"They should've been back a week ago."

Elodie looked towards her husband, who was restlessly pacing the lounge. Although he normally smiled upon seeing his wife teaching their young son to read, the Lord of Petal Meadows was much too distracted and concerned about his friends.

It was two months since Serene, Matthias, Elodie, and Ingrid had set out to place the Crystal Stars in hidden places of the world. Elodie herself had returned from Poshley Heights only three days past; Arthur had not taken the Diamond Star into the depths of his castle's vaults yet, as he had been intending to do it ceremonially when they were all together again.

The gesture would have been one of closure: of finality: of peace.

But the others were late, and knowing the nature of the demon who created the Crystal Stars, both Elodie and Arthur were worried.

"Perhaps the journeys were more perilous or took more time than expected," suggested Elodie, taking great care to keep her voice controlled. She needed to be strong now, for her husband's sake.

Arthur groaned and plopped into a plush armchair by the fire. "I cannot see them being delayed by such menial things," he sighed, glancing out the window. The sun had just finished setting, signaling the end of the tenth day of their absence. "Serene is a powerful sorceress, Ingrid is wiser than any other person in this world, and Matthias is a renowned warrior. Something is wrong, Elodie."

Elodie didn't disagree. But she also didn't know what could've possibly befallen them… as Arthur had said, their friends could more than handle themselves.

"Have there been any letters, any rumors?" asked Elodie, setting Tobias down upon the carpet so he could play with his toy soldiers.

Arthur watched his son play for a brief moment before locking eyes with his wife and slowly shaking his head. His face was pale as he said in a hushed voice, "You don't think the demon escaped her bonds, do you?"

"If she did, I would know it. I would feel the breaking of the seal."

Although Elodie was certain in her magic, Arthur was not as well-versed in such matters; it seemed that in his mind, there was still sufficient room for doubt. The frown upon his face told her this. It was a look he wore only when he was deep in thought.

"I could go look for them," Elodie suggested, loath as she was to leave her children again. She had already missed Tobias's third birthday in her efforts to hide the Garnet Star.

"No!" cried Arthur. The suddenness of this comment made Tobias squeal. Considerably softer, he said, "No, Elodie. If you were to be lost as well, I… I would never forgive myself."

Elodie smiled, though the gesture was sad. She knew how tormented he was at this moment, even though he did not show it.

There was a peal of laughter, and the woman looked towards the door of the lounge to see Rosalina playing with the Diamond Star, despite being told not to touch it.

"Rosa!" snapped Arthur, leaping out of his armchair.

Knowing that he was in a fragile state, Elodie rose and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her husband did not turn around, but she knew by his stillness that he was listening to her say, "I will take care of this, Arthur. I know it's hard, but please… do what you can to relax and be good to yourself."

His shoulders slumped, much of his angry bravado fading in an instant. He turned back to the chair, sat in it, and held his forehead in his hands.

Elodie turned back to Rosalina, who had been watching her parents with wide silver eyes. She obviously knew—or perhaps had suddenly just remembered—that she wasn't allowed to touch the jewel, despite how pretty and shiny it was.

"It's all right," crooned Elodie, kneeling down in front of her daughter. She held out an expectant hand: Rosalina placed the Diamond Star inside her palm. "But do you remember what we told you?"

"Sometimes the prettiest things are the most dangerous," murmured Rosalina, bowing her head.

"Exactly. Now, I have a story to tell you, if you'll sit with me and listen."

Rosalina, apparently relieved to not be in trouble, sat with her mother in front of the fireplace, crossing her legs and fidgeting excitedly.

Once they were more or less settled, Elodie took a deep breath and said, "You're growing quickly, my girl, which makes me think it is time to tell you why your father and I are gone for long whiles at a time. So hearken to me now, for I likely will not tell you again for many years.

"Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman who loved each other very deeply. They were happy together; they had a daughter. Everything was right in their world, for they all had each other, and that was all they really needed.

"But one day, the man got sick. The woman and the daughter tried everything to heal him—they asked others to help. No one wanted to, for fear of getting sick themselves. The husband, the father… he left this life. He passed away.

"The woman, the mother—she was devastated. She began performing complicated magic in an attempt to bring him back to life. They all failed, but still she persisted, her magic growing darker and darker each day. Before too much longer, she was a woman no longer—she was a monster, for she had sold her soul to powers greater than any could understand. She no longer loved the way she once did. Even her daughter was unimportant to her now.

"The monster grew more and more powerful… powerful enough to threaten the world. The monster's daughter, however, could not let this happen. She ran from home to tell the lord of the neighboring land of the coming danger, and he summoned his strongest and closest friends to help stop the monster from hurting anyone else.

"The battle that was fought was fierce. More than once, the five who had gathered thought they would be bested. For the monster had tools of great power on her side: they came to be known as the Crystal Stars.

"It was the wisest of the five who said, 'We must take the demon's tools from her if we are to have any chance at success.' And so they did. They took the seven Crystal Stars, and with their power, were able to win the battle. Not only that, but they were able to seal the monster far away underground, where it would sleep for a thousand years or more.

"There would be no darkness in this lifetime. But still, the five friends who stood against the monster knew they had to be vigilant. They had to take the beautiful star-shaped gemstones and scatter them far across the world, so no one else would ever use them to hurt others again."

Elodie ceased speaking and looked into Rosalina's wide eyes. She reached out and brushed some of her daughter's golden-white hair behind her ear before finishing with, "These Crystal Stars are a good example of what you may one day find in the outside world, Rosa. They are beautiful, yes; but they are dangerous. Some things are best walked away from."

"But… but the heroes used them for good, too," protested the girl with a pout. "They hid the monster away…"

Arthur chuckled somewhat from his seat. Elodie too smiled.

"That is true," she relented. "They were. Remember this, too, Rosalina: some things can still be used for good. It all depends on the heart of the person with you."

Rosalina was quiet for a while, thinking about this. She looked back at the Diamond Star that rested in her mother's hands—and then looked away.

The only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire in its hearth; Arthur lunged forth to stop Tobias from crawling too close to its heat. Elodie could not help but smile as their son reached out towards it and babbled, "Pwetty fire."

Arthur kissed the top of Tobias's forehead before looking over towards Elodie.

"Let's put it away now," said Arthur, gesturing to the gemstone that lay dormant in her hands. "I know we originally wanted the others to be here to see it, but… given the circumstances…"

Elodie smiled and nodded, knowing that it would be a weight lifted from both of their shoulders once it was done. She and Arthur rose so they might put their children to bed—Rosalina began protesting, saying that she wanted to say good-bye to the shiny star even if it was scary—but her parents put a quick stop to it.

Despite her objections, Rosalina was stifling yawns all the way: by the time Elodie kissed her goodnight, the young girl was struggling to resist the lull of sleep. Tobias had already fallen asleep in Arthur's arms.

So it was that the Lord and Lady of Petal Meadows proceeded to the innermost vaults of the palace. The had agreed on hiding it here, so they and their descendants might be able to guard over the deadly jewel and give it to a hero that would come a thousand years in the future. It was to be the only Crystal Star that would remain in direct contact with any of their children.

Arthur placed the key into the door of the vault, and both he and Elodie stepped inside. They found themselves surrounded by ancient relics of previous Lords, as well as piles of gold that they would distribute to citizens of Petalburg each winter, to buy food and furs and seeds for the following planting. There were no windows in this room, for it was hidden on the far side of the castle, to be kept away from prying eyes—and it was immensely cold, as there was no reason to start a fire in a room that for the most part, was empty.

In the center of the room stood a pedestal meant for the Diamond Star. Elodie looked towards it and exhaled slowly, feeling inexplicably uneasy…

Arthur seemed to notice her unease and reached out for her other hand. He squeezed it tightly; and together, they walked to the jewel's resting place.

Elodie reached out to place the Diamond Star on its new home—

"Wait."

She stopped at the sound of Arthur's voice, shooting him a puzzled look.

It may have just been her anxious mind, but Arthur's face had overtaken a thoughtful look. He stared straight ahead, a thousand leagues away, and Elodie watched him. She could almost see the thoughts he was entertaining.

"Prepare your magic," he said softly.

Elodie frowned and murmured, "Why?"

"I think there's a curse on them," whispered the man, his sky-blue eyes filled with a frightened realization. "The demon was shouting dozens of them after us as we fled the Palace of Shadow… what if they are bound to one of her minions, and the sheer surprise managed to delay or even fell the others?"

A lump appeared in Elodie's throat: she couldn't stand the thought that the others were dead. She'd thought it before, but she'd never truly believed it possible…

"We'll take it on together, then," she said: strong, resolute.

Arthur smiled and reached out, gently taking the Diamond Star from her hands.

"Elodie Grace Maribel Lancaster. I love you more than anything else in the world. I want you to know this. I need you to remember. Do you understand?"

She smiled, but felt her heart race.

"Arthur Reginald," she returned evenly, "you are the love of my life. We can do this if we are together."

He placed a hand upon the side of her face and kissed her: a simple gesture, light and sweet… and yet, for no reason that Elodie could discern, so incredibly sad.

"You can do this," he murmured, and he reached forward and placed the Diamond Star upon its pedestal.

The moment his fingers no longer touched the gem, a swirling spiral of black magic surrounded him. Elodie screamed and lunged out for his hand—she was only able to brush his fingers and see his eyes staring resolutely into hers before he was gone.

In Arthur's place stood a large black box.

Elodie collapsed to her knees, grunting with frustration and desperation as she struggled to get it open.

It stayed resolutely closed.

"Arthur!" she shrieked, grabbing a sword from the wall and trying to insert the tip of its blade into the keyhole. She turned the weapon this way and that, doing everything she could to pick its lock—but still it wouldn't budge.

"Arthur!"

Silence.

For hours on end, Elodie sat in front of the black box, sobbing relentlessly as she tried to pry open its lid. And even though she hoped, she prayed, she used all the spells in her arsenal, she knew, deep in her heart, that none of it would work.

This was the curse that claimed her friends. It wasn't they that had been cursed, but the Crystal Stars themselves—and if Elodie knew the demon, which she daresay she knew it best out of anyone in the world, there would be no reversing it.

Elodie collapsed against the side of the box, her eyes no longer able to shed tears… yet she continued to rasp and plead with someone that was not there. She would remain there until morning, cold with the knowledge that this had been the very intention of the demon… of her mother…when the curse was cast.

For it was Elodie Lancaster who was the daughter of her own story, the story that she told her daughter, and she knew why the demon had selected her to be spared.

It was so she could feel her mother Lysandra Lancaster's pain when her husband had passed on—so that Elodie could finally and truly understand her mother's actions.