Comments | brontefanatic: Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth - Chapter 26

brontefanatic

Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth - Chapter 26 - Choice (Part II)

Jul 10, 2011 14:07

Title: Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth - Complete
Pairing: Darken/Kahlan with past references to Darken/Cara and Richard/Kahlan
Length: 6800~
Rating: T
Spoilers: Set in the "Reckoning" AU with facts learned in "Eternity"
Warning: Discussion of character death and suicide

This has been an amazing journey and I couldn't have made it without the help and ( Read more... )

original character: rachel rahl, character: kahlan amnell, character: richard rahl, !grateful, pairing: darken/kahlan, pairing: richard/kahlan, rahl family, fanfiction, pairing: darken/cara, episode: reckoning, fic: sharper than a serpent's tooth, character: darken rahl

Comments 10

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brontefanatic July 12 2011, 01:58:25 UTC

Thanks for lovely comments. It was pretty clear from the beginning that Rachel would never have a "happy ever after' ending, but I wanted there to be some hope, too. Her life will have meaning - and not only in terms of what she does for Richard., but she has to move beyond her fear ( ... )

callistra July 10 2011, 23:18:28 UTC

That made me tear up. Well done.

brontefanatic July 12 2011, 02:00:22 UTC

Thanks for reading! I'm glad that you had an emotional response to the story.

meridian_rose July 11 2011, 14:54:01 UTC

So Amanda lives - but Theta did not, as per the dark future ( ... )

brontefanatic July 12 2011, 02:20:32 UTC

Theta's fate was sealed once Darken read Rachel's letter - she miscalculated in epic fasion!

I was concerned about fast-forwarding through the future, but I always knew that Rachel would die young and that the narrative would not go on without her. GIving her visions of the future was the only way I could show how her life affected everyone around her, as well as Richard, so I'm glad that worked.

There's a lot of sadness in Rachel's life, but once she faces it and makes her decision, I don't really think of it as tragic. She knows what's coming and decides to deal with it in the best way she can.

I thought about coming to you about the Celtic mythic elements, since I was not sure I had any of it right, but then decided I didn't want to give away the ending. ^_^

Thanks for the lovely comments. Your insights and suggestions have meant a lot to me.

hrhrionastar July 16 2011, 20:54:26 UTC

A bittersweet ending :) Amanda lives, and Richard finally accepts his destiny as Lord Rahl, but Rachel isn't remembered by future generations...and it's certainly true that if Richard knew her whole story, he might not thank her.

Sheer willpower had carried him into his late eighties This made me smile - it's so Darken ;)

“I forgive you, mother, “she whispered, and the last link of her chains fell away. What a powerful moment. I think Rachel really needed to forgive Kahlan, so that was nice to see.

Maybe, in his heart, he knew that Amanda would have a happier life away from him. This is just heart-breaking, but it feels right - Darken almost lost Rachel because of his parenting mistakes, and he knows it.

I really admire Rachel's bravery - knowing the future, knowing about her own death, yet still ready to do her best for the people she loves.

This story has been such a journey - thank you for sharing it with us :D

brontefanatic July 17 2011, 00:47:03 UTC

Thanks!

I worried about fast-forwarding through so much of the future, but at the same time wanted Rachel to see it in quick segments, not as a whole. She knows the big piture, but not the details.

Darken's will to live stemmed, at least in part, from his desperation to leave things in order for Richard. Once he was convinced that was the only viable future, Darken did have a genuine desire to keep his kingdom as intact as he could.

Rachel's anger at her mother was probably there before she even realized it. As justified as it may have been, she couldn't be free until she let it go.

"I really admire Rachel's bravery - knowing the future, knowing about her own death, yet still ready to do her best for the people she loves." - Thanks! That's what I wanted to convey, so I hoped it worked.

dorothydeath January 31 2012, 17:07:06 UTC

Gods, it's so perfect I'm speechless.

I love the drabbles of the future and the ending set in the present and everything, every word, is so unbelievable perfect and how it should be and I'm sitting here crying and I don't even know why.

BB, thank you so much for this story! It's... It's... I can't... It's perfect!

*HUGS*

Thank you!!

brontefanatic February 3 2012, 17:33:07 UTC

Thanks for taking the time to read and review. It means a lot to me.

This fic has meant a lot to me, and I was both relieved and rather sad to finish it. Rachel haunted my life for the better part of a year.

dorothydeath February 3 2012, 20:33:49 UTC

Yeah, completing a story makes you both happy and sad. On the one hand you're content you've finally made it all the way. On the other it's been in your thoughts for so long and now it's over and it's like a big hole you have in you and you don't know what to do with it.
If it makes sense... o_O

And it takes a lot to finish what you start so Yay! Congrats, bb! :D *hugs*

It was EPIC!! :D