Necessary Good, Unnecessary Evil | No rest For Wounded Souls [Bucky Barnes]

Last Sunset

The past is our definition. We may strive with good reason to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it. But we will escape it only by adding something better to it.
-Wendell Berry

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In Agapi, the day is divided into two halves: Anatolia (AT) = sunrise and Dusis (DS) = sunset.
Both halves last 14 hours, so a day on Agapi lasts 28 hours.
Agapi has its own sun, called Protia.

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Nova's POV

2:00at, High Palace, Polaris District

Two men lift my mother onto a stretcher, carrying her out after stabilizing her.
I see the rest of the team walking towards me, and even if they look all beaten up, I'm relieved to see we didn't lose anyone.
Faye walks towards me, picking up Angus' scepter. "I suppose we underestimated you, and I believe we owe you an apology." He says, handing the wand to me.
I hesitate, looking at him. "You're smart enough to know this is not how trust works, Faye."
"Yes, I'm aware." He nods.
I sigh, taking the scepter and letting go of Bucky's support.

My eyes move to the entrance in the distance, and my breath hitches.
I inhale deeply, walking down the long hallway, this time not feeling cowed by the tall columns at my sides.
I hear footsteps behind me, and I know they belong to my friends.
The early pale light of the morning hits my face, and I squint my eyes, stopping in my tracks.
The field is still burning in some spots, and bodies are being carried away.
Hundreds of heads slowly turn towards me, till every eye on this field is on me.
I find Theo standing between them, and he drops on his right knee.
One after the other, the warriors follow him, kneeling in the dust.
My eyes wander on all their faces, my heart beating faster and faster.

I limp to Theo, stretching my hand out, waiting for him to grab it and stand up.
He glances at me, nodding. "Given the recent events, I'm glad to announce to all of you that this war is over." I say out loud, making sure to be heard.
The warriors look at each other. Some of them are surprised, whilst others are perplexed.
I clear my throat, trying to find the right words for this moment. "To every man and woman that didn't make it, their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
To every man and woman here today, it is time for you to go home. Go to your families, to the people you love. Let them know you're alive and that from now on, no war will keep you from them."

The crowd in front of me stands up, and a voice echoes between them, quickly followed by more cheering. "To the Queen!"
My heart skips a beat, my feet glued to the ground as I see swords and fists up in the air.
Bucky steps next to me, and I can see a proud look on his face.
I intertwine our fingers, and he brings my hand to his lips. "To the Queen." He smirks, making me giggle and lean into his arms.
The noise around us gets more distant, thoughts gradually take up space in my mind.
The war may be over, but I'm still far from being done here.

****

11:45 ds, High Palace

I run down the hallway laughing and almost tripping over the carpet. Bucky catches me, using his free hand to open the door to our room. "Please, your majesty. You should know it's not safe to run while drunk." He chastises playfully, closing the door behind his back.
I chuckle, kicking off my shoes. "I'm not drunk."
The noise shouldn't bother the others too much, this place is huge, and even with our room being in the same hallway, they would still not hear us.
Bucky frowns, a smirk creasing his lips. "Oh, you're so drunk." He chuckles, my arms hanging off his shoulders.
"And so are you." I counter, his nose brushing against mine.
"I haven't been drunk since the forties." He says, leaving soft kisses on my lips.
I part my lips, deepening our kiss and pulling him close, getting rid of the distance between us.