Velvet smiled at the side of the cliff, watching the sunset. Laphicet right besides her, pointing at the various birds and ships that silently passed on by. The warmth of the ocean breeched against her face with the wake of the waves.
Her hair undone to embrace the dusk, she turned to Laphicet. His face grew mellow, drumming his fingers against the grass. His lips moved. He was saying something. Did her ears mute?
The young boy turned to her, eyes shining a gentle hazel-yellow shade.
"What? What did you say?" She asked.
He continued to talk, almost if he was ignoring those words. The hazel color turned into a second sun. Shadows disappeared and then…
Nothing.
The therion stirred in her bed, shaken by the events. Her hand reached out, flexing against the bandages that wrapped them together.
There were questions she had to ask once the other two were awake on his hastily done boat-ride.
-.-.-
Lailah blew her nose as she watched the waves break against the hull. It was always a pleasant thing, to hear the water roll over, even if she was a fire malak. Having no desire to eat, she watched Amelia munch on a piece of ship's bisket.
And by the way the girl was crunching it, she's glad to be a malakhim. No food, no problems!
The rest of the passengers moved about. Life was buzzing about and right on cue, Velvet Crowe finally came out.
"There you two are. Now, I'd like some questions."
Amelia looked relieved, finally tossing her food overboard. Maybe she lost a tooth? Maybe two-ff.
No, no. Mhmmm, need a better joke…
"Alright, shoot." The brunette leaned against the railing.
"Who are these Morrígan Wings?"
"The old Abbey's personal guard. Well, more like Melchior's hounds." Amelia explained. "There were rumors of people disappearing during Exorcist initiation and training. People suddenly vanishing and nobody ever knowing. We thought the instructors were playing dumb, but nobody questioned it.
"Those people, they became Venator-class Exorcists. Thought they were just a myth, but… You get the idea."
Amelia turned around, facing the sea. "It's because of them, our Abbey broke. People lost faith in us. We tried contacting the Bloodwing Butterflies, but even they couldn't do anything."
"How in the world does this group handle the entire Abbey?"
"How did your group manage to take down the Abbey in the first place?"
Velvet cursed, leaning into the banister as well. The wind blowing in her hair. Lailah blinked. There was something almost different about her. She remembers hearing about the Lord of Calamity and all she did, but this person. This girl before her felt… different.
Her posture was different, her steps unsure.
Lailah hoped that a joke would cheer her up.
"The sea, the sea. You can see as far as the eye can see, you see?"
Amelia turned away, waving her hand off. Velvet tried containing a smirk, even if her body said otherwise.
"See? By listening to the sea, you're feeling better."
"Aren't you a fire malakhim?" The brunette asked.
"Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the water."
This was gonna be a long boat ride…
-.-.-
Amelia rubbed her eyes free of the sea salt that collected. Port Zekrom never changes. Or maybe it has, as her therion companion shifted back and forth.
"Things change?"
"Not really. A few more stores and warehouses, but nothing too big."
"The general ward is the same. Trader's alley has changed a bit."
"Has it really?"
"Yes. And that is why." She spun around, pointing a finger at her nose. "We are going to do some clothes shopping!"
"Really? Now?" Velvet exasperatedly asked.
"Yesss, you look like a damn maid!"
She looked down her clothes. Celica's old clothes. For all the hardships she put up with between her, Laphi, and Arthur… Her teeth overhung her bottom lip.
"Fine. But I'm choosing."
"Go right ahead."
Velvet led the way. While the overall look of the docks remained the same, a few things were moved. More space for boats, the number of sailors roaming around. Even the smaller fishing boats just for the port-city increased. Seven years… She could hardly believe it.
Of course, there was also the possibility that those two were lying…
Passing the crowds, the therion found herself at a clothing shop.
"Welcome!" The shopkeeper cheered.
Velvet gave a passing nod. Time to look for something that'll fit her. Fingers dug through the various shirts and pants. But now, what would exactly fit her now? Eyes wandered to a mirror as she gazed into it.
Her muscle definition was back, but there was something different. Her steps, her poses.
She was softer. Velvet shook her head, readapting her own scowls and body language.
And yet, it all looked weaker. Almost trying too hard.
Velvet closed her eyes. How many dreams did I have in those seven years? They've taken the edge off. Velvet Crowe, the Lord of Calamity. Was she still there? She wondered. Was that even a good thing?
Thoughts disappeared as she found some clothes. At least it was better than at Titania. Red and black. These suited her well. But she wanted something that… used to mimic her old clothes? Something to that degree?
She gazed around to the coats. There were plenty but none of them spoke to her. She could always use the old one.
"You used to wear a black ripped coat, didn't you?"
Velvet turned around. Amelia holding another set of clothing. More earthly colors in her sets. And some hard-leather.
"Wasn't it obvious?"
"Kinda hard when you're wearing something like that." The brunette hummed. "Mhmmm, are you gonna tear it up again?"
"I'm spend–"
"Do you have any gald?"
She looked down. "No…"
"Then it's actually my gald." She chuckled. "Hey, I don't care if you style it your own way. I'd be more comfortable if I handled the snipping and cutting though."
Velvet rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Finally, she stopped looking. There was a simple black cloak. "How about this one?"
"Looks good to me."
Grabbing her change of clothing, she waltzed right to the counter. "That's about… 350 gald."
"It's cheaper than usual weapons." Amelia giggled, paying up. "You gonna change?"
"I will. Just wait." Velvet brushed off their words and headed towards one of the changing stalls. Off with her sister's clothes and –
A knock. "Who is it?"
Parchment slipped under. She opened it.
Velvet Crowe, the Bloodwing Butterflies are requesting your audience. However, do come at your earliest convenience.
"They found out already?" She muttered to herself. That didn't change her circumstance. All clothed up and ready to go, she set out again.
Amelia and Lailah waited outside, smiling as Velvet came out. "What do you think?"
"Imposing and menacing. It works for you." The legate mused. "You want me to hold on your old clothes?"
"No, I'll carry them."
-.-.-
The Empyrean's Throne was still the same ziggurat colossus it was seven years ago. The additions were minimal but made to complete the entire structure. But unlike the guardian beasts that roamed the grounds, it was near empty. A scant few malakhim rested against the pillars and structures. A few passing glances looked over at the trio, but none of them wished to meet them.
Up the stairs.
Damn, who those these things were necessary?! Velvet cursed. Reaching the top, she leaned over the staircase. "This place… needs to be… smaller."
Heavy vibrations echoed. A dragon's roar rocked their ears as Velvet turned to the skies. An argent winged reptile landed on the throne with a loud thud. It's eyes closed and silver flames manifested before them.
A young boy, probably ten years old, sniffling. Tears rolling off his cheeks as he held his hands out.
Velvet's eyes softened. They walked.
They ran.
Hugging and embracing more intimately than comrades. What could've been a lost cousin or sibling in the other world, returned once more.
Amelia and Lailah decided to back off. Let the two alone as they slowly walked down the steps.
"V-velvet, where did you go? What happened? H-how..?!"
"One question at a time Phi, one question at a time." Velvet loosely let go, holding him before her. "I… I really don't know."
Maotelus pulled on her clothes, nodding. Repeating again and again, "Y-you're back… you're back!"
Over tears and sniffles, Velvet finally asked, "Phi… What's happened in the last few years?"
The young Empyrean stiffened, almost bracing for a hit coming his way. Hands clutched tighter on Velvet's new clothing.
"Do you… really want to know?"
"I want to know what happened to the world I left behind."
Maotelus let go, stepping back a moment. Eyes closed in thought, when he finally opened them, resolution burned within them.
"When you left… We tried to stay together. Like a memorial. Every year since you're gone, we'd come here with yozakura anmitsu."
"Rokurou's idea huh?"
"Everybody thought it was a good idea." He sniffled. The tears of his face dried, but the cracking of his voice remained. "After the first year, Magilou stopped coming."
"Figures."
"We said the same too." Maotelus scratched his cheek. "But we got reports from the Bloodwing Butterflies that she was roaming around, recording things about the kingdom. A year afterwards, Eizen stopped. They're still pirates after all and they can't always be in the same port.
"People can still see malakhim for now. But Eizen said that his crew sees him appear and disappear. Only Benwick still sees him constantly."
"I've got the idea of what those two are doing." Velvet pondered. "What were Eleanor and Rokurou doing then?"
"Helping out with whatever they could. Eleanor was always the front-most person, and Rokurou fought from the shadows. I… I think they started dating after a while. Then two years later, they broke up."
"Oh." Velvet blinked in confusion. Watching the two, she half-expected that. In fact, in her dreams, there were several loops she remembered that she met the two dating.
They were… happy.
Weren't they?
"Around that time, Eleanor decided to reform the Abbey. With Prince Percival's approval and several other nobles, and me as the Empyrean, it seemed like the world was finally coming back together. She led the Exorcists, created a new doctrine, had two legates to help but…"
"The Morrígan Wings."
His eyes widened. "You know them?!"
"I landed in Aball. That's where Amelia and Lailah found me." Velvet still looked to the side. Why there of all places? Did those two ancipate her arrival? Or was it all just coincidence?
"Looks like they were hunting after Amelia." She finally said.
The little boy balled his hands, shaking. "It started with simple things. An increase of bandits. Then came additional attacks on the sea. Daemons started attacking in larger numbers. Villagers disappearing. They weren't a mindless horde. They were calculated. Versed. Just enough terror running back into major towns, clogging the major ways. Just enough for them to run back to the Abbey to report it but…"
"How are they even doing this?"
"I looked through the Earthpulse. I guess they were escaping through there. But just as they come, they've managed to cover their tracks."
Velvet ground her teeth. So they were at a complete disadvantage.
"Public support fell. People blamed Eleanor. Then those that remembered Eleanor as a traitor... The Bloodwings were able to slow the spread when you were around but they couldn't stop this. The Praetor's rallied with her because they thought she'd be like Artorius. But they fled just as the rumors got worse. Some took it a step further, denouncing that she was capitalizing on Artorius's death."
"That's… not untrue." Velvet shifted.
"In the end, there was only a handful of members left. And that's when Eleanor declared the diaspora order."
"Dia…spora order?"
"According to Eleanor, it was an old Abbey code for the members to scatter and go into hiding."
"And what's she doing now?"
Maotelus nodded. "W-well, there was this idea that she wanted to discover. People with large enough malevolence started appearing. Some even declared themselves 'Lord of Calamity'. Eleanor wanted to find a way to burn away that malevolence and turn them back to human."
"So she's gone on a quest, huh?"
"She's meeting the Four Elemental Empyreans. She's already met Eumacia in the Dungeness Desert in the south. She's on the way to find Musiphe, the Empyrean of Fire in the north."
"I see…" Velvet slowly turned away from him, staring blankly into the great beyond from the staircase. From the corner of her eyes, Amelia and Lailah were already at the base, laying against one of the many trees planted in the courtyards.
For a monument built by the hands of enslaved malakhim, could such a view really be appreciated?
Reflexively, she pinched herself. Nothing.
Another quick reflex and her blade appeared. Something grabbed her sleeve as she looked down.
Maotelus holding on, just like that time in the earthpulse.
"Velvet. This isn't a dream anymore."
She sighed. "How… How can I be sure of that? What if… this is another dream? I mean, have you looked at Lailah?"
The boy blinked, "You mean, the puns?"
"She looks and acts exactly like Celica."
"I dunno. Maybe?"
"What if her memories are sealed, just like before?"
"I… I really don't know." He had no real memory of his 'mother'. Even the memories through the Earthpulse made no direct distinction. "What if she really isn't Celica?"
Frustrated, Velvet fell silent, turning away.
"What are you going to do, Velvet?"
She took a seat, legs resting on the steps lower. "I… I really don't know. Everything that I fought… It's all over. I can't go back to who I was. And now, what do I have left?"
"You have me."
"I know but… What can I even do?" She stared down at her arm, unleashing it's claw once more. "It's not like I can be the same baker, singer or whatever my dreams were. And now, everybody's just gone and doing their own thing."
Maotelus closed his eyes, taking a seat besides her. "You miss them, don't you?"
"It's hard to realize what you've got before you lose it all. Or don't have memories of who they were in real life from your dreams."
The young Empyrean laughed, leaning back. "I can still see them. And they're all doing just fine. Actually, Rokurou was here a few hours ago. He came back from a mission by the Bloodwing Butterflies with Eleanor."
Velvet looked to him, mentally piecing things together. She stood back up, sheathing her blade.
"I think it's time to head to Loegres."
"You want to see the capital again?"
"No, it's about time to see a familiar face."
Even… If it was a dream, would those feelings disappear?
watch?v=6Ga02GG5ZNE