Rose slowly stepped into the sanctuary and walked absentmindedly up to the pedestal, when she bumped into someone and stumbled back.
"Pardon." she muttered automatically, having hoped there wouldn't be anyone here to wonder why she and Alisha wandered here after dark, "Well, talking to Uno's going to be fun."
"Rose?" Alisha started to wonder who Rose bumped into, or if she stumbled back for some other reason, but there was no mistaking the familiar voice she heard as Rose stared at the seraph in front of her.
"L-Lailah?!" Rose took another step back before running towards the seraph in question, lifting her up and spinning around, then setting the surprised seraph down and embracing her, "I missed you so, so much, I thought you--Lailah, are the others okay?" Rose stepped back and stared hopefully at the fire seraph, who had taken a sudden interest in the tiles below them.
"I don't know, I remember stumbling back here and returning the Sacred Blade, but I...I must have passed out. Oh, Alisha's with you!" Lailah saw the princess knight bowing respectfully and chuckled at her formality.
"Yeah...she wanted to be my traveling companion on my journey to find a...a Prime Lord." Rose chuckled nervously and sighed, "So, we were going to ask Uno if he knew anyone who might be interested in making me a Shepherd...then I found you."
"Um, Lailah," Alisha began, "just so I'm sure, you are the white haired woman in red in front of Rose, right?"
"Yes...oh," Lailah nodded, "I see, you can see me, then."
"So, I can be her Squire for real!" Alisha observed.
"Yes, of course, we'll need to make the pact with our Shepherd here." Lailah pointed out.
"After Micheal and Sorey, though," Rose began cautiously, "are-"
Lailah put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "You already know my answer."
Rose nodded and Alisha stammered, baffled, "Did I miss something?!"
"In Lastonbell" Rose began, "we agreed that we decided what roles we'd play without asking any questions, it seems Lailah's made up her mind that if I'm ready to go on this kind of journey again, then so is she."
"It helps your an accomplished mind reader." Edna noted dryly, smirking smugly at the ensemble.
"Wait," Alisha cried, "you're a mind reader too?!"
"Um, actually-" Rose began, when Edna scoffed.
"You haven't heard about Rose the Reader?! She's only the most popular entertainer in seraph culture!" Edna growled, "I've never been so insulted!"
"I apologize, Seraph Edna!" Alisha cried.
"Then as penance-" Edna began when Lailah quietly interrupted.
"I see you're back at it again, Edna," Edna gasped and turned to find Mikleo behind them, "and what's Symonne doing here?"
"She wants to apologize, and tell you all she took your words to heart." Edna fibbed.
"Did not," Symonne crossed her arms, "it's just...I want you to make me and Edna your seraphim!"
"What's going on, again?" Alisha inquired.
"I had a chat with Symonne on the bridge," Rose explained, "she thought she was following me undetected, but I sensed her...I let her follow me to Ladylake, and talked about making a pact with her, I take it you want you blessing cancelled out by the blessings of other seraphim, which is why you want Edna here, too."
"She said she's lucky!" Symonne turn to Edna, aghast, "You weren't lying, were you?!"
"She's telling the truth," Lailah confirmed, we discussed later on what our blessings might be, Edna's blessing kept her from dying on her many 'trips' over the cliffs of Rayfalke Spiritcrest."
"Wait...are you even willing to be a Prime Lord anymore?" Symonne clenched her fists, "After everything you've been through, and even if so, would you make me your Sub Lord?"
Lailah turned to the former Squire, and watched as she stepped up to the Sacred Blade, "Make it dramatic." Edna smirked.
Rose smiled and drew out the sword, when she had pulled it out she pointed it towards the ceiling and shouted, "Fethmus Mioma!"695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q4GjQumMK
"I give it about an nine." Edna decided, when a sudden clapping caught their attention.
"Well, I say," Zaveid laughed, stepping out from the back room, "that was a perfect ten! Such fiery passion, such blazing determination, such burning conviction-"
"Such annoying commentary." Edna groaned, "And your puns are worse than Lailah's, to boot."
"Hey, I was on a roll!" Zaveid shot back, "Ha, ha, this is like old times, huh, guys?"
Mikleo stared at the floor and sighed, "So, you're the next Shepherd, then."
"There will always be malevolence," Rose pointed out, dearmatizing, "we have to be ready for anything, after that place we went to, before fighting Heldalf...Hexen Isle, I think, I realized the world is a lot bigger than just Rolance or Hyland, and where there's malevolence, there's a dire need of a Shepherd."
"I guess he would be glad to know that...there's someone to walk the path of the Shepherd after him." Mikleo sighed.
"Yeah...you sticking around for it?" Rose wondered.
"Sorry, Rose...I want to explore the ruins, but...if I find anything you might want to know about, I'll be sure to tell you." Mikleo promised.
"If you find anything," Symonne added, "that can lessen the affect of blessings, let me know, too."
Mikleo stared at her and nodded, then turned to leave, "I'm glad you've taken Sorey and Lailah's words to heart, Symonne...good luck."
"Aw, man, I got to choose sides!" Zaveid tipped his hat low and huffed, thinking for a brief moment before running after Mikleo, "Hmm, hey, wait up for me!"
"Hang on, Zaveid," Edna held her umbrella between him and the curious water seraph, "you're surrounded by a group of women, and you'd prefer the company of Mikleo to not just the Shepherd and Prime Lord, but the Squire, too? Are you sick or something?"
"Ha, ha, not at all," Zaveid smiled wildly, "you know, I get the feeling my prospects are much better out there."
"Wait just a minute," Symonne wheeled around, "before you leave, I need to know what your blessings are."
"Lucky in love." Zaveid announced proudly.
"Oh, that explains the horde of beautiful women in your company." Edna sneered sarcastically, "Look at Alisha, she can't even believe such a seraph exists."
"Actually," Alisha piped, "what I was wondering is...i-if it doesn't get cold, seeing as how he doesn't wear a shirt."
"Ha, I'm man enough to do without a shirt!" Zaveid laughed, "Until later, Mikiboy and I have to see the sights! Mikiboy, tell the girl your blessing!"
"Academic achievement." Mikleo smiled, before nodding and walking away, "If you're coming along, Zaveid, you should hurry up."
"Ha, ha," Zaveid ran after Mikleo, but turned around grinning to salute the others, "we'll call you if we find any malevolence!"
"Well, there goes Luzrov Rulay." Edna shrugged.
"And Wirukun Zavie." Rose added.
"You don't need to remember his, actually." Edna insisted, "Just call him Grampveid and leave it at that. Okay, Lailah, do the pact thing and let's go."
"Right!" Lailah turned to Alisha and began with the Squire's pact.
"So, Lailah," Rose began, "what do we do about Symonne?"
"Well, we still need a divine artifact for her to use, until then, she can only follow us." Lailah informed.
"Plenty of time to back out." Edna noted.
"I have no intentions of running away," Symonne replied indignantly, "I've found someone who can--at the very least--overshadow my curse with a blessing of perfect health."
"Oh, great, I've got another stalker." Edna joked.695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKf8TnRtRs
"Well, you two are getting along famously," Rose laughed, "so, know that we've had a chance to introduce ourselves, let's go get some dinner! I'm pretty hungry myself."695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXfQ3eDbAT
"But did you just eat?" Alisha wondered695Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RmaXPgSzZ
"I know!" Rose stepped back defensively, "But I just...had a few hours."
"W-wait," Alisha paused a moment and realized Rose must have spent a while sitting over the uneaten portions, until she showed up, "apologies, I hadn't thought you'd spent so much time there."
"It's cool, but for a rough idea, I'd been there since this afternoon." Rose turned to Symonne, "Speaking of which, I think we should stop by the inn, it's pretty late, and today's mission was a success!"
"I agree," Alisha chuckled, "funny story, I was actually going to order something, but I followed you instead."
"I bet you're starving now!" Rose predicted.
"Wow, Seraph Edna was right!" Alisha marveled, "You truly are a wonderful mind reader!"
"N-no I'm not, I'm just a people reader, I guess!" Rose turned around and crossed her arms, "Go ahead, ask me anything!"
"What am I thinking right now?" Alisha inquired.
"You're...I don't know, wondering what Symonne's divine artifact will be."
"How did you know?!" Alisha exclaimed.
"I didn't...honestly, it was just a guess, for the sake of having a guess, go again!"
"What number am I thinking?"
"Five."
"How?!"
"Well, there are five of us." Rose pointed out.
"Oh, of course." Alisha coughed awkwardly and continued the walk in silence.
Rose stared at the menu while Edna and Lailah explained the meals to Symonne, when Alisha cleared her throat for the seraphs' attention, "Maybe we should just order and come back later?"
"Right, it's getting late," Lailah stared at the innkeeper, "and I think the owner wants to shut down for the night."
"I'm trying," Edna gestured at Symonne, "but someone doesn't want to cooperate!"
"It's not my fault! Just order something, and if I hate it, I'll just leave it." Symonne snapped.
Rose nodded and rose from the table, "Sweetfish sound good, Alisha?"
"Sure." the princess replied, relieved that they were finally going to conclude the adventure that was ordering food, she may have said she was fine, but she was sure that she'd never been so hungry before, after the journey from Lastonbell to Ladylake she expected to sit down at her own table with her maid for dinner, but she felt it was far too late to surprise her chef with an order for dinner.
After sitting down and waiting for Lailah to hand out the servings, Symonne took a bite of her meal and stared at it suspiciously.
"Did it bite back?" Rose teased.
"N-no, it just...I didn't expect this," Symonne shrugged, "but I guess it's not revolting, it's just...sweet?"
"It would be hard to know sweet when you've never eaten before," Rose mused, "maybe next time we should start with something...milder."
"No, it's fine." Symonne didn't know why, but she felt a smile stuck to her face, and felt Edna's eyes watching her smile, "Why are you staring at me?"
"Just wondering if your face is cramped yet." Edna smirked, "You're smile looks almost painful."
"Edna's right!" Lailah exclaimed happily, "You look so happy right now, I'm so happy for you! I would be lying if I said I didn't want to take credit for bringing this about."
"Oh, listen to you gush," Edna poked Lailah with the back of her fork, "like a proud mother. Baby Symonne's first meal consisting of something other than mashed...whatever babies eat."
Symonne glared at Edna, but the laughs and smiles of the others took the rage out of her face, she didn't feel like they were laughing at her, but she still wished Edna would cut it out, if she even could cut it out.
"I fail to see why you two," Symonne pointed at Lailah on one bed and Edna in the other, "are trying to fall asleep, on beds of all things."
"Because, it's comfortable." Edna replied drowsily, "After a long day of teasing you, I'm tired."
"The seraphim who raised Sorey," Lailah began, "took a liking to beds and houses, maybe you will too."
"Hmm, I'm not like other seraphim." Symonne replied evenly.
"Are you sure you won't even try?" Alisha sat up from her edge of the bed, "Edna's a blanket hog, but we can take shifts."
"Edna, stop being a hog!" Rose half-demanded, half-chortled.
"Fine, you can have this one." Edna tossed a blanket at Alisha, who grunted as the compact projectile connected with her face.
"Ideally one bed should be more than enough for three people at once." Symonne sighed and shook her head, "Edna's hardly one to make things ideal or simple, what did I expect?"
"Oh, fine, you can sleep between me and Alisha, just stay on her side." Edna grumbled.
"Hog." Symonne remarked as she fell between the Squire and sub lord.
"Oh, you can have more pillows, too." Edna swung the pillow into Symonne's face as she presented it to her, surprising Symonne with how much of a punch a pillow could provide.
Symonne growled and slapped Edna with the pillow after the earth seraph had laid down, "Hey! Now my ears are ringing!"
"Pillow fight!" Lailah cried.
"Please don't." Rose sighed.
"Don't worry, the floor is the battleground," Lailah decided, "the beds are safe zones, hide like the cowards you are!"
"I am not a coward!" Symonne hissed.
"You take things way too seriously." Edna sat up and decided to join the fight anyways.
"Great, now I want to fight, too." Rose clutched two pillows, and leaped onto the floor, swiping Symonne, Edna, and Lailah with her dual wielded pillows.
"Hmm...how uncivilized." Alisha sighed, sliding out of bed with her own pillow, targeting Edna first off.
"Hey, I wasn't expecting that!" Edna yelled, "Do the normincarena!"
"B-but I don't even know it." Alisha whined.
"Too bad, Symonne will have to teach you!" Edna turned back to the fight, where Rose, Lailah, and Symonne were respectfully acknowledging Edna's unpreparedness for battle, and attempting to pelt each other, recover from staggers, and avoid enemy strikes.
Author's Notes: This was fun to write, I didn't see the pillow fight until it was too late, but at that point I just couldn't pass it up, as a team building exercise and random funny thing.
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