[TFW] 2026 Valentines Special (Patreon)

IMPORTANT NOTES :

SERIOUSLY READ THEM

Hello, my apologies for the late upload but it's...it's been a horrible few days.

I'll try and keep it brief. Whatever is happening to my eyes is still there. Whenever I read text it starts swimming and getting unfocused. I have an appointment with an eye doctor the day after tomorrow, as well as some medical eyedrops (the kind meant to moisturize the eyes), however the eyedrops haven't helped so far. I also get flashes when I close my eyes and try to sleep.

This is the Valentines Special, I wrote it on Valentine's Day but was otherwise busy then and didn't post it on that day. It includes Alexandra and Vayelyth Sunshard (called Vaye for short), who is the MC of my girlfriend's comic 'Golden Chains' : https://www.deviantart.com/littlemisscalculated/art/Golden-Chains-Page-1-1188757410

(It's also available on webtoon but with less pages)

Note that this special wasn't really meant for you guys. It was meant for her as my Valentines gift. Still, I hope you'll enjoy it.

THIS SPECIAL IS NOT CANNON AND HAPPENS AT AN UNSPECIFIED TIME AND PLACE

"You know, I wonder what people will think of us, once we're gone."

Alexandra opened her eyes, and looked to the side to Vaye. The angel was laying on her side, staring at her with her entrancing, emerald eyes, her wings flapping slowly behind her. They were both on a grassy hill, looking at the stars.

"I don't intend to die. Soon. Or ever." Answered the dungeon core.

She didn't need to say anything on the angel's side. They both knew there was no surviving her ailment.

Alexandra had failsafes. It's what she did. But she wouldn't use them unless she had permission to do so.

"But ?"

"...But entropy is an inevitability and I've had enough people trying to kill me that someone will eventually succeed." That was something she'd grown comfortable with. Hell, technically it had already happened. If Allya was right, the hyperspace incident had been an assassination attempt. She sighed. "I don't know. I like to believe I've left a legacy for the better, and that people will understand the choices I made. But history isn't static. It's seen through different eyes. I've done terrible, terrible things, to accomplish my goals. They may seem worth it to my contemporaries, but what about the generations afterwards ?"

"You're worried about judgement."

"Aren't you ?"

Their gazes met, and the angel closed her eyes.

"...Yes. For what I did, to the Celestials."

"You didn't have a choice."

"Neither did you."

Alexandra smiled.

"I couldn't live with the potential consequences of the other choices. I could either save a world at the risk of others. Or destroy one planet to guarantee the survival of the whole star system." Her smile disappeared. "And even then, I couldn't live with that choice."

She felt Vaye's hand on her own, and the angel softly squeezed.

"I think...I think people will understand. Once enough time has passed."

"Will they ? I'm not a heroic figure like you, Vaye. You're an actual hero. The closest person to a paragon I've ever met."

"I'm not virtuous !"

"Not what I meant. I have accomplished much yes, but while I knew much of it was for the good of all, it's not why I did it. Well, not the full reason why. I went after the Order to avenge what they did to me, what they did to my party. I've toppled international organizations and whole nations in pursuit of that. Caused the deaths of millions. You did what you did because it was the right thing to do. You never once deviated from that. I did it to protect myself."

"And what of Emilia ? CQ ? Ghost ? Allya and Pyn ? All the AIs you made ?"

"Is protecting my loved ones all that noble ?"

"I can't think of anything greater."

Their gazes met again, and Alexandra slowly nodded.

"Maybe you're right. But still...shouldn't people like me answer to higher ideals ? Isn't that the point ?"

"I..." Vaye hesitated. "I don't know. I wish it was the case, but it's not. You know how many times I've gotten burned because of that."

"I do."

"I've understood that hoping that others will follow won't work. But I can set an example. One others will follow, not because they're righteous, but because...well, like you. That doing the right thing is a factor in their plans, their decisions. It won't be what govern them, but if I've helped tip the balance, even just a little bit, then it's worth it."

There was a long silence after that, as they both stared at the stars.

"You know...I don't think you're afraid of being demonized." Finally said Vaye. "I think you're afraid of the opposite. That they'll overlook the terrible things you did in favor of what you accomplished."

Alexandra closed her eyes, but she nodded.

"I think...I think I fear the same thing." The angel shifted. "I mean, what happens if people don't learn from my mistakes because they were just erased ? Isn't that the most important thing, to learn from the mistakes of the past ?"

"It is." Alexandra sat up. "Unfortunately...when it comes down to it, all we can do is hope."

"Yeah..." The angel sat up as well, before stretching, Alexandra watching with a smile as her wings went to their full span, making her look like a tiny, golden sun in a bedazzling flower of pure white. "We should probably go home. It'll be time for dinner soon."

"Right. And we don't want to tick off Emilia. Or Hoshi." The dungeon core stood up, and profered her hand to the angel, who took it with a smile.

"Indeed. Especially not today. Do you think they made chocolate ?"

"Almost certainly." Though whether it was to give them to eat or put on them was another question entirely. Probably both, knowing their girlfriends.

"Then let's go !" The angel left with a skip in her step, and Alexandra smiled, before following.