Symonne woke up on the floor, where she fell asleep. Something in the air seemed odd, she didn't know why, but something was off.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbARZ5hAqa
She realized it when she looked up at the stone archway leading into the hall, the Malevolence was gone, as were the Shepherd, Squire, Prime Lord, and Sub Lords, his Lordship's domain wasn't present, but perhaps that didn't mean he was thwarted, or dead.
"Who am I kidding, if he'd won, Malevolence would be everywhere." Symonne sat up on her knees and covered her face with her hands, resuming the sob interrupted by her brief slumber, when footsteps rang through the hall.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtp54acTLE
She had abandoned the rounded room where she held her final stand against the Shepherd and his friends, and sought refuge in a room off to the side of a room conjoined with the hallway, but now she inched forward until the hallway was in sight, and through the sliver of archway she could see through from her current angle, she saw the Squire passed by, unaware of her presence as she confidently strode through the hallway.
"And yet, she's alone...why aren't the others with her?" Symonne stood slowly and started forward, "Why did they even bother trying to convince me of anything, if they were just going to destroy my only chance at happiness anyways?"691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvotlAQlUSV
She wondered how far ahead of her Rose was, when she heard the heavy stone door up ahead close presumably because the Squire went that way.
She didn't know how long it took her to leave the ruins, but she found Rose hadn't left for the Aroundight Forest yet, and there was a group of seraphim going back under the gates that adorned the path to Elysia.
Symonne had kept just out of Rose's hearing range, and followed her as far as Ladylake. She paused at the bridge, contemplated running after Rose, who was leisurely strolling into town, chuckling at something on her way.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUikW8BaZu
"When you raise your head, and take the first step," Symonne took a breath as the words came back to her, "wouldn't you think that's when life begins?"691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWhE59TBWj
"How can life begin when I'm already dead?" Symonne grumbled, then shouted at Rose, "Hey! Squire!"691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRL5f731HKg
Rose stopped and turned so only her cheek and eye was visible, "About time you said something, what a quiet journey that was!"
"Y-you knew I-" Symonne didn't know what to think of this new information, she was angry, sad, but somehow relieved.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexAxMrxaHr
"Yep! I felt your presence, Symonne ...did you think you were hiding?" Rose turned fully around to face her, "Did you think you could hide from me? I may not have heard you, but your domain isn't one you can easily conceal."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadiEKTV7bJ
"I...forgot about that." Symonne muttered, "Is that why you laughed?"691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDUYr0jSqv
"Nah, I just thought it was funny, all that power and you tried to hide, and I let you believe you were hiding, mainly I thought you'd run if you were found out," Rose explained, stepping forward, "but I really wanted to share a story with you, about this bridge. Sorey and I met here, then we fought...I wanted to be strong enough when the time came to fight Heldalf, so this was a test...I knew I couldn't win, but I still kept him on his toes and held out for a while...and now here we are, formerly enemies, not fighting on this bridge where I battled Sorey."
"Formerly foes? I believe we're still enemies." Symonne held out her baton and approached Rose, "What else would we be?"691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB3hCapxZb
"I guess best friends forever's out of the question?" Rose inquired, unsheathing her blades, "I already know you made a oath, even if I get covered in bruises you won't kill me." Symonne scowled at her and she continued, "You want to believe what we told you...you want me to fight to prove it."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWfG4te8Cv
"Stop reading my mind!" Symonne demanded, charging at her with her baton.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtXsXxMAsQ
"You're the second person to think that, but if I could read your mind," Rose narrowly avoided another swipe from Symonne 's baton, "then I could probably disarm you."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dREzpUbQF
"Then looks like you'll have to kill me...I suppose I am to Heldalf what you are to Sorey, Squire versus Squire...you'll have to kill me this time."
"Three things," Rose held up three fingers and Symonne stepped back, "first off, I'd like to point out that I'm not Sorey's servant we're--we were friends. Second thing is that I'm no longer a Squire, and you didn't have a fancy true name, so I take it you weren't Heldalf's seraph like Lailah or Mikleo was for Sorey...third, I'm not going to kill you...and on a related note, I'd like to thank you for not attacking with seraphic artes...or while I'm talking, for that matter."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zop8o9QwQ
Symonne stepped back and frowned, then dropped her baton, "Just assassinate me already, I'm evil, just like everyone else you assassinate, I'm no different."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9edsofum5
"No, you are different...you're a victim of your own existence, that's not fair to you." Rose sheathed her blades and held out her hand, "Fighting's not going to solve the current dilemma, we both know it, so why not try to find a different solution?"
"There is no other solution...I should be dead."
"Well, why not make me your vessel?"
"You have a death wish or-"
"And then we'll add more seraphim to our party!" Rose exclaimed eagerly, "Ones with...luckier blessings, something to tone down your domain, or if there's a lucky one, you can just share the same domain, that way your effect is canceled out! Or...I wonder if there are blessing orbs that alter blessings?"
"You'd need to be a Shepherd to be a vessel to multiple seraphim, and if there were blessing orbs like that, someone would have pointed me that way centuries ago." Symonne said dismissively, "I'll just do what I've been doing, avoid everyone."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3geK4G8SP
Before Rose could say another word, Symonne disappeared, "Well, if you need some time alone, that's fine...but I think I just found my next objective."691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5ECgoBVVg
Rose smiled to herself, when a certain Prime Lord's laugh rang somewhere in the back of her mind, "We commit to things, we decide on what role we're going to play, without really consulting anyone else."
Her smile turned a little bitter as she realized for the thousandth time she'd never hear those words in person again.
Tonight in the inn, she wouldn't find Lailah brushing her wondrously long hair, there was no more planning for the final battle, no more anxiously hoping that she could be strong enough to fight Helalf when the time came.
There was no more of Sorey and Mikleo's discussion of ruins, Zaveid's vain flirting, Edna's ribbing, or Lailah's puns, whether any would laugh at her or her puns.
Even though this had been their answer, it didn't make it any easier to move on, but she was all that was left of the Shepherd's posse now, their sacrifice brought forth the close of the Age of Chaos.
"In the end," she thought glumly, "Rose is Rose. Man, what foreshadowing."
Author's Notes: Yeah, this is the direction that's going. Hopefully you saw the "post-endgame" tag, if not, I just realized typing this that "The Answer" could refer to the ending, or bring to mind thoughts of a post-game scenario.
Anyways, I just made this because Symonne needs a happy ending, after that part where she cries, I came back sometime later and she was gone, and she's not mentioned at the end...honestly, I was wondering if she would do something at the ending, but no, she was still gone, so...this is her answer. 691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCy3wI1GRe0
