With the efforts of so many kin assaulting it, the brilliantly glowing stone starts to give way. At first it is merely a few glowing pebbles which tumble free, along with a powdery dust residue, but before long, huge hairline cracks begin to lattice its surface. More and more collisions finally result in these cracks growing larger and larger. Eventually it can endure no longer and with a crunch it shatters, tossing dangerous shards of glowing stone across the glade. It is a mercy no one is injured beyond a few scratches.
Of course, shattering the rock seems like a poor idea overall as light starts to haemorrhage from what remains of it, impossible to look at and even more unbearable than before. The world around them becomes insufferably bright, the shadows so deep as to completely lack nuance at all.
It seems to be endless, leaving the gathered kin half blinded, even as they turn away from the source of the light itself.
Steals Fire does not turn away from it as the others do, looking into the heart of the light with a big, rictus smile. "We did it." he breathes.
“Well done.”
A strange, agonised sounding voice comes from nearby. The harbinger seems to absorb the light, a steep dark hole in the world that is almost a relief to look at after the blazing brightness. “Very well done to all of you.” He says, looking over the gathered culprits.
“The motherfather can no longer trap the light in their lands and in the deep places of the world.” He seems to smile, but it’s hard to tell when he’s smiling thanks to the visible skull that floats in his thick tar-like body.
“I didn’t do this for you or /Him/.” Steals Fire says, finally snapping out of his reverie, rounding on the harbinger, his fur bristling and tail whipping at his heels. “I did this for THEM.”
He gestures with a hoof at the gathered kin. “We have no need for gods. Or their lackeys.”
The harbinger laughs raucously at this, a thick bubbling sound that seethes up from within him. “And yet you accepted the Other’s gift. You are changed.”
“I did not understand the terms at the time." Steals Fire hisses. "I belong to no one.” His posture is defiant and quivering with rage, but he nevertheless takes a step back from the harbinger, as if considering running.
“And yet in spite of your bravado. You will still want someone to protect you now.” The harbinger says. “Because you have done something catastrophic. The motherfather will be /angry/. So, so angry. You are in trouble, little Fire.”
As if on cue, another voice breaks in from the other side of the clearing. This time, a legendary stag strides forth to stand against the smothering light. He looks horrified, his handsome features twisted by the gravity of what he is confronted with, looking to the unbearable light and then to the gathered kin, accusation and horror in his gaze.
“What have you DONE?” he cries out, anguished, and then turns to bare his teeth at the Harbinger. “YOU.” He hisses, his strong voice strangled with dislike.
“Oh, it’s you Never Idle.” The harbinger croons, delighted, unphased by the two angry bucks who are now glaring at him as though they might obliterate him with their eyes. “You think that I did this? No. You know I could not. I’ve changed too much for too long to even touch the creations of your master.”
He inclines his head proudly towards Steals Fire and the other gathered kin.
“They did it on their own. Prisoners rebelling against their captor. You cannot keep what they deserve from them. They are coming for you and yours.”
Steals Fire rounds on both of them. “I am not helping EITHER OF YOU. Or the Motherfather! Or the Other! The Other claims to be for us, some defender of what we need, but all he craves is chaos, he’ll destroy us and the world given half a chance, the Motherfather wants nothing but order and control. It’s just as dangerous and terrible for us! We are our OWN gods!”
The harbinger rounds on Steals Fire, eyes blazing like stars. “Mind your words.” He hisses, dangerously.
It is Never Idle’s turn to laugh this time. “Finding out that they do as they please now Har? I thought you’d have known that from the start. Your master was the one who stole the light. You hear that?” He turns to the gathered kin, his voice booming. “The Other stole the light. Stole the light to send you out here to destroy a cornerstone of balance. You have all been used as tools and played like fools.”
Around them the light seems to intensify, more unbearable than before, it starts to creep into their minds as it had before.
Steals Fire turns to those gathered. “Get out of here!” he booms, his voice loud for such a slight Acha, his glowing like the banked embers of an wildfire. “Before we become just another casualty of this stupid war. Chaos and order BOTH live within us, we are neither one nor the other. We are balance incarnate. Bow to NO master. We won’t be fooled again. We have returned the light and ALL of us are blessed.” He does not tarry, but leads the way away from the group, a beacon against the strange contrasts of the world. "If something is wrong. We will set it right. Together"
Some of the gathered kin start to leave, others quickly following suit. The light doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon, a vast pillar lancing up into the sky over the swamp.
Never Idle scowls at the Harbinger “You tricked them.” He said accusingly.
“It doesn’t take much.” the harbinger crooned back, just a little flirty in a way that obviously irritates Idle. “It is a victory regardless.”
“Is it?” Never Idle says, frowning. “Something is broken. Breaking it does not fix what has happened. While this crack remains, your master won’t be able to return the daylight. Even the Other cannot act while a fracture is present.”
“He does not care.” The Harbinger says with a grin that bares his skeletal teeth. “Go, run home and tell your mistress what happened today, Idle.”
“She will set this right.” Idle replies, furious, backing away and stooping to pick up a glowing chunk of rock in his teeth, giving the harbinger an accusing stare.
“She can try.” The harbinger says, smug.
Idle departs and the harbinger watches him go.
Finally, he turns back to the remaining stragglers and the Helpers, who still stand, uncertain of what to do or where to go. “You are no longer needed.” He says. “You are free to leave. But remember who brought back the light, remember who blessed you, it was not the Motherfather. They exist only to lie, and I pity those of you who are already beholden to their whims, as Never Idle is.”
He smiles a little bitterly. “He was a much better kin, once.”
Looking them over the Harbinger seems to consider the other kin. “Some of you may find yourself changed by events today. If you do, consider yourselves blessed, and remember that there will always be rewards for those who seek for the Other.”
He smirks at them. "I am not he. I am merely the Harbinger of his coming."
And with that, he too departs.
The pillar of light remains in the sky, the light does not fully return. All around the swamp there are places where the light is too bright and the shadows too dark, places that are steeped in darkness all day, others where darkness never comes. The plants are saved, the light is enough to sustain the swamp as it is, but not enough and in the right places for the kin who live there to feel things are right. Instability still reigns, and it feels like this cannot truly be an end.
But by their actions, they have blessed every creature in their world with the potential to glow, or not to. The rules are broken.
They are victorious.
But what was the cost?
And in the wake of events, what of the Helpers?
They find themselves waking up as though from a long and hazy dream. They cannot recall exactly what happened to them , with only glimmers of a life before their devotion to the Other. Even the details of what they may have done in service of Steals Fire is blurry in their recollection. They are left in the swamp, impacted by the Ache and now no longer able to leave, forced to begin their lives anew. It feels as though whatever contract they were bound under has shattered.
The other kin they met might mistrust them now, marked as they are as direct associates of chaotic and unpredictable forces, but yet others might find them in kinship.
Their allegiance is now their own, their path their own to choose. They have no master and no one to tell them where they go from here.
And unlike other kin in the world, it is their choice to take on a name or not. The swamp offers them a naming dream, but only if they decide that is what they desire, able to remain nameless or take on a deed name at their own discretion.
However, their name dream is not pleasant or easy, a purgatorial challenge and in some cases more like a punishment than a blessing. The Motherfather remembers their previous allegiance.
But, just as Steals Fire said, Chaos and Order lives within all of them, and they may choose which to embrace.
Their future is theirs to re-make.
THE VISIONS
And in the wake of everything, when things settle down - or don't - the swamp is left a little bit off kilter, a little bit strange. The visions that plagued kin throughout the assault on the stone seemed to gather in pockets in the swamp, it is easy to find yourself slipping off the swamp and into what is closer to a dream, with those alongside you. This strangeness becomes the new normal for now, but surely not forever.
(( For the duration of December's Winter Market, it will be possible to revisit AUs or create new ones, even - if you desire - to have a booth set in one of these AUs of your own devising! The only condition is that anything beyond swamp-knowledge cannot be remembered by those who visit as things stand. This AU infested situation will not be a permanent state of affairs for the swamp, it's just for fun for the time being. ))
THE GLOW
In the wake of the Shattering there are no longer any restrictions on where glows may appear. Zikwa appear without glow, other kin appear with it, even familiars may glow. It seems that the status quo has shifted.
And things will never be the same.
(( From now on ALL GLOW RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED. This applies to all species, including familiars! ))
He had hung in the back among the shadows that twisted between kin and creature. He dug at the ground on an off but the visions that assaulted him left him so disturbed and disoriented that he was slow to return to the task. Too much this reminded him of the fevered harvest of mushrooms for the Harbinger down below. Was this another ruse by the creature his grandfather worshipped? If so, what would the cost be this time? He had paid for his actions below ground. He had lost his sense of self, his control over his own thoughts and feelings and the stability he'd thought he'd had under Night Father's guidance. He'd begun to distance himself from the tar pits, taking longer and further routes through the swamp to fulfil his duties in bringing back sacrifices for Night Father to lay at the Harbinger's hooves. 
The Tenacious Buck stood, proud of their work. Returning the light was no small feat, but the others had been clever and given all they had to offer and Steals Fire had seen them through all of it. He seemed small in front of the brilliant light, but it was no matter. He had done it, they had all done it.
Steals Fire flitted like a firefly through the swamp, away from the scene of the confrontation, aware that things would be different and he would have incited the ire of the MotherFather. He paused only when a familiar voice reached him.
Following along with the digging the brightness that emanated was blinding. Shielding away didn't do much, even with eyes clenched shut. Memories that were lost came and went and there was an odd after affect and she listened as the voices unfolded. 
Veil of Death and Once Pleasant Dreams helped along with the digging and the scene that unfolded was interesting to say the least. Would her siblings believe anything she remembered from this? Did she really care if they believed her though? Looking over towards her father she nodded her head. "We should depart." 
Giving a huff after everything hit a rather eventful end she looked around. "Well, I suppose this is where I depart? Unless you wish to travel along with me. It seems we've served our purpose." She didn't wait to see if he would follow as she began to walk away.
Taste of Darkness couldn't help but laugh as events happened at once it seemed. Intriguing, he couldn't wait to see what was in store for them going forward. Only the MotherFather would truly know he surmised.
