Chapter 24

As the Gummi Ship slowly made its descent down to one of the more remote corners of Traverse Town, Ioanna was watching out the window with no small amount of wonder. She'd lived in this place for so many years, yet had never before seen it from such a vantage point. In some ways it felt smaller than she'd thought, yet in many others it was amazing to see just how much there truly was. Velcia, who was too uncomfortable with landings and take-offs to be anywhere but strapped into her seat, was watching her excited mother with some curiosity.

Still, she'd spent so much time aboard Cindy's airship that she now thought perhaps it was time to try it. With a small nod to herself, Velcia undid her buckles and after a few nervous steps found her confidence and strode over beside her mother to watch what was left of the landing sequence.

"You know, Velcia, it feels strange to say it, but even though I've only just returned I find I already miss Thebes again," Ioanna said.

Velcia smiled, running her fingers across the window sill. "I know the feeling. Do you suppose you will move back, then?"

Ioanna chuckled with a half smile, shaking her head. Velcia's hopeful optimism was as clear as day, but it was an optimism she happened to share. "I think I shall," she said, looking up to see Velcia beaming proudly.

"I'm so happy to hear that! Aunt and Uncle shall be so pleased to have you back," Velcia told her, bouncing slightly on the tips of her toes.

"Honestly, dear, it's a small wonder they're not sick of me already. I don't think any of us expected I would stay there for a month-!"

"I'm so sorry about that," Velcia said, shaking her head. "I didn't realize I would be gone for so long. Still, they didn't seem to mind," she said, placing her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Afterall, they let me stay with them, too, the whole last week."

"They did," Ioanna said warmly. "They are very generous hosts. Do you have time to accompany me to my home?"

"Indeed!" Velcia said, to her mother's great amusement.

"I don't recall you saying that so much before," Ioanna chuckled.

Velcia blushed. "Oh, yes, Prompto did point out that I seem to have picked it up from Ignis while I was there."

The ship let out a series of clunks as the landing gear locked into place and the boarding ramp lowered, and the two began to make their way outside the ship. They were met by the cool, still night air of Traverse Town and both breathed in a sigh of contentment.

They walked along the brick streets, gazing around them at the buildings and luminous ambience. Ioanna glanced over at her daughter, attentive eyes catching the hint of sadness behind her faltering smile.

"Have you tried contacting him?" Ioanna asked softly.

"I have…" Velcia sighed. "My Gummi Phone only says it cannot make the connection. He… he must be someplace where the communications are jammed again."

Ioanna came over beside her daughter, hugging her gently as they walked. "Be strong, Velcia. I know it's hard to wait… but from what you've told me, it will be worth it."

"I know," Velcia said, sniffing sadly. "It's just difficult. I'm certain he must be fine, after all… he's got Noctis, and Gladiolus, and Prompto there with him. Despite that, after everything, I can't seem to help but fear the worst."

Ioanna stopped, holding her daughter's hand tightly. "Don't let fear or regret into your heart, Velcia. Whatever happens, whatever may come… hold that love tight in your heart and never let go."

"You're right," Velcia said. "You waited here in Traverse Town for so long… if need be, I can do the same."

"You won't be alone, Velcia," Ioanna said softly, rubbing her back. "I understand how difficult it is. Know that I love you and will always be here for you."

Velcia smiled warmly. "Thank you."

They two turned and resumed their trek, Ioanna taking the opportunity to change the subject. "When are you going to meet with your Keyblade Masters?"

"Directly after I leave here," Velcia told her with a nod. "I'm afraid it's been difficult for them to find time for it. I'm not entirely sure what's been keeping them so occupied, but it must be important."

"Meeting with you is important, too," Ioanna said proudly.

Velcia smiled. "Thank you. Mostly, I am looking forward to telling them about the two Hearts taking refuge in my Station of Awakening. I know everything on Eos is fine, but these two… Well, I can only imagine what Master Yen Sid may say about them."

"You'll have to tell me about it when you return," Ioanna said, a flicker of intrigue flashing through her eyes. "I've certainly never heard of such a thing."

At last they arrived at Ioanna's home, and the two looked up at the darkened shop front together. Ioanna sighed, shaking her head. "I'll have to find that Moogle again soon and see what he thinks."

"It will be so good to have you running our shop back home in Thebes once more," Velcia said with delight.

"I'm looking forward to it," Ioanna agreed, turning to her daughter once more. "Thank you, Velcia, for everything."

Velcia stepped forward, hugging her mother tightly. "No, thank you… you mean so much to me, and I'm just so happy to have you back…"

"Me too," Ioanna said, stroking her hand through Velcia's soft hair. "I suppose you'd better go then, hm?"

"I suppose so," Velcia said, letting go. "I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

Ioanna bowed softly. "Travel well, Velcia, I love you."

"I love you too, mother," Velcia said, smiling warmly.

As Velcia climbed the steps of Yen Sid's tower, she found her heart swelling with pride and curiosity. Last time she had been here, she was so nervous about her mission to Eos, so unsure of herself; and since then she had grown so much. Her hardships played through her head as she tried to think of how to recount what had happened for Masters Yen Sid and Aqua, and for each hardship she found herself smiling ever happier as she remembered the growth and learning that she and her friends went through to be able to emerge triumphantly.

She'd never before found herself feeling confident opening Yen Sid's heavy wooden door, but after her knocks were met with a beckon to enter she did so without hesitation. Master Yen Sid sat as he always did at the chair behind his desk, with Aqua sitting in a seat not far to the side. The great wide windows behind Yen Sid seemed to shimmer even more beautifully this night, the glowing constellations and vast swathes of the cosmos gliding along nearly imperceptibly in the distance.

"Welcome, Velcia," Yen Sid said with a nod. "It is good to have you back."

"I am very glad to be back," Velcia said surely. "Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me."

Aqua nodded slowly, and Velcia couldn't help but feel she noted a hint of hesitation. "I'm sorry it's taken so long, Velcia. We have something very important to discuss with you."

"I understand. I imagine whatever's been keeping you so occupied must be very urgent, indeed," Velcia said with a respectful nod. "I, too, have something important to discuss."

Yen Sid stroked his beard slowly, eyes closed. "I am eager to hear of it," he said, opening his eyes and standing up. "From what Master Aqua has told me, Velcia, you were quite successful in your mission on Eos. However… I am afraid there have been complications."

"Compli…?" Velcia trailed off, eyes darting between them in panic. "Oh, what have I done wrong?"

Aqua shook her head, speaking up sadly. "You've done everything correctly, Velcia. The Heartless have been driven from Eos and you did indeed lock the Keyhole."

"Then what is it?" Velcia said, her voice cracking.

Yen Sid walked slowly out from behind his desk, stroking his beard and shaking his head. "It seems that, sometime within the last few days, Eos has been overtaken by a shroud of darkness."

Velcia's eyes widened, her trembling fingers clenching into fists. "Heartless?!"

Yen Sid came to a stop in front of her, looking deep into her determined eyes. "No. This darkness seems to be one of the world's own, a by-product of the phenomenon they refer to as the Star Scourge."

"No, that… that can't be," Velcia said, shaking her head. "Lady Lunafreya's powers should prevent that."

Aqua stood up. "We're not sure what's happened to trigger it, and despite our best efforts it doesn't seem like we're going to."

"Why?" Velcia asked curtly.

Yen Sid closed his eyes. "It appears that the Astrals, presumably at Bahamut's command, have sealed the world in its totality by way of a powerful magic spell. Whatever is happening to Eos, Bahamut has made it clear that it is a tribulation they mean to handle on their own."

Velcia's eyes began to water, and she clenched her jaw to prevent it from trembling. "I have to go back," she said suddenly, looking up to Yen Sid and Aqua. "Masters, I must go back and help them!"

"You cannot," Yen Sid said firmly. "We must trust that Eos can handle whatever misfortune has befallen it, and respect the world order."

"Forget the world order!" Velcia yelled angrily. "Bahamut was going to destroy Eos if we didn't take care of the Heartless, I won't sit by and watch as it's destroyed now! I'm going to go help them!"

She quickly spun around to leave, Yen Sid's voice calling out to her. "You must not, Velcia."

Velcia stopped at the door, chest heaving as she felt the metal handle in her hand. She let go of it, and turned slowly back to them. Her hands and lips trembled and her face was a rapidly deteriorating mess of emotion. "How can you possibly ask me to leave them to suffer through this calamity on their own?"

"I understand your plight," Yen Sid said, folding his hands together. "The timing of it is terrible, to work so hard to free the world from the Heartless only to have it fall to a darkness of its own devising. Still, any attempts to break through the Astral's defenses could have disastrous consequences; both to yourself an-"

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Velcia demanded angrily. "Do you expect me to just sit by idly, without so much as even trying? It makes no difference if this darkness is from the Heartless or not, I am not going to sit around and pretend as if nothing is wrong!"

Velcia turned back to the door to leave, but instead of the wooden panels she was surprised to find only a blank stone wall where it once was.

She spun around, the indignant defiance on her face melting in surprise at the sight. The shutters of Yen Sid's windows blew open and the lights of the cosmos began to flood into the room as if they were water, the great collage of the heavens sloshing up and around the sides and ceiling of the room until the only things that remained to be seen within the swirling vortex of the heavens were Masters Yen Sid and Aqua.

Velcia stumbled back, afraid and confused, growing ever more disoriented. All of space seemed to spin wildly around her, and though she could feel she was firm on her feet she couldn't keep her balance and her footing began to falter.

Yen Sid stepped forward, unaffected by the illusory display, and stared down at her. "You would put both Eos and everything you've worked to achieve at risk by defying Bahamut, who would surely begin to work against you directly."

She fell to her hands and knees, closing her eyes tightly to shut out the spinning. "I… I…"

"Furthermore," Yen Sid continued, "If the Heartless were to gain access to the darkness of Eos they would surely grow in power and numbers the likes of which has not been seen in ages. If you care at all for this world and its people, you must respect this."

Yen Sid looked down at Velcia, who sat there breathing heavily. He was unsure whether or not she'd paid his warnings any heed, and was about to continue when he felt a soft touch against his arm. He looked over to see Aqua standing beside him, looking down at Velcia with a trembling lip. "Please, Master… allow me," Aqua said quietly.

Yen Sid nodded, and Aqua came over beside Velcia, kneeling down and rubbing her back. Velcia was weeping sadly now, and banged her fist weakly against the floor. "Why… why must I lose everyone I love?!" she cried, holding her hands to her face.

Aqua hugged her gently, looking up at Yen Sid who shook his head in pity.

"I'm so sorry, Velcia," Aqua said gently.

Velcia heaved one last time, and took a deep breath. She wiped her eyes, and sat up. "No, I… I am so sorry, to both of you. I should never have spoken so disrespectfully to either of you." Velcia inhaled sharply, still fighting to regain her composure. "I'm willing to accept any consequences…" she said sadly, looking down at her hands.

"While I expected this revelation to be quite difficult for you, I must admit I am surprised by the extremity of your reaction," Yen Sid said softly, "Can I trust that you are now willing to stay and listen to reason?"

Velcia nodded softly, and as she did the vortex of swirling space obscuring the room faded away; the familiar floor and furniture a welcome relief to her dizzied and disoriented senses.

Aqua's voice spoke up beside her. "Master, may Velcia and I please have a moment in the next room?"

Yen Sid, who'd made his way back to his chair, nodded permissively. "Please do. Take what time you need, and return here when you are ready to proceed."

Velcia nodded weakly, standing up and following Aqua into the next room. Her tear-stained face burned red with shame, and other than croaking out a barely-audible "thank you", she found herself unable to reply in any meaningful way.

In the next room there was a large window in a nook with a cushion seat, and this was where Aqua led Velcia to before pulling a freshly polished wooden chair up beside her. There were scraps of fabric and racks of clothes around the room and, though she would normally be fascinated to look at everything there, Velcia found herself unable to focus on anything properly.

Aqua looked at Velcia, a soft and sad expression of concern on her face. Velcia sat with her knees pulled up against her chest, alternating between periods of measured breaths and uncontrolled heaves as she stared blankly out the window.

After watching for a few moments and taking time to collect her thoughts, Aqua took a deep breath and spoke kindly. "Do you remember when you and I traveled to Olympus together to meet Zeus?"

Velcia swallowed, her arms folding around her raised legs. "I do."

"Out there, in Yen Sid's room… I recognized that same pain you felt after Vesta shared the vision from the Tapestry with you." Velcia winced, pursing her lips, and Aqua held a hand to her back reassuringly. "I don't know what has happened, but… I know what it takes to push you to that point. I'm so sorry, Velcia."

"No, I'm sorry, Aqua," Velcia said, turning towards her. "I just-" she stopped, choking up again.

"Oh, Velcia…" Aqua said, grabbing her hand. "I heard what you said in the other room. If you need to talk about anything, I'm here. I understand how much it hurts to lose your friends."

"...it's not just that," Velcia admitted hoarsely, looking away.

Aqua tilted her head. "What else, then?"

Velcia bit her lip. "I… I fell in love. After all this time, despite my fear, I fell in love and now I've lost him, too," she said, head falling to her knees as more tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Velcia," Aqua said sadly. "I can't imagine…"

Velcia sniffled, wiping her hand across her cheek. "And, as much as it hurts to say, I believe Ignis would agree with Yen Sid. Even if I did go back now… I would only make things worse for them…"

She clasped her hand tightly together, looking back out into space. "I just wish there was some way I could help him. Oh, Aqua, isn't there anything we can do?"

Aqua bit her lip, looking at Velcia's sad expression reflected in the window. "I'm not sure. Yen Sid may be able to think of something, but from what he's told me Eos is completely shut away from any outside influence…"

"...I understand…" Velcia whispered sadly. "So what do I do, then? Just… move on as if nothing has happened?"

"No," Aqua said firmly, her tone drawing Velcia's attention to her. "Trust in them, trust in him, and keep watch for an opportunity."

Velcia smiled faintly. "Opportunity for what?"

"Though they are swallowed into darkness, your friends must be doing everything in their power to fight it. You may not be able to do anything now, but if you are patient you may someday get your chance," Aqua told her. She straightened up a bit, staring off into space. "It took ten years for me to escape the Realm of Darkness, and longer still to reunite with Terra and Ven. It may seem hopeless now, but trust in your friends, keep your light strong-"

Velcia nodded. "...and walk tall," she added softly. She looked back towards the door, everything running through her mind once more before she buried her face in her hands. "I'm such a fool, speaking to Yen Sid so disrespectfully! He's done nothing but help and support me, and continued to do so even as I was yelling at him… How can I ever bear to speak to him again?"

"You apologize to him," Aqua said, sitting on the opposite end of the cushion. "Explain to him what you've told me, and listen to his counsel. He has helped many wielders through similar situations."

"I will…" Velcia said, swallowing. "And I will thank him for helping bring me back to my senses."

"Good," Aqua said with a nod, standing back up. "Are you ready to go back out there?"

"I think so," Velcia said, sniffling one last time. "May I have just a moment first?"

"Of course," Aqua said, walking over to the door. She took one last look at Velcia, and stepped out.

Velcia took a deep breath and dried her face, then turned to look back out the window, placing her open palm longingly against the glass. "I'll try my best, Ignis…" she whispered softly. "I'll do my duty and walk tall, just like you. I promise, someday, I will go back to you… no matter how long it takes."

— The End —

Epilogue

Velcia awoke with a start, gasping and blinking as she looked around the unfamiliar environment trying to remember where she was. The sterile, white splotches slowly came together as her vision focused and as the white stone walls and pillars came into view she quickly remembered that she was in Ansem's Castle.

She looked down in front of her, seeing the table she'd been sitting at before she fell asleep across it. The week she'd spent here so far had been exhausting, a busy time not helped in the slightest by the bad dreams that seemed to be plaguing her mind since she heard the terrible news in Yen Sid's tower.

She sat back, grabbing her cup of tea and sipping it slowly. Cold. She'd been out for a while, she realized, but as she thought about this she found she wasn't sure what had startled her awake. She didn't recall having a bad dream this time.

There was a small, wispy-sounding bubbly noise beside her, and she turned to see the small gray Chirithy appearing atop the table beside her in a poof of lint-like smoke. The Chirithy landed on his bottom, but quickly composed itself and stood up.

Velcia sat upright in surprise. "Oh, hello," she said. "Are you the same Chirithy I met in my Station of Awakening?"

The small cat-like creature nodded, speaking up in his deep, smooth voice. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry to wake you up."

"That was you?" she asked.

"It was," the Chirithy admitted with an apologetic bow. "Balthazar is waking soon, and I worry for him once he does."

"...Balthazar…" Velcia mused, holding her hand to her chin. "I recognize that name, but I don't know from where. Is he our mutual friend, the one Ansem's given that new replica body in the pod?"

"Yes, he is. That is why I came to find you, he is waking soon."

Velcia nodded. "Then, I will go to see him. Is something wrong?"

The Chirithy shook his head. "There is not, but I fear that he will find his circumstances distressing when he awakens and will need to hear that he is safe from someone that he trusts. Please, follow me."

Velcia did so, finding she couldn't help but chuckle at the slow pace she needed to properly follow behind him as he dashed into the hall. "Chirithy, how am I supposed to help him if I can't even remember who he is?"

"He will remember you, just as I do. You told us before that you would not remember us - he will know to expect it," the Chirithy said as it bounded across the stone floor.

She stopped in her tracks. "I told you? When? Have your memories come back?"

"There is no time to explain, please hurry!"

They turned a corner and entered a doorway into one of Ansem's many labs. It was clean and pristine, all sorts of devices and machines whirring and clicking along the edges of the room. In the center of the room was a pod, inside of which lay the restored form of the young man who'd taken refuge in Velcia's heart.

She walked up slowly towards it, looking at the dark-haired boy inside. "Balthazar…" she whispered softly, trying in vain desperation to remember who he was.

The boy's eyes fluttered open slowly, then opened wide in a panic as he realized he was locked inside a pod. "No, no, no!" he cried out, fists bashing against the glass, "No, not again! Please, not again!"

Velcia stepped back for a moment in shock, not sure what to do.

The Chirithy looked up with great concern, tugging at Velcia's robes. "Please, help him!"

She looked back to the pod, placing her hand against the glass once more. "B-Balthazar…?" she called out, her voice gentle but loud enough that she hoped he could hear her. There seemed to be no change, so she called out to him once more, and slowly the pounding and yelling ceased and gave way to gasps interspersed with heavy breaths.

"Balthazar, can you hear me?" she asked, looking down to the Chirithy for guidance. He looked up to her with his beady eyes, nodding encouragingly.

"I-it's me, Velcia," she said. "Everything will be ok."

Balthazar shivered. "I can't see. Where am I?"

"A man named Ansem the Wise has created a replica body for you, and we've helped move your heart inside of it. You're in his castle, inside a pod that was meant to keep you safe while we waited for you to wake up," she explained.

The Chirithy hopped up on the bottom sill of the pod's slender door. "Do you remember, Balthazar? Ansem the Wise is the one who sent her to help us."

There was a moment of silence, and Balthazar's breathing began to calm. "I remember… Thank you, Areshmin."

Velcia looked down to the gray creature. "Areshmin?"

Balthazar lay his head back in the pod, shaking it sadly. "You really don't remember, do you?"

"I'm afraid not," Velcia said, looking back inside. "You're both so familiar to me, but I have no idea why. I'm sorry I don't remember who you are."

"As if it's worth remembering," Balthazar groaned, holding his hand to his face with exasperation. "You saved me from that…" he choked up for a moment, swallowing hard before continuing. "From that horrible war. I was trying to save my best friend, but I… I'm just useless… if it weren't for you, I'd never have made it," he said with a depressed sigh.

Velcia nearly pressed her face up against the glass. "I saved you from a war? You mean… the Keyblade War? I thought I saved my ancestor, Velcia?"

"Right," Balthazar said, opening his eyes. He pressed his hands flat against the front door of the pod, pushing gently against it to try to open it to no avail. "I was stuck as an abomination created by the Master of Masters that he called an 'Angel of Darkness' when you came back to help her, and you ended up saving me too. I guess it's a long story."

Velcia stepped back in surprise, and after a moment of thought summoned Love's Inheritance to her hand. She stared at the image on the medal, eyes locked to the pearly white Heartless cradling her ancestor in its arms. She unclasped the keychain from the end of the blade, showing the medal to Areshmin at her feet. "An Angel of Darkness, does it look like this?" she asked.

Areshmin's eyes sparkled at the sight of the medal, and he nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's right."

She lifted the medal up once more, looking at it with a scrunched face of confusion. "All this time, I thought it was me."

Areshmin looked up at her, head tilted to the side with his paw resting on his chin. "It was both of you."

Author's Note:

And that's it for "Return to Eos"! I really can't believe it's finally finished. This has been my longest, and probably most complex story so far, and I've really been learning a lot from the journey. I really cannot believe how big it ended up.

I hope you all enjoyed the story! I've found myself very inspired for many more stories to come, and I can only hope that they each get better and better as we go. My next writing project is going back into the Age of Fairy Tales once more - back to Balthazar, the Ancestor Velcia, and the other Angels of Darkness. I'm excited for that one, too.

Thank you all so much for reading, especially those of you who've made it through all twenty-four chapters posted over the last six months! Wow! It means a lot to me to have you come visit my little corner of the internet. Thanks for stopping by and, hopefully, I'll see you again someday not too far away!