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Cropdale had many legends about the nearby Starfall Spring, although no one had dared adventure there in recent memory. Some said it was where stars fell after wishes were granted. Some said it hid lost treasure. Others said it was home to a monstrous butterfly that ate humans, though that last one was probably just a story to scare naughty children, Agnea thought. She, Pala, and Gus had certainly believed so.
Yet now Agnea led Throné toward the rumored entrance of said Starfall Spring, hoping it would make for a good distraction, and had told the others of their group where they were going. As the group passed through the Leaflands after saving Timberain, Castti and Ochette wanted to visit Cropdale again. Agnea, however, as she still carried the ticket to the Festival of Grace she'd received from Dolcinaea in Sai, did not yet want to return home until after the Grand Gala. She had promised she would return a star, after all.
She glanced at Throné beside her, who touched her bare throat, finally free of that horrid collar. It had been a while since the two of them were alone together.
"This stream feeds into the spring, I think," Agnea said as she and Throné walked along the stream in question.
Throné smirked, faintly, but it was still a relief to see. After Lostseed, Agnea had feared she would never smile again. "Perhaps we'll need a little boat of our own."
"I hope it doesn't come to that— ah, look!" Agnea exclaimed, pointing forward where the stream entered darkness. "I think that's the entrance!"
"Hm, looks like we can walk along the edge to get inside," Throné said. "It'll be a narrow path, though."
"We'll be careful." Agnea took a careful step forward toward the narrow path, and the waters of the stream so close flowed gently. Throné kept close, and much to Agnea's surprise, took her hand.
"Stay close, please," Throné said softly, and Agnea could only nod in response.
The sound of a waterfall greeted the two women as they entered the cave. Enough natural light shined in from above that they could still see the path ahead of them, and droplets of water glistened on the stone walls. Wild plants grew freely beneath the patches of sunlight; while not as verdant as the green outside, they still appeared strong and hardy. Her hand still in Throné's, Agnea took another careful step forward.
"It's a bit larger than I expected," Throné said. "Perhaps there really is treasure here."
Much to Agnea's relief, Throné had begun to smile more often these days, but it wasn't so easy to forget what happened, not only in Lostseed, but also Timberain and Gravell. Sometimes it felt as if their group of eight traveled from one crisis to the next. Finally they had this chance to rest a little, and being near Throné like this made Agnea's heart race. "Probably not," she said with a laugh. "I mean, who ever heard of treasure being found near some little village like Cropdale?"
"Well, you're from Cropdale," Throné said calmly.
To that Agnea could only blush and stammer, and Throné's fingers tightened around hers.
They pressed further into the cave, and the sunlight seeping in through cracks in the walls looked much like specks of stars. A few small monsters lurked nearby, eying Agnea and Throné suspiciously, but fortunately, none drew near. Agnea had grown stronger since the start of her journey, thanks to Throné's tutelage. When they first met, Agnea had been too in awe of Throné's skill with a dagger to even think of being frightened, and though Throné had called her naïve, her smile had been genuine.
The cave was quiet save for the movement of water, and Agnea drew closer to Throné as they crossed a narrow path lived with patches of green. They knelt at the edge of the water, and it was surprisingly clear, Agnea noticed. Carefully she dipped her hand into the water, and it was pleasantly cool. Ahead, specks of light danced upon the surface of the water, sparkling like stars.
"It is rather beautiful," Throné said quietly, breaking the silence.
"One legend about this place is that if you make a wish on a shooting star, this is where that star falls when your wish comes true," Agnea said, looking up at Throné with a smile. "Me and Pala used to fantasize about coming here and finding those stars."
Throné touched her throat, a flicker of a shadow crossing her face. "In New Delsta, you can't easily see the stars. Would that I had grown up here…"
Agnea bit her lip as she stood. "You know, Throné, when our journeys are over, Cropdale can be your home too," she said, trying to will her heart to remain calm. "You'll be welcomed any time you want!"
"I…" Throné's eyes went wide, only for a moment, before a quiet smile graced her lips. "You truly are too kind, Agnea."
The day would soon come when the eight of them said goodbye. Agnea knew that too well. But goodbye wasn't forever.
Again silence fell over them, and this time it was Agnea who took Throné's hand into hers. The cave air was chill and Throné's warmth was appreciated, but that wasn't the only reason. In Tropu'hopu, she had encouraged Giselle to be brave. Now if only she could encourage herself.
The hollow people of Lostseed, Claude smiling as Throné plunged her dagger into his chest, Throné's silent tears as that poisoned collar lay discarded on the ground. All of that was seared into Agnea's memory, and a painful chill had lingered over the travelers afterwards. Yet Throné had eventually said she wished to continue traveling with them, and Agnea's heart had soared.
Agnea glanced at Throné out of the corner of her eye. As a star, she wished to illuminate lives, just as Giselle said. Throné caught her stare and smiled faintly, and her blush deepened.
Their footsteps echoed against the hard ground, and soon they came to a circular, open space. More sunlight shined from above, upon unusually large plants. A sweet scent hung in the air, and Agnea dashed forward. "Oh, how beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"Agnea, wait—!" Throné exclaimed.
A large shadow descended, and Throné grabbed Agnea's arm to yank her back. A loud, distorted roar sounded as iridescent violet flashed before the two women. A monstrous monarch butterfly spread its wings, glowing a pale violet, and its large red eyes were focused on its targets. Its body alone was larger than Osvald, and its wingspan looked as if it could blot out the sky itself. It roared again, and its limbs were long and grotesque.
"Wait, there really was a giant monster butterfly here?" Agnea cried in disbelief.
"Damn, looks like we have no choice but to fight," Throné hissed as she drew her dagger. "Agnea, get ready!"
The monster lunged forward, and Agnea and Throné split in opposite directions to dodge. Clumsily Agnea drew her own dagger, just barely managing to deflect the monster's forked tongue as it bore down on her. Throné stabbed it from the side, and the monster shrieked as it reared back, dark blood gushing from its wound.
"Not too fond of daggers, are you?" Throné smirked, flicking blood from her dagger. "But I know too from experience that it's hardly pleasant."
If Throné could joke, however morbidly, about that time Father stabbed her in Winterbloom, that was a good sign, Agnea hoped. However, she had no time to reply as the monster flew higher and shook its wings, scattering a sweet-smelling mist.
Agnea's eyelids grew heavy, and panic filled her. "Whirlwind blow!" she chanted quickly, summoning her wind magic to blow away the slumber mist. Yet the monster countered with magic of its own, using its large wings to launch a wind blast at Agnea. It struck her full-on, knocking her off her feet and toward the ledge above the water.
"Agnea!" Throné yelled. She seized Agnea's arm just before Agnea fell into the water, and with a mighty heave pulled her to safety. However, Agnea's legs felt too weak from the slumber mist, and thus she could not help but fall to her knees.
And the monster gave them no time to catch their breath before lunging for them again. Throné slashed her dagger at its face, disorientating it for a moment, and tried to bait it away from Agnea toward the other side of this space. It took the bait, but soon Throné was cornered, with no space to maneuver.
Agnea lifted her head, and her body felt so very tired. But she had to do something. They had come too far to fall here. "Winds… winds of favor, blow!" she chanted, summoning that spell she had received from the altar of the Lady of Grace.
With the speed granted by that spell, Throné was able to dodge the monster's swooping strike, and a streak of red fell upon the ground. With space to breathe, she summoned her own dark magic to blast at the monster. It screamed as shimmering shadows struck its face, obscuring its vision, and another blast of dark magic tore through its wings, sending its body crashing to the ground. Throné stabbed it once more, and its body twitched and crumbled to dust.
Only then did Throné fall to her knees.
"Throné!" Quickly Agnea scrambled to her feet and knelt beside Throné. The effects of the slumber mist were wearing off, and Agnea saw that Throné's arm bled heavily, the sleeve of her blouse torn to shreds.
"It's just a scratch," Throné said between heavy breaths, and her face was pale. "I always underestimate how dangerous slumber mist is, huh?"
"I can help you!" Agnea tore the rest of the ruined sleeve from Throné's arm, and reached into her satchel for water and cloth to clean the wound. She had learned a little of healing from Castti, and she hoped it would be enough until they met up with the others again. Throné let out a low hiss of pain as Agnea pressed a poultice to the wound to help starch the bleeding, but otherwise didn't protest. Agnea's own hands trembled, but she was certain to tie the bandages securely around Throné's arm, and only when she was finished did she allow herself to slump.
"Agnea?" Worry was clear in Throné's voice as she caught Agnea's shoulder with her uninjured hand.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Agnea said quickly, and tried to smile as she wiped her hands. "What about you?"
Throné winced as she moved her bandaged arm, but still smiled as well. "I'll be fine too. Thank you, Agnea."
"You saved me, Throné," Agnea whispered, and her racing heart had yet to calm. The eight of them had faced danger so many times during their journeys together. That monstrous butterfly hardly ranked among the most dangerous monsters they had faced. Throné had suffered only one bloody injury. But any kind of injury could be dangerous, Agnea knew, and she wasn't as good a healer as Castti or Temenos. What if the injury grew infected? What if Throné hadn't managed to save Agnea from falling into the water? What if they hadn't been able to resist that slumber mist? What if that monster hadn't been alone? All those stories of a monstrous butterfly had been true, and still Agnea could feel Throné's blood on her hands. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and hesitantly Throné put her arms around Agnea to draw her closer.
Agnea sobbed into Throné's shoulder, unable to stop her tears. She felt Throné tense, but Throné didn't try to push her away. The scent of blood filled Agnea's nose, but she didn't care. Perhaps she was used to it now, and that thought frightened her.
"It has been a rough few weeks, hasn't it?" Throné said softly.
Agnea raised her head and rubbed her eyes with her arm. After saving Elena and returning to the eastern continent, the group had only meant to pass through New Delsta, but then Throné had found that message on Pirro's tombstone, leading them to Lostseed. Afterwards, Castti had mustered the courage to visit the ruins of Healeaks, and the group had rushed to Timberain to save the kingdom from Trousseau's poison rain. So much had happened, and instead Agnea could only say, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that monster would be here."
Throné let out a dry laugh. "At this point, a regular monster is almost a relief."
Especially to people like Claude or Harvey, Agnea thought to herself, but chose not to say out loud. "Um, Throné, does it still hurt…?" she asked, gesturing to Throné's bandaged arm.
"Not as much now," Throné replied, and sighed deeply. "You still worry about me, huh?"
"Well, of course! I care about you very much, Throné!"
Throné touched her bare throat, and a strange smile crossed her lips. "You brought me here because you thought it'd lift my spirits, right? You're always so kind to me, and…"
"And…?" Agnea peered closer.
"It still smells like blood. This freedom, I mean." Throné sighed again. "You heard what that man said. I shed the blood of my own kin to be free. What do I do after that?"
Agnea tried to reach for Throné, but then decided otherwise. "Isn't that why you're still traveling with us? To find your answer?"
"But the truth is, I already have my answer." Throné raised her gaze to meet Agnea's, both challenging and pleading. "You said I'm elegant and strong, and more than decent. Do you remember?"
"Of course. And I still stand by what I said. You are a good person, Throné."
"When we first met, I thought you naïve and foolish." Throné chuckled, and Agnea blushed at those words. "But if I could protect you, I could at least pretend I was doing good, even as I sought to kill my 'parents.'"
"You weren't just pretending," Agnea stressed. "You've saved not just me, but the rest of us countless times."
"You've saved me too." Throné pressed her hand to Agnea's cheek and brushed her thumb over Agnea's lips. "Even now you can still smile for me. Now that I'm free, I want you, Agnea. I want to watch you shine at the Grand Gala."
"Throné…?" was all Agnea could say in reply, and her heart hammered at the way Throné looked at her now. Despite all that they had witnessed on their journeys together, Throné's stormy gaze still held that sliver of hope, that longing for something that couldn't be stolen.
"I'm not good at this kind of thing, am I…?" Throné muttered as her hand began to fall from Agnea's face.
Yet Agnea clasped that calloused hand between hers and pressed her lips to Throné's for a brief kiss before her courage failed her.
Throné's eyes widened as Agnea pulled away, and she raised her free hand to her lips, as if in disbelief. "Agnea?" she said, hopeful yet cautious.
Agnea let out an embarrassed laugh. "I've admired you a long time. You were the elegant city lady I always wanted to be, and well, somewhere along the way I fell in love with you."
"You're a strange one, choosing me as your role model." Throné chuckled as she drew closer and cupped Agnea's chin, and her breath was warm on Agnea's lips. "And even stranger for falling in love with me. But I'm grateful, truly." Her voice had dropped to a whisper, and she closed the distance between them with another kiss.
Maybe the Starfall Spring did collect wishes, Agnea thought a moment, and Throné's lips on hers were soft and warm.
They soon stood, and Agnea held Throné's hand in hers. "Remember, Throné, when our journeys are finished, you'll always have a home in Cropdale."
"Yes, it does sound like a pleasant little village." Throné smirked. "I've also grown fond of acting as your bodyguard."
"But maybe no more monster butterflies for now, all right?"
Throné laughed again. "Perhaps it was guarding treasure. We should at least have a look before leaving."
Agnea nodded in response, smiling.
The two women searched around the clearing, being mindful of the gathered plants. Sunlight seeped in from above, casting long shadows over the ground. Finally, Throné said, "Agnea, over here!"
Agnea came beside Throné, and gasped. Hidden among the large plants was a skeleton, and an amulet was pinned to the front of its tattered robes. "Oh, how terrible…" Agnea whispered.
"Looks like they've been here for a long time," Throné said, and she reached for the amulet and examined it. "It's the insignia of the Sacred Flame."
"I remember now - the cleric's guild said a high priest had gone missing in the Leaflands." Agnea cast another glance at the skeleton. "I wonder what they were searching for…"
Throné pocketed the amulet. "We'll ask Temenos later."
Agnea and Throné offered a prayer for the fallen priest, and Agnea slipped her hand into Throné's as they left the cave. They were silent as they walked, and still the sunlight that shined in from above looked much like specks of stars. It was strange, Agnea thought, to feel both unsettled and lighter at the same time. That priest had died a lonely death, and she hoped the group would be able to offer them a proper burial later. They couldn't save everyone and life wasn't always easy. Agnea had learned that all too painfully; she thought of her mother's final days, and shut her eyes a moment.
Yet then her gaze met Throné's, and Throné gave her a faint smile. She had also made so many new friends on this journey, touched so many hearts, and would soon proclaim her mother's beliefs at the Grand Gala. And Throné, the woman she loved, would be there to watch her too. A smile tugged at her lips; she certainly hadn't expected to find love on this journey!
It was like her mother always said - each new dawn meant another chance to stand again and shine.
They met Hikari and Osvald at the entrance of the Starfall Spring, and Agnea blushed a little at having worried them by being gone so long. Hikari glanced at Throné's injured arm, but Throné said it didn't hurt as much and showed him and Osvald the amulet they had found, and Agnea explained what happened.
As the four of them returned to the campsite, Throné's fingers tightened around Agnea's as Agnea drew closer, and they trailed a little bit behind Hikari and Osvald. "Thank you for this little adventure," Throné whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Agnea's cheek.
Agnea blushed and could not help but smile. In some ways, opening her heart had been more nerve-wracking than standing on stage. "I'll shine for you always, Throné," she said, her voice just as quiet.