#yannow

"No." Two voices rang from Rowan as she pointed towards the Viator prince.

Roots and vines began to grow from the ground, snaring Zenos where he stood. He smiled as he stuggled against them. "I knew you would provide a challenge!"

"You'll not provide one for me." It was not Rowan's voice that spoke. If Zenos had bothered to listen to his foe's voice more often, he would have realized that, and mayhap have held a bit more fear than he did currently.

He held his scythe aloft, appearing to call upon dark forces.

"We're not doing that, little prince." Rowan's finger wagged in reprimand, and vines lashed around his arms to keep them pressed to his body. "You will not get the fight you have so longed for. Neither I nor Rowan will give you any sort of satisfaction for the rest of your short life."

"You! So it was you that I sought -" He was cut off as a tendril covered his mouth.

"The problem is that I don't care much for fighting either, you brat. I end up taking things far too personally. And you unleashing the very thing that Hades forsook his soul to prevent from destroying the Star we both loved? I could never forgive that. I couldn't forgive him from doing what he did, either, really. And he at least had noble intentions at first! But you..."

Rowan's eyes blazed white hot as she stared Zenos down. "You could never see past yourself, even when you came to 'help' me. I did not ask for your help, you cretin. The fact that you took the remains of my-my friend, my mother figure to drive yourself here? I still can't believe anyone could be so deluded to proudly admit that fact. But I never believed that there was anyone without a trace of song in his heart. May your aether find connection with others in death as it could not in life."

Her with her hand clenched, the vines squeezed harder and harder. Rowan had to force herself to watch as the vines drained the life from his body. She had to know. She had to know if he would truly die...

*   *   *

She opened her eyes and she was on the ground. Zenos also lay on the ground, and some of his features had taken a demonic turn. What...?

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't let that thing live to bother you anymore."

Did you fight him?

"No. But I did use up a lot of aether."

Is he dead?

"Sure hope so. Uh. Sorry to come out like this. And possibly killing us in the process."

How'd you do it?

"I tore apart his heart inside of him. He had one made of flesh, at least. He had help staying alive, so it took longer than anticipated."

He survived his throat being slit. Well, we didn't dispose of his body and...

"I know. But this is a very hard place to come by, so there shouldn't be anyone who he can take over."

I still wish I could check.

There were footsteps, and Rowan saw a familiar pair of boots. Boots she hadn't seen since before the Battle of Charteneau.

"You've gotten yourself pretty lost, little tree."

"Papa?" Rowan asked.

"As far as I know." Papa knelt down beside her and smoothed some of Rowan's hair. "I'll check if the monster is dead for you."

"But what if he hurts you?" Rowan felt tears start to stream from her eyes. "I don't think I can fight anymore. I can't dispose of the body either."

"I have my spear. I'll pin him down, too. Just so it's that much harder for him to get up."

She had to keep her eyes open so Rowan could see. Papa took the spear in hand, crouched, and leapt up, higher than he ever did when training his children. He landed with a fleshy thump on the body. Even after all of that, he took the small hand mirror his wife had given him to see if the once Crown Prince still drew breath. 

"He's stopped breathing, little tree." Papa came back and cradled Rowan's head in his hand. "I'm pretty sure he was dead long before you summoned me."

Rowan started crying in relief. She might die but Etheirys was safe. I wish I could be there to see it.

Papa tilted his head at the small object that whistled into existence by them. He placed it on Rowan's chest. "I don't rightly know what this is, but it looks like one of those contraptions they made in Sharlyan. Should be a good thing, if Ellant has anything to say of it."

Rowan heard the transporter beep three times as she fell back into unconsciousness.

*   *   *

Minthe tried her best to settle back into the deepest reaches of Rowan. She was embarrassed, really, to come out like she did. Rowan's exposure to the Underworld with the Stone of Azem must have caused memories circle about her, much like how Minthe's trip with Hades had surrounded her with so many different emotions. Minthe would repress those for her incarnation's sake, and hopefully she would simply rest undisturbed after. What else would she have to wake for?

Rowan didn't need those memories in her life. She had friends surrounding and suffusing her with aether. She had a lover so utterly devoted to her that it made her think of Daedalus. Minthe sighed and tried to soothe herself into rest again. Life continued unabated despite despair, though it wasn't her life to live. This life belonged to Rowan, and Rowan belonged to those surrounding her.

"I can't believe you let him hurt you!" the girl in red said, holding back tears. Alisaie.

"I'm sorry." Was all Rowan could muster. She wasn't sure she would even tell Urianger the details of what just happened.

There was chatter as everyone continued to fuss over her. It was embarrassing, really, but she had no energy to fight it. And why would she, when it meant she was loved? Eventually, she was set in Urianger's lap and they were left alone as the Ragnarok took them all home.

Rowan tilted her head and squinted in the low light. "Were you crying, darling?"

He nodded and took her hand to his heart. "The thought of losing thee had rent my heart asunder, my beloved."

Rowan thought back to how Minthe had dealt with Zenos. "That must have been very painful."

"To return and see thee whole and hale, only to be banished from thy sight naught but a few battles later was trial enough. But the delay when thou didst not return with Meteion..."

"I'm sorry."

"Thy heartbeat against mine doth be penance enough, Eo Lyhe."

Rowan rested her head against his chest and drifted in and out of consciousness, comforted by a familiar heartbeat.

*   *   *

When Rowan woke up, she was in her childhood home. She didn't quite remember leaving Sharlyan, and she'd have to ask Urianger how they made it back. Gentle sunlight streamed from the windows and she thought that she could hear songbirds sing outside.

She rolled over to see her mother's eyes rise from her book. Rowan smiled. "See Mama, I didn't die."

"Oh, my sweet, darling girl..." Mama scooped her up into a hug. "I was just about ready to strangle every Scion for letting this happen to you."

"Urianger would have removed his gorget for you, I'm sure."

Mama stroked Rowan's hair, smoothing it down from sleep. "He's outside right now if you'd like to see him."

"I would but... can you get my pack?"

After giving a kiss on her crown, Mama rose and brought Rowan's pack from the bed. "Is this the same one I bought you?"

Rowan nodded and started rummaging through the bag. "Aye. The leather's held up quite well... ah, here it is."

Before they had landed, Rowan had wrapped up the mirror in a clean kerchief to keep it safe in her pack. She handed it to her mother.

"A souvenir from the edge of the universe?"

"Tis far more personal than that, Mama."

With a raised brow, Mama unwrapped the kerchief. She almost dropped it in surprise, seeing the etched inscription on the back first. To my love, my light, and my life. "Rowan... how?"

"Papa always said that I had a knack for the impossible."

"He did... he also said that you'd always take upon tasks you didn't have to if you thought no one else could."

Rowan hummed.

"Urianger told me that you stayed to fight Zenos even after there was a way home."

"He allowed the Final Days to start to fight me."

"And you granted him that wish?" Mama said.

"Not exactly... I..." Rowan faltered. She didn't want to explain Minthe and her actions to anyone, even if she could. "I killed him with magic before he had a real chance to fight me."

"That's not exactly honorable, but that wretch didn't deserve an honorable death." She sighed. "But it left you in such a state! Did you really have to do that?"

"Aye." There was no hesitation in Rowan. "If he ever learned about love, about what Urianger and our future together meant to me... I couldn't risk the idea that he would come for that to get to me."

"He already broke the Star... So I doubt he would stop before breaking your heart so personally..." Mama muttered darkly. "Exactly."

The front door opened and closed, and Rowan heard Urianger's steps ascend the stairs.

"I'm glad you survived to see your future, darling," Mama said with one more kiss on Rowan's crown.