went through hell and came out singing
ɪᴛ's ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ
ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ's ɴᴏᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ
ɢᴏᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʜᴇʟʟ
ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs
ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴs ʀᴇsᴛ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ
ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙʟᴀᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ
ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ's ᴀ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛʟᴇss ғɪɢʜᴛ
ɪᴛ's ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟsᴇ
ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇʏᴇs
ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴs ʀᴇsᴛ ᴛᴏɴɪɢʜᴛ
┉┉┉┉┉
A companion to when you know it's a pointless fight. Because (I'll repeat): In the end, despite everything, Edge of Infinity is a story--or collection of stories--about hope and healing.
Anarchy and Chey went through the worst out of EoI, it feels to me. Physical abuse, sexual trafficking, addiction...separation from one another. Both of them changed immensely over time: Anarchy went from a scared, apprehensive kid to a defiant, angry teenager--then stumbled into a kinder and kinder adulthood as he gradually shed the weight of his past. He grows into the family-oriented, loving, incredibly soft-hearted father depicted above.
Chey went from a terrified child to a bouncy, over-enthusiastic pre-teen--but addiction and trauma gradually took their toll during a depressive and self-destructive adolescence. In early young-adulthood he hardened; stifled his truth and acted angry, cold, and desperate. After reconnecting with his sister, he started to get back to himself...friendly, optimistic, and supremely empathetic. After reuniting with 'Key, that's where he was able to truly take root...as himself.
These two were soulmates from the start and I write them like it--but they're not only important to one another:
Anarchy saves Kato's life more than once; it's his words that convince Kato into seeking professional help in September 2021.
And Chey....well. I tend towards writing him as a messiah-like figure and he performs like one: He brings the band together by helping Anarchy break down his walls; he uncovers Kato's truth and helps him process it. I describe him as human sunlight and he is.
These two undoubtedly went through hell, but they come out of it together...in love, smiling, and singing.
And with arms wide open to keep the kids they end up with from ever having to go through the same things that they did.