Could Hikaru still have Pillar-ish abilities after the end of the series?

[Somariel]

I've recently been toying with a headcanon that Hikaru still has some Pillar-ish abilities after the end of the series and am wondering what the rest of you think about the idea.

[VKiera]

Well, she still has the strongest willpower in the world, so I think she'd still be able to effect things equal to that strength? I mean like, for example Zagato, not Pillar, no duu, but still super powerful and able to effect a lot of stuff in Cephiro.

IDK if she'd still have FULL power as in, fundamentally altering the world in some way, but some I see possible, like maybe nuding the weather for example?

I think you'd also have to take into account the fact that even though she's still the strongest willed person in the world if she wanted to do something and it didn't coincide with what the rest of Cephiro's entire population wanted she'd have a hard time doing it. Not that she would generally ever do something like that, but just in theory. She'd have to overcome everyone else's will to impose her own.

Which kinda defeats the original purpose of retiring the Pillar system ne?

Now I feel like I'm rambling, but I think it terms of her end of series powers, it's a good rule of thumb to think of it as "strongest willpower in the world" and not Pillar powers, though I know those can kind of crossover??? I'm not making much sense I think...

[Somariel]

I was basically thinking that even though she abolished the Pillar system, the land itself would still remember that she was the Pillar, however briefly, and therefore would be slightly more responsive to her.

Most of it would be completely unconscious on her part, like, if she was in a better mood than normal, the sunlight would be slightly brighter, if she was in a bad mood, the sunlight would be slightly dimmer, and if she was in a really bad mood, it might actually get cloudy in a localized area around her location.

If she wanted to actually do something like override someone else's influence on a given area, she'd have to focus all of her concentration on doing so and would be literally unable to do anything else at the same time - not even move or talk. Something like that would also have a very limited area of effect - I'm thinking something like a two or three mile radius from her location.

[suzanami]

IDK if she'd still have FULL power as in, fundamentally altering the world in some way, but some I see possible, like maybe nuding the weather for example?

Most of it would be completely unconscious on her part, like, if she was in a better mood than normal, the sunlight would be slightly brighter, if she was in a bad mood, the sunlight would be slightly dimmer, and if she was in a really bad mood, it might actually get cloudy in a localized area around her location.

*shows up six months late w/ sbux*
this is how I feel about it!  the fact that she abolished the system itself doesn't change the fact that she has the strongest Will around.  I think Cephiro itself is still tied to her even more than to Umi and Fuu.  since she distributed the power to uphold the country, and I don't think she could, for example, re-establish the Pillar System (that would have to be a group effort of most of the citizens, since that's how we roll now).  but because Cephiro itself still sort of recognizes her as being Very Special and Important, I think the immensity and purity of her Will leaves an affect.

[shinomu]

Yeah, my thought go pretty much like you guys said too. She does have the greates Will and Will is the main source of power on the land. So I believe the land responds to her better. The weather thing is really fun concept to play with! And maybe even monsters might appear more if she's fearful or something.

Also, does Cephiro gets sad when she leaves???

I always wondered, however, about her position in the political system of Cephiro. Does the Pillar come with the title of Princess? What changes then, when the Pillar no longer exists?

Besides all that, Hikaru seems to me the sort of person who would end up being respected for who she really is and not her power once people get to know her.

[Down]

I tend to see the abolishment of the Pillar system as the, er, diversification of the Pillar system, essentially EVERYONE is now Pillar and has some level of access to those powers. Before, they were praying to the Pillar, who could use that energy to help in her task; now they themselves are using that energy directly.

This can cause great hijinks when their views don't line up, so that's mostly what I have the Priesthood doing after the fall of the Pillar - helping people organise their prayers in the same direction, co-ordinating efforts, fixing the idea of the geography (I love the idea that everyone remembers Cephiro a little differently so when she's rebuilt things keep MOVING depending on how many people are remembering things particularly strongly that moment in time until they all AGREE a new geography and pin it in place by regular intentional prayer with that in mind), directing the energy from people to where it'll be most useful etc etc.

I do tend to leave Hikaru, therefore, with some traits - she can see magic, and touch the heart of Cephiro, and see auras etc, but more because she's been opened to the ideas of them - everyone has the ability to some extent to do the same, but they aren't restricted to Hikaru. (I have any other strong-willed mages accidentally affecting the weather when moved by strong emotion. Or, er, other kinds of feelings, which didn't happen before when the Pillar was regulating things~) (because it's funny)

(I also like dropping Cephiro on Clef's head, because after Lantis's specific wish is done I think Clef's back to strongest willed Cephiran, because Lantis's wish is done and he seems more... er, chill, in general, than Clef. Also Clef's still Guru in the aftermath with a new coronet confirming him as such, so. And if there's no high-priest and he was the other person that helped the Pillar in their prayers...) (I also just like dropping things on Clef's head anyway XD)

So, you need a certain amount of will to be able to do any of these things, but those with will can do some things that they wouldn't have been able to, or at least not as easily, beforehand.

[milady]

Hikaru is still the stronger being of that world, so she has all the abilities, with the difference that Cephiro doesn't collapse without her, neither depends on her will to be in order. Hikaru having the strongest will power doesn't mean she has absolute power. What is in force is the will of most people. I think if she has to go to war or something similar, she would have advantage over most people though.

I wonder, though, what kind of system was established in Cephiro. I believe it's something similar to idealistic socialism in contrast to the pillar system that was an  autocratic system.

[suzanami]

And maybe even monsters might appear more if she's fearful or something.

Also, does Cephiro gets sad when she leaves???

L8 but oh my god I love this.  if I ever get back into writing/fic/drabbles there is some prime stuff right there.  I'm gonna be thinking about this :0