AFTERMATH - SUNSET OF THE HERO	

A Terranigma Fan Fiction

By Nicholas Clark (Warriorsong46)

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Disclaimers:

Terranigma is copyright Enix and Quintet.

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The sun, an orange red disk of flame, slowly began to sink into its 
cradle of hills.  The light of dusk prevaded the landscape, softening 
the harsh desert yellow into a multitude of warm pastels.

The people of the town below the watching figure busteld about in 
their activities, driving their beasts of burden to their night time 
rest and their playful children to the warm safe hearths.

The smell of rich hearty stew and freshly cracked casks of ale drfited 
to his nostrils upon the smoke of the large communal cook fires.

He sighed.  

His eyes, old yet far-seeing looked out from his perch upon the mesa 
that crown the township it also shadowed.

Across the face of the earth, joy and celebration could be seen and
heard, the Hero having brought a balance back to an inbalanced 
existance, demanding of himself a sacrifice hew ould demand of none
other.

The night wind had began to blow, the chill, wet smell of early snow
drifting with it off the northern stepes.  The old man shivered, his
body not accustomed to the elements after his long sojourn in his 
warm fire lit chambers.  Yet tonight, he had felt compelled to be 
here and witness this event, this sunset which marked the passing of 
the Hero and symbolised a rebirth of sorts for this earth.  

As he watched the burning chariot of the sun god descend over the 
edge of the earth, he could see birds.  Hundreds upon thousands of 
birds, their soft mournful cries a testament to the sacrifices made.

He could sense pain, the pain of the earth, and her loss.  A child 
had been taken from her today.  A child who had saved her.  And this
pain, this griveing was echoed with the cries of million of tiny 
voices, the mournful lowing of the beasts of the field, the reserved
purrs and grumbles of the predators, the silent homage payed by the 
prey and the trees.  And above, seeming to cover the horizon like a 
comforting blanket of down, the feathered forms of the avian.

All these voices and being, touched by the Hero.  Their brother, a
child of the earth, like them.

The attention of all was cast at the red orb that seemed to hang in 
the sky, reluctant to pass from sight, paying its own tribute.
They silent testimony, a hymn of passing adn of what was given to 
them.

Tears fell to the earth, unashamed, and a mix of joy and regret.

Slowly and with a seeming shuffle of its proverbial feet, the sun
sank below the horizon, the warm pastels it cast upon the desert 
below the figure, changing slowly and with reverance to the cold 
pastels of the desert twilight.

Lord Kumari stood upon the highest point in his sandstone city, 
Lhasa.  His old bones chilled in the wind from the cold stepes 
to the North. His heart was heavy, yet he rejoiced.

The balance had been restored.

The Hero had triumphed.

The Hero had earned his rest.

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Author Notes:

This is for Conspiracy's 2nd Fanficition Competition.  Hopefully it
meets all the criteria.  If not, then its a nice wee fic anyway.
Basically it happens just as the sun sets and Kumari is reflecting 
and stuff.  I was tempted to add something along the line sof Royd
and Fyda walking out of the dusk having survived the plane crash :)
Nah.  Its pretty short for one of my fics but I think I got what I 
wanted out of it.  I hope you liked it.

warriorsong46@yahoo.com

Finished 14:25 pm 22nd August 2000