Dragonfire II: The Twilight Invasion

Epilogue

"Albedo...wake up..." A Voice filled the air, calling out to Albedo. Her eyes were shut, and she could see nothing. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She found a face familiar, yet unrecognizable staring down at her. It was a handsome man, with shoulder-length blond hair, a beard, and lighter skin. He wore glasses, which concealed his eyes as light shone over them. "Ah, you're awake." He said. He smiled, patting her head gently. "Not all is lost, Albedo. Even when it seems all has fallen apart, you must not lose faith." He said. He leaned in close. "Find the strength to save those you love, and bring an end to this eternal battle." He said. He began to back away. Albedo attempted to reach out to him, but she couldn't. Her body was frozen, and her voice was silent - until suddenly, she jolted up! She was in bed, though it wasn't hers. She was in a mostly white room, with wooden framing. Confused about where she was, she swiftly got out of bed and exited the room. She was wearing black silk pajamas, similar to the ones she typically wore. But they were different. The fabric was a bit rougher. She hardly noticed, however, as she found herself in a hallway. It had some loft decorations about, with the color red taking the primary focus. The design of the walls, ceiling, and floor was the same as the previous room, however. She emerged into the middle of the hall and decided to start walking left. She stumbled a bit, her stomach aching in pain. She recalled what had happened for a moment, though it was mostly a blur. She knew she had been injured, and thus lifted her shirt a tad to look at her stomach. She had bandages around it, suggesting Marin's healing didn't fully fix the damage done. She let her shirt back down, breathing a sigh of relief. 

"I guess I made it out. Who was that in the dream...? He looked so familiar...but...I've never seen him before...have I?" She thought to herself. All of a sudden, someone entered the hall from a door not far from Albedo. It was a familiar face, albeit a tad different from when they last met. Her pink hair had been trimmed up to her waist in length, and the many split ends were removed. She was a lot cleaner now, with pure, beautiful skin and a frilly white dress on. It was Ula, one of the slaves they freed from the bandit camp a while back. Curiously, she had white prosthetic fingers now, which she used to wave at Albedo. They appeared to act like normal fingers, allowing her to interact with the world as she would have before her real fingers were removed. "Albedo! You're awake!" She exclaimed. She walked over to her, smiling. "It's good to see you." She said, "It's good to see you too, Ula. You look a lot different from the last time we met. In a good way, I mean." Albedo responded, "Mhm. I had a lot of time to clean myself up. The people here are very generous." Ula said, "I'm glad to hear it. Did they make those fingers for you?" Albedo asked, "Reina and Iana did. I guess Reina is quite the craftswoman. Iana was too. It's a shame what happened to her..." Ula answered, "I see...how is Reina holding up?" Albedo asked, "Not very well. She spends most of her time alone. She doesn't want to be disturbed." Ula answered, "I see...I won't disturb her, then." Albedo said, "That would probably be best." Ula responded. Albedo nodded, taking a look around the hall. "Where are we, anyway?" She asked, "We're in the shelters, on the Binding Star. Most of your people are still here. We've been helping them out as best as we can. At the very least, there's plenty of room. They can stay here as long as they need. It's where most rescued people stay while they decide what they're going to do next. They usually stay here while they get back on their feet, too." Ula answered. 

"I see. I'm glad to hear they're alright. I guess they'll need to find an occupation here..." Albedo said, "That would be best, for now at least." Ula responded, "What are you planning to do, Ula?" Albedo asked, "When I get a chance, I would like to return to the mainland. My mother was of a high stature there, and I believe it's time I claim my birthright." Ula answered, "I see. I hope all goes well for you there." Albedo said, "I'm certain it will." Ula responded. Her tone was almost ominous, but she had a genuine, friendly smile. "Well, I've got some things to do, so I should get on that. Your dearly beloved is also staying here, though. You might want to go see her. I think she's outside." She said, "Ah, thank you! I'll see you later." Albedo responded. Ula nodded. "See you around, Albedo." She said. With that, they parted ways. Albedo made her way out of the building, where she found herself in a familiar place. It was where she and the others first brought Ula and the other freed slaves to the shelters. Kei was sitting on a bench nearby, staring at the sky above. "Is that really the sky, I wonder? Are we looking through glass? Or is that an illusion?" She thought to herself. She hadn't noticed Albedo yet. She didn't notice her until she pounced on her, wrapping her up in a hug! "Kei!" She exclaimed, "A-Albedo?! You're awake!" Kei responded, returning the hug. She planted a kiss on Albedo's lips before she pulled away. Kei stood up, concern in her eyes. "A-Are you alright? Are you in pain?" She asked, "I'm okay, love." Albedo answered, "I...I thought I had lost you...Marin said you would be alright...but..." Kei stopped herself, averting her eyes. Albedo gently cupped her cheek, guiding her gaze back to meet hers. "I'm alright...we made it." She said. Kei nodded. "We made it..." She responded.