The tale's conclusion and Rhaplanca's motivations have been the source of much debate among historians. Since you have the time to listen, I shall continue.
[Cloche clears her throat. By the time she's done, she really will need a glass of water...]
Years later, a boy came from the faraway, faraway distance to the land where there was neither life nor death. To that boy, that land was the hometown of his heart; it was the place where his most important feelings dwelt. It was the home of a girl, who loved to sing, that he loved more than life itself. That boy’s tremendous feelings overflow through the words of this tale.
When the boy returned the land, his heart was filled with shock and despair. The great city where he had grown up lied in ruins. All of the people that had once lived there were all dead. When he looked into the houses, all he could see were traces of the lives that had disappeared. The boy wandered about the city in a daze, unable to comprehend what had happened to the land. While he wandered, he met a “still living” girl.
The boy asked the girl, “Why have all the people died?” The girl replied to him with a smile, “Because they wanted to live without struggles... because they wanted to live without suffering...” “But didn’t they suffer when they died?” “But aren’t they living in happiness now?” “Living? Where?” “Even if their bodies cannot move anymore, their souls live on.” “I don’t think they are very happy living like that.”
As they spoke, the boy’s words reached out and brushed against the girl’s spirit. She knew him from somewhere. His familiar, tender voice echoed within her heart and called out to distant memories—painful, bitter memories that she just wanted to forget. Because of that, she didn’t dare to ask for his name. Instead, she told him:
“Humans have cowardly souls. They have treacherous souls. Their cowardice and treachery is why they suffer. So, I made for them a world where neither fear nor happiness can exist."
In reply, the boy told her: “That may be true. But, the humans also have generous souls. They have souls that believe in the promise of tomorrow. Their feelings and prayers are what will lead this world to happiness. I believe that they have the strength to live upon this land.”
The boy then held his hand out to the girl. It was the first time that someone had reached out to her like that.
“Come with me. I want you to travel with me. Since you have witnessed one thousand sins... I want to show you one thousand and one acts of love.”
And so the two of them, Rhaplanca and Maoh, departed on a long journey together, hand-in-hand. For the first time, Rhaplanca was able to truly look at the world—to see the people who lived on it. As they traveled together, there were times when they could not understand each other and fought bitterly over it. But, as time passed, they slowly came to understand each other’s hearts. During their journey, Rhaplanca felt the emotion of “anger” many times. But, as she traveled with Maoh and they cultivated fields together, she also came to know what it was to feel “joy” and “happiness.” Every day, her emotions became stronger.
For Rhaplanca, who had always spent her life singing endlessly in the temple, everything was new. Maoh found himself teaching her about the everyday life that the ordinary people lived. Eventually, she allowed herself to do things that she had forbidden herself from experiencing. There were times on that journey when she suffered and cried. But Maoh was always by her side to support her—and, although she did not know it, Rhaplanca’s presence supported him. Rhaplanca and Maoh traveled together like that for a very long time.
One day, Rhaplanca and Maoh came to a familiar hill. They stood underneath the white branches of a dead tree, while Rhaplanca looked down at the city below. It was a dark, still place. Rhaplanca saw that there was not a single light in that city. It was a city where there was not even one hope left. It was a scene that was so heartbreaking that it cannot be described with words. Rhaplanca raised her hands to her face and began to cry. As she cried, Maoh held her. When all of her tears had been shed, Maoh said just one thing to Rhaplanca:
“Please, craft the thousand-first seed...”
Rhaplanca stepped away from Maoh and stood underneath the dead tree. Illuminated by the light of the full moon, she began to sing. With every word of her song, she crafted the thousand-first seed. She entrusted her feelings of atonement to that seed. She entrusted her feelings of hope to that seed. When the thousand-first seed was finally crafted, the land was embraced by the light of the morning sun. It was the light from that sun that breathed life back into that land—and it was the brightest morning sun that was ever seen. Rhaplanca leaned on Maoh’s shoulder and, together, they looked down at the plains. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses of the city. It clouded the light of the morning, but was softly blown away by the wind. And, as Rhaplanca saw this, she smiled.
no subject
[Cloche clears her throat. By the time she's done, she really will need a glass of water...]
Years later, a boy came from the faraway, faraway distance to the land where there was neither life nor death. To that boy, that land was the hometown of his heart; it was the place where his most important feelings dwelt. It was the home of a girl, who loved to sing, that he loved more than life itself. That boy’s tremendous feelings overflow through the words of this tale.
When the boy returned the land, his heart was filled with shock and despair. The great city where he had grown up lied in ruins. All of the people that had once lived there were all dead. When he looked into the houses, all he could see were traces of the lives that had disappeared. The boy wandered about the city in a daze, unable to comprehend what had happened to the land. While he wandered, he met a “still living” girl.
As they spoke, the boy’s words reached out and brushed against the girl’s spirit. She knew him from somewhere. His familiar, tender voice echoed within her heart and called out to distant memories—painful, bitter memories that she just wanted to forget. Because of that, she didn’t dare to ask for his name. Instead, she told him:
The boy then held his hand out to the girl. It was the first time that someone had reached out to her like that.
And so the two of them, Rhaplanca and Maoh, departed on a long journey together, hand-in-hand. For the first time, Rhaplanca was able to truly look at the world—to see the people who lived on it. As they traveled together, there were times when they could not understand each other and fought bitterly over it. But, as time passed, they slowly came to understand each other’s hearts. During their journey, Rhaplanca felt the emotion of “anger” many times. But, as she traveled with Maoh and they cultivated fields together, she also came to know what it was to feel “joy” and “happiness.” Every day, her emotions became stronger.
For Rhaplanca, who had always spent her life singing endlessly in the temple, everything was new. Maoh found himself teaching her about the everyday life that the ordinary people lived. Eventually, she allowed herself to do things that she had forbidden herself from experiencing. There were times on that journey when she suffered and cried. But Maoh was always by her side to support her—and, although she did not know it, Rhaplanca’s presence supported him. Rhaplanca and Maoh traveled together like that for a very long time.
One day, Rhaplanca and Maoh came to a familiar hill. They stood underneath the white branches of a dead tree, while Rhaplanca looked down at the city below. It was a dark, still place. Rhaplanca saw that there was not a single light in that city. It was a city where there was not even one hope left. It was a scene that was so heartbreaking that it cannot be described with words. Rhaplanca raised her hands to her face and began to cry. As she cried, Maoh held her. When all of her tears had been shed, Maoh said just one thing to Rhaplanca:
Rhaplanca stepped away from Maoh and stood underneath the dead tree. Illuminated by the light of the full moon, she began to sing. With every word of her song, she crafted the thousand-first seed. She entrusted her feelings of atonement to that seed. She entrusted her feelings of hope to that seed. When the thousand-first seed was finally crafted, the land was embraced by the light of the morning sun. It was the light from that sun that breathed life back into that land—and it was the brightest morning sun that was ever seen. Rhaplanca leaned on Maoh’s shoulder and, together, they looked down at the plains. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses of the city. It clouded the light of the morning, but was softly blown away by the wind. And, as Rhaplanca saw this, she smiled.