stay. So we will not make you."

Something settled over him then, silencing his inner turmoil. Against all the odds, just because his heart yearned for a woman he had once called his enemy, a beautiful warrior who deserved peace and certainly not him, Yeul would free him from his prison of darkness. His yearning for the beautiful warrior could very well turn out for naught, but he wanted to try, because he was a fool with a fiery heart, and if he could have even a chance to see if she felt the same, he would take it.

"Yeul, I..." He took a deep breath. "...I have loved every one of you, individually and uniquely. No matter how much the pain of separation, know this to be true." For the last time, he lowered himself to one knee before her with his head bowed in reverence, befitting her position as seeress. "I would never depart if you were to be left alone. Even now, I would stay if you asked it of me."

The chaos peeled back, revealing every Yeul he had ever known and even some he never had; he let his eyes rove over them, entire body trembling. He would never have left them alone, as they knew already, but if they could be safe with Mog, and Mwynn, and each other, and they could release him with a guiltless conscience...

For the first time in millennia, hope rose up within him.

"Do not think we make this decision lightly," the many Yeuls said around him. "Our decision was made over days, through many arguments, despair, and hope. For us to come to consensus was no easy task, and yet we have been unified by our desire to see you safe. We could no longer bear to see you suffer, not when your heart is no longer with ours. Your memory will be with us instead, and we will grow."

He felt himself falter as claws wrapped around his heart and squeezed. "And yet, if I leave, you are here without me, for the first time in far too long."

The Yeul of War tipped his chin up. "That is no longer your concern. We belong here, and you do not. Of course you may choose to stay if you wish. That is within your right. But you also have a choice to go."

"I do not deserve that future," he told her.

"But you desire it, Caius."

The claws slowly slid away. He would never win with guilt and lies. Yeul's decision had already been made, and if he remained behind, regret would gnaw away at him. The thought of "what could be" would torment him until the end of time. There were no more earnest objections to her gift that he could offer any longer.

"Yes," he said. "I do."

"Then I ask again, Caius Ballad, my Guardian. Do you still wish to follow her?"

He almost lied. He almost did. But in the end, he could not.

"With all my heart."

Her expression cracked into one so full of pain, guilt, sadness, and hope that it almost made him take the words back, but he restrained himself. Instead, he gazed at her, seeing her now as he had seen her so long ago – the oldest of the Yeuls, the one who had nursed inappropriate feelings for her Guardian for a very long time. Even now, he saw that same love in her eyes.

The love he felt for her was not the same kind, but it was just as strong.

Still kneeling, he extended a hand and allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck as she had done when she was small. Neither spoke. They knew it would be their last meeting.

She took it for what it was, a few moments spent resting her face in his shoulder, before she stepped back, hands staying on his shoulders.

"Farewell, Caius Ballad," she whispered. She moved a hand rest it on his chest, and under it, a brilliant light began to flare, bright as a star. He felt as though a great burden had been lifted off him, his blood flooding with warmth and light; his vision left him, but he heard her voice clearly as she spoke her final words.

"Find the one whom your soul loves."

The New Valhalla and swirling clouds of darkness vanished in a wink of light, and he knew nothing but peace.

It had been two years to the day since Lightning and the other survivors of the old world had made their way to the new one. No one had really questioned where they had ended up, only finding that it was somewhat similar to the old world and flush with life. Within those two years, they had built communities in the mountains, along rivers, in meadows, in high deserts, spreading out across the world and making new homes for themselves.

Though they had been scattered around a somewhat large region of mountains and forests upon arrival, they found each other fairly quickly, whether by coincidence or design.

Beneath the new sky, they began anew.

One of the communities was a small town at the foot of a mountain in a temperate part of the world, resembling Bodhum in some ways. This was where Lightning and her small family – her sister, and her brother-in-law – lived out their days. Beyond this region, other people lived, with more advanced cultures, and had helped through trading to provide in ways that meant the survivors wouldn't start completely from nothing. Most enjoyed working, though, and Lightning did, too.

Slowly, beneath a new sky and alien sun, they adjusted. The survivors broke up and moved away, and Lightning stayed with her family in a two-story home just big enough for the three of them. A rail system linked several cities in the region, and the town had been built near it, even constructing a station. Politics and economics soon came into the mix, but that was left to others to smooth over.

She wasn't a politician. She spent her time guarding the town from the local wildlife or helping hunt. She tended to her sister's growing family – one child with another on the way – when she wasn't working. In this world, she had a straightforward and eventful life, and she was happy.

The house always needed something done to it, anyway – an improvement when new materials made it to the town, or a fix when a heavy storm came through. Besides, it helped her earn her keep, and she had even begun a fund to move out of the place – it would soon be crowded, and Snow usually, if good-naturedly, complained about "too many Farron women" within its walls.

But today, she wasn't working on the Villiers home. She road a train out of their town to a neighboring one out in the plains, where descendants of the Wildlands natives now lived. Among sprawling meadows, sunny woods, sweet-smelling breezes, and beneath the impassive faces of massive snow-tipped mountains, the plains-dwellers had carved out an exciting existence as a center of the animal product trade in the region, and had tamed the land enough to till many acres of it for various foods from the earth.

And she wasn't alone. Today, Snow and her sister traveled with her. Sazh, who lived in the same town with his son, traveled to see his friend – who happened to be a woman, and a very good friend at that, which everyone teased him about – in the plains. It was the place where the survivors gathered, every years on the anniversary, to celebrate their arrival in the new world with festivities and fireworks that went on long into the night.

There, they couldn't disturb nearby towns or cities, surrounded as they were by open plains and towering mountains, and there was plenty of room to spread out.

And there, they could remember all those who had not made it.

"So, when we gonna move?" Dajh, now eight, had become a bit more eloquent and much more curious. He still loved his father dearly, but now his sense of individuality had really begun to sprout, and instead of sitting quietly, he stood on the seat to look out the window at the passing scenery.

"Dajh, sit down so you don't get hurt," Serah told him.

"Now, now, he's fine." Sazh patted his son's back. "I'm hopin' soon, Dajh. You really like it out there, huh?"

"Yeah!" The boy nodded. "Lots of things to see! And food!"

Serah made a dreamy sound as she settled back into her seat, embracing her belly with both arms. It had begun to swell with the second Villiers-Farron child – another daughter, both to Snow's excitement and dismay, as she often teased her husband about "drowning in estrogen". "They had some amazing barbecue ribs," she sighed, rubbing her hands on her thighs. "Snow, we're getting some."

Her husband, sitting beside her, put on a look of longsuffering and patted her shoulder. He put up with both her mood swings and voracious appetite without complaint, despite the occasional sigh of irritation or a scowl when he thought no one was looking. "Yep," he said in the blandest possible tone.

"Can't you be a little more excited? We're gonna celebrate. Be happy!"

Lightning swallowed her chuckle as Snow just patted her shoulder again, ignoring her snippy tone. "Yep."

Sazh made a show of examining his gloves. "Should be lots of fun."

As the train rolled into the station, she clenched one hand into a fist and pressed it to her breastbone. Someone else awaited her here besides Fang, Vanille, Noel, Yeul, and Hope, all of whom came down from their homes even further away in other climates – Fang and Vanille in a drier area, Noel and Yeul from a more humid place further away toward one of the larger towns, and Hope from the heart of a bustling city – and she hadn't seen him in a good week or so, which didn't help her anxiety. He called this town his home, most comfortable in the open spaces and wild winds of the plains instead of the bustle of the cities.

The train slowed to a halt. An announcement called for an "orderly dispersal", and the group stood, picking up what small amount of belongings they had brought. The train was quite full, forcing everyone to stand in the aisle while others grabbed their luggage or climbed slowly out of their seats.

"Will there be chocobos?" Dajh cried.

"Yeah, there'll be chocobos." Sazh rubbed his son's head. "Just sit tight, you hear?"

Chocobos also existed on this world, though they looked very different from the ones of Gran Pulse. They were smaller, for one, and were certainly omnivores, eating small mammals in addition to greens. That said, they were the same sunny yellow color, with large dark eyes and big, clawed feet, happy to carry a rider, squeaking in excitement whenever someone scratched them where they couldn't reach.

But her mind didn't stay on the chocobos. The longer she stood in the aisle, the more nervous she became. Her relationship with this man had been tumultuous at the best of times as they had approached each other slowly and with hesitation, feeling each other out. Thirteen months ago, he had been returned to her, causing no small amount of confusion and, with the most narrow-minded survivors, even strife. During those months, they had developed their friendship even more until it deepened on its own, going back to the strong feelings they had shared during what had been intended to be their last goodbye.

And a night on the town had ended in a passionate kiss.

Everything had gone downhill for a time. They had argued over it, confused and conflicted, even fought over the smallest things. There had been at least one slammed door, her crying in frustration, him running away like a coward, but then it had worked itself out and they had come back, realizing that the future they desired involved one another. He had been returned to her because of his feelings for her – what good was it to ignore the truth, when it was her own strong feelings for this man that kept her up at night?

They were still working on how to approach the future. But they were doing it together.

Finally, they began to shuffle down the aisle. Dajh hummed a song about chocobos from very long ago, one that had once echoed through the halls of Nautilus, in the old world. Serah talked softly to Snow. Lightning stood between the two groups, alone, but not for much longer.

She craned her neck, looking out the windows, thinking she caught a glimpse of violet.

"Don't worry, he'll be there," Sazh assured her in a gentle voice. She heard the smile in it, and it helped ease her nerves a little. "He always is. He wouldn't miss seeing you for anything."

Her lips quirked. "Yeah... I know. I just..."

"Can't wait to see him."

It embarrassed her to know everyone around her seemed to know of and recognize their relationship and what it had become, but in its own way, it was legendary, and they hadn't exactly done much to hide it. At one time, she had tried to do so, but in the end had given up and given in.

So, she smiled. "Yeah. Exactly."

After an excruciating eternity of waiting, she finally stepped down onto the platform. A fresh mountain breeze and warm sunlight touched her skin; she breathed in the scent of earth and vegetation. It didn't smell like the old world, but it was just as clean and clear and pure. Just as wonderful.

"'Bought time you all showed up." Fang's voice cut through the din of the platform with ease. Dressed in simple clothes and still bearing her old lance on her back – polished and prettied up, of course – she shouldered through the crowd and grasped Snow's hand. "Hey, you kept busy, huh?"

Snow, immune to double entendres of the Yun sort, only raised both eyebrows. "She made me, this time."

Serah, however, was not. "Don't encourage her!"

Fang laughed at her and clapped his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, you keep talkin'. Those Villiers-Farron mutant hybrids gotta keep poppin' out. Poor Snow'll be outnumbered soon enough, and it'll be half his fault!"

Serah glared at her. "Now, you look here–"

"Meanie Miss Farron's coming out." It was Noel who spoke this time, wearing a broad smile. "Serah, you're such easy prey right now. Why do you keep taking the bait?"

Her sister directed her glare at him, then sighed, rolled her eyes, and rubbed her stomach.

Beside Noel stood Yeul, who had been reduced – or perhaps, elevated – to a normal human with no special powers, and she looked happier than Lightning had seen in a long time as she gently touched Serah's belly. "You and your family will grow strong, and the two of you will be very happy." A mischievous look entered her eyes. "And Fang is right. Your eagerness may soon drown your hero in more Farrons than he can handle."

Lightning snickered as Serah shot her a hard look, but it was only half-serious.

"Never would've thought you'd say that sort of thing, Yeul," Vanille muttered.

"I'm not." Hope raised an eyebrow. "Coming to the new world seems to have opened up a lot of possibilities. Some are more unsightly than others, but..." He shrugged and glanced at Vanille. "...it is what it is. Never could I have guessed it would end this way, but I am very glad that it did."

"It's not ending, it's beginning." The redhead grinned. "That reminds me, are we still going up the trail?"

Lightning could take it no longer and turned away, her eyes sweeping the platform. Now that it had emptied, she could see much further and easier. She shielded her eyes from the hot sun, finally spying a simple black shirt and a sweep of violet hair with many hues, facing away from her, hands clasped behind his back, gazing up into the highest passes of the mountains ringing the plains.

She moved away from the group, not hiding her shy smile. "Wish you didn't live so far away."

His hair shimmered in the sunlight as he faced her, reflecting her smile with one of his own. "Where, then, would be the excitement of finding me again?" he said, raising one hand toward her.

She took it, pulling herself into his chest, where she embraced his waist and rested her head. Caius enveloped her in both arms, holding her close in silence for a long moment. Her fingers curled around the soft, airy fabric of his shirt, digging into the hard muscle of his back, as her hands smoothed down toward the base of his spine in short, slow strokes, an expression of intimacy and desire he echoed in the way a hand hugged her waist.

The sensation made her throat feel tight.

During those precious seconds, the rest of the world fell silent, and it was just the two of them in all of existence, the only beings that mattered. They had fought for a long time, only coming this close in the past to try and hurt one another, but in his arms, now, she found sanctuary.

She let me go so that I could return to you. The day he had told her that truth, after trying to press it out of him for so long, had been the day her world turned upside-down. In that moment, he had admitted his feelings were the same as hers and there was no more hiding. Though it had taken weeks thereafter to approach this new future without being anxious or afraid, they had made it here.

All the scars left by Caius's hand on her heart had healed, and though he sometimes still spoke of guilt in leaving the other Yeuls behind, he was finally at peace.

Lightning drew back from him, paused long enough to plant a brief kiss on his lips, and smiled at him. "Tonight's special," she said, taking his hand and walking with him toward the others as they left the platform. "It's the first anniversary where we actually spend it together, and it's been two whole years. So hard to believe."

He made a sound of agreement in his throat.

"So, it's been a week since I last saw you. What've you been up to?"

Caius spent his existence doing much as he had in the days of Paddra's glory, hunting and helping tame the land or tending to the town. Though his influence had begun to diminish, it never really went away, and enough inhabitants knew who he was to keep a sense of respect about him. That he was spoken of even in the distant cities, a legend whispered of by traders and tourists, meant his legacy never really faded.

That they often mentioned her as Etro's knight and his destined rival, and that they had turned their backs on war to unify in love instead, was embarrassing, and rather amusing.

"Nothing new," he said. His hand tightened; she faced him. "But I missed you, warrior goddess."

Gripping his fingers tighter, she pulled herself back to him, raised her free hand to rest beside his neck, and pressed her mouth to his – a lingering kiss that spoke of a thousand things words never could, soft as the night skies but edged in a fire she knew he shared with her. Though they often took to conversation, she had found just as much meaning in small gestures like this, and the silence.

When he made a sound of amusement, she managed to get herself to break the kiss. "Yeah," she said against his lips. For a moment, he rested his forehead against hers, twining their fingers together, and reveled in the sensation of two very bitter enemies finding common ground.

They hadn't told anyone else of their plans yet, as then it would just get out long before they were ready to finalize much of anything, but it was coming, soon, and it would be the last shred of proof that they had conquered Valhalla.

She squeezed his fingers. "Hey, at least we'll be together."

Then she tugged him along, and then, side by side, they left the platform to join the others.

On one of the cliffs above the plains, a redheaded woman and a silver-haired man made the last few feet of the climb to the top, shivering in the chillier air closer to the mountains. From this vantage point, they could see the entirety of the plains all the way to the horizon, where the sea could be seen glittering in the sunlight. In the distance, four-legged beasts roamed, bellowing as they grazed through the grass.

"You still haven't told me why we're here," Hope muttered. "Vanille, what's going on?"

"We said we'd see Gran Pulse together, in another lifetime," she said, smiling down at him and making it very hard for him to stay stern, despite the colder air. "It isn't Gran Pulse, but... it sure is pretty. I would say this counts as 'another lifetime', wouldn't you agree?"

He ascended the rest of the way up the dusty footpath to survey the land below. It was pretty – gorgeous, even, full of vivid hues and hints of life, from the swaying grass to the trees, from the birds wheeling in the air to the beasts in the grass, from the glittering sea to the towering mountains. Breathtaking – as beautiful as anything on Gran Pulse, but in an entirely different way that made him stare in wonder.

For a long time, neither of them spoke, and then, she said, "You know, I thought for sure those thirteen days after we awoke were the beginning of the end, but... they weren't. They began an era where we worked to escape the thrall of magic and false gods. It took centuries to get here, and it hurt, but... but we made it."

Hope linked his fingers with hers, still not certain exactly what to make of their relationship – they lived rather far apart, and he didn't always have enough to go see her, or to meet her somewhere – but he knew he still had her as a friend, and that made him happy enough. Made him content.

"What about stories of the Crystal Age? Are we going to tell them?"

"Of course we are," she said. "We aren't going to stop just because some of it was bad. Even the bad parts have to be told, so everyone understands where we came from and why. The stories where people go through the worst things and come out stronger, no matter the loss... those are the best stories."Her eyebrows raised. "What made you ask about that? Seems like an odd thing to bring up."

"Oh, no, it was just because of what you said, that's all. It reminded me of when we sat out on Gran Pulse and looked at the wonder of your world. I think I'll always miss that land." Tightening his grip a moment, he then let go of her to tip his head and smile a little. "But this'll do, too."

"This'll 'do'?" Her eyebrows went back down as she put both hands on her hips. "Hope, you... you've been through so much, and I do hope things got better for you." Her brow furrowed again; her hands moved off her hips, started toward him, before she stopped and let them drop back to her side. "They did, right?"

"Sometimes, I... I dream." He looked out over the plains. "Memories scurry in my mind, plays of light and shadow, never really forming. I know Bhunivelze did things... and... I know I was there, watching, the whole time, but... I honestly don't... remember that much about it." In his mind, in the back of it, he could recall what he spoke of – flickers of movement, dreamy images – but not any details. Perhaps he had been spared. Mwynn might even have had something to do with it, but regardless, he was grateful.

"I'm okay, Vanille." Turning back to her, he took one of her hands in both of his. "Really."

Her eyes, very green, shining in the sunlight, searched his for a very long time. He had not gazed into her eyes in so long, living with the hazy memory of traveling with her through Cocoon and Gran Pulse, but it made him happy to know he had not forgotten what she looked like.

"Come on, now," he said, tugging on her hand a bit. "Can you smile for me again?"

Her brow furrowed, but the corners of her lips twitched. A faint, reddish hue crept over her cheeks before she slid her hand out of both of his and ducked her head.

Her lips curved into a familiar expression he could remember from so long ago.

"I think I can, Hope." After a moment, she lifted her chin again so he could see it fully. "I think I can."

He returned it and looked out over the plains at the settlement, the beasts, the people, the strange, beautiful world they had found, and watched a bird of prey soar past with large, feathered wings. Its call echoed off the mountains, its shadow sprinting across the plains far below.

"We're a family, in all the ways that matter," he murmured. "And we're finally home. It's a good time to be happy."

The heroes of old finally know peace in this strange new world. Even the great warrior who had been condemned to eternity in the darkness has been freed to find his own path in a new future, beside the woman he had tried so many times to destroy out of blind desperation. They are only a small group within the millions that live on the planet, but they are building a new future that is full of so much, long-desired hope.

The crystal age is just a legend, to be told for generations to come. Immortalized in the words of those who had escaped that end, it is a tale of despair, vengeance, friendship, hope, and love conquering even the strongest chains of shadow, and shattering them.

And it is with that hope that they live on, greeting the new dawn.

The End

And so it ends after all this time. Ending this story brings so many feelings. I went through this epilogue so many times, even rewriting an entire section from scratch, trying to make sure it ended well. Is it perfect? Of course not. But I wanted a sense of closure, and I set out writing this story with the intent to free Caius from his fate. I have accomplished that, I hope in a way that feels at least somewhat satisfying (having more of Yeul's perspective on letting him go probably would have helped, but still).

Thank you to everyone who has been with this story from the beginning, and to all of those who came later. I have appreciated every little bit of feedback I received, positive and otherwise. From what I've seen from all of you, I have succeeded in the goals I laid out for myself, and for that, I am content.

I haven't fully decided if I will write another long story for this fandom or pairing, but regardless of what the future brings, I have enjoyed the journey. Thanks for reading, and I hope every one of you enjoyed it just as much.