Michael-kun and the Ascension

"You, drunk painter, you did something, didn't you?"

"Oh, you noticed something was amiss, fair lady?"

"I don't really know what you did, but I can feel that you altered something significantly, that you changed the natural order, and that you changed me."

"Don't use such deep words to refer to my little parlor trick. I simply tweaked destiny a bit so that I could help you and change your fortune."

"I see. Well, thank you for your assistance, but we can't stop now. We have to go back to the golden city."

"I'm afraid this is as far as I go, Miss Artoria. I completely exhausted my mana and I will fade away soon."

"I could transfer some of my mana to you, it might be enough to keep you alive."

"What good would it be to me or you? No, I'd much rather vanish at the height of my glory than slowly fade away into nothingness. But don't worry or feel bad about it. I wasn't sure before, but now that you said it, I'm glad I managed to save you."

"Said what?"

"That you want to go rescue the others you came with. Yesterday I thought you were only traveling with them for convenience, but this made me realise that you view them as your friends."

"That's not the case..."

"There's no reason to be ashamed of this, you must rejoice at the chance life gave you to meet companions who will share your hardships and your triumphs. Be happy and smile, Artoria, for you are no longer alone. Please, make a lot of happy memories together for me, ok?"

"... I can only promise that I'll try."

"That's enough for me. Here, take this." Monet said, throwing something towards Salter, who caught it. It was a painting of all of them, dining, drinking, and laughing happily.

"I relinquish its possession to you so that it will live on even after I'm gone. Keep it, and whenever you feel like giving up your friendship with one of them, look at it. I'm certain it will change your mind. Goodbye, Artoria, Ruler of Camelot."

"I thank you for your gift. I'll hold it dear to me, in memory of your help. Farewell, Claude Monet, the Catcher of Instants."

Salter said as she gently bowed her head in respect, before turning around and running towards El Dorado.

"Well, I think this was a pretty good send-off, folks."

"The Catcher of Instants?"

"That's pretty corny."

"It's badass!"

"It definitely doesn't suit you."

"I agree."

"Well, you'd rather she addressed me as the greatest Impressionist?"

"That would just be a false statement."

"Yeah, you're right. No one among us is the greatest, for all our ideas and influences stem from a shared history and a common background. We were like one single painter, split into many, fun and joyous alter egos since that painter couldn't stand being alone."

"You think your little poetry is going to make someone cry?"

"No, no, I don't think so. After all, there's no reason to cry. We are all here together, until the very last moment."

"For once, you are right about something."

"Yeah, you are correct."

"Hehe, I can't believe our last act was to beat the goddamn Minotaur... the strangest things always happen when I hang out with you guys... well, I guess it's time now... it's time to go, Claude."

"Yeah, and this time... we're all going together."

"*smiles widely* Yeah... together..."

For the most beautiful of seconds, the desert was coloured by sparks and fireflies of a thousand different shades in a harmonious and wonderful rise toward the blue, serene sky. Even while disappearing, they had left behind one last masterpiece. One last spectacular impression.

***

This was the end. He was surrounded, with no mana left. The giant's sword had hit him dead on, and he was only able to survive by shielding himself with sand. But now, his enemies were preparing their final attack, and he had no means to defend himself.

This was the end for Michael Smith.

What is the purpose of a character in the world of his author?

Michael was born with a conscience that told him, once his own story had ended, that he was the product of the imagination of his author. As such, he represented something for and to the author. The author had given him meaning. And he knew exactly what this meaning was.

He knew why he had met Jill, why he had fought so hard for humanity's sake and knowledge, and why he had died for them. All for that ideal that his own author had inspired in him.

Then, when he became part of the Throne of Heroes, he confronted reality for the first time. His author wasn't an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good being like he had imagined him. He was surprisingly human, ignorant, even wrong and perhaps a bit bigoted.

That surprised Michael and even made him question his own existence. Was he supposed to be a reflection of his author's thoughts, even the ones he now could see were wrong?

However, slowly but surely, he realised that, while his author would perish quickly and his thoughts that were more a product of his time would fade away with time itself, the main themes, the general idea, the core of what he meant for his author and for the people who read and appreciated his work would never change and forever hold value. Because time can change men only so much.

Our deepest fears, deepest joys, deepest dreams, and deepest hopes are unchanging. And among them, one of the strongest is the desire for change. Change in the status quo, change in the conventions, change in the way we view things. That desire to change, which is what prompted the writing of "Stranger in a Strange Land", was what the story truly was about, what it truly meant for Heinlein.

It was what Michael Smith represented. It was what Michael Smith was.

This was Michael Smith.

That's when the desire to change fate, to change the lives of those around us, to change the world for the better, was born. And that's what awoke Michael at that moment.

"FINAL ASCENSION: The Splendid Angel Opens his Wings with Delight"

That was the end for Michael Smith. And the moment in which Michael's true form took over and manifested, ready to carry on the idea of change.

That was the moment... the Archangel Michael descended into this world.