Beginning Commentary: WELP, I'm finished with my online math classes, captured all 719 Pokemon in Pokemon Rumble World (not all the alternate forms, though), and got an idea for future fanfics! However, they're still Awakening and they might even bring out spoilers for this one, so I'm gonna hold off on them. Just take note that one's a '20s detective story and the other's a modern-day one about veterans.
Also, I'm gonna self-promote again: If you want to help write alternate parts for this fic, go on ahead and ask me! I already have one person helping me out and oh boy, am I excited to post it. (Thanks again, DragonofAnnoth!) And speaking of self-promotion, I've been working on revising two stories from my Bad Idea Graveyard: Ultimate Dragon and Travelin' the Cosmos! They're not really fanfics, as I see them more as online comics or web series, so they won't be posted on here or Wattpad. Sorry about that, but I'm hoping to find time to settle more of their plots out!
And finally, I'm surprised nobody caught onto my Samurai Champloo reference last chapter. (Granted, I edited it a bit, but still! Is the joke really that obscure? It was one of my favorites when watching it…)
Excerpt Twenty: The Messenger
"Remember to slow your breathing, but do not halt it. Clear your mind of the outside world and all of the stress within. Focus on yourself. This may be difficult to do at first, so you may focus on my voice if you would like."
Well, I wouldn't be able to do that last part without getting distracted, but let me try the other pieces of advice Yen'fay gave me. I sat down with my back straight, my legs crossed, and my arms to my sides.
"Your wrists should lie on your thighs. Face your palms upward."
Ah, okay. I adjusted myself and began taking deep breaths as I closed my eyes.
"Clear your mind…"
…Everything fell silent.
I opened my eyes. Sitting in front of me was the old man from before, but he seemed to be meditating as well. For a few seconds, that is, before he woke up.
You again… You should not be here…
I'm sorry if I'm invading your personal space, but I'd really like to have some answers.
If it will make you leave quicker...
And here I thought he'd yell at me or something. He stood up, to which I did as well. I wobbled a bit, to which I noticed that we were not floating in mid-air! Or it at least felt like that. It was a bit too dark to see what was going on. Eventually, I got used to my environment, but I definitely felt like I was in the air. My hair moved as if there were a gentle breeze.
Who are you?
I am the Shadow Dragon, Medeus.
Shadow Dragon? Medeus? I thought you were called the Fell Dragon, Grima.
You humans are known for misinterpreting and altering your history lessons for your own benefits.
…Well, he wasn't wrong about that… I mean, why else would people like Frederick assume all Plegians are evil? Biased lessons can really affect how a person thinks and even acts!
If you dislike humans so much, why are you currently one? And more importantly, what is this place? My subconscious? Yours?
It is a link between the two. This is why you do not see me in my dragon form.
Were you human before being a dragon, then?
No. I only transformed into a human form to avoid the Great Calamity.
Great Calamity? What?
It is such a vile thing, this body. I have no wings to fly, nor do I have my powers. No matter how many times I wish to escape it, I cannot. It is a curse.
He was looking at his hands as he was saying this, clenching them out of either anger or depression with the final hiss of "curse".
I do not see why you find it to be so appealing to be human. Or why you choose to make allies with them. They are simple-minded creatures only worthy of slave labor.
We're more complicated than that. Or at least, we've evolved from being simple-minded. Now we get into political wars, create works of art…and even become compassionate.
For selfish purposes, no doubt. You fight to survive, gnawing at your own ankles when given the chance, and will do anything in the meanwhile.
In some cases, maybe. But I think the only reason for it to be selfish would be to feel nice. You get this warm, fuzzy feeling inside you when you see the people you care about happy or thankful. I'm surprised more people don't try being nice for that feeling alone!
…You are still naïve after all these years.
He really is acting differently than all those times before… Why was he helpful when Balmung showed its power? Why was he a nuisance at one point in time, but a deadly threat in the other? I needed to know.
Before I could ask him, the old man stood up and started distancing himself away.
WAIT! I still need to know why you keep acting differently!
I attempted to run, but it was like running through quicksand: heavy on the feet and slowly trapping you while you struggled out of it. He was getting even further.
All you should know is that we are all Grima.
We? All!? Why is he still being vague?! Why is everything vague?!
He finally vanished.
…But I didn't feel alone. There was still a presence. A…slightly unpleasant one, at that. Ooh, I can feel chills down my spine. I feel something in general! It's like…someone's watching me. Stalking me, even.
All of a sudden, red spots covered the darkness. As they focused in…They…
THEY WERE EYES! ALL AROUND ME!
Red eyes, similar to the ones that Risen had! They were everywhere…Up, down, all around! And wouldn't you know it, they had even more intimidation than Lon'qu's and Frederick's eyes COMBINED! Six appeared right in front of me, soon revealing the demon horns and snarling countenance of a dragon.
WE ARE ALL GRIMA! A chant broke through my ear drums.
GOOD GODS, this sounded distorted! It…it's like, gah, it's so loud! It hurts…!
"Anne!"
My eyes opened, to which I found Yen'fay's arms around my shoulders as I huffed into his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Oh…oh my Gods…" I replied, holding my forehead with my right hand.
Yen'fay lingered his hold on me, whispering "It is alright now" and stroking my back with his left hand.
"I…I saw Grima," I breathed. "What he really looked like."
Yen'fay immediately froze. He let go of me to look me straight in the eyes. Oh, he was scared…
"What else occurred?" He questioned.
"Apparently, his name really isn't Grima. It's Medeus. We went on this debate about humans and stuff, and then…"
"Then?"
"Then when he left, he said that we were all Grima. And then these eyes appeared out of nowhere with this really loud chant and…oh Gods. It was like an out of body experience…"
Yen'fay returned to holding me. His heartbeat quickened, but he definitely didn't want to show his weakness.
"This is indeed unsettling… And this occurs often for you?"
"It varies, really. There was one time when I got to see my late mother again, another when I met a being known as the Butterfly King. But really…"
"Really?"
I had a realization.
"Almost all my dreams are connected to the future… Meeting Chrom, the death of Lady Emmeryn, and now meeting you and Say'ri… I saw all of those occur in dreams!"
"But now that you can meditate, it appears you may be able to understand why this is happening?"
"Yeah, maybe…"
"In that case, I hope that I may be able to assist you in this."
"Trust me, any at all help would be a godsend for me," I managed to chuckle.
Yen'fay smiled and pressed his lips on the top of my head.
"It is the least I could do for my sunlight."
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
…Oh wait, I think I actually squeaked out loud.
"What on earth was that sound?"
"Uh, Ninon probably." Nice save. "She's probably hungry. Or needs me right away."
I wormed my way out of Yen'fay's grasp and made way for the door.
"Inform me if anything else occurs," he ordered. He then stood up and held my hands together.
"You got it, Mr. Moon," I smiled. This time, I actually initiated the kiss. Granted, he had to lower his head because I couldn't reach him on my tippy toes, but still!
And so, I headed back to my room where surprisingly, Ninon actually did need me. Or at least she acted like it, jumping up at me and chirping while doing so.
"Ninon… You silly Gryphy." Yes, I shortened Gryphon to Gryphy. Shut up.
As I lay down, she immediately sat on my chest. Right between my breasts.
"Can I help you?"
She spun around for a bit and laid herself right on top of me. Crap, I don't sleep on my back…Uh… I grabbed her and put her to the side, to which I could then sleep on my side. She responded by lying down on the backs of my knees. Dammit, I kick in my sleep so I can stay cool! I need my leg space! Gosh darn Gryphons.
I had no dreams that night, but something did startle me awake. I felt something drop on my face, which caused me to fumble myself out of the blankets. Ninon crawled off of my feet as I recovered from my newfound injury. She had two envelopes in the middle of her beak, to which she then dropped them off by my hands.
"Alright, what's the meaning of this…?" I groaned.
I opened the first one.
Hey Anne! Happy 19th birthday! Oh man, you're just as old as Tharja now! Hope she hasn't been driving you and Libra up the wall like I probably would. How are ya and Grima getting along? Horribly, I bet. Ah well.
I, on the other hand, have been doing pretty swell! Panne's getting more used to being around people now and even acts like a guard wolf from time to time for Chrom. I tell her not to since she's six weeks preggers, but you know how stubborn she can be. As for Ted, well, he's been mainly doing supply runs. He's not a fan of it, but hey, I can't exactly walk up to Minerva and ask her for a favor, y'know?
Anyway, my main point of this letter! I've got a great birthday joke for you!
Why did the Risen cross the road?
Because I brutally slaughtered his family right in front of him!
Hope you liked it!
-Henry
P.S. Your present should come right after you finish reading this.
A box immediately appeared above my head, to which I dodged from getting my head hit once again. I glanced at it, making sure it wasn't under a hex. Wait no, this is Henry. The worst he would do is turn everyone inside out or into animals…
…
I glanced outside to see that wasn't the case and thankfully it wasn't. Whew! Alright, what's in this bad boy…
WHOA! A shooting star in a bottle! The bottle was small enough that it could be a nice accessory to a necklace. Henry, you shouldn't have!
Alright, let's see what's in envelope number two…
I'm proud of you for making it this far, Anne. I know I can't be there for you all the time (especially since Yen'fay pretty much kicked me out), but I wanted to tell you that I'll always try, even when you don't want me to. That especially goes for now, since you're dealing with a man you may or may not have feelings for. If he dares even leave a scratch on you, hell will hath no fury.
Anyway, Libra and I are pretty good. He's been talking about the good of Naga and all that, but I've been doing the usual: casting hexes, creating new ones, and telling fortunes. I'm actually charging for them now to get the supplies I need and it's been working wonders. People can be pretty hysterical about the inevitable.
Libra and I got you this for your birthday. Hope you like it. If not, I'll make sure Libra pays the price.
-Tharja
Once again, getting hit was avoided! This time, though, it was a scroll. I unraveled it to find a beautifully painted picture of blue desert flowers. They were in different hues, and the background was a calming light orange to represent sunset. Oh my gosh, the bottom of the corner revealed that it was Libra that painted this! Wow!
But hold on, birthday? Was it really June seventh? I need to investigate!
Ju'mei entered my room.
"Ju'mei, what day is it?"
"The seventh of June, Lady Anne. Why do you ask?"
I gasped from excitement and spun Ninon around.
"Lady Anne?"
"Excuse me, Ju'mei, but I need to make a request!"
"Well yes of course, but-"
"See to it that I get an escort! I'm going around town to buy presents!"
"Presents? Whatever for?"
I posed rather ridiculously (a typical hero's pose, as it were), but I definitely felt the way that I looked.
"Today is my birthday!"
"Oh my goodness! I will let Lord Yen'fay and Lady Say'ri know immediately! Oh, happy birthday, milady!"
Ju'mei rushed out. Huh, come to think of it, I never really told anyone in the past few months what my birthday was. Not even the Shepherds. …I DIDN'T EVEN WRITE TO ANYONE! AH! I FEEL TERRIBLE! I need to make up for this! But first, breakfast!
Ninon and I entered the small eating room.
"Goodness, I wish you informed us earlier about your birthday!" Say'ri exclaimed. "We would have arranged a wonderful party!"
"And get you presents," Yen'fay added.
"Luckily, you can make up for that," I cheerfully said. "If given an escort, I'm going to go around town and find some goodies. I'd be paying for them, though, so-"
"Paying for your own presents? Are you truly mad?" Pheros asked. Her tone wasn't harsh, thankfully. In fact, it was more playful.
"Well, you could say that."
That got a round of chuckles around the room.
"So, may I please go?" I asked Yen'fay.
He pondered for a moment.
"Very well," Yen'fay agreed.
YES!
Balmung? Check. Spare sword in case Balmung doesn't work? Check. (I made sure it was light so that I didn't struggle using it). Gold? Check. (Yen'fay originally wanted to put everything on his tab, but I refused, so he only handed me a few gold pieces to make sure I had enough). Escort? Escort…
Ah, there he was now. …Susano'o? He was a bit quiet, so I don't know if he'd enjoy himself in my shopping spree… Wait, maybe he doesn't know Millan!
"Does he know Millan?" I asked Say'ri.
"Aye, but he does not speak," Say'ri responded.
"The language or at all?"
"At all."
Oh…okay then.
Now that I think about it, Susano'o did look like a little Lon'qu. He even had a curved blade to complement this. D'aww…Who's a cute little killer?
Oh, he looked annoyed now. TO SHOPPING, THEN!
Susano'o and I stepped down to the front gates, making me realize it's been a while since I've actually seen them. Wow, I somehow feel nostalgic.
A command was belted, leaving Soldiers to open the gates slowly. Susano'o seemed unimpressed and walked out like it was no big deal. I, on the other hand, would probably never be over it. They were such grand gates. And seeing them budge oh so slightly to let me into the real world felt similar to seeing the Gods themselves craft works of beauty. (Whether it be architecture or nature itself is up to the god, but either way, it was a spectacle). I snapped out of my moment to realize Susano'o was already halfway toward the nearest city, so I had to catch up.
"Gee, at least wait for me," I huffed when I eventually did catch up. Thank the Gods I didn't waste my energy beforehand!
Susano'o merely shrugged and continued walking forward.
"So impatient… It's my birthday, too…"
Ah, the market seemed lively today. Time to prowl for good bargains! …Wait, crap, I don't speak Chon'sin fluently yet and Susano'o can't speak. Uh…
"Hey, Susano'o, do the merchants understand Millan?" I asked.
Susano'o nodded.
Excellent… For some reason, that sounded more malicious in my head than I wanted it to be. Hm… I'll check in on that later.
Mostly, the merchants were selling food. Fish, vegetables, you name it. I wanted to be kind and show them my support, but I think I'd forget that I bought the food and waste them. (Either that or I'd be forcing old man Oda to cook meals with supplies he probably didn't need). So, when one of them wanted to strike a bargain with me, I gently refused.
"You know, I feel bad," I said to an unimpressed Susano'o. "I mean, they're working hard to sell their wares and I don't want to be rude."
Susano'o merely rolled his eyes and tugged us away from the food stands.
"Hey, let me know when you're going to pull a stunt like that! Geez!"
Susano'o pointed left. I looked in that direction to find a stand selling scrolls along with…books! HOORAY! Oh boy, I wonder what kinds of stories Chon'sin writers weave. They probably have their own interpretations of great heroes of old, journeys to unknown lands, or even that of the Gods themselves! Come to think of it, do they have different kinds of Gods? I should probably ask Ten'shi when I get the chance.
"Are you interested in anything, ma'am?" The owner asked me. He was a bit of a plump man, but looked like he meant well.
"Do you have anything related to mythology or history?" I responded. "In Millan, please. Or Graal, if possible."
"Let me see here…" He searched around the stand. "Eh, unfortunately, pickings are slim since you want it in Millan. All I have are children's picture books."
"Oh…sorry, but I'm good. Thank you, though."
"Not even one for your brother over there?"
He was looking at Susano'o, who was waiting across the stand.
"He's not my brother, he's making sure I don't get hurt while I got out shopping."
"Good of the lad." He mumbled something in Chon'sin to himself, but then looked at me to nod and wish me a good day.
"Well, books are out," I sighed to Susano'o.
The boy shrugged his shoulders, giving off the vibe that he didn't know what else I would like.
"Come to think of it, I don't really know what I'd like, either." Clothes? Well, I was fine with my robes and they weren't getting small on me. Maybe something to keep me warm? Ah, but it's June; it's never cold in June. Jewelry? I'm not one for accessorizing… (Plus I bet it would be way out of my budget). Make-up? Again, not one for accessorizing.
I glanced over to see a young woman selling toys in her stand. One toy in particular caught my eye: a small brown bear with a blue bow-tie around its neck. I walked over to ask about it.
"This was imported from Valm," she explained. "It's very soft to hold, which makes it ideal for small children; however, I do not think it would be bad for someone like you. The fur matches your hair and eyes."
Well, it was pretty cute with its black bead eyes. And it really did feel soft… Heh, it reminded me of Frederick with its little bow-tie. …IT'D BE PERFECT FOR LAURENT!
Now that I think about it, I really don't need or want anything in particular, so maybe I should get gifts for the people I care about. Little Laurent, Olivia and Virion (to show my congratulations when their baby does arrive), of course Henry and Tharja, the royal siblings (both Ylissean and Chon'sin)…Maybe Cordelia to show there's no hard feelings. Oh! Sumia! Maybe I can get her something! Uh, Nowi and Ricken seemed slightly concerned with me, but it wasn't really anything to write to home about. CHERCHE! Oh boy, I can't wait to tell her about Gryphons.
But back to the bear at hand. Or in hand.
"I'll take it!" I cheered.
I handed over a few gold pieces, to which the lady thanked me for my purchase and wished me a good day.
Susano'o gave me a strange look when he saw the bear in question.
"I'm getting this for a child I know. He'll love it."
The boy's face grew more concerned.
"Well, I haven't talked to everyone back in Ylisse like they wanted me to, so maybe this can be a way to show my sincere apologies."
A store (yes, not a stand) provided beautiful robes of all colors and designs. When I walked in, I was surprised to see who the merchant was.
"Anna?" I gasped.
"That's my name, don't wear it out!" She exclaimed. For some reason, her hair was dark blue instead of red.
"Where's Gregor?"
"Hm? OH, you're talking about another Anna, dear. I work here in Chon'sin!"
Oh yes, Anna had that gimmick with her family. Almost forgot there.
"You're interested in these kimonos, aren't you?"
"Is that what they're called?"
"Mhm! Crazy, I know, but hey, what can ya do? There's also apparently a bunch of varieties with different names like yukata, kosode, hanfu… Sometimes it can be hard to market to Eastern customers with these, but it's all worth it in the end. Anyway, feel free to browse around and see which ones you like!"
"Thank you," I smiled.
I decided to give Cordelia a red one with white feathers decorated on it, Lissa a yellow one that had flowers, Sumia a light pink one with swirls, and Cherche a black one that had golden serpent-like dragons on its sleeves.
"Don't forget, you need waist bands for these!" Anna announced.
Waist bands? …That's right! Say'ri and Yen'fay wore white ones! Hmm… White looked good on all of them… Alright, why not?
"Wonderful choices. Are you planning to wear them during the August festivals?"
"There are festivals?"
"Oh yes, and they are wonderful. They're somewhat similar to ones back in Ylisse, but there's different foods to eat and games to play. I think prayer's involved, but when it's all over, professionals use explosives to shoot them in the sky and they burst into bright colors in the night sky! I think they're called fireworks in the Millan translation."
"WHOA!"
"It's my favorite part of the festival…aside from striking hot deals to festival attendees," Anna giggled. She accepted the gold pieces I handed her as she said that. She then placed all the kimonos and bands delicately in a silk bag. "You take care now! And tell Anna I said hi!"
"Will do!" I exclaimed, holding said silk bag. Ooh, it was smooth. Maybe I can use this for Tharja's gift so that she can carry her supplies.
Or so I thought, as the next stand that caught my attention was filled with magic trinkets. There were some Einherjar cards on display for the children, charms, and even some potions. On the walls were very nice plants. An eccentric old man was in charge of this place.
"Ah, a Plegian! Hehe, lemme guess, you're a Mage?"
"I dabble from time to time," I joked.
"I am not too well informed on Plegian magic, but please, let me know if you want to know anything about Chon'sin magic!"
"Alright, what's its main element?"
"Healing and poison. We contract plant substances from around the continent and use the purest concentrates."
"Fascinating… Back when I visited Ylisse, they seemed to be a mixture of healing and either fire or wind."
"Ah, I once knew a guy who was all about wind magic. He was crazy!" The old man guffawed at that remark. "How about you? What do you specialize in? Dark?"
"I tried, but it didn't fit my personality. Thunder's more my thing, to be honest."
"Ooh, Lightning! I've got just the thing!"
The old man pulled out a small charm with a strange animal in its center. It looked similar to a lion, but it didn't have the mane or hairy tail that lions were known for. It was also white with black stripes all over it.
"In Chon'sin culture, the tiger represents the element of lightning," the old man explained. "This charm should help you control it when the weather gets bad."
"Oh, thank you. If it's not too much to ask, do you have things for dark or fire mages?"
"Fire, definitely! Dark, not so much. Plegians are not really common in Chon'sin, so there not really many exports for darkness."
"Shame, too. This is such a nice place."
The old man pulled out a very bright orange and red feather.
"This is the feather of a legendary bird known as the Phoenix. When Phoenix dies, it bursts into flames and resurrects itself from a pile of ash! I was lucky to find two of them, since Phoenixes are quite rare. They represent balance, anger and peace, good and evil, and all sorts of dualities."
Ooh, that sounds perfect for Henry and Tharja.
"May I have those please?" I asked.
"Of course!"
I paid for the two feathers and the lightning charm.
"Thank you!"
"You are most welcome!"
Susano'o walked up to me when I left the stand.
"You know something, Susano'o? I thought people were going to give me horrible remarks and gestures for being Plegian, but that old man over there didn't seem bothered at all!"
The boy nodded.
"I'm glad that there are nice people in this world. Nice people make life a pleasure."
Now all that was left was Chrom, Ricken, Nowi, Say'ri, and Yen'fay. Should Pheros and Stahl get things? …Nah.
My only problem now was to find a stand I hadn't been to before. Hmm… Ooh, weapons! …Wait, no, Chrom has the Falchion and I don't think kids should play with weapons unless they know what they're doing. Plus, Say'ri and Yen'fay probably had millions of weapons stowed away in the castle.
An accessory shop caught my eye. Along with jewelry, there were beautifully decorated fans! I got a light blue one for Ricken so that he can do cool tricks with his wind magic and a light purple one for Say'ri. For my moon, I bought the most expensive gift of the day: a golden ring with a crescent moon engraved in it. (It was made more expensive due to the moon being filled with small white gems). Because of this purchase, I unfortunately didn't have anything for Chrom or Nowi.
"Crap…" I said under my breath when I opened my gold carrying bag. What would I do for them?!
Susano'o tugged on my sleeve and pointed to the setting sun.
"We should get home," I spoke for him.
The boy once again nodded. Looks like I'll have to figure out what to do later…
When we returned, I was immediately escorted to the small dining room.
Say'ri, Pheros, Ju'mei, Qiang'wei, Ninon, and even Yen'fay were there to greet me with a big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and a brown cake with lighted candles.
"Ah, thank you!" I squeaked. Ninon climbed on my lap when I sat down.
I hugged pretty much everyone in the room.
"So, did you find things that interested you?" Say'ri asked.
"Well, yes and no. I did find good things, but I didn't really get them for myself. Instead, I decided to get gifts for some of my friends in Ylisse," I explained.
Everyone aside from Ninon looked confused.
"But milady Anne, people are given gifts on their birthdays!" Ju'mei gasped.
"I know, but I felt like switching things up this year."
"Eh, I am for it," Qiang'wei shrugged. "It is her birthday, after all."
I blew out the candles on the cake and every human was given a slice. Ninon was given a piece of meat to compensate. When I tasted this cake, though, IT WAS HEAVENLY! It was sweet, but not rich enough to make my stomach sick. It melted right in my mouth! The Gods have blessed this cake with greatness! This cake could end wars if it were offered for peace!
"I take it you enjoy it?" Yen'fay laughed.
"YES!" The answer escaped from my mouth almost too quickly.
"In that case, I shall thank Oda when I see him again."
Surprisingly, despite the short announcement I made earlier today, everyone still managed to get me presents.
Ju'mei gave me my own flute, since she knew I thought her playing it was pretty.
"I thought it would be fun if I taught you how to play, as well!" She cheered.
Lieutenant Qiang'wei gave me a teal Soldier's cape that had the white Chon'sin flowers adorned on it.
"It can also be used as a scarf when it gets cold," he laughed.
Pheros gave me a paintbrush and an odd looking palette.
"It's for make-up in case you want any tips," she said. "But if you'd like, you can also use it for painting."
Say'ri gave me a cherry hairpin, which was actually quite cute. But the king of all gifts was from Yen'fay. Almost as if we were telepathically linked, Yen'fay gave me a ring with a sun engraved in it. It even had the sun decorated with the little gems like the one on mine did!
"It's beautiful…" I breathed.
"I remember our mother adorning it once and searched all over the palace to find it once again," Yen'fay explained.
I…I couldn't really think of what else to say. I was speechless. This was no mere coincidence, it had to be fate. Some God out there is telling me that all my pain and suffering lead to this point, and I couldn't be more thankful to that God. This was amazing.
I immediately put the ring on my left middle finger and wrapped my arms around Yen'fay's shoulders.
"It is for the ring finger," Yen'fay chuckled.
"Oh, right," I laughed.
Switcheroo and hug once more.
…Ooh, I wonder if I should show the ring I got for Yen'fay.
"Well, I want to thank you all for your kindness," I announced. "This has been a really great birthday."
As people began to leave, I tugged Yen'fay and Say'ri back.
"Along with my friends in Ylisse, I got you two presents."
"Anne, you shouldn't have," Say'ri sighed happily.
"No no, I insist."
Luckily, I kept the silk bag with all the gifts inside the small room, so I wouldn't have to look around for Susano'o to ask where it was. I pulled out the purple fan and the moon ring after some searching.
"Oh, thank you. It has been getting a bit too hot for my tastes," said Say'ri.
"My word," Yen'fay gasped. "Did you know about my present beforehand?"
"No, surprisingly. It was at an accessory shop and I thought it was fitting with you being my moon and all."
"It is lovely, thank you." Yen'fay gave me a kiss.
"You're welcome."
Best. Birthday. Ever.