Ionian Nights- Part 14/Finale
Note: Remade due to vote tampering. Sorry if you've already seen this or made a comment on the original.
Part 13
###Part 14/Finale
It had to have been the most stressful days that Karma had ever had. For about two weeks she had scoured all of Ionia with her fellow champions (And hopefully champions-to-be) in hopes of coming up with answers. Maybe a reason or a clue, but answers all the same. What had she found on this expedition through all of Ionia?
Nothing.
Well, not an absolute nothing. She -had- discovered Zed was part of this but that still seemed iffy. Furthermore, one of the council was still missing and the people of Ionia couldn't wait to be told what happened. The longer Karma delayed the announcement of the events that had taken place, the more distrustful the people of Ionia would be in her leadership. She had already done a disservice to Ryota by hiding all that she knew, there was no point in keeping more secrets.
The Duchess walked through the halls of the Placidium, the night sky waning as she arrived to her room. When had been the last time she had gotten a full nights rest? If she wasn't out and about searching, Karma's sleep was punctuated by night-terrors and hours of lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Today, however, all had been accomplished to some degree. Perhaps accomplish wasn't the correct word. "Done" should fit better.
Karma didn't even bother changing as she walked into her room. She was far too exhausted to stress herself with meager things like wearing a nightgown to bed. Slowly removing her shoes and the sharper bits of her normal attire, Karma set them to the side before slamming face-first into her bed. She couldn't breath but Karma was far too exhausted to worry about things like breathing...well, maybe not. With a groan, the duchess rolled over, staring at the ceiling.
How could she tell the people of Ionia of what happened? That they had failed in protecting the five most important people in Ionia's government? How could she reveal that not only did Ao Shin exist, but that the Aspect of Ionia was no mere legend either. Revelations abound and truths unearthed. More importantly, she -had- to make sure Utsusemimaru and Ryota joined the League regardless of their actual prowess for combat. Everyone on the council needed to have this immunity or else a similar event such as this could happen once more.
All of this was just too much to ponder on a single night before she fell asleep. Karma rolled over, looking at the window. In her exhaustion, she hadn't even bothered to close the curtains. No matter. Karma was just too preoccupied with moving between "exhaustion so great she was going to collapse and sleep forever" and "so many things to take into account that I really do not have the time for even a nap".
Slowly, Karma closed her eyes. Maybe she could nap. Just for a moment. That should be fine. Eyes shut nice and tight, Karma let herself relax and ease herself into the gentle lull of unconsciousness...well, she would have. With her eyes closed, Karma felt a dreadful warm pour over her face and right onto her eyes. Groaning in discomfort, she opened one eye to see that not only had she been up all night...she had apparently been up long enough to see the sun rise. And here it was, glaring at her with all it's intensity.
In a way? It was a relief. For many Ionian nights, Karma had been touring the nation. In the darkness she grabbed blindly for truths and discovery, only to come away with nothing. Perhaps for once she could be happy that her long sleepless nights had come to an end and that Ionia had regained some semblance of peace. A bittersweet peace, but a peace at that. She stared through the window at the rising sun for the longest time, never looking directly at it and squinting heavily.
Karma rolled over and threw the pillow over her head. "Oh go to hell, Sun," she muttered.
Even if the nights were over, Karma needed some sleep and sun be damned, she'd get it.
End
I hope you all enjoyed this tale to some extent and that you had fun. It was indeed a treat writing this story and I'll be working on my next story quite soon. Be sure to watch the fan creations community for champion profiles of Utsusemimaru and Ryota, as they'll be coming sometime in the near future.
Thank you for reading this and I sincerely hope you found enjoyment. I certainly had some fun writing it.