Author Notes: The time of the "Sorrowful Peace" finale has come. With this final chapter, it will mark the end of my "Tales of Berseria" fanfiction stories. As I mentioned before, both "Spoken & Unspoken Words" and "Sorrowful Peace" take place in the same continuity. If you haven't read "Spoken & Unspoken Words" yet, please be sure to check out that story as well.

I hope you'll all enjoy this final chapter. Be sure to leave a review. Feedback is always appreciated.

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Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Ten – Final – Resolution

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Do not stay behind

Decisions need to be made

You must move forward

/

Prior to leaving on the Aifread pirate ship, Eleanor made sure to pay a visit to Magilou's room. She informed her that they would be leaving the following morning, and she was welcome to come along for the ride.

"Figures." Magilou shrugged, "We just left, and we're already heading back."

Eleanor looked down as she said, "It's something I need to do."

"I know. I know. Anyway, glad to see you're not trying and leave me behind." Magilou slyly smiled as she asked, "Have you grown to enjoy my company that much?"

"Don't go that far ahead." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "I just wanted to make sure whether or not you wanted to come along."

"Well … I guess we're not done yet are we? You haven't made your decision yet." Magilou pointed out, "We may have gotten closure on that mystery, but 'you' don't have closure yet do you? That's why you're heading back to Aball, right?'

Eleanor sighed, "There's no point in hiding anything from you."

"Quite right." Magilou remarked, "I take it that you'll be taking our little 'sleeping Daemon' back with us as well?"

"Of course." Eleanor justified, "He still needs to know the truth about what really happened."

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to tell him everything?"

"He can see Seraphim, and he was tortured by Melchior." Eleanor sighed as she said, "Melchior ruined his life too, so he deserves to know. Besides, I'm sure he's ready to go home."

"I'm sure he is." Magilou remarked. "That does seem like something any good Exorcist would do."

"Former Exorcist." Eleanor held up her hand as she insisted. "But that's beside the point. Just be ready for the morning. I'll be sure to tell Edward the same." Eleanor turned around and left the room.

"…" Magilou was briefly silent when the former Exorcist was about to leave the room. "Ahem …" The sound of Magilou 'clearing her throat' was enough to get the Eleanor to look over her shoulder, "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"And what was that?" Eleanor asked as she turned around.

"It was about you and Velvet." Magilou remarked, "I was telling you before about how Velvet never really hated you. Just your naivety. Chances are she was probably just like you."

"Yes … I got a sense of that back in the Dream Aball." Eleanor solemnly stated, "She was like that before both her brothers betrayed her and turned her into a Therion. She more or less told me that herself."

"Well …" Magilou clapped her hands as she said, "that just goes to show karma can be a real bitch. They both got what they deserved, and so did Melchior."

"…" Eleanor looked down as she somberly stated, "And Velvet is gone too because of it."

"I feel like this whole conversation is just going to go around in circles." Magilou put both of her hands behind her head as she asked, "Do you mind if we talk about something else now?"

Eleanor sighed, "Whenever I think about this my head goes in circles. I keep thinking back to how they all started and how it'll stay with us until we're dead and probably even longer than that."

"That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing." Magilou then said, "I'm sure you know why. You should know that by now, right? If people remember their mistakes then they …" Magilou was leading Eleanor on to give an answer.

"Won't repeat them." Eleanor answered.

Magilou clapped her hands. "Correct."

"Yeah … I get it." Eleanor stated, "After meeting you guys, I was proven a little more wrong every day. The Abbey's actions were harming the world far more than helping them. They just did a good job hiding it."

"…" Magilou let Eleanor finish her point.

Eleanor leaned on the nearest wall as she said, "I thought the Abbey's good intentions were for the best for the world, but I was wrong …"

Magilou remarked, "History shows that most of the greatest tragedies were caused by people with good intentions."

"If I become the Shepherd, do you really think I'll be able to change things?" Eleanor asked. "That I won't end up creating a new cycle?"

"You'll need to answer that question yourself." Magilou remarked.

"Hmm …" Eleanor decided to take that to heart as she gripped her chest.

/

On the voyage back to Eastgand, Edward became another in the handful of people to learn the truth. Eleanor explained everything to him. The truth of how Arthur became Artorius. What became of Velvet, and how she became the 'Lord of Calamity'. The true result of the war between 'Magilou's Managerie' and the Abbey. Along with what Innominat was and the true goal that would've destroyed everything.

"That is …" Edward slumped in his chair and shook his head, "… just incredible."

"If I hadn't been there to see it happen, I would've had a hard time believing it myself." Eleanor assured the former Daemon.

"So Arthur …" Edward looked up and looked Eleanor in the eyes as he asked, "… he's really dead?"

"…" Eleanor took a breath and nodded, "Yes. I witnessed his death myself."

"Hmm …" Edward looked away as he attempted to process what Eleanor had been telling him. His facial expression made it difficult for Eleanor to be sure what exactly was going through his head. At best, she could surmise that he was 'conflicted'." He leaned on the table as he moved closer, "The first thing out of his mouth was, "When I saw 'Artorius' myself, I knew who he was. I didn't talk to him much, but I did meet him a few times."

"…" Eleanor listened intently to what Edward had to say.

Edward bitterly chuckled as he remarked, "In fact, everyone in Eastgand knew who he was. For years he had gone by the name 'Arthur'. For years, he lived a humble life with Celica Crowe and her family. He continued to care for Celica's siblings even after she died. A part of me despised him for not saving Celica, but I also respected him for caring for Laphicet and Velvet as if they were his own. However, after the incident in Aball, they were gone too, and Arthur was being hailed as the hero 'Artorius'."

"Hmm …" Eleanor wanted to say something, but she realized that now was not the time.

"I wanted to know what happened to Laphicet and Velvet." Edward thought back to how they found the bodies in the clearing by the ruins as he remarked, "Unlike the other villagers, we never did find their bodies. Everyone assumed they died, but it rubbed me the wrong way to believe that. Something just wasn't right, but there was no one to give me the answer."

"I can understand." Eleanor finally spoke up as she continued to sit across from him. "After I met Velvet, I saw some things that caused me to question him as well."

"In the end, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he sacrificed Laphicet and Velvet," Edward's voice sounded completely dumbfounded as he asked, "but did he really turn Velvet into the 'Lord of Calamity'?"

"…" Eleanor stood up from the table. There was an awkward moment of silence before Eleanor turned around and said to Edward, "I would rather you not call Velvet that, but yes." Eleanor remained facing the other direction as she summarized, "Artorius did turn Velvet into the 'Lord of Calamity'. When he cut off her arm, Innominat took advantage of her, and he turned her into a Therion that Artorius imprisoned for three years."

"I see …" Edward leaned on the table with both of his elbows as he remarked, "So the 'hero' ended up creating his greatest enemy that wound up derailing his plans and killed him. Isn't that ironic?"

"Yes …" Eleanor turned around to face Edward as she told him, "It was a little more complicated than that, but that was basically it."

"…" Edward leaned back on his chair again and looked up to the ceiling. "… It's hard for me to fathom everything that's happened, but after witnessing some of it … I can't exactly deny any of it. That'd just be stupid."

"No you can't." Bienfu materialized in front of Edward.

"What the?!" Edward was so caught off guard that he nearly fell out of his chair as he exclaimed, "A Malak?!"

"They're actually called Seraphim." Eleanor stated. "When Edward looked at Eleanor, she then remarked, "So you really can see Bienfu. It wasn't just temporary."

"No." Magilou remarked as she made her presence known. "I wouldn't be surprised if getting turned into a Daemon and touching Laphicet's flames affected your perception. Maybe you had a strong resonance that only needed a little extra 'kick' to awaken it like how being Laphicet's vessel affected our good friend Eleanor here."

"…" Eleanor did not give a response.

"Anyway, it won't be long before we reach Aball." Magilou advised Eleanor, "Try not to take too long on making your decision. You don't want us to get bored."

"I'll make it my number one priority." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone as Magilou made her exit. Edward could see that Eleanor was not in the mood to continue their conversation, so he decided to make his exit as well.

/

Shortly after arriving at the port, Edward was greeted by a few familiar faces who were worried about how he disappeared a few months ago without word. During the voyage, they had discussed a 'cover story', and they explained the Abbey had taken Edward in after he had been injured. It was an easy enough story to buy.

After things had settled down, Eleanor and Edward headed to Aball first. Eleanor got her horse, and she offered to help Edward, but he insisted on riding his own horse. Despite how long it had been, Edward proved to be surprisingly decent at riding.

As soon as they arrived at Aball, Eleanor and Edward headed straight towards the Crowe Household. It was just as desolate as Eleanor had left it several days ago. However, the area felt different compared to how it felt when she came on her own.

As Edward approached Velvet's makeshift grave, Eleanor could feel the wind suddenly pick up. Her long hair flapped in the breeze again which caused her to turn around. She was looking in the direction of the ruins again. Before Eleanor did anything, she looked back towards Edward who was kneeling in front of Velvet's makeshift grave. She remained silent as she listened to him speak.

"Velvet …" Edward took a deep breath as he solemnly looked at the grave, "Velvet Crowe … I didn't get to know you that well, but I know you tried to be a good sister to Celica and Laphicet. You didn't deserve what happened to you. You wer e dealt a shitty hand, and you played it as best as you could. Your friends … they told me a few things, and it sounds like an incredible tale, but I believe it. I believe every word. After what happened to me, how couldn't I?"

"…" Eleanor listened intently to Edward's words.

"I know that you did some selfish and even terrible things, but I can't bring myself to condemn you." Edward's voice sounded sincere as he solemnly spoke, "If I had gone through what you did, there's no telling what I would've been willing to do to get my revenge. Despite everything you did before, you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save others. In the end, I think that makes you a hero. The rest of the world will never know the truth, but I won't forget it. I'll be sure to do what I can to help the world move forward."

"…" Hearing those words caused Eleanor to break out into a smile. It was difficult to explain how she felt, but she would probably best define it as a mixture of happiness and gratitude.

Edward stood up as he told the grave, "Wherever you are Velvet, I hope you can find peace. I know thanks to what you and your friends did, I will be able to find mine."

After Edward was finished speaking to Velvet's makeshift grave, he walked over to Eleanor who gripped her chest as she told him, "Thanks for saying that."

Edward told her, "I meant every word. You will always have my thanks as well. If you ever need my help, I'll be there."

Eleanor held up her left hand as she replied, "There's no need for that."

"No." Edward shook his head, "What you and that 'Witch' friend of yours did for me was more than what a simple 'thanks' can cover."

"Heh …" Eleanor chuckled in amusement, "Be glad Magilou didn't hear you say that."

Edward couldn't help but laugh as well, and a smile spread across his face.

Eleanor then asked, "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back to being a dock worker again?"

"I don't think so …" Edward looked back and forth in the area as he inquired, "This is basically a time for rebirth and reconstruction, right?"

Eleanor answered, "Yes."

Edward looked Eleanor in the eyes as he stated, "Then I want to contribute to that. I want to start with Aball. Despite everything that happened, this is where the Crowe family called home. I know neither Celica nor Velvet would wish for this village to remain lifeless forever, and I don't either. I want to bring this village back to glory. The original villagers might be gone, but I'll do my best to rebuild it."

"Hmph." Eleanor couldn't help but think back to the 'Dream Aball' as she smiled as she told Edward, "Velvet would definitely appreciate that."

"That's not all." Edward stated, "After I'm done with Aball, I don't want to just stop here. I also want to help rebuild other villagers that have been destroyed by the Abbey and Daemons, so they can all have a new beginning."

Eleanor replied, "That sounds like a worthy cause to pursue. I'll do what I can to help."

"I'll appreciate the help." Edward looked back at Velvet's grave as he said, "I know I won't be able to fix them all, but I'll do what I can." He turned to face Eleanor again as he asked, "However, have you made a decision about what you want to do?"

Eleanor asked, "Pardon?"

Edward clarified, "Helping me out is fine, but what do you plan to do for yourself?"

"Not yet …" Eleanor told Edward, "There is one more person I need to talk to before I make my final decision. I really need to think it through. This will affect more than just me."

"Fair enough." Edward nodded as he rhetorically asked, "That's why you came back, right? You wanted closure to what happened on your journey, right? Sometimes the only way to move on is to get closure on the past."

"Yes." Eleanor replied.

Edward nodded, "I understand. In that case, you might as well take care of first things first. I won't get in your way."

"Thank you." Eleanor graciously said.

"However," Eleanor felt herself pause when she heard Edward say, "I would like to give you some advice."

"Okay …" Eleanor replied.

"Personally," Edward pointed to himself as he admitted, "I don't know if I'll ever completely feel closure over what happened. However, I got a lot of answers thanks to you and Magilou. Now, I know why Arthur changed. I finally found out what happened to Velvlet and Laphi. I also found out why some other things happened." Edward took a breath as he shook his head, "Now that I know what I know, I'm ready to move on with my life and do something. Even if I never feel 'complete' closure, I definitely feel much better after knowing the truth."

"I see …" Eleanor nodded, "That makes sense."

"In the end …" Edward warned, "My advice would be to take your time to think it over, but try not to take too long. You might end up going around in circles if you overthink. You said that you needed to talk to someone, make sure to talk to that person about 'everything' that's troubling you because they might be able to help." Edward scratched the back of his head as he admitted, "I know I might be the last person who should give advice, but take it from someone who did none of that."

Eleanor assured the man, "No. It's good advice. If I can talk to this person, I was going to try and talk about as much as I could."

"Then I guess you didn't really need my advice then." Edward bowed his head as he stated, "I'll leave you to it. I'll head back to town later. I just want to clean up Celica's grave first if you don't mind."

Eleanor smiled as she told the man, "I'm sure Velvet would appreciate it. I'll see you later, Edward."

Before Eleanor left, Edward reminded her as he held out his hand, "If you ever need help, I'll do what I can."

Eleanor accepted the gesture and shook his hand. He had a firm grip, and she could see the conviction in his eyes as she said, "I appreciate that."

Afterward, Eleanor climbed on her horse and began to ride away from the Crowe household. She briefly glanced over her shoulder to look at the Crowe household once more before continuing on her way. Eleanor was not heading back to the port just yet. There was somewhere else she needed to go first. When Eleanor got off her horse, she found herself by Innominat's ruins again. This time her horse was not frightened. Elneaor was able to calmly tie the reigns securely before walking toward the cliff.

Eleanor didn't spare the hole a glance as she walked around it. She sat down by the cliff's edge with her legs crossed, and she straightened her back, so she could have the best posture. She could feel the sea wind hit her face as she closed her eyes. She could feel her disheveled hair lift as the wind continued to blow in her direction. Eleanor breathed deeply as she attempted to calm her heartbeat. She concentrated on her slowing heart, so she could be free from distractions.

However before she could achieve these, she heard a familiar voice speak which caused her eyes to open, "What're you doing out here?"

Eleanor didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking to her. She merely replied to Magilou's question with, "Mediating."

Magilou stated, "I can see that, but why'd you choose a venue like his?'

Before answering that question, Eleanor looked over her shoulder as she decided to ask, "How'd you know I'd be here?"

Magilou tilted her hat as she winked, "It's not that hard to figure you out by now my dear Exorcist?"

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

"So why are you here?" Magilou asked.

Eleanor replied, "I already told you."

"Oh, but you didn't." Magilou pointed out, "You told me what you're doing. You didn't tell me why you're here."

"Why?" Eleanor stated, "I thought it'd be obvious to you."

"Not as much as you'd think." Magilou asked, "Are you going to tell me or not Eleanor?"

"… Fine." Eleanor sighed as she stood up and faced Magilou, "I came here because this is where it all began. This is where Innominat was sleeping. This is where Velvet's sister died. This is where her sister's unborn child died. Where Laphicet's unborn human form, died along with his mother."

"…" Not even Magilou felt capable of interrupting Eleanor as she spoke.

Eleanor took another breath as she pointed at the hole as she said, "This is where Velvet witnessed her brother-in-law sacrifice her brother." Eleanors' voice began sounding angrier and more frustrated with each point, "This is where she was betrayed and dismembered. This is where she was turned into a Therion and forced to kill all those villagers, including her friend Niko, who had been turned into Daemons before she was imprisoned. This is also were we found Niko dogs who had been turned into Therions themselves because of Artorius. If anyone of those things didn't happen, everything would've been different."

"So …" Magilou then asked, "What are you thinking. Do you think meditating here somehow is going to give you your answer?"

Eleanor closed her eyes and took a breath, "Kinda, yeah."

Magilou glanced around before stating, "I hope you have something else in mind other than sitting around, but if that's what you think will help you then," Magilou shrugged, "who am I to judge."

"…" Eleanor didn't say a word.

Magilou turned around as she told Eleanor, "I'll see you at the house."

After Magilou made her exit, Eleanor looked out to the ocean again and sat down with her legs crossed. She closed her eyes as she attempted to concentrate once again. Eleanor calmed her heartbeat, and she did her best to rid herself of any distractions.

/

Eleanor did not know how long she was in this position for. It could have been a few minutes. It could've been a few hours. Time appeared to be lost on her as she kept her eyes closed and attempted to silence the outside noises.

"So you came back." A familiar voice spoke to Eleanor.

Eleanor opened her eyes only to see the world around her was completely dark, but she could feel there was someone behind her. Sitting behind her, was the one she had longed to see, but she knew that this could never be possible again. In fact, when Eleanor attempted to look over her shoulder, she felt as if something was stopping her from doing so. It was as if an invisible force prevented her from twisting her body. The only thing she could do was stare forward, but she was content with this.

Even though she couldn't see Velvet, Eleanor still smiled as she said, "I knew it. I knew I'd be able to talk to you again if I came back here."

Velvet remained sitting behind Eleanor as she spoke to her, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but what made you want to come back?"

"Are you kidding?" Eleanor made it clear it was obvious as she spoke, "For you Velvet. There are so many things I wanted to say, but I don't know where to begin."

Velvet spoke, "Start with the first thing that comes to you."

Eleanor took a deep breath before asking, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Velvet sighed before answering, "Because you would've stopped me, and you would've lost me anyway. Then I would've lost you."

Eleanor remained facing forward as she asked in disbelief, "What do you mean? We could've tried stopping Innominat another way."

"You say that, but you remember what happened that day?" Velvet reminded Eleanor, "Laphi … Innominat was going out of control from his hunger. Even if we managed to incapacitate him, it wouldn't have lasted. If we had killed him, Phi and I would've died along with Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions. What I did was the only thing I could do to seal Innominat, so the rest could live."

"I …" The only thinking Eleanor said as she looked down, "I still end up losing you and Laphicet."

Velvet could only say, "In a way you did, but at least Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions still live."

"Yes …" Eleanor reluctantly admitted, "That's true."

Velvet looked up as she asked, "How are they?"

"Laphicet was able to return Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions along with Dyle back to being humans or regular animals." Eleanor was especially happy to say, "Medissa and Dyle even got married, and they adopted Kamoana."

"Heh …" Velvet chuckled as she asked, "is that right? Good for them. They'll take good care of her. They always did like her."

Eleanor happily replied, "They've done a great job, but Kamoana still wonders what happened to her mother."

Velvet's tone changed as she asked, "You haven't told her, have you?"

Eleanor shook her head as she confirmed, "No … I could never tell Kamoana what happened that day, but I had to tell her that her mother was dead."

"…" Velvet reluctantly admitted, "I suppose there wasn't any use in covering up that part anymore."

"She pretty much figured that out to be the case …" Eleanor sorrowfully pointed out, "After we freed her from that temple, she did witness her village get wiped out, so it was easy for her to 'accept' that conclusion. She was heartbroken, but Medissa and Dyle have done their best to comfort her. She's been able to start moving on, but I can only hope she never remembers what happened to her mother."

Velvet sighed as she said, "I'm afraid that's all we really can do."

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

Velvet asked, "What about you, Eleanor? You don't look that great."

Eleanor remarked in a deadpan tone, "As blunt as ever I see."

"That's who I am." Velvet asked, "Would you have me any other way?"

Eleanor smiled as she shook her head. "No."

"Is there something else?" Velvet asked.

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell me, but when did you know that you'd have to sacrifice yourself to become a seal to Innominat?" Eleanor didn't know what to expect when she asked that question

"It was …" Velvet likewise wasn't entirely certain how to answer that question. It took her a moment to tell her girlfriend, "… something I figured out along the way. I knew killing Innominat would kill not only myself, but it would kill Phi, Kamoana, Medissa and the other Therions since we were all connected to him." Velvet looked at her bandaged arm as she told Eleanor, "If it was just me, I wouldn't have minded it that much, but I wasn't going to let them die as well. I had 'motivation' to figure something else out. There was almost the whole 'Innominat cycle'. Killing Innominat wouldn't break it. I don't think it would anyway. I couldn't let Innominat keep getting reborn and destroy everything. Otherwise everything we did would mean nothing in the end."

"…" It was a lot for Eleanor to take in, but she accepted it as she said, "I understand why you came up with that plan, but when did you figure it out …"

Velvet had an easier time answering that question. "I probably figured it out before we finished off the legates …"

Eleanor began to say, "So you knew even before we …"

"Yes …" Velvet cut off her girlfriend, "I knew before our Island vacation."

"Then when I …" Eleanor began to say again.

"Yes." Velvet cut her off again as she sadly told Eleanor, "If you had beaten me that day, I would've told you everything, but I couldn't let that happen. That's why I made sure I won. Afterwards, I would only hint at the possibility."

"I see …" Eleanor didn't know what she felt as she said to Velvet, "So you knew for weeks, and you kept it to yourself that whole time …"

"Eleanor …" Velvet softly said to her girlfriend, "I'm … I'm sorry …" Eleanor couldn't see Velvet's face, but she was certain that Velvet was beginning to shed a tear. "I'm so sorry … After the island …. After we became … you know …"

Eleanor rhetorically asked, "A couple?"

"Yes …" Velvet admitted, "… I knew it was going to be short lived, but I didn't want it to be that way …"

"Velvet …" That was the only word Eleanor could say.

"When this journey began, I just wanted to keep moving from one place to another as fast as possible." Velvet stated, "However, when we were close at the finishing line, I didn't want to reach it. I was happy … So happy …"

"…" Eleanor was silent as Velvet continued.

Velvet spoke, "That's why after our vacation, I actually did what I could to prolong our journey. That's why I became willing to check out any last minute places or take care of any other side objectives. I was able to justify it thanks to Innominat and Artorius being unable to do anything at the time." Velvet bitterly smiled as she stated, "Prolonging our journey was selfish, but that's what I am in the end. I wanted us to have a little more time together. The two of us and Phi. It was convenient for us that there were a few things left, such as helping Zavied or dealing with the Daemon of Rokurou's mother. Not to mention, we ended up having to help out at another Earth Pulse because I woke up the Empyreans. Thanks to all of that, I didn't need to come up with any excuses."

"I know what you mean." Eleanor smiled as she happily thought back to when they received the message from the Normin, "I felt relieved when the Normin asked us to investigate that strange Earth Pulse dungeon right before we went up to fight Innominat. If he had shown up any later, we would've had to fight Innominat two weeks earlier than we did. Who would've thought we'd learn about the truth regarding Malakhim and Seraphim up there."

"Yeah." Velvet bitterly remarked, "We learned humans aren't the only species capable of backstabbing their own."

"That's …" Eleanor attempted to protest before the admitting, "Yes … I guess everything is capable of that.

"In a way, it makes me feel relieved." Velvet stated, "The Seraphim have no right to look down on humans for backstabbing when they condemned half of their own and humanity to such a horrible fate."

Eleanor seemed relieved as she stated, "I guess for better or worse, Seraphim and humans are more alike than I would've thought."

"Hmm … At least the hot springs felt nice." Velvet needed to stop herself from laughing as she said, "At least until we ended up switching bodies with the guys."

"Ugh …" Eleanor's skin crawled as she attempted to hold herself, "Don't remind me. That's something I'd rather forget."

"Heh." Velvet chuckled, "I still remember how grossed out you were by Rokurou's muscles."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned again, "I just said don't remind me."

"Heh. Heh." Velvet happily told her girlfriend, "Teasing you and Phi never gets old. I've missed doing this."

"I can't say that …" Eleanor began to say before cutting herself off "… Well I guess it isn't that bad …" Eleanor sighed, "It doesn't feel the same. A world without you … I … I just don't know how to move on from this. I've been trying to move on from one thing to another my whole life … At one point, I just started getting sick of it.

"I'm sorry Eleanor …" Velvet solemnly replied, "I can't give you any advice on how to move on or if it's even possible.

"Yes … I know …" Eleanor replied.

Velvet then told Eleanor, "My parents died shortly after Laphi was born, and I barely remember them. Celica was my guardian. When she died, it was only thanks to Artorius ... Arthur that I could move on from that …

Eleanor could see where Velvet was going with this. "I see …

"Speaking of which does anyone else know yet?" Velvet asked.

Eleanor merely told her girlfriend, "The Prince, the Van Eltia crew, and the people at the Tavern know what happened. As far as the general public knows, Artorius and the other key figures in the Abbey are MIA."

"A cover-up. Hardly surprising." Velvet remarked in a deadpan tone. Velvet looked and asked Eleanor in a concerned tone, "And you? Have you been able to return to some kind of normal life?"

Eleanor then informed Velvet, "The prince has helped clear my name. I'm no longer considered a traitor to the Abbey." Eleanor chuckled as she pointed out, "Not like the Abbey is going to last much longer anyway with how things are going. Anyway, the public will know of their deaths soon. They may never know the exact nature, but people already are suspecting that they're dead, so it won't be much of a shock."

"That should help ease things. So let me take a guess at what the 'official story' will be." Velvet changed the tone of her voice as she spoke, "It will go like this, 'They all either died or vanished to seal the 'Lord of Calamity' away, and you helped them do it. Is that about right?"

"…" Eleanor looked down before answering Velvet's question, "I don't know how the official story will work out, but I do think that is one way it might go. I kinda have a hard time caring what it'll be." Eleanor voiced sounded apathetic as she said, "It's not the truth. The rest of the world will never know the truth of you or your sacrifice.

Velvet merely said, "I'm used to it.

Eleanor shook her head, "I don't care if you're used to it. You shouldn't have to. You don't deserve this! You don't deserve to be called a monster after everything that's happened!"

"…" Velvet's eyes widened as she remained speechless.

The pair still remained back to back as Eleanor pulled her knees closer to her body as she said, "This isn't how I was hoping this 'reunion' would go."

"I'm sorry, Eleanor." Velvet apologized as she then pointed out, "Getting into the miserable territory has been an unfortunate gift of mine."

"Hmm …" Eleanor said the first thing that came to her mind, "There's nothing wrong with remembering the past. We can't change it nor should we if we could. The past make us who we are, and it's up to use to decide where we go from here. If we can learn from the past, we can avoid the same mistakes in the future."

Velvet sounded proud as she stated, "That was well said, Eleanor."

Eleanor replied, "I had a similar conversation with Edward earlier. I also thought about something else you did before the final battle with Innominat."

Velvet raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Oh?"

Eleanor stated, "You had a chance to make a wish. That wish maker more or less stated that he 'could' change the past or something like that if you wanted him to, but you choose to send Jude and Milla back to their home world. You made it clear you thought it'd be wrong to change the past even if you could. I understand your point. As much as I'd like to change the past, it wouldn't be right. I'd have to think what would happened if we changed something. It's possible … No I think it things would've been worse than they are now. It's better to remember the past and accept it, but not let it hold you down like it did to Artorius. That's the only way we can ever hope to make progress."

Although Velvet remained looking away from Eleanor, she was smiling as she told her, "You've truly changed, Eleanor. It's hard to believe you're the same Eleanor I met in the village on the outskirts of Hellawes.

Eleanor began to say, "Velvet …"'

Velvet cut off Eleanor with a confession, "For some time, I did my best to hate you Eleanor."

"I know …" Eleanor didn't hesitate to admit, "I did the same."

"When I did, it wasn't just because we were enemies nor because of Phi." Velvet looked at her 'human' hand as she told Eleanor, "It's because when I looked at you, I felt like I was looking at myself."

"…" Eleanor lacked the ability to reply.

"When I saw you … A spirited Exorcist who was naïve to the world at large but traveling it so you can help others, I couldn't help but wonder if you were a reflection of what I could've become." Velvet told Eleanor, "Before he became Artorius, I told Arthur that I wanted to become an Exorcist. I wanted to travel the world. I didn't used to be as selfish as I am now. Arthur was my teacher as well. I couldn't help but wonder if I would've ended up becoming like you or Oscar if I remained ignorant of what Artorius truly was."

"…" Eleanor took a moment before replying, "You're not the only one who's been thinking of the 'what ifs' Velvet. I think about that every day. Sometimes I realize how I would be dead if things had gone even a little differently. I could've been the one Artorius used for that Amartization experiment and gotten myself killed instead of Oscar. It's scary to think about the 'what ifs' but maybe we're not doing the right thing."

"Hmm?" Velvet also couldn't help but think of the possibilities.

"It's like I just said …" Eleanor firmly stated, "It's fine to reflect on things. Reflect on the past and how you changed. That's all good, but if we focus too much on those 'what ifs' you and find yourself trapped in a loop. Instead, we should try focusing on what happened. We're not reflections of each other. We're just two people who have a lot of similarities. Our paths crossed, and we eventually become allies and much more for better or worse. I may not like everything that happened, but I don't regret being on your side. I could 'never' regret it."

"Heh … That good nature of yours …" Velvet shook her head, "That's why I could never force myself to hate you. It still took a little too long to warm up to you."

"But you did warm up to me." Eleanor assured Velvet, "I think that's what's most important."

Velvet conceded, "I guess you're right."

Eleanor looked down as she stated, "Anyway, all this reflection did make me regret one thing I never actually said to you. Not directly anyway."

Velvet asked, "What is it?'

"Velvet," Eleanor looked up as she attempted to speak as clearly as possible, "I'm sorry that I basically called you evil incarnate. You truly weren't. You proved you weren't again and again, and I never apologized for it."

"There is nothing to …" Velvet began to say

Eleanor cut off Velvet as she stood up and strongly insisted, "There is 'everything' to apologize for. I remember how much I hurt you when I said that. I am sorry."

"…" Even though they remained back-to-back, Velvet stood up and took a moment before she replied, "Apology accepted."

"Thank you …" Eleanor then asked, "Velvet … if they tried to apologize to you now? Do you think you could ever forgive them?"

Velvet didn't need any clarification of what Eleanor meant. She took a breath as she told Eleanor, "A part of me would want to forgive them, but that's not possible. After everything that happened and everything they did, I cannot do it. I will not do it, especially since they had no regrets for what they did to me or anyone else. But at the same time …" Velvet held her chest and looked down as she said, "those two were my family. I still loved them, and I long for the days we spent together. I wish I could've found the cure to Laphi's illness like we did for Videl. I wish I knew what illness he had. I would've done anything to save him. If I could've done something, he never would've felt like sacrificing his life was the only way to give it meaning."

"That isn't on you Velvet." Eleanor insisted, "They choose to keep you in the dark about a lot of things. We saw it all in those 'Earth Pulse Memories'. Then you told me about how Artorius cut off your hand when you tried to stop them."

"…" Velvet didn't say a word.

Eleanor's voice had a taste of bitterness as she pointed out, "Your brother and Artorius made a promise. They said how they wanted you to live in a better world, but you ended up becoming their first victim instead, and they put you through hell. What happened?" Eleanor continued to voice her disbelief and distain with every question that came to her mind, "How did they go from wanting you to be happy to ruining your life? Did Artorius stop caring? Did they get so wrapped up in the moment they couldn't stop?" Eleanor's fingers curled into fists and gritted her teeth as she said, "Everything about this just makes my blood boil. If you hadn't already killed Artorius, I would punch him in the face a thousand times for what he did."

"Eleanor …" Velvet merely said, "That's enough …"

"…" The smoke in Eleanor's head seemed to clear as she attempted to calm down. She eased up as she said, "Yes … Sorry …"

"Don't be." Velvet seemed happy as she said, "Anyone can get angry. Even someone as great as you."

"When I die someday …" Eleanor hesitated to ask, "Will we still never have a chance to meet again …?"

"No." Velvet solemnly told Eleanor, "I'm sorry, but this is the fate I chose. I will live forever as the seal to Innominat, so no one will ever reawaken and use him again for their ends."

Eleanor looked down as she confessed, "I … I miss you, Velvet. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, Eleanor." Velvet stated, "I've seen you in my dreams, but it's not the same. It's not the real you. Nor is it the real adventure we were on. It's only a dream."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Eleanor asked, "Can I ever wake you up? What can I do?"

"Magilou gave you some advice." Velvet repeated it, "Live for yourself. You don't have to live for your mom, me, or even Laphicet. You're your own person. You should live for yourself. You've done a lot of good for this world." Velvet grinned as she told Eleanor, "You can afford to be a little selfish."

"Then there is something that might require me to be a little selfish …" Eleanor spoke louder than the cracking sound that happened above them.

"What is it?" Velvet asked.

"Would you hate it if I became the new Shepherd?" Eleanor asked

Velvet asked, "Are you asking for my permission?"

Eleanor shook her head, "No." As she said that, another small crack could be heard, but it was hardly noticeable.

"Good." Velvet encouraged her, "Then go for it. Something tells me that position is something that needs to be filled. People will need hope to make progress, and I think that hope can be you."

"I'm …" Eleanor stated, "I'm glad you feel that way. A part of me thought you might be upset."

Velvet assured Eleanor, "I wouldn't be upset just because you'll have to assume the same title as Artorius … That Arthur had. You are you. No one else. I know you'll do the right thing, and I'm sure you'll make me proud."

"Velvet …" Eleanor wanted to turn around, but she couldn't.

"However," Velvet snickered as she remarked, "I can't help but laugh at the irony. The person who wants to become the Shepherd is the former lover of the 'Lord of Calamity'. Two beings that are supposed to be mortal enemies actually weren't. I'm sure Magilou and Rokurou will have a field day with that."

"Eizen probably would too." Eleanor then stated, "Speaking of them, Magilou and Eizen seem supportive of the idea of me becoming the Shepherd."

Velvet didn't seem too surprised as she asked, "Is that right?"

"Yes." Eleanor stated, "I didn't really want this position at first because I felt … I felt like it should've died with Artorius after everything he did, but Laphicet came up with a really good argument that made me reconsider. However, if I take this position, I'll essentially be taking credit for the current peace. People will think I had a hand in sealing you away while it was you who actually sacrificed yourself."

"That doesn't bother me …" Velvet replied.

"Even if it doesn't, I will never forget it's a lie. However," Eleanor declared, "I will never forget the truth. We may never be able to meet again in another life, but I will never forget, and I'll make sure your sacrifice hasn't been in vain. I'll make sure no one ever remembers that Innominat ever existed. He will fade into history. The cycle of Innominat will never be remade."

Velvet immediately told Eleanor, "Don't let that be your only purpose in life."

"Don't worry." Eleanor assured Velvet, "I'll make sure to live for myself, too."

"Heh …" Velvet rhetorically said, "You really are a piece of work, you know that?"

Eleanor smiled as she said, "Would you have me any other way?"

Without hesitation, Velvet said, "No, I wouldn't." When Velvet said that, both Eleanor and Velvet heard a cracking sound.

"Huh?" Eleanor looked up.

"What's going on?" Velvet sounded as confused as Eleanor.

"You're not doing this, Velvet?" Eleanor asked.

Velvet remained calm as she replied, "Not this time."

Suddenly the dark environment surrounding them cracked to pieces. Suddenly, instead of being surrounded by complete darkness, they were surrounded instead by blue skies and a lush green meadow.

"This is …" Eleanor walked up a few steps before turning around and saying, "so much better. Right, Velvet?"

It took a moment for Eleanor to then realize, "Huh?" She had turned around to look at Velvet.

"Yes it …" Velvet instinctively turned around only to realize the same thing.

For the first time since they all began, Eleanor could fully see Velvet. Velvet looked exactly the same as when Eleanor last saw her. Velvet's clothing did not leave much to the imagination. Her hair was as long and wild as ever. She also still had her trademark bandaged arm. However, she could see that underneath the fierce exterior, was the good person she came to know.

"…" Both girls looked at each other in surprise by what just happened. After the moment passed, they both ran to each other and embraced.

"Velvet …" Eleanor leaned her forehead into Velvet's shoulder as she said, "I missed this."

"Me too, Eleanor," Velvet softly said as she held onto Eleanor's back tightly. "Me too."

"I don't care of if this is just for a moment, I'm so happy." Eleanor couldn't help but ask, "But why?"

"I couldn't say for sure, but maybe saving Edward helped." Velvet suggested.

"Nice to know saving Edward came with a great bonus." Eleanor happily said.

"Eleanor …" Velvet broke away from the hug and put both her hands on Eleanor's shoulders, "I'm not sure how much time we have left, so I'll make this quick."

"…" Eleanor wanted to say something, but she knew she needed to listen to what Velvet had to say.

"Eleanor … If you wish to become the Shepherd, you don't need my approval." Velvet assured Eleanor, "I know if you take the position, you'll do a good job. You'll do this the way they were meant to be done. You along with Laphicet will be able to heal and rebuild the world that I destroyed."

When Eleanor heard that, she instinctively reminded Velvet, "It wasn't just you, Velvet."

"Maybe, not but I still played my part. Anyway," Velvet leaned forward. Her forehead was touching Eleanor's as she told Eleanor, "I know you'll do me and Phi proud. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. If you're having trouble with that, just remember that Phi and I already do.

"I love you Velvet." Eleanor said once more.

Velvet smiled as she told Eleanor, "I love you too."

The two closed their eyes, pressed their lips together, and shared one last kiss. It only lasted a moment, but that moment was all the time in the world they needed. It was the only moment they would ever have. Soon Eleanor would feel nothing by her anymore.

Velvet had vanished. When Eleanor opened her eyes, she was back at the edge of the cliff staring at to the ocean with her hair blowing in the wind. She was still in the same position she had been before.

"…" Eleanor remained sitting for a moment longer before she slowly placed her hand on her heart and said, "Thank you, Velvet …"

/

The following morning, Eleanor emerged from Velvet's old bedroom. She saw Magilou was sitting at the table with some notes sprawled on the table. When Magilou turned to face Eleanor, she noticed there was a slight change in the former Exorcist's appearance. It was enough to catch Magilou by surprise when she saw Eleanor.

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow. "Back to putting your hair in pigtails I see. I don't know if I should be disappointed or relived. I was starting to get used to seeing it straight like Velvet's."

"Indeed." Bienfu commented after he materialized, "Although it was a little messy."

"I've been stuck for a while now." Eleanor put her hand through her hair as she remarked, "It's time I started moving again."

Magilou leaned on the table as she said, "I see. I was hoping you'd say something like that. Things would've been way too boring if you stayed depressed and melancholy."

Eleanor stated, "I came back here because I wanted to say goodbye, and I've also come to a decision."

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow as she almost sounded eager.

"You're right that I can't live for someone else." Eleanor stated, "Velvet just told me the same thing. My mother and Velvet … They had their own lives and I have mine. I can't live their lives for them, but I can live for the promises I made to them. Promises that I will fulfill."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Magilou inquired.

"I guess it sorta can be, but I don't plan on letting those promises be the only thing that keeps me going." Eleanor clarified, "I thought being an Exorcist and serving the people was my calling, and I was partly right about that. My mom always taught me how helping is important and I promised her that I would always do the right by that. I also promised Velvet that I would take care of Laphicet. I promised myself that I would live my life to the fullest without regrets. I have an idea that might let me accomplish all three things at once."

"Really?" Magilou leaned forward as she said, "Now I really am interested. What is it?"

Eleanor declared, "I will take Artorius' place as the Shepherd."

"I'm sorry." Magilou put her hand by her ear a she asked, "Did I mishear you? I thought you just said you were going to become the Shepherd?"

"You heard right." Eleanor stated, "I've been thinking about what Laphicet, you guys, and Velvet said. Logically thinking, it should be possible. The prince cleared my name with the authorities and with his help, I shouldn't have much difficulty. It also helps that I'm one of the few Exorcists left with a resonance strong enough to perceive both Daemons and Seraphim.

"Hmmm …" Magilou did not offer a reply yet. She decided to give Eleanor a little more time to finish.

Eleanor continued, "Artorius used his position for his own ends, but I will use mine to help others. It'll always be easier to spread the world of 'Maotelus' existence, and I can also do what I can to make sure Innominat stays asleep forever. I'll do what I can to make the name a forgotten memory, so no one would ever think of trying to unseal him."

"…" That last part interested Magilou the most.

Eleanor concluded with, "Even if it means Velvet will remain sealed forever, that is something that needs to be done, so the cycle will forever remain broken. I believe becoming the Shepherd is my calling, but I will do it on my terms. Hopefully, others who wish to become the Shepherd after my time will have a better example to follow. I'll live my life by my choice, but it will also allow me to fulfill my promises, and I hope I can help lead people in the right direction. That is what I will do with my life."

"Hmph … You know what." Magilou looked fairly impressed, "That was actually a pretty decent speech, and I actually believe it."

Eleanor tilted her head, "Huh?"

Magilou pointed out, "Lots of people talk big or say a lot of mumbo jumbo they don't mean, but I think you actually mean it.

"Heh." Eleanor then said, "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"As well you should." Magilou stated, "You're talking a big game, and you're one of the few I think will try to back it up. Velvet understood that about you too. That's probably one of the reason she liked you."

"Yes …" Eleanor nodded, "Yes it was. I can say the same about her."

"By the way," Magilou stated, "I'm also interested in how you're going to use the word, 'Seraphim'."

"We know that's the proper name." Eleanor promised, "I will make sure people forget about the old term 'Malakhim' and begin referring to them by their proper name. It'll be a step in the right direction for all of us."

"That sounds like plenty of good writing material to me." Magilou stated as she twirled her pen and wrote something down on one of the notebooks.

"So what exactly are your writing?" Eleanor asked.

Magilou held up two fingers. "Two things. One real and one not real."

"Hmm …" Eleanor asked, "What's the 'not real' one?"

"It's not done yet, but," Magilou held up the notebook, "it's a story of two enemies who eventually became lovers. I think it'll probably end with a nice ending."

"Hmm …" It didn't take long for Eleanor to draw a conclusion, "So you'd like to know if I'd be okay with a book loosely based on me and Velvet that has a happy ending?"

"Well …" Magilou grinned as she said, "Bittersweet and downer endings aren't as appealing to potential customers. Sure they can work out based on their execution, but let's not get into that."

Eleanor sighed as she said, "Magilou is Magilou."

Magilou tilted her head, "Is that a problem?'

"No." Eleanor shook her head, "I don't think any of us would have you any other way."

"Quite right." Magilou tiled her hat as she stated, "You can't do better than the great witch Magilou Meyvein by your side."

"Hmph." Eleanor smiled as she playfully replied, "I'll take your word for it."

/

By the Aball village gate, Eleanor and Magilou received an unexpected reception when they both heard a familiar voice call out, "Glad to see I wasn't too late for this."

Eleanor turned her head to see Rokurou was standing by Eizen's side which caused Eleanor to exclaim, "Rokurou?!"

"Hey." Rokurou waved, "Ya miss me?"

Eleanor excitedly ran up to him as she said, "Of course! It's great to see you!"

"Wow." Rokurou was completely caught off guard as he remarked, "I didn't know you missed me that much. Ha. Ha."

"Don't give me that!" Eleanor nudged Rokurou's arm as she said, "It's been months you big jerk. How you been?"

"Oh you know," Rokurou casually replied, "homing my skills. Finding new Daemons to fight. All that good stuff. I heard that I missed out on an interesting fight."

"Believe me." Eleanor stated, "You wouldn't have liked it. Edward was mind controlled by one of Melchior's devices, and he was trying to hold himself back."

"I see." Rokurou quickly changed his tune as he said, "Then you're right. I'm glad I did miss out on that."

"Anyway," Eleanor asked, "How'd you get here?"

"By boat obviously," Rokurou then said, "but I was directed to come here after getting that Slyphjay message from Eizen and Magilou here. I heard that your name's up to become the new Shepherd."

Eleanor stated, "Actually, I just decided to ask the Prince to help make it possible."

"Great." Rokurou grinned as he put up his thumb and winked, "With his help, you'll be a shoe-in. Not like anyone there could step up since we pretty much killed your competition."

Eleanor's face twisted at the thought as she replied, "I wish you didn't say it like that. We didn't kill them just so I could become the Shepherd."

"You really need to word things better." Eizen remarked with his arms crossed.

"I know. I know." Rokurou then said, "Then I guess we can say it was just a happy coincidence that all our enemies just happened to be people who would've been your competition. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Am I right?"

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned, "Not much better."

Eizen shook his head, "Honestly."

Even Magilou didn't seem to be amused as she rubbed her forehead.

"Anyway," Rokurou smiled as he stated, "I figured I'd come by and offer my support."

Eleanor asked, "You'd really want me to become the next Shepherd."

Rokurou shrugged as he said, "Sure, why not? It's something you want, right?"

Eleanor nodded, "Yes."

Rokurou then replied, "Then, that's all I need to know. I'm pretty sure all of us feel the same way."

"Hey." Magilou playfully remarked, "Don't try to make this mushier than it has to be. Having her as the Shepherd will just make things more interesting."

"Say what you want." Eizen remarked, "It's also logical for Eleanor to become the next Shepherd. After everything she's seen she knows what the lies of the Seraphim have been like. She knows what the less fortunate people's lives have been like as well. She know what needs to be done."

Rokurou continued grinning as he remarked, "Sounds like you have their support, too."

"…" Eleanor looked at her companions before telling them, "Thanks everyone. It really means a lot to me."

Eizen shrugged, "I might not be able to do much, but just send a Slyphjay, and I'll see what I can."

Rokurou gave a thumbs up. "Same here."

Magilou grinned as she said, "Try to keep me entertained. I'm going to need some material for my writing after all."

"Heh …" Eleanor remarked, "When I started out as an Exorcist, I never would've thought in a million years I'd be mixed in a group like this. But now that I've seen what's happened, I'm glad that I did."

"…" The three remained silent.

Eleanor bowed her head as she graciously said, "I'm truly grateful to all of you as well as Laphicet and Velvet."

"Oh come on now." Magilou waved it off, "Is the Shepherd supposed to bow her head to the flock she's supposed to protect?"

Rokurou winked as she cheekily countered, "She's not the Shepherd yet."

Magilou replied, "Good point."

Eizen grinned as he had his arms crossed and shook his head.

Eleanor remarked, "In that case, let's go about fixing that shall we?" Eleanor walked passed them and toward the gate as she said, "Let's go! After we pay Laphicet a visit, I think it'll be time to see what our favorite Prince is doing. Getting an appointment with him won't a problem for me."

Rokurou laughed as he said, "Spoken like a true Shepherd."

"Let's get this show on the road." Magilou declared, "Magilou's Menagerie is back in business."

"Bien!" Bienfu materialized again as he said, "Maybe now we'll finally get to use that comedy routine I made up."

Eizen sounded strangely enthusiastic in his own way as he said, "You better make some good material for me."

"Um …" Bienfu did not share the same passion. "That might be a little too hard."

Rokurou stated, "Maybe you'll be able to scare the audience this time will make me laugh."

Eizen quickly countered, "It won't be a complete disaster like yours was."

As the banter between Bienfu, Eizen, and Rokurou was going on behind them, Magilou was next to Eleanor as they neared the gate. Magilou playfully sighed, "Ahh … Just like old times. Am I right?

"No." Eleanor shook her head, "Those were good times, but they'll always be in the past. This is something new. This time we are going to do something that will change the world and not just tear it down. A new world for people strive for." Eleanor put her hands on the gate, "It won't happen in our lifetime, but we're going to help settle down the right path."

"Oh really?" Magilou looked momentarily stunned, "Then by all means lead the way."

"I intend to." Eleanor turned to Magilou as she asked, "Mind helping me out with this?"

"Sure." Magilou put her hand on the gate as well.

With those words, Eleanor and Magilou pushed the village gate opened. When the gates opened, Eleanor walked over to her horse and held her reins as she walked back to the port with her friends. Friends she never would've imagined having over a year ago, but they were just a normal sight to her. A day like any other.

As they walked away from Velvet's village, Eleanor briefly looked over her shoulder before continuing forward. As they walked back, Eleanor thought back to Velvet. Eleanor looked up to the sky and saw a bird flying happily and free which caused her to smile.

"Velvet … I'll come back someday." Eleanor made her promise to herself, "I'm probably going to be busy for while, but I'll be sure to see you again. I'm going to … We're going to do what we can to rebuild this world and help make it better. I have no way of knowing how things will turn out, but I'm sure it'll be filled with ups and downs. I'll do what I can to make sure there are more 'ups'. Your sacrifice won't be in vain, Velvet. We're going to make sure of it. The future is ours to make once more, and we owe it all to you and Laphicet. We're going to make the most of it. I'll see you around, Velvet. Until next time."

~Fin~

/

Author Notes: The story has now been completed. I'm proud to say the "Sorrowful Peace" along with "Spoken & Unspoken Words" are finished. It is satisfying to see the stories I began reach their natural conclusion and say the quest has been put to rest.

It is hard to believe these stories are now finished. They have the honor of being the first fanfiction stories I completed while my other stories are still ongoing as of the end of 2018. Writing both of these "Tales of Berseria" stories has been a lot of fun. I started writing them solely because of how much I loved playing the game. Originally, the stories were going to be a chapter or two, but it just didn't work out that way. It made more sense to make them multi-chapter. I'm glad I did it because I felt it allowed the stories to develop more naturally.

Originally, I wasn't sure if Rokurou would appear at all in this story. One of the ideas I had for this story simply involved Eleanor leaving the village on her own. However, I figured it would be nicer for all the remaining party members to leave the village together. It made sense to me. Magilou and Eizen were already with her, and it wouldn't seem farfetched that they would send a message to Rokurou.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you will support my other stories as well. If you could provide more than one review for this story by also reviewing one of the preceding chapters, I would be grateful. Once again, I wish you a Merry Christmas 2018 and a Happy New Year.