At last we've reached the end [death thread]

Cae nodded weakly. Her vision was getting a bit blurry, she felt more and more faint but she needed to hang in there. If she made it a little longer, maybe Zephyr would show up... Or maybe it would all prove to be a bad dream. Maybe she wasn't really going to die. "My home." If only she'd made it back before she felt so terrible. If only.

Her breathing was becoming labored and slowly Cae was coming to terms with the fact that this truly was the end. There were no more sunrises ahead of her. No more days spent chasing after her energetic daughter, or snuggling up beside Zephyr on a cold winter day. She wondered for a time if there were more of her older children alive. Had they been alright since then? Having seen her oldest daughter a few times and seen the pain on her face, Caelum could only wish with all her heart that the girl had gone on to be happy afterwards. Maybe somewhere far away she even had grandchildren she'd never met...

Shaking her head slightly, Caelum sighed a wheezing sigh. "I... I would have liked for Zephyr to be here, but," a ragged breath caught in her throat causing her to cough for a moment before continuing, "He's probably too far." Her hope that he might prove her wrong was slowly diminishing, but she was no longer panicked at the idea. It was alright if he didn't make it. He'd been there when she needed him most, he'd been there with her through hell and back as their lives were turned upside down more than once and together they'd salvaged their broken relationship. Even if the periods between disaster weren't terribly exciting, they were good and she was glad to have lived a long life by his side. At one point she had thought that things between them were over and would never be the same again. On the one hand they had been different and there was no ignoring it, but on the other they still didn't let it destroy their only happiness and she was forever grateful for that.

But now? Now it all came to a close. Hard as she fought to remain awake, her vision was dimming and breathing was becoming more and more labor intensive. She felt sorry for the girl who stuck close to her side. It must be dreadful to witness life's end up close. Still, it was time and Caelum couldn't keep herself here any longer. "You know," she murmured as her eyes slid firmly shut and she relaxed into the grass, "it's never too late for a happy ending. I almost stopped believing that once, but it's true. Things didn't end how I wanted, but... I'm happier than ever with my life." Cae was almost shocked by how true it really was. She was content. Fulfilled. Yes, she might have liked to have her husband and daughter by her side, but she'd made peace with the situation and was glad to focus on the positive things.

It was odd how she could feel herself leaving herself. Slowly pulling away, the consciousness of her mind growing dim and her breath slowing until it stopped as her story finally drew to a close and Caelum was no more.


-Exit Caelum via death-