Last Days - by the_real_slim_j
Original Prompting Post:
11/22/14(Sat)11:30:54 No.20735830
[spoiler]What about analogy to Bilbo Baggins? When he lost the ring, he came to the state of his real age very quickly. And the sirens are at least thousand years old. So they may die in a couple of months.[/spoiler]
>Too bad. So sad.
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>You look towards Aria and Sonata in your wheelchairs as you watch the sunrise on the balcony of the shelter.
>With the sunrise, it's like a rebirth of the world you've called home for a long, long time.
>A new day that meant another time to start fresh and anew.
>For you, you never thought you'd get tired seeing them every time, since you made an effort to watch every one when you woke up.
>They signaled yet another day you had to grace the world with your presence: your immortal, unchanging presence.
>But now, they've been only signaling one day less that you had to live.
>You never really thought the day would come. You never thought it would have to end like this.
>You knew the first rule to immortality was that you would eventually die. You figured that a while ago.
>But you had hoped you would go out during the dusk, a blaze of fire signaling the last dazzle you had in your life, perhaps something interesting.
>Something that you willingly put yourself through.
>Instead, it's old age. It was the one thing you thought couldn't get to you.
>But it did because you screwed up by being foolish and greedy.
>"Adagio?"
>The familiar but aged voice startled you as you were silently thinking to yourself.
>Sonata was facing you, looking at you with her now-wrinkled smile and greyed hair.
"What is it Sonata?" You managed to croak back.
>You shuddered slightly as you no longer could recognize the beautiful voice you once had.
>"Do you think we'll go to heaven?"
>You noticed Aria also turned attention to this question.
>The question took you off guard. Lately you all had been avoiding the question of death entirely and trying not to think about the looming judgment.
"I… I don't know Sonata."
>You had no idea. None of you had been very religious during your time in this world.
>You only could look back down at your hands.
>"It's whatever you want it to be, Sonata."
>Aria's interjection and lack of snarkiness surprised you.
>"Ooooh, for realzies Aria?!"
>Back to her old self that one.
>"Yeah… sure why not. No one's telling you otherwise."
"Even if we've done terrible things to people?"
>The other two look to you questioningly.
>Aria slightly groaned.
>"Adagio, do you think we are bad people?"
>It didn't take long for you to respond.
"Yes…"
>You sighed.
"Yes I do."
>Sonata looked a little disheartened at that comment. But Aria continued.
>"But what makes what we did bad? We had to do what we had to do to get by."
"But we hurt others, we manipulated others into getting them what we wanted to do!"
>"And…? So what?"
>You couldn't believe that you were redeemable, but you couldn't believe Aria actually thought you were for being the negative one of the group.
>But you didn't know what to say.
"I… I…"
>"Back when we first became the sirens… we were bullied into believing we were useless as singers to everypony back then. What were we expected to do? Just sit down and accept it and live a life that was poor and rotten?"
>You looked back down to your hands, your old wrinkled hands because you couldn't bear looking at her.
>But she continued on berating your hatred for yourself.
>"Sure what we did hurt people, but we were hurt first Adagio."
>You looked back up to her into her still beautiful eyes.
>"It might not have been the right choice, but that doesn't make us bad people."
>She paused as she looked at you sternly. She seemed to be the leader now.
>"And last month we were just trying to get back home again, Adagio. I'd hardly call that bad."
>She turned her wheelchair again and looked back to the still brightening sunset.
>Sonata began to smile again, too.
>"Aria, you're the best!"
>She chuckled a little bit raspily.
>"Heh… Well, you're still the worst Sonata."
>Sonata continued smiling, recognizing the childish banter.
>"I love you too Aria... And you too Adagio."
>You smiled at her as she went and laid her head back into the pillow of her chair.
>"Anyway… I feel a bit tired. I think I'll go take an early nap…"
"That's fine, Sonata; Aria and I will make sure you're not gone too long."
>She merely tilted her head back more into the chair and fell asleep quickly, and you watched her chest rise and fall as she breathed.
>You roll up to Aria who had remained silent since she last spoke to Sonata. She was quietly watching the sunrise.
"So… How much longer do you think we have…?"
>"Adagio, you've asked me this every morning this week. I don't know."
>Had you? You don't remember anymore. You memory of the three has become the worst over this short time period. Luckily, Aria seemed to be fine with her memory.
"Oh… sorry."
>"It's okay Adagio. This isn't easy for any of us."
>You stopped looking at the sunset and looked back to your hands. You were doing that a lot when you didn't know what to say.
>Aria continued though, as if you already asked her another question.
>"I bet you're wondering whether or not our lives have been worth anything, huh?"
>She knew?
"How did you know what I was thinking, Aria?"
>She sighed.
>"Because you've been asking me these same questions the past week. I was just guessing, though, if you were wondering. No magic anymore, you know."
>She turned her head to face you
>"To answer your question Adagio, I still don't know even after a week of you asking."
>Silence, but then she grunted.
>"But… I think we have in some way. We got to live over a thousand years didn't we?"
"Yeah but…"
>"I know Adagio…"
"What about being remembered?"
>You begin to look down and sniffle.
>But as you do, Aria pulls her arm over and grabs your chin and holds it up again to look at her.
>"But why does that matter, Adagio?"
"Because… Because…"
>Your tears began to stream down your face. "Because we might as well have not existed"
>Arai groans, slightly frustrated.
>"What's the point in that if the world is just going to remember you how it wants to remember you?"
>You stare at her confused.
>"We aren't exactly the most popular of people, you know. If we're remembered it's probably going to be nothing good."
>After this Aria began coughing and hacking before finally settling down.
>Your eyes were tear stricken, but they were drying as you forgot your own fears and were focusing on her.
"Are you okay?"
>She had to breath a while before answering, making a hand gesture that she was about to speak.
>"How could I be, I'm an old lady now and I can't even stand up on myself, not to mention that I'm the one to get the cough of you three."
>She chuckled a bit and coughed a couple more times before laying her head back on her wheelchair pillow and looked off into the sky.
>"Ugh… Anyway, being remembered is a two-way street. It can either be overly positive or overly negative, but it'll never capture your true self."
>She lazily tilted her head back to look at you.
>"If you want to be remembered, it's better to be by people that know you best. I have you guys."
>In that rare instance, she smiled at you genuinely.
>But you still weren't completely convinced.
"But what about having a family?"
>She looked at you confused.
>"As far as I can tell, you're the only family I need. Even if you mean kids and whatnot, that would only delay when you're forgotten, Adagio."
>She sighed and looked back up to the sky.
>"I know it's a bit negative, but what are we to do in face of time? Eventually everything we know ceases to exist, you know this. You're the one that told me. So why are you acting like this, for real?"
>You looked back to your hands and could feel the tears coming. Aria turned back to you and looked at you with concern, and sighed.
>"I already know the answer, though. You still blame yourself for failing us in that music competition where we lost our gems, don't you?"
>You began to cry then and there, and you felt Aria put her arm down into your lap.
>"Adagio, we willingly had you as our leader all these years because you always led us in the right direction and kept us in line. If it weren't for you, we probably would have split long ago. Especially with me and Sonata, we would have kept bantering and picking on each other until we got fed up and just left."
>You grab her hands and hold them tightly as more tears fell down onto them.
>"If it were me, I would have never gotten us to do anything and be gloomy and grumpy all day. If it were Sonata, who knows what would have happened. She probably would have us working at a Mexican restaurant for the rest of our lives."
>You grab her hand and pull it up to your chest, hugging it tightly.
>"But you… you're like our mom Adagio. You knew what was best for us and you've been right all along. I don't even think you were wrong in having us pursue consuming magic again in order to go back home."
>Somehow she managed to stay calm throughout saying this without showing too much emotion.
>"The thing is with living so long, it's just tiring, like you've told me so many times. Maybe it was just meant to be that we go out like this. It was our last fight, and, well, we lost."
>Her voice was wavering.
>"Now…"
>She began to choke up some tears.
>"Now… we finally get… to move on… from our lives… like we've a-always wanted…"
>She was crying.
>Like… really crying.
>This was the first time that you can remember that she ever did this.
>"F-fuck. I thought I could maybe get through that speech without crying this time, but that last part is always going to get me."
>You look at her confused. But then you realized.
"Oh right… *sniff* my memory is bad."
>She laughed a bit behind the tears.
>"Aheh… Yeah. I've been practicing it every day essentially since you can't remember it when you wake up."
>Her hand was still in yours as you massaged the back of it with your thumb. You're still looking down at the ground, ashamed almost.
"But why? This isn't like you at all."
>She sniffles a bit and looks back at you as you meet eyes.
>"Well, someone has to be the strong one of the group. I might as well if only for a little bit."
>She sighed deeply as she looked back down again to her hand in your lap.
>"I… I also just have needed to get that off my chest for a while. I've always been stuck in my own head with my feelings and never let loose. I also just needed to realize how I felt."
>You smile and being to turn your wheelchair around to face her on the side.
>She's still so beautiful in your eyes; you still find yourself envying her even in her old frame.
>You then lean over to hug her, which she reciprocates with enthusiasm as you feel your back clenched somewhat tightly.
"I love you Aria, I'm glad I haven't forgotten that yet."
>"Y-yeah… I love you too Adagio."
>You stay there in the embrace for a few minutes just enjoying each other's company.
"So do you really think heaven will be whatever we want?"
>"O-of course Adagio."
"Well… then I'll be sure to stay with you two the entire time."
>You could feel her smile creep around her face as it was pressed alongside yours.
>Eventually, you break the embrace as you began to feel sleepy.
"I think I'm going to join Sonata in taking a short nap this morning, waking up this early is tough."
--Aria--
>Adagio wants to sleep.
>You felt a bit worried.
>You already noticed Sonata stopped breathing a little while ago.
>But at least you already told her how you felt. She knows... knew.
>You also knew this is the last day for all of you.
>But deep inside, you knew it was all okay.
>You were content with where you left off in this world in your lifetime.
>It was rough, it was wrong sometimes.
>But you wouldn't take it back for the world.
>Adagio should realize this, too, now.
>You just have to be strong for a little bit longer…
>You're going to be the last one to go.
>Just be strong…
>Be…strong.
>You don't have to go too much longer, either, after them.
>You begin to tremble as you think this.
>But it's okay.
>It's okay.
>It's okay…
>So, putting on your happiest face, you say:
"Alright, Adagio, have a good nap. I'll be here when you wake up."
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>You smile at her response.
>But sleep, that's all that's on your mind.
>You lay back into your wheelchair pillow and sigh.
>Then, you think to yourself:
>"I could just sing a song."
>And as a tune came to your head, you felt yourself drift off to sleep for the last time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRCzchqOSxk
[spoiler]Muse - Exogenesis: Part III [Redemption][/spoiler]