River
By: Aviantei
Behind that snake-blazoned barrier
Is where you find that river
The one your fallen companion sought
And didn't get to see
The adrenaline and anxiety
Form a pair in your veins
As you approach
The ash-gray riverbank
And begin the trail
Of many trials
The leopard is the first
Emerging from the shadows
And perishing from light
The taboo lion snuck away
Onto a path you must tread
Crossing a spindly bridge
Into a place of no return
Not all is as bleak
As the concrete containing you
A lost comrade returns
Her presence warming your heart
And as a team, you press on
Three in number, five in spirit
The rebel has fallen
Trapped beneath
Masterpieces of his own creation
Reflections of an artistic vision
And apprehension joins the cluster
Hoarded in your chest
You've approached a place
The living never see
And the dead hardly reach
A gathering locale of power
For those with control of your soul
Though only their leader remains
One enemy becomes two
Taking over your first partner
Time be still
Frozen for your demise
Unless you break free
Left alone as the sole survivor
Once again
The colors here are different
Than the room you've left behind
A stretching wall of shapes so familiar
The markings of your idol
A sign you can't deny
That your true enemy might be—
But snakes refuse to die
No matter how much you fight
They may even rise as the dragon
As your allies return
As a familiar voice speaks
And when the world has shattered
When you've emerged victorious
That boy
Opens his mouth
And says—
[Author's Notes]
Will not lie: This poem is probably my favorite that I've done in this entire connection. It both serves as a location piece for Shibuya River and as a tribute to everything that makes the ending of TWEWY so damn powerful. Hopefully I did these moments at least a little bit of justice.
-Avi
[08.24.2020]