A Road Less Travelled

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

The aftermath of the fight is a blur. All at once the sheer weight of her exhaustion bludgeons her like a mace and she all but collapses. She remembers strong arms bearing her up and carrying her out of the maze of tunnels. Nothing much after that.

For a while, she rests. Her dreams are hazy, and in them she hears the roar of fire, the ringing of steel against steel, and screams and cries of pain. More than once she blinks, waking just long enough to realize that she's safe, in a warm, soft bed, before sleep claims her again.

And later, when she's finally awake and lucid, she hears that people have been talking about her. Her supposed feat of being the one to lay Duma to rest.

The denial is out of her mouth before she can even think about it.

"I didn't slay Duma, okay? Alm and Celica were the ones who did it. Give them the credit. Not me."

Her friends give her odd looks when she says this.

"What are you talking about? I may not know much about magic but I can at least tell when someone's casting something. And it was your spell that took him down! I was there! I saw it with my own two eyes." Gray is the most animated about it. It's only later she learns that he's been going around the rest of the Deliverance, proudly talking her up as the village girl who slew Duma.

Some part of her wants to smile at that. The rest of her chooses to frown in response.

"Alm and Celica did all the actual work. I just stepped in at the end. Or are you going to say I built Ram Village because I helped Uncle set up the fence for his sheep pen?"

"Er, no, I guess not." She sees Tobin trading a quick glance with Gray before he speaks. "But, well, you still got the last hit on him, didn't you?"

It's not like she can say otherwise to refute his logic, and she knows that by now word will have spread through the Deliverance armies of what had happened. Everyone is going to have heard of how she killed Duma.

And she can't quite put into words why that thought makes her stomach lurch.

But before she can say anything else, there comes shouts from behind her, and she sees people running over, calling them to come on down.

The war is over.

And the celebrations have begun.

(X)

Faye takes a drink from whatever it is in her cup as she hovers on the edge of the ongoing party, letting her gaze sweep the crowd.

She's not quite sure what she should be doing here. She can see people with their heads bowed, drinking and talking animatedly with each other – a few others who are starting to feel the effects of their drinks if their red faces and stumbling gaits are any indication.

She lowers her gaze to the dark red liquid of her cup and heaves a sigh. It's loud. Too loud.

She'd seen Alm a little earlier, but he had been beside Celica, the two of them clearly unable to tear their eyes away from each other. She had managed a crooked smile and turned away, to leave them to own devices.

It's then she spots another familiar face, likewise standing at the fringes of the celebrations, and she heads over.

"I guess loud parties aren't your thing either, huh?" she asks once she's near enough to be heard. It's slightly quieter out here. Good.

Catria's smile is tolerant as she leans her head to one side. "Well, the food and drink is usually better than what the rank and file get as rations, so sure, make use of the chance to fill your belly. Otherwise... yes, it's really more Est's thing. She's a regular social butterfly, that one." A thoughtful nod. "Still, celebrations are always good for morale. Helps remind people there's a light at the end of the tunnel and all that."

And this time, Faye laughs.

"What is it?"

"I guess you've been through your share of celebrations too, huh? After that war you told me about?"

"True enough. And wouldn't you know it, it ended with us killing a dragon too." Catria's smile widens. "Congratulations on your feat, by the way. I didn't see it for myself, but Est described it to me. How you, and I quote, 'threw yourself between Duma and Celica, raising your shining staff aloft to strike him down with fury in your eyes.'"

"She's exaggerating. It wasn't anything like that." And Faye finds herself frowning again.

Catria shifts her stance. "Sorry. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't push."

"It's all right." Blowing out a breath of air, she decides to change the subject. "So! I guess... you'll be heading back to Macedon after all this?"

"Yes, I suppose we will." Catria's gaze becomes distant. "We first came here to rescue Est and, well, we've succeeded. And we've finished helping Lady Celica with her own tasks as well. So... there's really nothing keeping us here any longer."

"That's true..." she nods, trying to process the feeling that beats in her chest into words. "I guess you'll be happy to see home soon, huh?"

"Indeed." A nod. "There are many beautiful sights across both continents, but nothing stirs the heart quite like the sight of your home. The vast plains under your feet, the endless forests under the bluest sky you could imagine."

And as she speaks, Faye finds herslf imagining her own home, wondering what it looks like now after so long away, and she nods.

"I know what you mean. And... Macedon does sound like a lovely country."

"Well, I admit I'm biased. But you know, if you ever want to visit Macedon and see it for yourself, the door of my home will always be open to you." Catria smiles at her.

"Eh?" Faye blinks. The thought of visiting Catria had honestly never occurred to her at that point, and she finds herself pondering the journey across the vast sea. "I mean... I never really thought about it. Going across the sea, I mean."

A small laugh. "Well, no one's saying you have to make that choice now. But the offer stands if you ever feel like it."

And before either of them can say anything more, Est is suddenly there, gasping for breath.

"Catria! Catria! You gotta see this!"

Catria raises an eyebrow. "What's the matter, Est?"

"It's – one of the guys from Sir Alm's army! He's a Rigelian bigwig or something, but I swear, Catria, I swear it's actually him! It's Camus!"

This is enough to get Catria to frown. Setting her drink down, to moves to follow Est, before turning back to wave at Faye.

Faye waves back as Catria and Est vanish into the crowds, and brings her cup to her lips as she continues her slow orbit around the area.

"There you are! I was starting to wonder if you'd snuck off without anyone noticing."

She whirls, and her eyes widen. "Leon!"

"In the flesh." He nods as he walks up to her, and Faye's gaze travels to the walking stick he now holds in his right hand.

"Your leg..." She trails off, unsure of how to continue.

"Hm? Oh, this." He taps the ground once. "The healers they got to look over me told me it's a miracle I even survived losing that much blood. And I can believe it – honestly, I'm still feeling a little faint."

A pause, and despite the revelry around them it somehow seems to have grown quiet all of a sudden. Leon lets out a long sigh, and the grip on the stick tightens.

"Also... they told me I'm going to need this thing to walk for the rest of my life." Leon pauses, and turns his gaze upwards. "Guess my days as a soldier are over."

And she's chewing at her lip again as she finds her own gaze rooted to the ground in between the two of them.

"I'm sorry," she says after a moment, "if – if I had been stronger, I would have been able to heal you properly-"

"Don't be ridiculous." He shakes his head and leans over to rest a hand on his shoulder. "If it weren't for you I'd already be dead. You saved my life, Faye."

"But... but I..." She's angry, she suddenly realizes, and she doesn't know why. "Won't this change everything? I mean, it's just – you can't fight anymore, just like that? Won't you lose your whole livelihood?"

"Yeah, that's true. It'll be a big change, that's for sure. But I've been through far worse, and I'll get through this too." A pause, and then a laugh. "You know, way back before I enlisted, I always had it in my head that I'd be a merchant one day. Maybe I'll go back and try my hand at that."

"Well... I could see that." She's still not entirely happy with things as they stand, but if Leon seems contented enough, then who is she to judge?

"Yes, so like I said..." Leon leans over to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. You saved my life. And if what I heard is correct, you saved everyone. You were the one to bring down Duma, weren't you?"

She lets out a long sigh and shakes her head. "Why does everyone keep saying that? I just-"

She's cut off – the dull roar of chatter and laughter from the party seems to have swelled all of a sudden, and she turns-

And suddenly it seems like all the faces in the vicinity are aimed at her. She blinks and instinctively takes half a step back.

"That's her!" The shouts are loud and she can see fingers pointing in her direction. "She's the one who did it! She's the one who killed Duma!"

"She's the dragonslayer!"

"All hail the godslayer!" One of the men thrusts his mug in the air, and it's immediately followed by a deafening roar that comes from the rest of the people in the vicinity.

"HAIL!"

Faye finds she has to compose herself not to wince as the thunderous wave of their cheering and clapping slams into her. All of a sudden she's the centre of attention, the focus of everyone's celebrations, and the weight of their stares is paralysing.

Surrounded by people singing her praises, Faye suddenly feels very much alone.

She risks a glance at Leon, and the expression on his face shows he knows she's uncomfortable right now. He gives a shrug and the hand on her shoulder squeezes once in a comforting gesture.

And it is comforting. With Leon backing up, she manages a tentative smile in response to their praise, and that seems to make the cheers even louder.

The night flows on, and the people celebrate their victory, preparing themselves to face a future built by the hands of men.

(X)

At the end of it all is the journey back home.

Or at least the journey back towards Zofia. Faye knows that their final destination isn't Ram. It'll be Zofia Castle instead.

That's where they'll make it official, she supposes. There, Alm will be crowned king. Not of Zofia, nor Rigel. But a new, united One Kingdom of Valentia.

It's a momentous occasion, or at least she supposes it is. The joining of two kingdoms that had existed for centuries. Where two paths had been pursued, there would now be only one. A complete reversal of the status quo, a decision that will affect the entire continent.

She doubts the shockwaves of the change will ever spread as far as Ram.

There, too, will be where Alm and Celica will be wed. It only makes sense – what better way to symbolize the union of the two nations than by the union of the nation's royals?

Of course, they're both head over heels in love with each other too.

And as they continue making their way south, others begin to break away from the group. Conrad is the first to bid farewell, saying he needs to deliver news of what has transpired to Sage Halcyon, and that he'll return as soon as he is able. Two sibling magicians who had travelled with Alm say they need to return to their village to settle their affairs. Atlas waves goodbye before heading back to his mountain village, accompanied by Jesse.

All this helps contribute to her own decision, to leave as well.

She's almost finished with securing her luggage to Flora's side when Gray comes up to her, arms folded.

"So," He begins.

"Hey there," she returns the greeting with a small nod before she continues her work.

A silence falls upon the two of them, and Faye reflects that even now, at the end of their journey, after facing so many battles and dangers and trials-

They're all still terrible at saying goodbye.

A chuckle escapes her lips as she shakes her head, and that seems to ease the tension a little for everyone.

"So you've been to see the others already?"

"Yes, more or less." There had been some raised eyebrows when she had announced her decision, but no one had really questioned it. They must have all known how homesick she is.

Celica had merely smiled, and drawn her into a warm embrace before wishing her safe travels – and that she hoped they would see each other again soon.

Another brief silence, before Gray runs a hand through his hair. "You sure you want to do this?"

She lifts her head to look at him, the same time she raises an eyebrow. "Well, of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just... I dunno. Going back, after everything? You sure that's all you want?" He shrugs his shoulders and spreads his arms. "I mean, come on! You're the Dragonslayer! The one who killed Duma! That's a ticket straight to the nobility if I've ever seen one. I bet you could just ask Alm and he'd give you your own castle!" He snaps his fingers. "Bam. Just like that."

She lets out a derisive snort. "I don't want my own castle. And I don't want to be 'the Dragonslayer' either. I just want to be Faye. Of Ram." She adds in those last two words, almost as an afterthought.

Yet another silence. And then Gray heaves a long sigh.

"So... this is it, huh?" His expression is thoughtful as he stares at Flora, who is still waiting patiently. "I'll see you around, then."

"Yeah..." She pauses as something else strikes her. "Will you be coming back to Ram? For a visit, I mean?"

She knows Gray and Tobin plan to sign up with the knights after this. From here on out, their paths will diverge. But... would their paths ever intersect again?

"Well... yeah," he reaches up to rub the back of his head, "or at least that's the plan. Probably not any time soon though. Winning aside, the continent's still kind of a mess. The knights are going to be run ragged for a while, just keeping things from falling apart any more than they already have."

And at this, Faye finds herself fighting down a flash of guilt. If there's still so much work to be done... is it really okay for her to ride off on her own?

She swallows hard and tries to dismiss it. She's done enough.

And she wants to go home.

She can be selfish, just this once. Can't she?

"And anyway," Gray continues, breaking into her thoughts as he gestures at Flora, "you're the one with the magic flying horsey. It'd probably be way easier for you to come visit us, wouldn't it?"

Faye reaches up to rub Flora's neck, and can't explain why she has to fight the urge to frown.

"I guess."

Finally, her preparations are done. She mounts Flora and pauses, before turning to face Gray with a smile.

"Good bye, Gray." A deep breath. "Look after Alm and Celica, okay? They're in way over their heads, you know."

He chuckles and nods.

"See ya, Faye. Say hi to everyone in Ram for me, okay?"

A brief return nod in acknowledgement, and with a jerk of the reins, Flora takes off into the skies.

Soon, Gray shrinks into a tiny dot, far below them. And spreading out as far as she can see, is the vastness of Valentia.

(X)

Stories and fairy tales aside, a pegasus can no more fly across the continent than a horse could gallop straight across it.

So it's only weeks later, with frequent stops to rest and sleep, that Faye now approaches the outskirts of the village.

She supposes thoughts of her home should have been filling her mind, but right now she's distracted.

Over the past day, clouds have been gathering. Not the thin white strips she had seen in the skies so often, but grey, heavy ones that have come together to blot out the sun.

Almost without thinking, she guides Flora to fly closer to the ground, and she feels her heart beating faster. Could it really be...?

And just as Ram comes into view, it comes. A familiar sound, yet one she hasn't heard in years.

The rumble of thunder.

And as she brings Flora down to a gentle landing just outside the village gates, the heavens open, and sheets of water crash down all over the land.

In seconds, Faye is drenched.

Beside her, Flora makes an odd grumbling noise, clearly displeased at the downpour. But she can hear slamming doors and she can see people running out, arms outstretched and crying out in delight at rain, rain at long last, rain after so many years of dryness and dust.

She closes her eyes, lifts her face and feels the sting of raindrops pelting her nose and cheeks.

She's home.

(X)

For a while, it's almost as if nothing has changed.

Farmers work the fields. Children run and play in the village square. Life goes on, the same slow simple days of Ram.

But there are always reminders. Of what has been lost, and of what has been gained.

Suddenly, Faye is now the best healer in the village. Her magic thrums in response to need, and she can now easily repair the careless injuries sustained through a day of work, and to soothe those suffering from illness or maladies. One day, she helps to heal a boy who had broken a leg after trying to climb a tree. She gains a reputation for her talents, and from then on people bring to her their sick and hurting.

In fact, she gains a reputation regardless. Everyone has heard of stories and rumours of Alm, the boy from Ram who became a king. As part of his circle of friends, of those who had left the village (never mind that she hadn't actually travelled with Alm), people come to her, asking her about what had happened. The children crowd her as well, plying her for stories about the journey. Faye feels uneasy about letting them down, but she tells them nothing less than the truth – she didn't go with Alm, she barely knows any more about the situation than they do. Fewer remember Celica, the quiet girl who had come to the village and left again, but some do ask about her as well – they recall that lazy afternoon where she had returned to the village and departed with Faye at her side.

They seem surprised when she shakes her head and says she doesn't want to talk about it.

Still they talk about her, and many seem to look up to her merely for the feat of leaving the village, fighting in the war, and returning safe and sound.

The thought of it makes her sigh.

So even in Ram I can't go back to just being 'Faye', huh?

Other reminders crop up as well. Alm's house remains empty – Uncle had technically never given up ownership of the property, and no one feels right claiming or selling off the house that once belonged to the king. Faye spends her free time taking care of it, and what remains of Uncle's sheep.

Flora draws the curiosity of the village – at least at first. But she soon makes it clear she does not like crowds and though, at Faye's urging, she will suffer the children running hands along her wings, they quickly learn when she's not up for playtimes and she soon becomes regarded as a familiar sight in Ram.

Tobin's sisters come to tell her about how he is doing, happily waving the most recent of his letters for her to read. She smiles as she scans the page – they're so proud of their older brother who had left to make his way in the world, and even now continues working to support them as a knight. Once they finish singing his praises, their voices lower as they ask if she has any idea when Tobin plans to come back for a visit.

She has to admit that she does not know, but it's not likely to be any time soon. They can't quite hide the disappointment in their eyes.

Kliff does return, but the visit is short – and not a pleasant one. He gives her a brief greeting before squaring his shoulders and vanishing into his house.

A sudden outburst of raised voices that can be heard, even from the village square.

Kliff emerges, gives her a curt nod as he walks past – he does not slow his pace – and mounts the horse he had travelled here on. He leaves, and Faye can only shake her head.

Eventually the knights arrive, to deliver the news of the founding of the One Kingdom. Mila is gone, they tell the villagers. From now on, the fields will never again bear such plentiful harvests as before. But in place they bring knowledge from the north – of how to maximise crop yields, and of how to coax as much as they can from the stubborn earth.

Uncle comes with them.

He stops by his old house, and Faye pays him a visit. She brews him some tea and for a while they make small talk, both skirting around the real issue. Faye mentions that his sheep are doing well and after a chuckle and a shake of his head he officially gifts them to her and her family, and throws in his house for good measure.

"Sell the blasted thing and keep the money," he tells her. "But make sure to let the poor fool who buys this place know the doors are worthless at keeping out drafts."

She laughs, but all of a sudden it fades away into silence and she lets out a sigh.

Uncle's expression grows thoughtful as well.

"... I'm sorry."

Faye doesn't respond for a moment. Instead she stares down at her drink and the wisps of steam rising from it, before she takes a deeo breath and places it on the table. "Are you, Uncle?" she finally asks. "Are you really? Because you were the one who taught me that saying 'sorry' without meaning it isn't saying sorry at all."

"True enough." Uncle heaves a sigh of his own. "Well, let me be a bit more clear. I'm not sorry for keeping Alm's heritage a secret. Rudolf entrusted Alm to me, and I would have told any lie needed to keep him safe – and for him to grow up a happy, healthy young lad."

She remains silent.

"But I am sorry I wasn't able to tell you the truth."

"... Not much of a difference." She mutters as she reaches for her cup and takes a long drink from it.

"You think so?" His expression turns thoughtful as he nurses his own mug. "Well, maybe so. Maybe it's just what I tell myself to feel better about it."

"And anyway, you know I'm not really the one who needs the apology." She says after a long moment. "Alm killed his own father over your secrets, and don't you dare tell me that the results or it being part of the Emperor's 'master plan' somehow makes it okay! Have you said sorry to him yet?"

He sighs, and his nod is weary. "I won't deny it. I've hurt him, there's no way to avoid that. We hurt him, Rudolf and I. Even if it was for the greater good..."

It's funny, she thinks. She can't remember the last time she's seen Uncle being so open and vulnerable about his own thoughts. Maybe the end of the war and an end to the lies had loosened him up somewhat.

"I do owe him an apology. But I thought that it might be better if I started with you. I thought it would be easier that way."

"Alm isn't going to be anywhere near as harsh as I'd be to you, Uncle. He'd be nice about it."

"I know," he folds his arms and sinks slightly back into his chair, "and that's the hard part."

She sees him and his entourage off when they're ready to leave, waving as they head down the path and until they vanish into the woods.

Once alone, she turns back, and prepares to face the day ahead.

(X)

Weeks turn into months.

Months stretch into nearly a year.

Sometimes, Faye wonders if she is happy.

Ram is her home. It will always be.

And yet she finds herself staring at houses that had once held friends. She finds herself sitting alone in the village square at the end of long days of work.

She finds herself wondering why home no longer feels very much like home at all.

Has Ram changed that much since I was away? She asks herself as she stares as the orange-pink sunsets. Or was I the one to change?

Well, that one is easy enough to answer. In the end, Ram had lost four kids, and one old man. Hardly very much, even for a small village.

But Faye has travelled and seen so much. Been through so much.

She isn't the same person who left one quiet evening, so long ago.

She doesn't like it. She doesn't like the thought of losing her home, still less so that it's because she is the one who has changed.

One thing that does change in Ram is the frequency of merchant visits. The roads become safer every day, the knights doing all they can to stamp out bandits and cutpurses, and so more and more are willing to brave the journey south to Ram. Their wine remains as famed as ever, after all.

And through them, the letters come.

Genny writes her, telling her enthusiastically about how Mae and Boey remain as inseparable as ever, and how Father Nomah has started training Boey in earnest, to become the new head of the priory in years to come. Her book, she also proclaims, is progressing nicely and needs only a few more touches until it's finally complete.

'You should come visit the priory,' Genny writes in her letters. 'We'd be delighted to have you.'

Leon does too, proudly announcing that he's set up a nice shop right in the capital, and that business is booming. He tells of Valbar, how he's become an instructor in the royal army and is, naturally, beloved by all who study under him, and that he still pays regular visits to Leon.

'You should come down some time,' Leon tells her. 'Take in the sights. I could show you around.'

Gray sends her letters too, partly to boast about how well he's doing in the One Kingdom's Brotherhood of Knights, partly to complain about how Clair is trying her damnedest to 'straighten him up', in her words. One entire paragraph is dedicated to the horrors of his attempts at learning cursive.

'Anyway, you feel like coming over one of these days?' He asks her. 'Can't quite make the trip down south yet. But we can hang out with Tobin and it'll be like old times!'

Like old times. She bites her lip as she folds the letter up neatly and places it in her drawer.

And then letters from the east that bear signs of having been splashed with water, with the ink running slightly. Catria writes to tell her of her homeland, about Queen Minerva trying to keep a squabbling court in line and of how her own training as a pegasus knight is going.

'I know I invited you to visit whenever you wanted,' the letter concludes. 'But it might be best to wait a while. Archanea's situation is currently a little too volatile for my liking. Still, I'm looking forward to the day you can come see my homeland.'

Faye replies to those letters, writing down how she's doing, and how Ram is doing. She remembers struggling with finding anything to say about herself in a letter once, not so very long ago. Still, it's easy enough to talk about Ram and how it fares – especially with the farmers having to relearn everything in a land that is no longer blessed.

She can't bring herself to commit to a visit to any of them – but she doesn't turn down the offers either. Whenever she contemplates it, worry gnaws at her mind.

I've changed so much already. If I leave the village again... what will I be like when I return?

Perhaps it really is safer, simply not to mention visits in he letters.

And then, nearly one day to the year of Duma's defeat, it arrives.

A knock sounds on her door and she hurries to open it. One look at the clothes of the man in front of her, and she knows that he's been sent from the palace.

"Faye of Ram?" he asks her. "Childhood friend of His Majesty, Alm the First?"

She has to fight back the snort at how he's turned being a friend into some sort of title.

Oh well. It's better than being called 'Dragonslayer.'

Once he receives confirmation that she's who he thinks she is, he hands an envelope to her. "I was ordered to deliver this to you personally."

She turns the envelope over in her hand. It's a deep maroon in colour, with gold trim along the edge. She can see letters neatly embossed in gold leaf on one side, letting the bearer know it is addressed to Faye of Ram Village, and for a moment, she wonders if the envelope cost more to make than the dress she's wearing.

She knows without opening it that it's an invitation to the royal wedding.

Alm and Celica's wedding.

"Shall I wait for your reply?" He asks her after a moment.

She bites her lips, looking down at her name, written on the envelope.

"No," she says, "it's fine."

When the messenger has departed, Faye places the envelope neatly in the drawer where she keeps all her other letters.

And she returns to life in Ram.

(X)

Visits to Fleecer's Forest had become more common after she'd returned to Ram. It's safe enough now, and the undergrowth of the forest carries potent herbs that can be mixed into tonics and salves. Oftentimes she'll bring Flora with her for faster travel.

Shes on another such trip one day when she stumbles onto the old dirt path, and as she looks to the north, she can just see the shrine peeking through the leaves.

And she remembers. The journey. Her friends. Alm. Celica.

She shakes her head, trying to dispel the sudden rush of thoughts, and whistles for Flora.

She's scarcely touched down in the village square when her mother comes up to her, an odd expression on her face.

"You have a visitor," she tells Faye, and then she will say no more of it.

Curious, she heads back to her room. She pushes open the door – only to see Celica sitting on the chair, chin resting on one hand as she looks out the window.

"Celica?"

She turns to look at her, and smiles.

"Hello, Faye. It's so good to see you well."

"What – I mean, yes, it's nice to see you too, but what are you doing here?"

"I can't come to see an old friend?" Celica raises an eyebrow before stepping closing to her. But then her expression grows more solemn, and she folds her hands together in front of her.

"... You missed the wedding. I was – we were all hoping you would show."

And Faye lowers her gaze and lets out a sigh. "I would have just dragged the mood down. I'm happy for you and Alm, I really am, but-" She breaks off and shakes her head. "Being there, seeing it in person, it'd have been..."

"I can understand that." Celica closes her eyes and nods once. "We were prepared for the possibility you would say no. Still, we had hoped..."

"Hoped for what?"

And Celica does blink at that. "Faye... you didn't know? Did you read the invitation we sent you?"

"Well, er, no." She winces. "I mean, I could tell it was for the wedding, so I thought there wasn't..."

And Celica laughs and raises one hand to her forehead. "Well, no time like the present. Do you happen to have saved the invitation itself?"

"Ah, yes! It's over here..." Hastily, she opens her drawer and brings the invitation out. Opening it, she unfolds the letter and and scans the contents.

Her eyes widen.

"The guest of honour?" Her voice is a squeak. "Me?"

"I suppose it might seem odd, to honour someone else during a marriage ceremony for the new king and queen. But I – we wanted to take the chance to show you our gratitude. And to present this to you."

She takes another step forward, and presses something into Faye's hands. She blinks and takes a look at it. It's a pendant – a medallion, really. Engraved on it is the symbol of the One Kingdom.

"This is the King's Trust. If you bear this seal, there is no door in the One Kingdom that will not open for you. We would be honoured if you would accept it, as a symbol of our thanks."

Faye is silent. All at once, she finds that she can't find anything to say.

"Why?" She finally manages after a long moment. "This isn't... I don't deserve to be honoured over anyone else. Even if I did land the killing blow on Duma, it was just pure dumb luck! You don't need to-"

"No," Celica cuts her off with a shake of her head. "This isn't about Duma, Faye. At least, not directly. It's..." Her shoulders slump, and she lets out a sigh. "You saved me, Faye."

"What? Everyone saved everyone during that journey; I'm not special! You remember when Boey dived in front of that Bonewalker to save Mae or when Kamui fended off those Gargoyles while protecting Valbar-"

"Not those times. In the Vault." Celica's gaze grows hooded. "You saved me... from making one of the worst mistakes I could have ever made."

And Faye grows silent, too. The grip on the medallion tightens.

"You saved yourself," she finally says. "I just told you how I really felt about the whole thing. You were the one to make the final decision, all on your own."

"Perhaps. And yet, I could never have made that same decision if it weren't for you." Celica pauses again, as if trying to decide whether to continue speaking. "I wanted to say thank you. And... if I can, I want to help you too."

Faye blinks. "Help me?"

Celica sighs and looks to the ground.

"Gray's worried about you," she says after a pause. "Leon, too. And Genny doesn't write to me much, but her last letter mentioned that she hoped you were doing okay. I think... they've seen something in the letters you sent them."

"What – my letters? What did I say-?'

"I get the feeling it's less what you told them than it is what you didn't say. Faye, I don't mean to pry... but is everything going well?"

Faye finds she can't give an answer.

And that, in its own way, is answer enough.

"I did wonder, myself." Celica takes a deep breath. "I knew you dearly wanted to return to Ram... but I also knew you longed for our friends to return here too."

"Well, they're not here." She finds that her voice is more bitter than she'd expected it to be. "And it's not like I can do anything about that."

There is no immediate reply. Instead, Celica steps closer, leaning so close their foreheads almost touch.

"And is that how it's going to be? You, living here, just wishing for the past?" Celica shakes her head once. "I don't want that for you.

"This is your world too, Faye." Celica's voice is softer now, but no less empathetic for it as she reaches down, enfolding Faye's hands in her own. "You fought for it, as hard as anyone else. Please, don't just shut yourself away from it, after everything."

Faye lets out her breath in a sigh and bites at her lip. She finds she can't quite look Celica in the eye, and so instead she keeps her gaze focused on the hands holding onto her own. The skin is pale and unblemished, a stark contrast to hers, with smears of dirt and callused knuckles.

"And what if I don't want the world?" She says after a long moment. "What if I just want a quiet, ordinary, normal life?"

"There's no reason you can't have both." Celica's smile is gentle. "Trust me, I know all about living in multiple worlds. I'm Queen Anthiese now... but I'm also Celica, of Ram and of Novis. I will always be. And... it may not be the world you want, but your friends that dwell in it. That's reason enough not to cut it off."

She closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath.

"What then? I've already changed so much, Celica. Can I really... can I really go on, without losing Ram too?"

"We don't lose ourselves that way, Faye." Celica's grip tightens. "We grow. Like a tree, whose branches spread wider and wider. If you're feeling lost, and I know you are, it's not because you've lost Ram. It's because you're turning your back on everything else."

A silence.

And then, Faye snorts. "So, what, this medallion was meant to help encourage me to go see the world?"

And Celica laughs too. "Well, it's mostly intended for unfettered access to the royal castle. But why not?" And then a twinkle in her eye that holds a hint of mischief. "And besides, we still have to see to your reward. Whether or not you want the history books to record it as such, you did lay Duma to rest. So, is there anything you want?"

Faye's gaze grows lidded as she ponders.

"I don't need anything," she finally decides. "But give it to my parents. And Nan. Enough that they'll never want for anything again, as long as they live."

(X)

"And I'm so happy you decided to come visit!" Genny's excited chatter comes from all over the room as she practically flies all across it, picking up papers, rearranging them, and setting it down again.

"Well, I figured if any occasion was special enough to warrant me coming over, it'd be this." She hefts the thick sheathe of papers that had been sitting on the table in front of her. "Congratulations, Genny."

"I just have to sign a couple of forms and then it'll be official!" Even standing still now, Genny's so excited she's practically bouncing on her heels. "My first book, published! Can you believe it, Faye? Of course, Celica putting in a good word really helped... oh gosh, what if Celica herself reads it? I hope she likes it! I mean, I kinda sorta based it on our adventure together..."

Faye smiles in response as she turns the manuscript over and idly flips open a couple of pages. And then her expression grows more thoughtful and contemplative instead.

There, inked neatly on the page, are two words, plain and unadorned.

To Sonya.

After a moment, Faye looks up and realizes that Genny's gaze had dropped too, and her hands are now clasped at the small of her back.

"... I miss her, you know?" She says after a moment of silence.

"I know." Faye nods once. "I do, too."

Would Sonya have enjoyed this new world, too? I'm sure she would have, but...

She's interrupted by a clattering of metal from behind her. "Genny, are you present? Where do you want this tray?"

"Hm? Oh... the sidetable is fine!" Genny raises her voice, and Faye turns to see the newcomer.

Her eyes widen.

"Oh! A guest?" The woman tilts her head to one side. "Have we met? I don't think I've seen you before."

"Er... you might not remember her," Genny coughs, "but I'm pretty sure you've met. Faye. This is Hestia. Hestia... Faye."

"Ah yes. The greeting. I had forgotten." Hestia nods once, before performing an elaborate curtsy. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Faye."

"Just... just Faye is fine."

The late afternoon finds them walking along a hill that offers them an excellent view of Novis Greatport, and the ocean beyond. The sun is just starting to sink into the ocean, and the waves are painted in brilliant bursts of orange light.

"Novis really is a beautiful place," Faye says, almost to herself. "Almost as peaceful as Ram."

"Uh huh! It's really nice out here! They say it's good healing for the soul..." Genny trails off for a moment. "And I guess that's why I decided to bring Hestia back here with me."

"You didn't mention her in any of your letters," Faye points out as she settles herself down on the grass, feeling the softness under her legs and palms. "So I have to admit to being pretty surprised."

"Yeah... Celica and Father Nomah told me it would probably be better if I didn't bring it up so much. Some people aren't comfortable with the idea of trying to rehabilitate Witches, you know?"

"Well, if I didn't know she was one, I don't think I'd be able to tell. Hey eyes are still a little shiny, I guess. But she's just really pale now instead of... uh, purple."

"Yeah, I was a little worried about that at first. But I guess being out here in Novis instead of Rigel and in their temples really did help her a lot!"

They lapse into silence for a moment, until Faye takes a deep breath.

"So, this idea of rehabilitating Witches... did Sonya talk to you about it, too?"

Genny nods once. "She did. And... well, I'm not a great magician like she was. I don't know how to research new spells that could potentially solve the problem and just... restore her like that. But when I found out Hestia had survived the battle after all... I thought I had to at least try to do what I could."

"Well, she seems... normal. Ish." Faye shrugs.

"Her memory's still a wreck." A sigh and a shake of her head. "She always remembers me... and Sonya and Marla, I guess. But everyone else is a coin toss. She doesn't remember anything about the battle we were in. And she's pretty spacey all the time, although I can't tell if it's because of being a Witch or if she was always like that.

"But... you know." Genny smiles. "Recently she's started becoming interested in things. She likes colours and painting now. She'll do that on her own. Before she only responded when I gave her a task to do. I don't know if it's really an indication her soul is coming back or anything... but it's progress. I'm just glad for that."

Faye laughs and nods. "Who would have guessed. Genny of Novis. Cleric. Novelist. Restorer of souls. I never took you for the type."

Genny laughs too. "Well, I guess it's true, you know? You never really know what you can accomplish until you try!"

You never know...

Faye takes in a deep breath and stares out at the sunset. If anything, it's even more beautiful out here than the ones in Ram.

"Maybe you're right." She says, and her voice is soft.

(X)

Ram is her home. It will always be.

But more and more she finds her gaze travelling further afield, as she seeks all the new Valentia can offer her.

She visits the market where Leon has set up shop, and spends the afternoons chatting with him, as he introduces her to all the people he's had a chance to meet in his new walk in life.

She drops in on Gray, and they discuss taking care of their steeds, the state of the kingdom, and how his relationship with Clair is going.

She attends Tobin's knighting, where Alm formally bestows him with a title and with land to build his estate on, and she cheers herself hoarse. Later on, she returns to Ram, to help his family pack up as they prepare to turn the page on a new chapter in their lives.

She visits the nascent Mercenary Kingdom founded by Jesse, and endures ribbing from the men there until Saber lets it slip she's the Dragonslayer the One Kingdom keeps talking about. Faye rolls her eyes, but it works and they leave her alone from then on.

She travels north, north, north to the Sage's Hamlet, just in time to catch Layna setting out with a group to begin the process of rebuilding her hometown.

"The supplies the king promised us just came in!" She grins, before her expression grows more serious. "I never did get the chance to say this before, but thanks. For Lord Duma and all."

"Thanks?" she repeats. "Layna, I – I killed him. I thought you'd hate me for it."

"He got to face his death head on, and to fight against it to the last. He'd never ask to go out any other way." Layna's smile is warm. "And if the Sage has the right of it, killing him isall that you could have done for him. So again, thanks."

She leaves with a promise to visit Layna in her new home, and a lighter heart.

She flies like the wind itself to catch Kliff boarding a ship bound for Archanea one early morning, having disappeared without so much as a goodbye note. After dragging him off the ship and giving him an earful, she brings him back to the castle so they can give him a proper farewell party. Kliff folds his arms and acts grumpy at the celebrations, but Faye knows him well enough to see the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

She finds her gaze turning eastwards as well, to the land that Catria calls her home, and she wonders what it would be like to see it for herself. Not just yet, perhaps. But soon.

She drops in on the mountain village where Atlas resides, and quite by coincidence runs into a cleric both from Novis and the Deliverance. At the end of an afternoon together, they are fast friends.

She travels the land, visiting old friends, making new ones, giving aid wherever her spells are needed. They are all a part of her now, and through them she is connected to the vastness of the world. Not in one huge wave; that would overwhelm her, overwhelm anyone. But person by person, heart by heart, she gives, and receives, and grows in turn.

(X)

She rests on the balcony of Zofia Castle, staring up at the sky. Stars twinkle above her, in a silent, eternal dance. On a wild impulse she wonders what it would be like to ride Flora soaring up, up, up until she too, is part of the endless harmony.

"Did you find it, Faye?" Celica asks as she comes up beside Faye, one hand holding up a plate of cookies. "What you were searching for?"

Faye nods her thanks as she accepts one from the queen – her dear friend. She chews thoughtfully for a moment, savouring the faint after-taste of summer berries, before she swallows.

"I don't know," she finally admits as she casts her gaze off into the horizon. The country, the continent, the world, stretches out before her, endless in its possibilities.

So much to see, and to do, and to be...

"I guess I'll just have to keep looking."

And she does.

Story End

Author Notes: And that's that. The story is completed, almost one year to the day I first started it. It's certainly been a ride.

I wanted to write this particular chapter with the idea that Faye might have been starting to retreat back inside herself, especially if left to her own musings. She's grown a lot over the course of the story (or at least, I hope I communicated that well enough) but sometimes people can lack the epiphanies they need to make that one final step. But Celica is there for her in the end, because what better way to repay a friend for saving you from making a mistake than by returning the favour? And she helps to give Faye a healthier outlook on life.

Because of course, at the end of the day, I really like writing about Faye and Celica together.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Story Post-Mortem: This is mostly going to be rambling about plans I had when setting up this story and whatnot, and whether or not they came to fruition, so if it's not your thing, feel free to skip any or all of this.

I think one of the central things I had in mind when starting this story was Faye's relationships. I really wanted to take the chance to explore how heading off with Celica's army would have changed the circumstances of Faye's development. In the game's A Support with Silque, Faye finally admits to feeling lonely and in need of a friend. I think it's important this conversation is gated behind Act 4, or Alm's entry into Rigel. By that time it should be apparent to her that Alm (and the other Ram kids) are growing more distant from her. Not through any malice on their part but simply because they're finding fulfilment in being given the chance to see the continent and finding new purposes in life, whereas Faye just wants the fighting to be done and to go home. So Faye, while naturally resistant to change and to new, unknown things, tries to strike up conversation with a new friend because she desperately needs a comforting shoulder to lean on.

In this story, that happens a lot earlier on, because aside from Celica, Faye doesn't have anyone familiar to rely on as a friend. I also included the conflict about Faye hiding her feelings about Alm, as a way to create some tension and distance between Faye and Celica early on. That way she can't really focus all her attention on Celica either, and would therefore tentatively start to make friends with others.

Leon's friendship with Faye was one of things I wanted to really develop right from the outset. I said before that I think Leon provides the more positive spin on the trope of unrequited love, and part of it is he's been through his share of heartbreak and grew up enough to deal with it, whereas Faye is still younger, and just as significantly, has experienced far less. So yes, big brother Leon was a big guiding light in Faye's journey. I wanted the experience here to feel more natural so I decided to set it up so that they ran into each other a few times before really hitting it off, and making it so Leon would try to look out a bit for Faye so they'd have more of a rapport before they really start sharing their experiences and life lessons. Sometimes I wonder if I did make the relationship a bit one sided since it's mostly Leon guiding Faye through life lessons, but well, he's the more experienced and worldly-wise character in the end, and I think Leon is happy to see Faye grow into her own.

Catria ended up taking almost the opposite tack. Catria also hits the same trope for unrequited love Faye and Leon does, but I wanted to write it in such a way that that wasn't the basis for their friendship. Catria is more reserved than most, so she has no real reason to bring up having a crush on someone Faye has never heard of, unless it was to offer advice – but then other games shows that Catria is still stumbling through her own feelings anyway, and I read her character as not being comfortable with discussing that at all. For Faye's part, she has no real reason to bring up Alm to Catria either, so in the end they both leave it be. Meanwhile, Catria also guided Faye in being the owner of a pegasus, because that's something she's comfortable with and something she'd be eager to share. I also focused on her role as a more experienced warrior than Faye. That said, looking back over the work I think she ultimately lost out a little in terms of pagetime and things to do. Why? Well...

In the initial plans for this story, Faye and Genny being BFFs basically did not exist at all. I had a brief idea about Faye getting interested in books, but then I decided to shelve that because it didn't fit with the development of the story. Then, while writing, I had a couple of scenes where Genny being the one present and interacting with Faye seemed like the natural fit – most notably the scene where Faye fell ill and was recuperating in the fortress. After that it seemed natural for them to have more scenes together. To be honest though, the final impetus for having the two of them become genuine friends who would hang out and shoot the breeze with each other?

Yoghurt.

I wanted a scene in the breakfast hall where Faye shared yoghurt with someone, and after looking through the list of people who liked yoghurt, I saw that Genny was similarly in the 'loves it' category for that food. After that the two of them chatting with each other, Genny coming to see Faye's flying practice, and them becoming close friends flowed completely naturally, and Genny ended up with way more pagetime then I had ever planned for. So thanks, food preference chart. Thanks a lot.

Also as a result she ended up being a natural contrast with Mae. My headcanon is that loud, energetic, outgoing Mae, is exactly the sort of person who would end up pushing Faye away in her initial desire to make friends, and I tried to write it that while Faye has some interactions with Mae as she becomes more comfortable with the group in general, she still instinctively throws a wall up when talking to her. Genny's more reserved personality as a comforting presence, on the other hand, would be way more effective at coaxing Faye out of her shell.

Another relationship I wanted to write about was Mycen. While not paying that much attention to it, I also wanted to emphasize that Faye looks up to him, and he's fond of her too. And also my fanon that Faye internally thinks of him as her uncle. I tried to sprinkle in hints here and there of how Faye's been influenced and taught by him.

And of course, Faye and Celica's friendship, which was always intended to be the backbone of the story. Faye becoming a cleric and learning from Celica was an obvious dynamic, since I wanted the start of the relationship to very much be of Faye looking up to Celica and learning more from her. At the same time I also wanted to develop their friendship so that it would end up being more reciprocal, to help to demonstrate Faye's own growth and the realization that she's better than she thinks she is. Her mastering various spells and using it to help or save Celica at several moments was meant to reflect this, culminating in the scene in the Royal Vault where she helps Celica realize that she's making a mistake.

At the same time, as the focal relationship of the story, I wanted to write it with the idea that friendships can run into trouble. Faye ends up in conflicts with Leon and Catria at points, but there are multiple times in the story where Faye gets genuinely upset, jealous or angry at Celica, and so I wanted to write about them navigating through such issues. Both Faye and Celica are still growing and learning, so they're not quite as used to working through such things, but at the end of the day their friendship is all the stronger for it, and in the end, they both grow as people from their bond. Ultimately I can only hope that you like their friendship and found it compelling.

Also, back when this story was in the early planning stages, I had an idea of Faye finding a new love interest in the very last chapter, but I dropped it before very long. I wanted to focus on the relationships already built up in the course of the story, not new ones introduced at the last chapter.