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Ventuswill lay curled up on the palace floor. She had arrived back in Selphia with Frey late at night and promptly fell asleep. Her soft snore echoed through the halls of the castle, but no one minded. It made complete sense that she'd be tired. After all, she had just been brought back to life.
She had been gone for a decade. And the people of Selphia were overjoyed at her return. Especially Frey, who had spent years trying to bring her back from the Forest. Sometimes she had even started to feel guilty for not being able to save her friend, even though she knew that Venti would chew her out for worrying on her behalf. But yesterday, she finally succeeded. Everyone was safe at last. She was beyond relieved.
The dragon woke from her slumber to the soft click of heeled boots on the tiled floor.
“Who dares disturb me?”
Frey chuckled as she stood beneath her agitated friend.
“Not even death could change you, Venti. You're just as irate about being woken up as ever!”
“Ah, Frey!” Venti rose to her usual seated position, “I suppose if it's you, I will forgive the interruption. After all, I do owe you a debt," she paused, her expression furrowing with concern as a realization hit her, "Shouldn't you be asleep? You must be exhausted.”
Frey smiled, relieved that despite everything, Venti was the same as ever. She missed her friend's banter.
“It's almost noon, and I have to take care of my fields. I can't just sit around all day like a certain someone.”
“Hmph. Such audacity to speak to a Divine Dragon in such a way. You humans truly are as impetuous as ever.”
Frey laughed. “I'm glad to have you back, Venti. I hope we'll be able to make up for all the lost time.”
Venti smiled despite herself. This was the other infuriating part of humans. They always managed to be so endearing despite all their trouble.
“I hope so too, Frey. Thank you.”
Frey shook her head. “No, don't thank me. Thank the whole town. They supported me all these years—especially the Guardians. It took everyone to rescue you.” There was a beat before Frey changed the topic, “By the way…there is something you should probably know.”
Her tone had an element of intrigue to it that concerned Venti.
She responded in a wary tone, “Frey…what would that be?”
“Oh, don't worry about it. There's just someone you should meet,” Frey responded, a cheeky smile on her face, “Wait one minute.” She ran over to her room, ducking around the corner. Venti sighed, wondering what she could possibly be up to.
After a few minutes, Frey returned. Venti bolted upright from her relaxed position the moment she saw her. Frey had a small boy with green hair by her side and a little child in her arms. Venti was silent as she searched for the words to properly express her shock.
Frey coaxed the boy forward. “Go on, say hi,” she encouraged. She looked up to her old friend and introduced the child, “Venti, this is Noel, my son.”
The boy stared up at the dragon, awestruck. He turned back to his mother, who gave him a look.
“Noel, be polite.”
He turned back to Venti.
“Hi…” he practically breathed out his greeting, too shy to raise his voice.
Frey knelt down beside him, “Noel, don't be afraid. This is mommy's friend, Venti. I've told you so much about her. Don't you remember that I was going to rescue her?”
Frey turned her focus back to the dragon, a bright smile on her face, “He's not usually so shy. I think he's a little starstruck. He knows all about you, but I think he thought you were just a legend. He's heard bedtime stories about you for years.” As she stood back up, a realization hit her, “Oh! This little one is Luna.”
“Hello, children…” Venti's voice was surprisingly soft.
Frey coaxed her daughter to look at her friend. Luna cautiously turned her face away from her mother's chest to look out into the room. She stared up at the dragon with wide green eyes before bursting into tears.
“Oh no, Luna… It's okay, don't be scared. This is mommy's friend. She protects all of us here in town. She won't hurt you.” Frey turned her attention up to Venti. “I'm sorry, don't let it bother you. Luna’s very shy and sensitive. I'm sure she'll warm up to you in no time though.”
Noel finally snapped out of his trance. “Mommy! A dragon! Does she give rides? I wanna fly!”
Frey burst into laughter. Venti glared at her.
“Clearly he takes after you. I see that an appalling lack of respect runs in the family.”
Luna started giggling along with her mother. When she and Frey finally began to calm down, she looked up at the dragon with a curious look in her eyes. Venti leaned down so that she was at eye level with the little girl.
“I hope you'll be more polite than the rest of your family.”
Luna smiled and reached out, putting a little hand on the dragon’s nose.
“Mommy's friend,” her voice was soft and sweet, barely louder than a whisper.
Venti tried to hide her smile as she spoke to Frey with an unamused tone, “When did all this happen, Frey?”
Frey smiled. “Noel was born six years ago, and Luna is three.”
“I never expected you to settle down and have a family,” Venti straightened her posture, “I assumed you'd be running around on adventures forever. And yet, you've raised progeny of your own.”
“I'm surprised that you wouldn't have expected that. Kiel and I did start dating before you died.”
“I had absolutely no idea of anything of the sort. You need to remember that I was unconscious for the majority of the time. You can't just spring something like this on me and expect me to know already.” Venti wasn't exactly surprised that the two had ended up together, but she still felt annoyed that Frey acted as though it should have been obvious. “So, these are his children then?”
Frey nodded. “Yes, we've been married for seven years now.”
“I can't deny that this is a lot to take in. I had no idea that you two had fallen in love, much less that you'd have children. I'm happy for you both though. I wish I could have been there to see it.”
Frey tried to suppress a laugh in order to avoid annoying her friend. “Don't worry Venti, there are a lot more surprises to come.”
Venti sighed. “Frey… Tell me exactly what you're talking about. I can't take much more of this.”
Frey brushed her off, “Those aren't my stories to tell…but I will say that you should probably ask the Guardians what they've been up to,” she hesitated before continuing, “Leon especially.”
Venti groaned. Frey was already being cryptic enough. She didn't look forward to having to pry information from Leon of all people.
~~~~~
Ventuswill had once again dozed off—this time on accident—when she heard a voice.
“Well, I see you're as dignified as ever.”
She immediately recognized its smug tone, pulling herself upright. Her eyes focused on a man with blue hair and fox ears standing beneath her.
“Hello Leon. I see you've decided to pay me a visit.”
“Oh really? It's a little self-absorbed of you to assume I'm here for your sake, don't you think?”
“Leon, we're both fully aware that it's an otherwise empty room, so why else would you be here? And who are you to speak of being self-absorbed?” Venti had fully dropped her formal tone in response to his presence.
A smile revealed itself on Leon's face. “There you are again. I always thought formality didn't suit you. You're far too aggressive to pretend to be so uptight.”
“Well, I see that you didn't change at all during the time I was gone.”
She took in his appearance. His hair was now twisted up into a bun and pinned in place with some sort of jewelry. He didn't seem to have changed significantly, but—just as with Frey—she could see that he had aged.
“I can tell you've gotten older though. Strange to think that you had said the same to me when you woke up years ago.”
He grinned, fanning himself.
“I get better with time.”
Venti noticed his other arm bent behind his back, but chose to ignore it for now. She knew him well enough to know that pointing it out would only encourage him, whether it was something significant or not.
“Speaking of time, what have you been doing in the years I've been gone?”
He stopped fanning himself, but he still held the fan up to his chin, no doubt covering a sly grin. He shrugged.
“Oh, nothing much.”
“Really now…nothing of note? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you didn't do anything particularly ambitious,” her eyes fixed on his hidden arm, “but Frey had me under the impression that you'd have something to tell me.”
He grinned and narrowed his eyes. “Frey said that, now? I wouldn't trust a word of it. Always up to something, that one. After all, she did go behind your back to bring you back.”
“Leon, you know I'm fully aware that all the Guardians aided her.”
“Details.” He dismissed her statement, waving his empty hand. Venti saw a glint of light hit his finger.
“Leon…what are you wearing on your hand?”
“Hmm? I'm not sure what you're talking about.” He still covered his mouth with his fan, but Venti could see an odd expression in his eyes.
Venti squinted at him. “I can see you're wearing a ring…” She tried to place its location, thinking aloud, “That’s your left hand, isn't it…?”
“You should get your eyes checked out, dragon,” Leon taunted, putting on a concerned tone, “I think you're seeing things. Of course, I don't blame you for it; anyone would be a touch delirious after being raised from the dead.”
“Leon…it's on your ring finger,” the realization hit her, “Is- is that a wedding ring?!”
He finally looked down at his hand in a look of mock confusion. “Hmm? Oh, what’s this?”
“LEON,” Venti practically roared his name, “Did you get MARRIED?!”
He looked lost in thought for a moment, gazing into the distance in contemplation.
“You know…I'm not really sure how to answer that question…” He turned his attention back to Venti, a grin that was simultaneously smug and triumphant splitting his face as he lowered the fan. “You should probably ask my wife that one.”
“Your WHAT?!”
Venti could hear Leon stifling his laughter.
“Since when did you get married?” She demanded.
“Oh, it's been a few years.” Leon decided to give her a bit of information. He'd let the real question sink in for as long as possible though. And that's where the real entertainment would be…
“I...suppose I'm not completely surprised, but even so it's hard to imagine you being married. Who's the poor woman who fell for your lines?”
Deep down, Venti was happy for him, but her question was brought on by a combination of their tendency to tease each other and genuine concern.
“I'm not sure she'd appreciate you calling her that…”
Venti gave him a concerned look. “Don't tell me she'd defend your idea of flirting.”
Leon chuckled at the idea. “Sure, we'll say that.”
“Wait, you still haven't told me who she is yet.”
“Oh, haven't I? You seem to be forgetting.” His fan was once again raised to his face.
Venti sighed. “No, you haven't told me. And don't think you can keep changing the subject. I won't let you distract me again.”
“Do you really think I'd change the subject? It's not like I have anything to hide~”
“Leon,” she warned, “tell me.”
“I still think that you should ask her yourself.” He shrugged, his composure as relaxed as ever.
“And how exactly would I go about that when you REFUSE TO TELL ME WHO SHE IS?!?” Threatening him into submission was rapidly becoming a very good option in Venti's mind.
“I’m sure you'd be able to reach her without much trouble. After all, she'd consider herself duty bound to give you an answer…” he paused and made eye contact with the dragon, soaking in the moment, “as your knight.”
Venti froze, the connections forming in her brain. Suddenly everything sprang into motion, and she shouted.
“FORTE?!??”
~~~~~
Forte sat on a bench in the town square, enjoying the weather. She had decided to take her daughter out with her for her patrol today, but they had stopped to take a break. Her eyes remained fixed on Valerie, who was toddling around on uncertain feet. Forte couldn't help but feel concerned about her falling, but she was trying to let her experience some independence. Even so, she watched her carefully and didn't let her stray more than six feet away. Valerie was a very curious child, another reason why Forte felt like she should monitor her closely. Exploration was important, but she didn't want her wandering off or playing with things she shouldn't.
Suddenly, she heard a voice shout her name. She immediately recognized it as the Divine Dragon's and her blood ran cold. She had heard she was back, but could something have befallen her already? She immediately sprung to her feet, ready to charge into action, but her eyes rested on her daughter.
Forte felt conflicted. She couldn't just leave Valerie alone here. But it wasn't safe to bring her into a potentially dangerous situation either. Forte had to make a choice, and fast. She ran over to Valerie, picking her up; she couldn't prioritize her duty over her daughter. If trouble did arise, she would fight to protect both.
She took off running, but her voice remained calm and collected as she spoke to her child, “Hang on tight, okay Valerie?”
Valerie giggled and held close to her mother. She seemed to think it was a game of sorts and let out an excited squeal.
“Wheeeeee!”
As Forte burst into the castle, she could hear Ventuswill speaking rapidly to someone.
“Must your influence corrupt even one of the only responsible people in town?! My word, I would have hoped that I would return to a world where at least someone remained reliable. How did this even happen?!?!”
Forte quickly took in the scene and recognized her husband talking to the dragon. The dots immediately connected. Before she could open her mouth to scold him for whatever he had done, Ventuswill noticed her presence. Her eyes ran over Forte in confusion for a second, before they landed on Valerie. She was still perched on her mother's hip, but was now looking around the room curiously.
Venti took in the situation, Forte's panicked expression, and then the little girl she was holding in her arms. Slowly, her eyes began to take in the child's features: the streaks of blue in her blonde hair, her light tan skin, the sharp teal eyes that stared up at her in amusement. And the realization hit her.
“YOU HAD A BABY?!?!?!”
Leon burst into laughter, realizing what had happened. He turned around to look at his wife and child.
“Well done you two. I was trying to decide what the most entertaining way to tell her would be. But it seems you had something even better in mind than what I could have come up with.”
Forte glared at him. “Leon! Must you torment the Divine Dragon? She's just been brought back from the dead, you’re going to give her a heart attack and kill her all over again!”
He gave her an unbothered smile, “Who, Venti? She can take it, she's a lot less refined and delicate than she’d let you think.”
Venti was the one glaring at him now. “I never would have imagined I'd see the day you were a father. Who let you think it was acceptable for you to procreate?!”
“That would be her.” He gestured towards Forte with his fan.
“Hey! Don't blame this all on me, it was your fault too!”
“As I'm aware,” he stepped closer, “however, the only two people who could have made that decision were you and I. And I can't allow myself to do anything—that would be paradoxical. Therefore, you are the one who allowed this.”
“...I suppose,” Forte's expression grew conflicted before returning to agitation, “but that still doesn't give you an excuse to tell Ventuswill in such a way!”
“Actually, you were the one who ran in-”
Venti cut him off, “You were soaking in every bit of enjoyment you could get from withholding it from me, even before Forte burst in to end my suffering. WHY must you have made the choice to let your traits pass on?”
“Hey, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here right now!” He said, clearly pleased with himself.
“And you're making me wish I was still in the Forest,” she teased—though her exasperation was genuine.
Forte spoke up, her free hand cradling her head. “If I may speak in my defense, you did choose him to be your dragon priest.”
“Ah- yes, but well…” Venti floundered for a response, “There's a big difference between that and letting the man father your child!”
Forte's face flushed. Leon had his fill of the entertainment by now, so he walked over and took Valerie from her arms.
“I suppose I should formally introduce you now,” he turned his attention from his child to his old friend, “Venti, this is Valerie, my daughter. And this is Forte,” he glanced over at her face and smiled, before returning his attention to the dragon, “My wife.”
Valerie giggled and reached her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. She was being held in a standing position and excitedly squirmed around. “Dada! Look!!” She pointed at Venti.
He smiled down at her. “Yes Valerie, this is daddy's friend. Don't let her appearance fool you, she's just a big softie,” He looked up at the dragon, his eyes narrowing, “You can think of her as your Auntie Venti.”
Ventuswill gave him a look. Great, yet another person who would have a complete lack of respect.
Valerie clapped her hands in glee. “Auntie Ven!!” She tried to wriggle out of his arms to investigate.
“Oh, you'd like to get closer? Alright, I'll obey.” Leon stepped over to the dragon and set his daughter down a few feet away. She toddled the last few steps towards Venti before crawling onto her tail.
“GAH! What is she doing?!” Venti demanded.
“Oh, don't mind her,” he waved his hand dismissively, “She's just getting to know you.”
“Well, I'd rather you let her get to know me in any other way. How has parenthood not made you any more responsible that you think it's acceptable to let your kid crawl all over a Divine Dragon?”
Forte ran over and picked Valerie up, giving her husband a look. Venti sighed and nodded a relieved thank you to her. She took a moment to soak in the image in front of her all over again.
“Exactly how long have I been gone that something like this could have happened?”
Leon opened his mouth to speak but before he could make a single sound, Forte cut him off.
“No, I'll answer this one. You forfeited your right to answer any of her questions long before I got here.” Forte looked up at the dragon. “It’s been a decade since you died. We've been trying to find a way to get you back for almost as long. In terms of when this in particular happened…”
Forte glanced at her husband and continued, “It's all been fairly recent. We've been together for nearly four years. We got married after a year, and Valerie just turned one.”
Leon spoke, “It's quite the story to tell, but I suppose I should leave that for another day.”
“Yes, I'd like to have some idea of how this ever happened, but I think I've learned quite enough for now.”
Venti didn't think she could handle any more at the moment.
“Speaking of that…” Leon turned to Forte, a sly smile spreading over his face, “Do you suppose now would be a good time to tell her we're having another, or should that wait?”
“YOU'RE WHAT?!??”
“LEON!!! For goodness sake you've already tormented her enough with actual events! Must you make up something else just to mess with her even more?!”
He laughed, ignoring both of their glares. “You should have seen the looks on your faces,” he calmed down after a few moments and gave his wife yet another smug look, “Although, you can't really say that you're sure it's not true.”
“I suppose so, but-” Forte realized what he was leading her to admit, “Hey! Wait a minute!!”
He burst into laughter again and Forte swatted him in the ear with her free hand. Venti watched the two with a mildly amused expression.
She calmly spoke up, seeming to have accepted the situation, “You know, I'd tell you two to get a room, but I fear that would just cause more problems down the line.”
Leon went silent, his face flushed. Forte somehow looked more mortified than before.
She spoke, trying to maintain any sort of composure, “A-alright, I think now's a good time to take our leave.”
She grabbed Leon by the wrist and dragged him from the room. Right as they crossed the threshold of the castle, Leon glanced back. His expression had smoothed over somewhat, but Venti could still see the faint traces of his blush.
He gave her a smile and called back to her, “By the way…it's good to see you again Venti.”
Venti internally sighed. There it was again, the most infuriating part of humans. Despite everything, she couldn't help but be endeared to them time and time again. And Leon, one of her oldest friends, was no exception. Even with his frankly obnoxious sense of humor.
Despite everything, she was happy for him. It was going to be an adjustment, for sure. But she couldn't help but feel relieved. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to be held back by her memory. Instead, it seemed that they all moved on. She was touched that they cared for her enough to bring her back, but far more important to her was that they found happiness of their own. After all, she had already lived for centuries. They deserved to spend the one century they were given in joy rather than grief.
And now, her friends had children of their own. As strange as it was to think about, she was deeply happy for them. And seeing the new generation gave her hope for the future of the town. She smiled in a sort of fond annoyance.
“I'm glad to see you too.”