A sun was shining in the night sky of the endless grass plains.
A sun bright enough to lighten the whole vast area, covering it in its yellow-orange sun-like light.
But, that weren't the only colors of this sun.
This one had all the colors one could think of.
Red, purple, green, white, yellow, pink, cyan, maroon, crimson, and anything one could imagine was burning on this sun... or sun-like bird.
A bird that was big, so big this magnificent tower was a standing place for it.
A bird but a being that gave off the same presence as the mid-day sun.
Though the flames on its feathers were different colors, the main white, orange, and golden flames that stood out among them were special in themselves.
The bird had a look similar to a predator bird and a mix of a peacock and eagle.
Her wing span was wide like a bird that flew higher than clouds. The neck was long, but the head was more like a bird that would hunt, perfectly aerodynamic.
Her tail was special and the tail feathers resembled Asta... or the other way around.
Just like a peacock's feather, these tail feathers had different colors and a core center with different colored flames covering them.
This whole body was ethereal, and I could feel there was no actual mass to this body.
Those feathers were... marvelous, something that could mesmerize anyone with just a look.
Something I was shocked to see and something that I couldn't take my eyes away from, even with my strong mental fortitude.
Her beak was sharp and the talons at the end that shined with white and were covered in blue flames were sharpest.
I could feel the divinity from her true form, a true form of a divine being.
A broken plot element and someone I cherished with all my being.
This was fabulous and I could see that this form perfectly matched the phoenix mark that she made on my forehead some moments ago.
'A real divine beast...'
Looking at the past years I spend with her, I was suddenly wondering how lucky I was to be part of this broken-as-hell plotline.
I was accidentally dropped here when I met her. She cured me, became my grandma, and we lived happily for a long time.
I have cherished every single moment I spend with her and I wanted to be with her for a bit more, let others from my family meet her, take her to my home... my other home.
This tower was my first home... the home that she allowed me to live in.
I have cherished every moment of us dearly, but now, after today, I will have to cherish it even more.
She won't be with me and there would be a new person I will have to take care of.
I would love that but, the fact that she won't be with me like this won't leave me ever.
And she knew it, too.
Her eyes, her true eyes, the eyes of a divine being were the same as her human form, but different at the same time.
Those eyes with the same blue color and burning fire in them were as clear as the sky, as deep as oceans, while as bright as the sun itself.
The light from her, the insurmountable power that her true form possessed, was so powerful as any other being, be it a strong (Purple) ranked creature or any person considered as strongest, couldn't even stand up against.
Unless you are a god or a being that came close to a god, you were nothing but dust in front of this being.
And she was my teacher.
Was there more to the things she had taught me than I thought?
There have to be many things hidden in the things she had taught me at that unthinkable speed and things that I had yet to go through.
Maybe I can learn many things just by having her words revised, but if things just go the way they were now, I was sure I would get strong in no time at all.
Well, those things aside... she was going to leave now.
Leave, go away, and become one with nature.
As she said, the divine beast's phoenix was different from most other beasts.
And just from the fact that I was alive while standing before the sun, I knew I can't even begin to fathom her powers.
What else can I think aside from some nonsense at this glorious yet... grave moment?
[[< Eon~. This is how a phoenix actually looks. I look fabulous, right~? You have fallen for this form at last, right Eon~? >]]
She was joking at this moment too, but this time; I understood what she said in those weird voices and smiled.
I wished to know what this strange kind of voice was, but-
[[ *Her... true voice.* ]]
I suddenly heard a shaking, blurry voice in my mind.
"Hm? Did you say something Celes?" I asked before answering her, and this sudden action made her chuckle even more.
I can divert my attention in the presence of a divine beast such as her and be this comfortable.
Even mother nature would laugh at this.
[[< Hehehe. Looks like she will wake up soon.
Yes, this is called <True Voice> Eon. The true voice of those that have ascended the realm of mortals.
I am someone who has broken through the bonds of the world a time long ago, but then there was nothing for me to do.
You will come to know about things you could have never imagined, Eon.
I know you will be fine, and hearing a true voice for long, even with the protection I'm giving, is harmful to current you.
I have already given you everything I could as your grandma and everything in this place, this tower, this grass, this land. Everything is now yours and yours alone.
You can do anything you want with it, but I know you won't be coming back anytime soon.
She will know how to use everything here so you won't have to worry about the [Gate].
so, as your grandma, I shall wish you my... last goodbye.
Thank you for being such a wonderful child to a terrible grandma like me. >]]
Her voice was filled with emotions and I knew even in her true form as a divine creature, she was emotional.
A divine beast being emotional in front of me?
That was something I could have never ever dreamed of witnessing, but... I wasn't any good at this moment either.
"N-no, grandma. You were the best. A terrible person like me couldn't even hope to have s-someone like you.
T-thanks for saving me, taking care of me, and... having me."
She said everything here was now mine, but what would all these matters when I didn't even have the most important thing that made this magical place home?
She won't be here now... and there won't be anything for me to do here.
If she was gone, would her daughter and wait... her daughter?
So what would she be to me?
Mother? Aunty? sister?
I... was genuinely confused that I forgot to even think about the words she had said just now that emphasized the word 'as my grandma'.
She had said her goodbye as grandma, so, was there something left from her as my teacher?
The tears in my eyes stopped at the new train of these questions and she looked at me with her world-seeing eyes and smiled a beaky smile.
[[< Yes, dummy. There is still one last thing I should give you as the one I trust more than anything in this nature.
And remember that she will be your 'little sister'.
No mother, no aunty, or something weird.
So, as the one who inherited all my knowledge, I shall bestow you with the stigma I possess.
My, a high Phoenix's sigma.
You will know its use when the time comes and you know what receiving a stigma would mean, right~? Hehehe. >]]
"S-stigma?!" I wanted to shout what nonsense she was talking about, but then I remembered she was ... a divine beast.
I was before a true form of a divine beast and I was talking to her like she was still my grandma, and I can't help that one.
She WAS my grandma. But…
[[Stigma.]]
Something that prominent figures that receive the high blessing of a god or someone of equal strength earned from them after countless struggles.
...or if you catch their eyes and they fall for you.
Stigma was more precious than a blessing as, in most cases, a stigma would bind the receiver with the gods they worshipped and in temples, a pope or saintess would be the best example of them.
But there were only a handful of stigma bearers in this world, and from all the knowledge I possessed, there wasn't a single being that had the stigma of a Phoenix.
Stigma granted the receiver some of the [Core authorities] of this world that can perform miracles.
And the gods who would fear the misuse of their power would never choose someone who hasn't proved themselves through harsh trials.
And she just said she would give me that very thing.
I would never deny such a wonderful gift but, it will also mean she was done here as my teacher and would go away too.
I wanted to stop her, or maybe just deny this stigma if I can but this damn oath... I could still feel the restraint deep within me.
She was a divine being and getting this stigma with unknown powers would be... sweet, right?
Well, I will become stronger and will be able to protect my family better with it.
And if I had to worship someone, it would be her and her alone, the one who saved me and took care of me this well.
Those gods in the heavens can go screw themselves.
I looked at her and nodded hesitantly as tears started flowing again.
[[< Oh, boy~? Will you say your goodbyes with a cry like this, Eon? I will be sad too if you do this~. >]]
She knew what to say or... threaten me to calm down.
"Who's crying~? Ah~ Celes, it's ok. You are strong, I know you will protect me~."
Wiping my tears and caressing her tiny self, who was actually crying for some time now, I looked back at her.
"I am glad it was you, grandma. Thank you... for everything, master."
Bowing down to my master, grandma, and the one that saved me from sure death, I heard her last laugh inside my head.
[[< Huhuhu. I am also glad it is you, Eon. I know you will be happy.
This grandma is happy to have a grandchild like you, and this teacher is overjoyed her teachings will live on with you.
I love you Eon, so make sure to live happily.
I will be with you in every step of your life so, do not worry about anything.
Oh, can you please give her a name and tell her I'm sorry to not be with her?
I think she will most likely know about the things like what happened to me, who I was, and such.
But, please just tell her it will be ok.
I... believe she will be a smart one and understand, but if she is a little crybaby, please be a nice big brother to her, ok?
Huuu... ok then.
Thank you... Eon. >]]
With that last goodbye, her body shined like the bright sun of mid-day, and... a feather fell down from the sky.
This was her head feather that slowly landed on my left hand that I didn't know how suddenly straightened up before me.
This peculiar feather, the same as her other feathers, burned in countless different colors.
The feather was exactly my arm's length after slowly shrinking with the time it fall from the sky.
After falling on my arm, it just vanished after appearing as a mark, like a feather it was.
Maybe this was the stigma, but... it didn't stand true to the name of such a magnificent and powerful thing.
Well, it could be something overpowered, so there was no point in trying to figure it out.
She said I will know, so I just put these whole last few words to a side and saw the 'death of a divine being' who had a thankful smile.
This scene before my eyes and this grandma of mine…
'Yes... I love that form. And you too... grandma.'
I just thought, and I knew she would know, so she smiled, and... the golden-red light covered the entire surrounding.
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