Author Notes: My fanfiction updates for 2017 will conclude with an update of this story. At first I wasn't expecting this story to be the one that I would provide my final 2017 update for, but it ended up being the case. While I have been busy with other stories and things in the real world, I wanted to ensure this story would continue. I planned to update this story with a second chapter before 2017 was completed, and I'm happy that I succeeded with that goal.
I'm glad that this story had received positive feedback. I was hoping that some fans would enjoy this version of what happened after the final battle. The first chapter wrote itself. Due to Eleanor tearing up when Velvet was committing her sacrifice, it was easy to guess how Eleanor would be if she and Velvet had been an item prior to their eternal departure. I felt satisfied that I was able to get into Eleanor's head with how she was mourning for her significant other.
The ending of the previous chapter was satisfying to me. I liked that I had Velvet appear to Eleanor in that dream sequence. It was great having Velvet and Eleanor still having a 'connection' of some kind even after what happened. While the connection is unknown at this time, it was great writing it.
If Tales of Zestiria the X is any indication, Velvet is capable is speaking to people in their dreams. She was able to briefly speak to Sorey in Episode 23, and she told him to press onward. I'm guessing being able to connect through dreams might be canonically possible since something like that did sort of happen in the manga as well. However, I'm sure it can only happen when certain conditions are met. I'm sure there are probably some rules required for this to be accomplished, but unless this is discussed we'll never know. Chances are they might never reveal what the conditions are because they don't want to downplay how awesome that moment was or the mystery of what happened.
As usual, I hope you will all enjoy reading this chapter. Please be sure to leave a comment/review. I greatly appreciate the feedback.
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Sorrowful Peace
Chapter Two: Unexpected Company
/
Nightmares shall haunt me
After dark comes the daylight
Can salvation come?
/
"AHHH!" Eleanor's cries echoed throughout the empty Crowe family home as she catapulted from her once peaceful sleep.
"Ah … huff … Ah … huff …" Eleanor breathed heavily as her mind attempted to register what was going on. She looked around the room before she could remember that she was staying in what was left of Velvet's home.
Everything was coming back to her. Eleanor remembered she traveled back to Aball. She created a 'grave' to honor Velvet and 'celebrated' her birthday. Then she stayed the night at Velvet's old home before finally going to sleep. It was then she experienced 'the dream'. A dream that Eleanor could remember so vividly.
It has been said that most people forget dreams within the first few minutes of waking up. However, that was not the case here. Eleanor could remember every detail. She could remember what she saw, what she felt, and who was there. She could see it all in her head. As plain as she could see what was in front of her now.
As Eleanor laid sitting upright on the bed, she could feel a chill come over her. Her body felt wet and sticky as if she had been covered in slime. Eleanor put her hand on her forehead, and she could feel the cold sweat. She then realized her entire body was covered in it. Her skin was sticking to her clothes. The icky sensation of her sweat acting as an adhesive was far from pleasant. She could feel that the bed was becoming saturated as well, so she decided to get up.
It went without saying that despite this home being in disrepair for the past four years, Eleanor was grateful there was still usable water. She was able to clean herself off, but she would need to clean the sheets and her clothes. She hoped that she could find a place outside to clean them without needing to worry about any of the leftover Daemons. Not to mention, she was hoping that going outside might help her alleviate the sense of dread she was still feeling in her core after what she could remember.
Eleanor left with the sheets and clothes in hand as her eyes were greeted by the morning sun. She winced and looked away as her eyes attempted to adjust to the light. When Eleanor walked out, she could hear the birds chirping again and feel the morning breeze in the air. Life was continuing onward as if nothing had happened. Once again, Eleanor was reminded of that reality. It doesn't matter who is left. Life continues on. Or at least Velvet allowed it to continue. Allowed for them all to continue.
After Eleanor's eyes adjusted to the light, she looked towards the rocks and sighed. She softly said to herself, "Velvet …"
"Looks like someone had a hard time sleeping last night." A familiar high pitched voice came from out of nowhere.
Eleanor's ears perked as her eyes darted throughout the area. She couldn't see the source until the voice spoke again, "You might want to look up here." Eleanor then looked up to see it was none other than the familiar witch.
"Magilou?!" Eleanor exclaimed in surprise.
Magilou grinned as she jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Eleanor which caused Eleanor to take a step back. The witch took a bow as she happily proclaimed, "The one and only."
Eleanor immediately asked, "What're you doing here?"
"Oh come now." Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she casually remarked, "Is that anyway to speak to an old friend? We haven't seen each other since the whole Innomiant situation was handled."
"Exactly!" Eleanor demanded to know, "Where have you been? What happened after you left? What are you doing here?"
"Hmm?" Magilou grinned as she commented, "Interesting. Were you that worried about me?"
Eleanor suddenly shouted, "Of course I was!"
"!" The mischievous grin Magilou had always been known for had disappeared as she was taken aback by Eleanor's voice.
E … Everyone ... they …" Eleanor's body shook as she held onto the sheets and clothes tightly to her chest Underneath the laundry, Eleanor clenched her fingers into a fist as her voice trembled, "V- Velvet … she … Velvet's gone …" Eleanor's voice trembled less as she continued to speak, "Laphicet became Maotelus. Eizen went off to enjoy what time he had left with Aifred's pirates before they couldn't see him anymore. Rokurou went off to fight strong opponents to see if he can find another rival." Eleanor groaned at the thought, "Ugh … He'll probably get himself killed out there."
"…" Magilou remained silent as Eleanor continued to speak.
Eleanor's voice began to tremble again, "I … They … At least I know what happened to them after. But you … You just disappeared out of the blue. At least Eizen and Rokurou had the decency to say goodbye." Eleanor raised her voice again as she demanded the same answers, "Where the hell did you go?! I've been worried!"
"…" Magilou's widened eyes returned to normal as she remarked, "I probably should've expected you to react like that."
Eleanor sharply replied, "You really should've by now."
Magilou stated with sincerity in her voice, "Well to answer one of your questions, I've been doing a little writing."
"Writing?" Eleanor inquired, "What kind of writing?"
Magilou answered, "Stories and some such. I'll let you read some of it later if you want."
"Hmm …" Eleanor seemed like she would take Magilou up on that offer. She then remembered she still had the laundry in her hands.
"Anyway, I've been keeping my eye on things." Magilou had her usual grin as she slyly stated, "I then happened to catch wind it was certain someone's birthday and a certain other someone was heading to her village."
The space between Eleanor's eyebrows narrowed as lines began to form on her forehead. "Have you been following me?"
"Well …" Magilou sheepishly stated, "I wouldn't really put it like that, but-"
"Yes she has Madam Eleanor." A high pitched voice could be heard interrupting much to Magilou's dismay. It belonged to a creature who had the appearance of a stuffed toy. The creature purple skin, white belly spot, red wings, and a top hat that covered the top half of his face like a mask that even had eyeholes. He bowed his head as he apologized, "I'm really sorry."
"Bienfu!" Magilou gripped her fingers as her voice became irritated. She then poked the side of his face rather hard as she told the little creature, "You really pick the worst times to open that big mouth of yours."
"Bieeen ~!" Bienfu cried out before retreating and disappearing into light which traveled back into Magilou's body.
"…" Eleanor stared blankly at the display before stating, "Look Magilou. If you want to keep talking to me, then walk and talk. I really want to take care of this laundry."
"No need for that." Magilou happily offered, "I can take care of that with my magic."
"Um …" Eleanor hesitantly asked, "Wouldn't that be overdoing it?"
"No need for concern." Magilou looked to the side as she pulled out her card and a magic circle appeared around her as she conjured a mini-plateau of rock
"…" Eleanor reluctantly placed the clothes and sheets on the plateau.
Magilou held the card again as magic circles formed around her once more. Suddenly a rush of water hit both the blanket and clothes. Sure enough the laundry was completely drenched.
The witch happily said, "Well that's that."
"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned, "I think you overdid it."
"What difference does it make?" Magilou grinned as she remarked, "It's wet isn't it?"
"Good grief." Magilou rubbed her forehead.
"Now we just need to dry it." Magilou held up her hand.
"No." Eleanor put her hand in front of Magilou. "I think I'll just air dry them the old fashion way."
Magilou shrugged, "Suit yourself."
Eleanor moved away from Magilou as she set up a clothes line for the laundry. As Eleanor was doing so, Magilou softly spoke to herself, "I guess I underestimated my ability to leave a lasting impression on someone."
"Don't be like that Miss Magilou." Bienfu appeared again as he said, "You had a lot of fun with this group."
"Well …" Magilou grinned as she remarked, "They definitely kept me entertained for a while, especially Velvet."
"Would you have wanted to stay with them if you could Miss Magilou?" Bienfu asked.
"Hmm …" Magilou scratched her chin as she stated, "I suppose there are worst groups I could've spent my time with."
/
As Eleanor patted down the wet laundry, her eyes were brought over to the rocks she compiled together. When her eyes locked onto them, she had difficulty moving her head away from them. They felt like they had a hold on her, and she was unable to move.
Eleanor was frozen in place until the sound of Magilou's voice freed her, "Nice grave you made there."
"Wha-" Eleanor uneasily replied, "What're you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that pile of rubble you put together over there." Magilou pointed at with her right thumb. "It wasn't there the last time we were here. It doesn't take much to figure that you put that together."
"Shut up!" Eleanor defensively stated, "I know it's not much, but I didn't have anything to make a proper one! I'll do something better when I can!"
"Hey now. I wasn't being sarcastic." Magilou stated, "It was definitely a nice gesture on your part for Velvet."
"What …?" Eleanor's mouth was left slightly agape in surprise at what Magilou was saying.
Magilou put her hand on her chest as she remarked, "Even I can be genuine sometimes Eleanor. Seriously. Do you think everything I say is sarcastic or rude?"
"Hmph." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "That's kinda the summary of your personality in general."
"Hmph." Magilou casually shrugged as she replied, "Touché. Regardless, I do think it is a good gesture on your part." Magilou looked towards the makeshift grave as she remarked, "I'm not sure how much Velvet would like it, but it really shows how much you care for her."
"Well …" Eleanor held her hand to her chest as she looked to the ground and softly said out loud, "She said she liked it …"
"Hmm?" Magilou looked in Eleanor's direction with eyebrows raised as she inquired, "What was that?"
"Oh!" Eleanor raised a hand over her mouth as she attempted to wave off her previous comment, "It's nothing! Nothing at all!"
"Liar." Bienfu appeared in front of Eleanor as he rebuked her, "You just said 'She said she liked it'."
"Really?" Magilou's eyebrows lowered as the mischievous grin reemerged, "She said that?"
"Yep." Bienfu confirmed with a nod. "I heard it loud in clear."
Magilou stroked her chin. "Interesting. Care to elaborate Eleanor?"
"Well …" Eleanor took a step back and put her hands behind her back as she averted her eyes from the witch. "I don't really know where to start …"
Magilou's curiosity was piqued by this observation. "That makes it even more interesting. Hmm …" Magilou leaned forward as she observed the former exorcist. She quickly came to the speculation, "Might it have something to do with why you seemed to have trouble sleeping?"
"!" Eleanor had not response to that, but her widened eyes and mouth being left agape was all the answer Magilou needed.
"Mmm. Hmph." Magilou's smile grew like the Cheshire cat as she stated, "I'll take that as a yes." Magilou took a step forward. "Now. How should we-"
Growl!
Before Magilou could continue with another word, a loud growling sound could be heard coming from her stomach. She bit her lip as she put her hand on her stomach. It was as if she was so preoccupied with the fun she was having she forgot she was supposed to be hungry.
"Heh." Eleanor chuckled slightly as she offered, "I'll make some breakfast first. We can talk about it while we eat."
"Hmph." Magilou smiled as she began to chuckle as well. "Heh. Heh. Sounds like a good idea to me."
/
After they were inside the Crowe Family home, Eleanor didn't waste time to put on breakfast for the both of them. While Eleanor was cooking, Magilou looked at the old home. It was as she remembered it when they visited Aball outside of the 'dream world'. Magilou could see that the tabled appeared to be free of dust unlike many other parts of the home. She slid her finger on the table to see there was not a speck of dust on it unlike when she slid her finger on one of the chairs. She dusted it off before she sat on it.
While Magilou waited for the food to be ready, she tapped on the table before commenting, "I gotta say Eleanor. You really look different. I had a hard time recognizing you."
"You did?" Eleanor asked in surprise as she continued to cook breakfast. I'm still wearing my Exorcist uniform."
"Yes. It is distinct, but I'm not talking about what you're wearing." Magilou pointed at Eleanor and clarified, "I'm talking about your hair."
"…" Eleanor lightly bit her lip as she asked without looking at Magilou, "Something wrong with it?"
"Not wrong per se, but just completely different." Magilou grinned as she remarked, "It has a certain 'messy, bedhead' charm to it I guess. It's a far crime from the prim and proper pigtails, we were all so used to seeing. You could always tell you brushed it."
"…" Eleanor didn't say anything in response as she kept cooking.
"It looks all disheveled and messy kinda like how Velvet's hair was." Magilou held out both of her hands in front of her and looked through them as if she was looking through a frame as she said, "It's almost like you have her hair and dyed it red."
"…" Eleanor bit her lip as she continued to cook.
Magilou thought to herself, "Must've hit a nerve."
"Should it really matter now?" Eleanor asked while still looking away from Magilou. "The Abbey we know is finished, but the people still respect the Exorcists. As long as I wear this uniform, it's enough to get people to listen to me, so I can spread to word of Maotelus to them. I'm keeping my promises. That's what matters."
"…" It was Magilou's turn to remain quiet. She remained so until Eleanor finished the cooking.
After half hour had passed, Eleanor served the food and Magilou helped herself to the meal. As soon as Magilou had her fill, she put her hand on her stomach as she proclaimed, "Ahh! I see someone hasn't lost her touch!" Magilou held out her thumb as she finished with, "Good job Eleanor!"
"Heh." Eleanor chuckled as she remarked, "It really feels weird hearing you give a compliment."
Magilou leaned in her chair and put her hands behind her head as she remarked, "It can't be that strange. I've given compliments before."
Eleanor looked away as she admitted, "Yeah. I guess." Eleanor looked towards Magilou as she stated, "You can praise me all you want, but Velvet's cooking was way better."
Magilou remained leaning as she readily agreed, "So true. For someone, who couldn't taste anything besides blood, she really was a good cook, especially after she got our little Laphicet to taste check."
"…" Eleanor's fingers tightened together under the table as she remarked, "As far as I know, she was a good cook before she was turned into a Therion. Even after everything Lord Artorius put her through, she couldn't forget how to cook. Remember how must've been as easy for her as it was for people to-"
"Yeah. Yeah." Magilou stopped leaning on her chair. Her chair made a clanking sound as the front legs hit the wooden floor. "You miss her I get it." Magilou put her elbows on the table as she intertwined her hands which let her chin rest on them. "Now I want you to start talking about what you said earlier. Don't think I forgot about that."
Eleanor adjusted on her seat and wouldn't look Magilou in the eyes as she said, "I'm not sure how to describe what happened."
Magilou bluntly stated, "You gotta start somewhere. Might as well be from the beginning."
"Well … After I made that," Eleanor gestured to the outside, "it was getting dark. Things took a lot longer than I thought, so I decided to spend the night here. I mean sure this place had seen better days, but it was still usable. I can see that Velvet really took care of this place when she-"
"Okay, okay." Magilou waved her right hand as she stated, "You're getting off track here."
"Sorry. Um …" Eleanor cleared her throat. "After getting dust off the bed I-"
Magilou grinned as she gingerly inquired, "You mean Velvet's bed?"
"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as a light blush started to form on her face. "It could've been hers, but I …" Eleanor shook her head and asked the witch, "Can you stop interrupting me every five seconds?"
Magilou shrugged, "Fine, fine. Just get to it."
"Ahem." Eleanor cleared her throat. She remained sitting across the table from Magilou as she started again, "Anyway, I went to sleep, and then I woke up in a field."
"A field?" Magilou was taken aback by that.
"Yes." Eleanor repeated, "A field. Things seemed strange at first, but they started to change around me. I could turn around and see things that weren't there before. Then I saw a cliff. On that cliff, I ..." The words were stuck in Eleanor's throat for a moment before she said, "I saw Velvet on that cliff."
"Hmm …" Magilou listened with interest.
"She was so far away that I shouldn't have known it was her at first, but I knew it was her. I was so sure." Eleanor stated, "I found myself moving toward her, and then I started running as fast as I could. I didn't think there could be anything to stop me until … I got closer." Eleanor's eyes became downcast as she crossed her arms and told Magilou, "When I got close, I could feel something stop me from getting to her. It was like some kinda of barrier or something."
"Mmm …" Magilou inquired, "You mean like the barriers the Abbey kept the Therions imprisoned in?"
Eleanor's eyes widened in realization, "Yeah! It was exactly like that. I was wondering why it felt so familiar. It was like a Therion Containment Barrier was being used or something."
"…" Magilou had her right hand on her chin as she pondered the possibilities.
"I remember pounding on it." Eleanor rubbed her forehead as she did her best to recall how the dream ended, "I was pounding on that barrier as hard as I could, but I couldn't put a dent in it. I tried talking to Velvet, but my voice couldn't reach her, and she kept facing away from me. For some reason, I could hear her though. She thanked me for what I did. After that, I passed out, and I woke up back on the bed."
Magilou was still holding her chin with a serious look on her face as she muttered, "Interesting."
Eleanor leaned on the table and asked, "Did you figure something out?"
Magilou shrugged, "Nope."
"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as she remarked in a deadpan tone, "I should've known better."
"Heh. Heh." Magilou chuckled with a grin, "You really should."
"Come on Magilou!" Eleanor pounded on the table as she raised her voice. "This is serious!"
Magilou's eyes were briefly widened at the sight of Eleanor losing her temper, but her eyes shrunk again as she commented, "Looks like some of Velvet rubbed off on you."
"…" Eleanor stared at Magilou as she remained silent.
Magilou stated, "I wasn't lying about the 'interesting' part. I'm just not entirely sure what to make of it, but I do have ideas."
"If you think I was making this up, I can assure you that I saw Velvet there." Eleanor firmly stated, "When I saw her, she felt like the real one."
"You really feel that confident she was the real Velvet?" Magilou questioned.
"Of course I do." Eleanor looked down at the table as she admitted, "I … I didn't touch her or anything … I couldn't, but her … her presence … her voice … It was unmistakable. It felt like the real Velvet was talking to me again."
Magilou placed her hand on her chin again as she remarked, "Hmm … My. My. That certainly is interesting."
"…" Eleanor narrowed her eyes which caused wrinkles in her forehead to form as she glared at Magilou. "You didn't have anything to do with it did you?"
"Huh?" Magilou's eye winced at the mere suggestion. Her tone had a taste a bitterness in it as she rebuked, "Please. Give me more credit than that. Even I think messing with someone's dreams is messy business. Besides, I'm sure Melchior was the last person alive who could use that kinda of power. With him dead, that power might be lost now. Good riddance I say."
Eleanor leaned back in her chair. "I hope you're right about that, but then … what happened …"
Magilou stated, "I guess that means finding an answer will be harder for you then."
Eleanor leaned her head on her fist as her elbow rested on the table. "If my dreams weren't being manipulated, then what did I experience?"
"Hmm … Dreams can be quite mysterious things …" There was a sense of sincerity in Magilou's voice as she spoke, "Beautiful but yet dangerous in their own way. They're never something to be trifled with, especially after how Velvet and Rokurou made their 'dreams' come true."
"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned and cringed at the thought.
"Heh." Magilou grinned at the reaction before saying, "Moving on. I feel if I were to use one word to describe dreams, I'd say that they are 'unpredictable."
"Unpredictable …" Eleanor mused.
Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she stated, "It's like life. You never know what you're going to get out of it." Magilou rhetorically asked, "I'm sure you never expected to get along with two Daemons, two Malaks, and a witch did ya?"
"Nope." Eleanor admitted. She smiled as she thought back to the past, "There's a lot of things I never thought I could get used to, but it turned out all right in the end. I also learned things don't always turn out the way they seem."
"That's right. Unexpected things always tend to show up." Magilou stated, "Speaking of which, I don't believe your dreams are necessarily being manipulated. It is possible something else could be happening instead."
"Like what?" Eleanor took a shot in the dark, "Is someone causing an interference or something?"
"That's actually that's what I think might be happening." Magilou explained, "I believe they are being enhanced or interfered with."
"What?" Eleanor's mouth was left slightly agape as she asked, "That can happen too?"
"It's possible." Magilou theorized, "If dreams can be manipulated, it stands to reason they can be enhanced or used as some kind of conduit." She cited, "Melchior was manipulating the area of this village prior to our group arriving here. It was then only a matter of using Velvet's dreams."
"…" Eleanor bit her lip lightly at the memory.
Magilou continued her theory, "We have also seen how Melchior used his powers to torture and affect human's very cores like we saw with Aifread. It's possible that while he was here, his power might've caused a 'disturbance'. It possibly could have affected Daemon here without him realizing it."
Eleanor inquired "Do you really think that's possible?"
"Do you really need to be that skeptical about this?" Magilou replied in a deadpan tone, "Velvet managed to seal a being that was practically a god to end its cycle of reincarnation. Should anything really surprise you now?"
"Yeah …" Eleanor conceded, "That's a good point."
"Hmm …" Magilou continued to ponder the possibilities, "It is possible that between Melchior's powers leaving some kind of residual after affects along with us removing the Therion, a native Daemon could have developed unique abilities and hid itself to grow stronger."
"Is there any way to find out for sure?" Eleanor asked.
"Whether this is the work of a Daemon or not is still a mystery." Magilou stated, "This will required further investigation, but it might not be easy. It might take a little time too."
"I didn't expect it to, but there has to be a way to be sure." Eleanor firmly said, "I want to resolve this as fast as I can."
"In that case, I think I'll stick around to help you find out." Magilou declared.
"You're really going to help me?" Eleanor asked.
"Of course." Magilou stated, "I did say I'd stick around."
"Hmm …" Eleanor looked at Magilou skeptically as she suggested, "you're sticking around because it'll entertain you right?'
"Oh." Magilou grinned as she replied, "You know me all too well. But should that really matter?" Magilou rhetorically asked, "As an Exorcist for the people, you can't let the possibility of an 'Evil Daemon' potentially causing harm to the innocent if left alone can you? You can't afford to be choosy about the help you get now right?"
Eleanor sighed and admitted rubbed her hand through her hair, "You got me there."
"Well." Magilou clapped her hands together. "Now with that matter settled, let's move on. We first have to find out whether or not the 'dream' of yours is a one-time thing or if it is something more."
Eleanor immediately insisted, "There's' something more. I'm sure of it"
"Yeah, yeah." Magilou nonchalantly replied, "I got ya, but we'll need to know more. We'll be just be taking shots in the dark if we don't' know for sure."
"I guess …" Eleanor asked, "How should we proceed?"
Magilou grinned as she stroked her chin, "I think it's obvious my dear Eleanor. When we go to sleep tonight, we'll find out what happens after we close our eyes. It'll be the moment of truth, and we'll find out what's going on together."
Eleanor shrugged her shoulders and nodded in agreement. "That's as good a plan as any I guess. I can't think of anything better."
"Glad you agree." Magilou continued to grin as she stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day while the sun is still burning."
Before Magilou could step away from the table Eleanor called out, "Hey Magilou!"
Magilou looked down at Eleanor and asked, "Yes?"
"You know …" Eleanor took a second to think of the right words to use. "Regardless of your reasons for doing this, thank you for deciding to help me."
"Thanks isn't necessary." The Witch had her hands on her hips as she told the Exorcist, "You're interesting enough to keep me from being bored. That's good enough for me."
"Heh …" Eleanor chuckled. "Whatever you say. See you later."
"See ya for dinner." Magilou then excused herself leaving Eleanor to feel anxious about what was to come that night.
When it came time for them to go to sleep that night, neither would admit their feelings of anxiety to each other, but it was obvious to Magilou that Eleanor was feeling that way. However, despite how anxious they felt, they eventually drifted to sleep. Neither one of them had any idea what to expect when they closed their eyes, but they would soon fine out.
/
Author Notes: I'm satisfied that I was able to complete this chapter before 2017 was over. I know I kept this story on the backburner for the past few months, but I intended on completing one more before the year was over, and I'm happy I succeeded. Be sure to keep an eye out for future updates of this story in 2018. Hopefully, I will be able to bring this story to its resolution before next year is over.
For this story, I was partly influenced by how Tales of Zestiria had an after story that took place a few months after the main events of the game that primarily focused on Alisha who then joins forces with Rose. I was disappointed that was not the case with Tales of Berseria, especially since Tales of Berseria is a prequel. While there was plenty tying the two games together, it would've been cool for a little extra.
If there had been a post-game story line, I figured that either Eleanor or Magilou would be the best candidates. Needless to say, I chose Eleanor to be the protagonist of this story. While Eizen and Rokurou could have made good protagonists, their stories felt with the group felt like they had been completed, and it didn't seem likely they would crossover with any of the remaining characters like Eleanor and Magilou could.
It was always my plan for this story to not solely feature Eleanor in the present day. I knew from the start that one of the other party members would reunite with her to try figure out what happened in her dream. It didn't take me long to decide on Magilou. Not only did she seem the most qualified, but she seemed like the most likely who could reunite with Eleanor.
We know that Eizen did continue traveling with the Aifread pirates even after they lost the ability to perceive him. While it is possible that Eizen could maintain contact using sylphjays, I had a feeling he wouldn't do that on a regular basis if at all. As we saw in the epilogue, Rokurou kept fighting hordes of Daemons until he would eventually fall in battle if what comments regarding the 'Japanese Guide' are to be believed.
Needless to say, Magilou seemed like the logical choice since the epilogue did seem to indicate she was keeping an eye on Eleanor. Magilou did appear to be writing notes about Eleanor in the epilogue. As Magilou would be the first Mayvin storyteller, it does seem like she was observing Eleanor to write down pieces of the true history. Magilou knew parts of history would remain lost or hidden forever from the general public, but she would have the truth written down.
The game never went into detail about how the remaining party members separated after the final battle. We don't know if they separated right away or if they stuck together a little longer. Regardless, I do picture Eizen and Rokurou being courteous enough to say goodbye. While we have seen Magilou go off on her own in the canon video game, I could picture her simply disappearing. It feels like something she would do, especially when she wants to avoid getting too attached to someone after what Melchior did to her. Personally, I think Eleanor would be worried about Magilou suddenly disappearing since Eleanor is a good person. I also think that Eleanor would have cared for Magilou as a friend after spending months traveling together. While Magilou wasn't highly liked by the party, they did seem to care.
So far, I think this story is developing nicely, and I look forward to continuing it into 2018. I don't plan on this story being particularly long, but I do think there are a few chapters to go before it comes to an end. Even then I would probably do something like a dénouement since I feel it does help end stories more effectively. I'll play the development of this story by ear, and we'll see where it goes from there.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas 2017, Happy Hanukkah 2017, and a Happy New Year 2018. Please leave a review. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'll see you next time.
