When these kinds of stories are involved it's usually Sakuya that bites it, not everyone else.

Damn.

Indeed. That was truly unexpected.

Is that Marisa in the grave next to Patchouli's?

Flandre killed herself because Meiling was dead, that's pretty touching.

I recognize the content from the first panel - it was the loading screen for the final mission in Ace Combat 0. Is that enough to add an Ace Combat tag, though...?

I've just noticed that Flandre wears Marisa's apron as she had it in UFO.

I don't really get it... but I guess everyone died except Sakuya?

damn it ;_;

and Flandre's death ;_;

waiting warmly for translation...

My mind if full of....damn..... I always had a feeling though other than Sakuya(not in the case of this story though) Patchouli would probably be the first one to bite it.

Can't say I understand Japanese myself.
I think I get the jist of the final bits though. Basically Sakuya is sad that everyone but her has died and then realizes that she will get to see them all again in the afterlife.

Which is what we end up seeing in color. The big family of the scarlet mansion is reunited and gets to be together for all eternity.

Phaaze said:
Can't say I understand Japanese myself.
I think I get the jist of the final bits though. Basically Sakuya is sad that everyone but her has died and then realizes that she will get to see them all again in the afterlife.

Which is what we end up seeing in color. The big family of the scarlet mansion is reunited and gets to be together for all eternity.

I dunno, that goes one way, but then the author implies she'll be stuck like that for all eternity.

...Then again, the author also implies Remilia's time ran out due to her Luna Dial, so maybe it latched to Sakuya.

Clocks always wear down and stop.

RaptorJesus said:
I dunno, that goes one way, but then the author implies she'll be stuck like that for all eternity.

...Then again, the author also implies Remilia's time ran out due to her Luna Dial, so maybe it latched to Sakuya.

Clocks always wear down and stop.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Wow, this is the best role reverse "A Tragedy of A Long Life" I've ever seen.

And it's depressing.

Also, everyone died except Koakuma and Sakuya.

wow... I actually got waves of goosebumps and all...

Always though Sakuya living was the happy ending but god this hurt me everything especially the Flan thing(deep routed FlanMei love).

Black_Gold_Saw said:
Wow, this is the best role reverse "A Tragedy of A Long Life" I've ever seen.

And it's depressing.

Also, everyone died except Koakuma and Sakuya.

Koakuma might be. Remilia notes she's either back in Makai or killed herself to join Pache. And given how Flandre took Meiling's death, it's probably the latter.

And as before, Sakuya's time will run out someday.

Ha! It's opposite day!

Aren't the Scarlet sisters supposed to be ageless/immortal too? At least the two of them should be keeping Sakuya company.

I don't know who's worse off: Sakuya, for not aging a single day and watching her friends die, or Mokou, for not aging her single day and watching her friends die, without even the possibility of killing herself to see them on the other side.

Nice to see something else. Even though it's just the other way around.

ThunderBird said:
Aren't the Scarlet sisters supposed to be ageless/immortal too? At least the two of them should be keeping Sakuya company.

I don't know who's worse off: Sakuya, for not aging a single day and watching her friends die, or Mokou, for not aging her single day and watching her friends die, without even the possibility of killing herself to see them on the other side.

Erm... read the story. Flandre kills herself to be with Meiling and Remilia was artificially aged due to Sakuya's Luna Dial.

Also, there's theories that Sakuya is Lunarian (where you can die, but not by natural methods) or the Luna Dial keeps her young.

Should this be tagged role reversal? :P

This was really amazing. There's nothing else I can say. An original dark twist, a very touhou-like tragedy.

Heparine said:
Ha! It's opposite day!

Okay, I laughed more than I should have, especially at 3:30 AM.

RaptorJesus said:

ThunderBird said:
Aren't the Scarlet sisters supposed to be ageless/immortal too? At least the two of them should be keeping Sakuya company.

Erm... read the story. Flandre kills herself to be with Meiling and Remilia was artificially aged due to Sakuya's Luna Dial.

Also, there's theories that Sakuya is Lunarian (where you can die, but not by natural methods) or the Luna Dial keeps her young.

From dictionary.com:
Immortal, adjective:
1: not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying: our immortal souls.
2: remembered or celebrated through all time: the immortal words of Lincoln.
3: not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting.
4: perpetual; lasting; constant: an immortal enemy.

ageless, adjective
1: not aging or appearing to age.
2: lasting forever; eternal; undying: the ageless beauty of Greek sculpture.

That means Flandre can't kill herself, and the Luna Dial can go bonkers on Remilia, and she still won't age/die of old age.

As far as I understand it, Flandre probably used her power on herself to make sure it was permanent. And so much time has passed that even Remilia's vampiric 'immortality' ran out. From this artist's understanding, I guess Remilia had 'effective immortality' while Sakuya had 'true immortality'. And while, to us, Remilia is more or less immortal, to a 'true immortal' like Sakuya, she'd age away and die all the same as everyone else. We might be a drop in the bucket compared to Remilia, but she's a bucket compared to Sakuya's ocean. Or something like that.

ThunderBird said:
That means Flandre can't kill herself, and the Luna Dial can go bonkers on Remilia, and she still won't age/die of old age.

I'm pretty sure slashing one's throat will do the trick on a vampire.

Also, it seems like the Luna Dial drains life itself, which, vampire or not, seems to shorten their time regardless.

WHY DID I COME BACK AN READ THIS AGAIN?! DX

Giorno_Giovanna said:
Is that Marisa in the grave next to Patchouli's?

The stone says "Kirisame," so it must be.

The only question then is who went first.

The epitome of a clock:

It repeats itself everyday with no end nor beginning. It is something which my culture calls "The Devil's Circle". Basically, its an unending circle where there is no end nor beginning in a circle shape.

Amraphenson said:
As far as I understand it, Flandre probably used her power on herself to make sure it was permanent. And so much time has passed that even Remilia's vampiric 'immortality' ran out.

Notice that in Flan's last few panels she looks more adult (or at least taller) compared to the start of the comic.

Remember the first rule of storytelling, folks; any rule can be broken if it makes for a good story.

In lighter news: Flan in Chucks and striped socks like she's Avril Lavigne works surprisingly well.

To whoever(Traze) added this to the pool and thus bumped it. You magnificent bastard, the feels.

As heart-breaking and tragic it is, this is the best "Tragedy of Long Life" I've ever read.

I am crying a river now. Having Osana Reimu's OST playing in the background did not help

Author's idea may base on canon information about Sakuya but modified in extremely way. It mention in PMiSS, Sakuya possible live for hundred years but still appear as young woman and may related with her time manipulation that it possible to imply Sakuya can stop or slow her age.

.... why do I think this may be more canon in some way? Like... People say that’s Sakuya could die in the future because she’s a human, but why if it wasn’t like that, and maybe almost all the members of the mansion could have died before her, leaving her alone? (Alone, with some “useless” fairy maids of course)... as well, this also mentions that Marisa died and that’s Reimu’s got a grand daughter (just like in The end of the maiden's illusion ), making it like, the author also got inspiration to make this like- semi-canon or the author of Maiden's Illusion got inspired to make it canon with it...?

I just found this and when i finished it I couldn't stop crying for over 15 minutes. I haven't cried more than a tear or two at a time in years.

MMaestro said:

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Over 12 years late, but the correct quote is stopped clock.