LIGHT AND DARKNESS (A TALES OF BERSERIA AND TALES OF ZESTIRIA STORY)

I: THE END OF AN ETERNAL SLEEP

The last thing Velvet knew was Innominat, the Empyrean of Suppression, was absorbing her, with her absorbing him in return. She dreamt of an alternate reality, with her brother miraculously cured of the 12 year sickness. But, she had a terrible nightmare too. A lion faced entity, looking down on them.

"Who are you?" She asked in the void.
"Your legacy... Your replacement... Your spawn..." He growled as he roared and Malevolence poured out, both she and the Empyrean were engulfed by a mass of negativity. It was enough to wake them both up.

In which case, it did work. Velvet opened her eyes and saw the sky again. She sat upbolt and scanned her surroundings. She looked around for Innominat.
"Laphi?" She called. Velvet stood up, and she looked at her self and found out that she still wore the same garbs when she killed Artorius. She didn't find Innominat anywhere, only endless grass and a breath taking scenery.

I still must be dreaming... She said.

To prove that this is a dream, she unleashed her Therion hand and thrust it on the earth. Malevolence poured around and corrupted the patch of grass. Velvet was shocked, she wasn't dreaming.

"Impossible... I'm, awake? But where is Laphi? And where am I?" Velvet looked around and stumbled upon a beautiful city.

"Is this... Loegres?" She looked confused. She knows Loegres is in Midgand. But, the place felt like Eastgand. She looked below, and saw a broken down caravan blocking the bridge entrance.

Then she heard voices. She hid behind a tree, as the spot where she was before, two boys looked on. One had brown hair and green eyes, the other had silver hair and red eyes.

"Check this out, Mikleo! Our very own adventure!" The brown haired boy said.
"Sorey, don't get too worked up, remember, there are a lot of hellions here."
Hellions? The therion asked.
The two boys then went towards the bridge. Velvet looked at them, they reminded her of Laphicet. The thought made her smile sadly.
Phi... I... I'm back.

Velvet went down to the bridge. The guards looked at her from the bottom up.
"Excuse Miss... But, do you have any transit documents?" The guard asked.
"Here." She presented her pass.
"Uh... Miss, this is Ladylake... And what on earth is Loegres? And what is Midgand?" The guard asked suspiciously.
"Look, I haven't have the faintest Idea where I am... But, I want to get inside." Velvet said.
"Wait! She's with us!" The brown haired boy approached them.
"Really?" The guard asked.
"Huh?" She looked puzzled as the boy took her hand and led her to his companion.

"Are you sure you wanted to do that, you barely even know me?" She asked.
"Sure, if someone is in a tight spot, I just can't turn a blind eye." He said. "My name's Sorey. And you are?"
"Velvet... Velvet Crowe." She said.
The silver haired boy remained quiet.
"Is your friend shy or something?" She asked.

Both the boys eyes widened.

"You can see him?" Sorey asked.
"Yeah, wait... Is he a ghost or something?" Velvet asked.
"He's a seraph..." Sorey looked at his companion.
"A seraph... Hold on, you're a Malak?" Velvet said.
"No, I'm a Seraph, and my name is Mikleo." He said.
Before they could say anything again, the guard told everyone that it's okay to enter.

Ladylake was beautiful, but, Velvet could feel a horrible aura inside the city.

"Wow, so this is Ladylake!" Sorey looked like an excited puppy.

He strongly reminded her of Laphicet.
"Phi would say the same thing." She said.
As they walk around the city, many eyes look on Velvet, some of them were laughing at her garments, others were shocked at the sight of her.

"Uh... Velvet, aren't you cold?" Sorey asked.
"I'm fine... Why?" She looked at him suspiciously.
"Oh, ah... Nothing. It's just, everyone is kinda looking at you." Sorey said nervously.
When they got to the square. Velvet saw around the corner, two daemons.

"There're Daemons inside the city?! And why isn't anyone running from them?!" Velvet took a fighting stance.
"Easy... You don't want to create a scene." Sorey said. "It's a good thing everyone can't see them."
"Wait, you can see the Daemons, but almost everyone can't?" Velvet looked puzzled.
"Wait... Just who are you?" Mikleo looked skeptical.
Before she could say a word, something, she doesn't know what, but it annoyed her, flew over her head.
A Guardian Doll? It can't be... Velvet looked absolutely annoyed.

"Well, well... Someone hasn't built a fashion sense in a long time." The voice of Magilou rang on her back. She looked the same as before, A jester outfit, large pink hat, and a skirt of books.

"At least you haven't changed..." She grumbled.
"Oho, nice to meet you too. So, who're these two?" Magilou looked at both Sorey and Mikleo.
"Um... I'm Sorey, and this here is Mikleo." Sorey looked wildly flustered.
"Well, don't just stand there... Follow me." Magilou led the trio to her hideout.
It was filled with books and penquills and ink bottle stains.

"Not that I really care, but, what is a human and his malak doing in Ladylake?" Magilou asked.
"For the last time, I'm a Seraph!" Mikleo looked fumed.
"Who cares, Malak or Seraph, it's just the same." Magilou shrugged. "Anyway boy. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to give this knife back to our friend." Sorey took out the knife.
"Oh, the Crest of Hyland... Then why are you here? Go on, deliver that go! Chop chop!" Magilou said and the two boys left in a hurry.

"1,000 years, and you still looked the same." Magilou said.
"Wait, 1,000?! Why are you still alive?!" Velvet asked.
"Shrug." Magilou looked amused.
"Wait a minute... You took the same oath as Melchior, didn't you?" She said.
"Can't say, a witch is indeed an immortal being. Just like Daemons and Malakhim."
"I'll take that as a yes." She looked like she wanted to hit her.
"So... I just have to find Rokurou and Eizen... Gotta have a debt to collect." She looked happy.
"Huh?" Velvet looked confused.
"We made a 10,000 gald bet that you would crack. You didn't, so I win. Now I'll have to collect from Rokurou and Eizen."
"Rokurou, he's still alive?" Velvet asked.
"Of course he is... Though, he is quite a vagabond." Magilou smiled.
"And... Eizen?" Velvet asked. Magilou's expression darkened.
"Old reaps became a Dragon... His vessel, that stupid coin. Got destroyed by the previous Lord of Calamity. Mind you, when you were the Calamity, you left nothing for the people of Midgand."
"Wait, what on earth happened when I was asleep." Velvet asked.
"For starters, Malakhim regained free will, The Elemental balance of the world became kaput, if not for Laphicet's noble intervention." Magilou said.
"Wait, what happened to Laphicet?" Velvet looked worried.
"He became the replacement of Innominat. He became the new Empyrean of Salvation. Maotelus." Magilou said. "Anyway, after that, Rokurou left in search of powerful foes, so to speak. Eleanor became a Shepherd to rebuild the world you destroyed, and Eizen... Well, you could say that old reaps finally became a Dragon."

She let that sink in...

"But why can't people see Daemons again?" Velvet asked.
"Innominat's amplified resonance diminished after Laphicet became an Empyrean. Only those with Resonance, same with that kid a while ago, are the only ones that can see Hellions."
"So, in this time... Daemons are now called Hellions?" Velvet assumed.
"Who can say, humanity doesn't even know about malevolence." Magilou smirked.
"So it was like before the Opening." Velvet said. "But, if Phi became an Empyrean, what kind of Salvation is he offering?"
"Remember the Silver Flame?"
"The Flame that burns away the Malevolence? That's his power?" Velvet realized.
"So, sleep hasn't dulled your senses." Magilou sneered.
"Wait, if Phi's powers can revert a daemon back to human form, why are there daemons still around?" Velvet asked.
"This is just a theory... But, I believe something happened to the boy. I did my research in various places of Glenwood, but, nothing."
"How about the Empyrean's Throne?" Velvet suggested.
"The whole valley displaced somewhere... Can't even track it down, even with Bienfu. Though I think Laphicet became a daemon. "
"That can't be true!" She stood up.
"Easy, I did say that it's just a theory."
"Then we have to find Phi." Velvet stood up.
"But first, we should keep a close watch on those two boys... I'd say the brown haired kid might be special." Magilou smiled.
"... Could he be, a Shepherd?" Velvet said.
"Who knows... Maybe, maybe not." Magilou said.
"Then I'll bet 1,000 gald the boy is the Shepherd." Velvet smiled.
"Ha! Make it 5,000!" Magilou smiled.
The duo made their way towards the Sanctuary. Little did they know that they were being watched.

"So Lady Calamity... You woke up. Things are about to get messy." The seraph was topless, he had lengthy white hair, almost green on the tips. At the back of his pocket was a strange artifact.
"Fylk Zahdeya... Time to pay the reaper a visit." And he jumped off the roof and towards east of Ladylake.