Voice of Reason
a Munto fanfiction by Tripleguess
Genre: Character/Drama
Rated PG
January 31, 2008
Summary: It was the sensible thing to do.

You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.
-Queen Jadis, "The Magician's Nephew" (by C. S. Lewis)

What a fool.

He stood like a statue, like a sentry on duty, his eyes never leaving the screen. Perhaps she felt his scrutiny, for she often looked troubled these days.

He didn't see that. He didn't see her. He didn't know her name.

The only thing he saw was the key to controlling the greatest power on earth.

He choose their destination coordinates himself, watched indifferently as the navigators plotted anchorpoints in heavily populated areas. To the man who'd once planned the destruction of an entire race, a few crushed underdwellers meant nothing. Besides, it was necessary. Compared to the fate of the skies, their lives were irrelevant.

She was sleeping now. Such power... so defenseless.

Munto was a fool.

Gunther snorted contemptously. To have that kind of power -- the salvation of the heavens, the rule of the same! -- within arm's reach and somehow fail to capture it... unthinkable. The boy was useless.

He dismissed the fact that it was Munto who'd mysteriously found her in the first place. Visions, dreams and premonitions were useless if one couldn't do what was necessary to profit from them. The Magical King was certainly powerful enough to force his will on a human child. Since he'd made the insane choice not to do so, the task of saving the heavens had passed into more capable hands.

Gunther had every intention of doing what he must. He would succeed where Munto had failed. She was coming this time. Compared to the fate of the heavens... what she wanted didn't matter at all. Reality was cold and hard, and Gunther placed his faith in it completely. He believed only what he saw.

The young heir was just like his parents -- worthless dreamers, both of them. Following visions instead of heeding reality, producing a forbidden child at the cost of their own lives and calling him a son of hope... the offspring of such addled parents must indeed be cursed. A sovereign who lead his army in battle instead of directing from headquarters, a queen who gave up life to give it, a powerful heir who cared for the insignificant -- they were all cut from the same cloth. Their folly had almost doomed the world.

The source of Akuto stirred in her sleep, unaware that the die was cast... that her fate sealed along with that of the heavens. Maybe a dreamer had discovered her, but it was going to take a rationalist to put her to use.

-The End

DISCLAIMER: Insert a quarter to hear the recording... This story not created, acknowledged or endorsed by Kyoto Animation or Yoshiji Kigami, to whom all relevant characters and trademarks belong. No infringement is intended and absolutely no profit was or ever will be made. Voice of Reason itself is fan domain and may be freely recopied and archived. Reader reactions are appreciated, as always. For the size of the fandom, I'd say it's also highly responsive; thank you all for your feedback on my previous posts.