2Hello! Paperless Cat here!
I changed my username, as you can tell.
For y'all who are waiting for my other fic: I'm working on it.
This is both something I thought of and practice writing angst.
Headcanon warning: Tuuri's mother and Ensi are dead.
I do not own Stand Still. Stay Silent. Minna Sundberg does.
Quiet.
Heavy.
Cold.
That was all Tuuri could feel at the moment.
The last of the bubbles had escaped long ago— or recently? She did not know.
Nor did she care.
She floated in darkness, on top of the water, waiting for the swan to ferry her away to Tuonela.
The swan dived and landed softly in front of Tuuri, barely disturbing the water.
Fly, the swan seemed to say, I will guide you.
Had she been bound by the logic of the living, she would have scoffed at the notion.
But she wasn't. Not anymore.
She rose from the water and embraced the air. With each flap, Tuuri felt lighter, shedding the water droplets and the mortal realm as she ascended.
The swan followed, and it wasn't long before she was lagging behind, although not by much.
She only looked back once, marveling how small the world was from above.
Her eyes landed on Lalli, his figure only a speck against the earth.
It's funny, Tuuri thought, Lalli was taller than I was.
But now…
A pang of regret.
I'm sorry Lalli. I should have told you.
It was too late, of course. She could only look towards the time she would be able to see him in Tuonela, hopefully years later.
The journey was a quiet one, only punctuated by wing-beats, but even those were far and in between.
The curtains of clouds and stars parted, uncovering the vast expanse of the dreamworld. The murky black seemed to welcome their presence, uncovering lights above them like a trail.
In the far off distance, she could see the Bird's Path. As they drew closer, she could faintly hear the chatter of thousands of birds.
As they passed through the dreamworld, Tuuri spotted a familiar looking bird.
(Although how she recognized him was still a mystery.)
"Onni."
Memories, however faded, rose to the forefront of her mind.
"Onni, don't you ever wonder what it's like outside of our village?"
"No."
At least she fulfilled her wish.
"I-"
I wanted to see you one more time.
I wished you came along with us.
I don't regret it.
It wasn't your fault.
It was my choice.
"I'm sorry."
The owl looked up.
"Someone should have told you." I should have told you.
A misty barrier shimmered into view, muffling the words from below.
"Don't be sad!" Tuuri tried to sound optimistic, "We'll see each other again someday, you know that."
Despite her words, she felt heavy with guilt. She began to slow down, increasing the distance between her and her guide.
Small black tendrils shot out from beyond the barrier and wrapped around her. They started to pull her back, away from the Bird's Path.
No!
She fluttered desperately, trying to break free, but it was futile. She felt herself weakening, slowly falling back.
A lynx leapt out of the fog and slashed at the tendrils, shredding them into pieces.
"Lalli?"
There was a spark of recognition but it quickly vanished. It growled as more tendrils rose, eager to reclaim what they saw as theirs.
"Go!" A sound, so familiar yet not, wrenched her heart.
She could not go back, lest the Illness take hold of her again.
Tuuri continued, higher and higher, and the symphony of birds grew louder and louder…
Until it fell away completely, leaving behind an all-encompassing silence.
Landing on the far shore, she looked around. The landscape was a desolate grey, with still water that reflected the deep purples of the sky. It was a tranquil place, with nothing.
She had arrived.
The swan landed beside her.
"Where's Grandma? A-and Ӓiti?" Wasn't she supposed to meet them all in Tuonela?
The swan dipped its head.
Sleep.
"Can I wait for Onni? And Lalli?"
Sleep, little one. You will see them soon.
"But-but-" In spite of her protests, she slumped to the ground, tired from the journey.
The world grew dim, the silence muted.
For the last and final time, Tuuri slipped into the darkness.
Ӓiti means mother/mom in Finnish.
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