VALLA
"I don't take kindly to threats, Ms.Swayne," Seteth glared, his eyes thinning into razors.
"You'd be wise to keep your temper in check... And you'd be wiser still if you chose your 'family' more carefully..."
"Father?"
Flayn stepped out from behind Katara and Jeff. Her fingers were trembling. She could barely hold on to the little tin miniature she had brought with her. Her nervous fingers and her absent mind were dissecting it piece by piece.
"That voice..." All the pain and irritation drained from Seteth's face.
"I know that voice..."
Flayn's toy slipped from her fingers. She stared up at Seteth, her eyes as glassy as a doe's. She took another step towards her father. She barely noticed to creak of her tiny, sweet-wrapper toy as it was crushed beneath her foot.
"F-Father..."
Seteth crouched down on one knee. He slowly opened his arms wide. His fingers started shaking in turn.
"Is it you...? Is it...? After all this time...?"
Flayn stopped walking. She started running. She threw herself into her fathers arms and nestled her head in his shoulder. He closed his arms around her. His tears started to pour.
"Oh God.. Oh God... it's really you..."
"I am home, Father... I am home..."
The pounding of hooves boomed over a nearby hill. A battalion of Vallite soldiers came into view, their weapons drawn. Catherine yanked upon her horse's reigns, commanding it to stop. Kana followed suit. She smiled down upon the reunited family.
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"Seteth..." Catherine muttered.
"Is that... is that who I think...?"
"They brought her back, Catherine... they brought her home."
For the first time since Garreg Mach, Catherine allowed herself to openly smile.
"By the True-Goddess... they did it..."
"I'll provide you with the thanks Seteth is unable to share, Returned..." Queen Kana hummed.
"Despite the situation... despite my orders... you still found a way to do some good..."
"Makes a change..." Eli muttered to himself.
"It's nice to be appreciated..."
"But I cannot ignore the fact that you went against my wishes. I cannot ignore the fact that you broke my trust. I cannot ignore the fact that you allied yourselves with terrorists and killers and risked luring the Empire back to our fair kingdom..."
"I knew it was too good to be true..."
"My hands are tied. You have committed too many crimes against my kingdom for me to turn a blind eye...:
"Here were go again..." Yuri groaned.
"Charges of treason, public executions..."
"So I have no choice but to pardon you all."
Yuri picked his eyes up off of the floor.
"When you say all of us...? Because we've got a prisoner with us, and it'll be real awkward if we have to un-cuff her and--"
"Everyone who helped save Flayn has been pardoned, Yuri. That includes you. It includes Eli. And Niles. And Nina. And the Slayer. And anybody else who assisted you in your journey."
"Would you look at that... maybe things are start to pick up for the Godless."
"Good things come to good people, Yuri." The Queen lowered herself off of her horse and approached Flayn and Seteth. She placed her hand upon heir trembling backs.
"We're all living proof of that. Now come. We must return to the castle. We have cause for celebration..."
***
All was well again.
A familiar song rings out across Valla. You can't quite put your finger on where you've heard it before, but it fills your heart with a comforting glow. The refugees were taken to the castle and- for the first time since they had left their worlds- were presented with clean clothes and heart meals. Veranke and Crimson were escorted to the Castle's most secure dungeon for the night. The Returned could worry about alliances and ransoms later. Tonight? Tonight was a nice of celebration.
A banquet was held in the great hall. The entire kingdom was invited. Captain White- still nursing his broken arm- had joke about attendance being compulsory as soon as he entered the hall wearing his old Fellowship Uniform. You were met with familiar faces everywhere you turns. Vallites and the Godless were wining and dining together. Their leaders were growing drunker by the minute. It made the previous banquet look like a tea party by comparison. They weren't drinking to forget. They weren't drinking to calm their nerves. They were drinking because they had something worth toasting to-- a changing tide.
After a few hours of wild, raucous partying, the Great Hall's doors were thrown wide open.
"Excellent news, everybody!" Izana chirped with glee.
"Look how I found!"
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He dragged Ashe into the hall by his wrist. Several of his old allies walked in after him.
"Lookie Lookie! The Chosen! The Slugabeds are finally awake!"
The party-goers cheers and toasted their return. Drinks were forced into their hands. Arms were thrown around their shoulders. Introductions were made and stories were shared.
"You've changed your tune, Izana." Eli chuckled. "And there I was thinking that you'd never forgive them murdering you..."
"Oh, water under the bridge, Captain!" The Seer cheered.
"Besides! If Alice can cooperate with CORI after all she's done, I'm sure I can forgive Big Mother for her grotesque, brutish nature! Consider it an act of charity!"
Eli slapped Izana's arm and returned to the party.
"Ahh, I'm glad to hear it, Old Friend. Now hurry up and grab something to drink. Seteth will be back with his speech soon enough. You're going to want to numb your sense as much as possible before he starts talking and talking and talking!"
***
As the Party's guests of honor, the Returned and the Chosen were all seated upon the same, long table. It was the perfect opportunity to the Chosen to mingle with the men and women who were fighting to make up for their mistakes 5 years ago...
Alternatively...
Catherine was performing a series of training exercises in the courtyard outside. Maybe she could use some company.
Kana and Flayn were conversing at an elevated table at the back of the hall. Flayn must have said something funny. Kana was bent over with laughter.
Nina was sitting at the end of the table. She was aggressively polishing some large and golden she had pilfered from the Temple. In order to get a better angle on her pinched prize, she threw her feet up onto the table, spilling a bottle of wine in the process.
Izana was humming along to the music at the other end of the table.
Yuri sat beside him, doing his best to
block out the humming and polish of a bottle he had no doubt stolen from Seteth's personal stash.
Ferdinand and Mercie did their best to secure seats beside Ashe and Valkyrie respectively.
"Drink up, Godless." Eli raised his class to the men and women at his table.
"You've earned it."
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