The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 35: Brotherhood (Good Ending)

And here we are. The beginning of the Good Ending. This is the canon ending to the story, and will lead on to the second book, 'The Bird and the Garden: Restart'.

THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! I WILL WRITE ALL THREE ENDINGS, AND THE EPILOGUE THAT FOLLOWS BEFORE STARTING THE SECOND BOOK!

You are all probably wondering how this story could possibly have a happy ending. I have had this planned out for a long time. The Good Ending was the first Ending I planned, and the one I thought about for the longest.

This chapter involves Y/N and Vao rekindling their bond with each other, so there will be emotions between them as they overcome everything that happened to each other in the past. Together, they will fight Salem. It also contains a lot about Vao recovering from his past actions, so there will be a hefty amount of the chapter revolving around him.

Obviously, there's going to be a bit of trouble rebuilding their trust in one another. Vao's killed off almost the entirety of his and Y/N's family, and Y/N's been trying to kill Vao for over a decade. But they will begin to trust one another.

Happy reading, everyone! Thank you for sticking it with me to this point!

IMPORTANT! Salem is old. Like, really old. There's going to be an insult she uses that isn't used nowadays. She's going to call Y/N a "Yaldson", which means "the son of a prostitute". It's a word that was created in the 15th century. I thought this would be a nice touch because of her age. Also, she's cruel. I wouldn't put it past her to call Summer a prostitute.

One more thing: Song is not mine. It belongs to it's original owners, and I found it on the mobile phone rhythm game Arcaea, which I recommend playing if you enjoy rhythm games. Play this song once Y/N and Vao begin battling Salem.

...

Y/N hesitated. The knife was still pressed against Vao's throat, the single eye of the soul pleading for the release of death. Y/N pushed a bit harder, drawing more blood. Yet not enough to kill him. He contemplated this choice.

Vao had proven to be the worst human being alive. He slaughtered everyone. He devoured his own family. He hadn't shown a single shred of remorse. The whole time, since Beacon, Vao had been a murderer. The most wanted man on Remnant, with a seat reserved for him on Death Row. There wasn't a single person alive who didn't fear his name. And yet...

Clang, clang!

The dagger bounced off the ground when Y/N threw it to the side. Ruby and Summer looked at him in shock. It was obvious they hadn't been expecting him to cast aside his weapon. "Y/N... What are you doing...?" Ruby whimpered. Vao looked up at his brother, hurt beyond belief.

"Pick it up... Pick it up...! Kill me, Y/N! Kill me! Please! What the hell are you doing!?" He begged. But Y/N raised his hand, his fingers outstretched to the sky. He gave his brother one final look, tears beginning to fall.

"What am I doing...? I'll tell you... I'm taking my damn brother back!"

He slammed his fingers into Vao's mouth, reaching as far as he could until Vao was gagging. But he didn't have time to focus on that. He pushed further, until he could feel the back of Vao's throat. And with as much power as he could, blasted Light from his fingertips straight into Vao. He forced his fingers to stay put, even when Vao screamed through his fingers in sheer agony. He focused harder, the Light growing brighter until it could be seen from Vao's eye socket.

Slowly, the veins retreated. His skin began to grow more color. But it wasn't enough. Summer tried to stop Y/N - she thought he was killing Vao. But Ruby pushed her away, standing between the two. Unlike her mother, Ruby knew what Y/N was trying to do. The Hero of Light used everything he had to pour as much of his magic down Vao's throat, screaming as loud as he can, trying to drown out his brother's own screams. The Light grew so bright it claimed them, enveloping the two in it's golden sheen. Vao's eye rolled back in his head. He felt like he was dying. With magic coursing through his veins, the corruption fought to keep it's place.