You are -evil-. To leave off at a place like that! ;_; But seriously, I really did enjoy it. The balance of hope and none at all shifts dramatically from the beginning to the end, with little hills and bumps in between. I particularly like how you wrote Ailill's parting with Aidan. The sheer sadness, the desperate actions--it all winds together perfectly, so that you can really feel like they're being wrenched apart while still reaching for each other. It makes me want to kick Zedanei in the can. Hard. --;; But you handle the misery in that scene well, and also with how Aidan goes to confront his father later. The end says "END" all over it, but there's also "AND BEGINING" scribbled at the bottom. (Poor Aidan too. I really fear for him. >>; ) Very good job! It's wonderful.