Sorry for the delay! In my favor, I have to say that I am living in the middle of a construction site, so life is a little chaotic at the moment T_T
EPILOGUE
"Grandmamma, catch me!"
Ah, here comes my most energetic granddaughter!
"Pandora, you know that Grandma is too old to-"
"Nonsense, Taira! I'll always be able to get my granddaughter on my lap!" I set the little typhoon over my legs, already knowing what she's going to ask. It's that time of year again. Taira, my youngest son, resignedly leaves the room murmuring something about stubbornness. He also knows what his daughter is going to ask, and since he's tired of hearing the same story in his childhood he does not want to hear it again.
"Granny, tell me the story of the princess and the prince!"
"Hm, let me see... How was it, again?" Of course, I remember it clearly, but Pandora loves a bit of drama. "Oh yeah! Once upon a time, there was a desecrated princess and a fallen prince-"
"It's my favorite story!"
"Yes, I know. It's my favorite story too! Wait, where was I? "
"The princess was hurt and lonely and the prince was despised and called a Monster!"
"Ah, yes... But the princess was very brave and the prince actually had a kind heart"
"Yeah! He was very kind!"
As I recount the story for the umpteenth time, my mind remembers the precious moments shared. It's that time of year again, and it always makes me nostalgic.
"Is it true that I have their blood, Grandmamma?"
"Yes, Pan. You carry a powerful legacy of great leaders. It is a big responsibility and also a privilege, so do not forget to dedicate yourself to your studies and to appreciate the gift they gave us"
"Awww, but I do not like to study!"
"You know, a few decades ago, no girl had even the chance to dislike studying. We were simply not taught, Pan. If you do not like it, you experienced it, and that, by itself, involved countless sacrifices to happen"
"Awww... All right, Grandmamma. I will dedicate myself more. But it's so boring!"
She's so much like me that I laugh.
"I thought it was boring too, my dear! But look at the example of the princess: even hurt and lonely, she found ways to transform her reality. Do you know how she accomplished it?"
"Marrying a prince!"
"No, Pandora! Where did this idea come from? I know, it was Hiou, was not it?" He really likes to infuriate me! "The princess has studied, Pandora. A lot! Knowledge is everything, my dear. Knowledge frees us from prisons that we were too ignorant to even know existed!"
"Oh, you're already indoctrinating the girl again!"
"Grandpops!"
She runs down from my lap and throws herself at the newcomer.
"Hiou, do not feed Pandora's mind with nonsense!"
"She's only five years old. At five she does not need to think about legacies and responsibilities"
Tsk, I preferred it when he was just an insecure boy who complained daily that he had inherited his mother's height and not his father's.
I love him so much it hurts!
"Come, I will accompany you home. Here, take your cane"
It's not that I need it to walk; it's just hard to get up and sit down without its help. Only that. Nothing big.
Who am I trying to fool?
We walked in silence for a few yards, Pandora running ahead and greeting people at random. Despite his advanced age, Hiou does not appear to have any difficulty in locomotion, which cannot be said about me. Well, having four biological children and two adoptive really debilitates a woman.
My eyes wander through the well-known buildings: the school, the infirmary, and the dormitories. There are decorations everywhere to remind people that it is time to celebrate "Renaissance Day" one more time.
"It's that time of year again"
Hiou finally decided to break the silence.
"...Yes"
"Your birthday"
"Renaissance Day, Hiou. Only the Renaissance Day matters"
We stop at the center of the main courtyard, where are the sculptures of the Great Leaders. Every day I take this path, just to look at them. When I am alone and with time, I make a point of standing before each one of them to "chat". I can swear that some of them answer me.
"... Maria, why do you tell the story of our parents as if it were a fairytale?"
"What a silly question, Hiou. Because they were magical, is not it obvious?" He makes the scoffing sound that always irritated me when we were young. "Seriously, Mom used to tell us that stories are powerful. They carry valuable lessons and exert strange fascination on people. So I figured it would be useful to tell their story to the children as if it were a fable"
"Ahhh... your indoctrination techniques increased one level. I'm impressed!"
Before I could give voice to my indignation, Pandora decides to stop running in circles and stands before the statues of Ren and Kyoko.
"Great-grandfather was handsome, eh grandma?"
"Yes, Pan. He was very handsome"
"But great-grandmother was so ordinary!"
While Hiou chuckles, probably thinking about the expression our mother would make if she heard her own great-granddaughter say such things, I explain something essential to Pandora.
"My dear, her statue does not live up to her. There is no artist skillful enough to grasp the intelligence of her eyes, nor the purity of her heart. Your great-grandmother was the most extraordinary woman I have ever met. She was stubborn, but sweet. Relentless, but gentle. There was no mistake in this world that she had not tried to correct, and even after she had done so much, she still left this world saying that she would like to..."
I cannot keep talking.
"She would like to have done more. These were the last words of your great-grandmother, Pandora. Grandma Maria and I inherited the diary in which she wrote down all the plans she had to develop Kyoto, and to this day we use it as a guide when we have doubts about what to do. Now that I think about it, I think she became particularly committed after your great-grandfather died. Maybe she was trying too hard for him, since Ren was the greatest lawgiver we ever had"
Pandora turns her curious eyes to the two statues and seems to be in solemn contemplation. I take advantage of the girl's distraction to dry my eyes as Hiou comforts me with his hand on my shoulder.
"Great-grandmother, I'm sorry I said you were ordinary!"
After a few moments standing before the others statues and counting (once again) the stories of Kanae, Chiori, Kuu and Lory, we resume our walk and finally we are home. Hiou moved into my residence with his wife and youngest son since my husband passed away. He says it's because of the horrible food that his wife prepares, but we all know it's to take care of me.
He spent all day wanting to ask me something, so I'm relieved when he finally does.
"Do you think... we'll see them again?"
Oh. That question, huh?
"I really do not know, brother" He looks disappointed for a second, but soon cheers on the rest of my answer. "But if there is a chance we will meet again, however improbable it may be..."
"Yes... no doubt, Mom and Dad will find a way to make it happen!"
That day, I fell asleep with a smile on my face, cradled by the memories of the incredible people who surrounded me. I could feel my mother's goodnight kiss and the warm sound of my father's voice. That night I did not feel the usual pains, and when I opened my eyes again, I smiled at the familiar faces that greeted me and ran into the open arms that were waiting for me.
We were right, Hiou!
A/N - I cried as a child by writing this epilogue. It was part of the tragic chapters I could not write, but while the chapters bothered me, it bothered me to give up this epilogue. So here it is!
I have no words to describe how grateful I am for the encouragement I received from all of you. It was a difficult exercise to write a dark fic, but you made the journey less turbulent. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
