Chapter Text
It is 100 years since The Hero Himmel passing.
Stark and Fern settled down fifty years ago, and they no longer accompanied Frieren. Sein decided to come back to his village to become the head priest, fifty five years ago. Frieren decided to venture alone and find new companions herself, while still coming back to visit Stark, Fern and Sein from time to time.
One day, she thought about going back to some places to visit Himmel, and just like that, she went on a nostalgia trip on a whim.
Frieren has gone through countless places, and collects many grimoires. Each of them always has a memory about Himmel lingering on it, even though Frieren is not sure if it is her mind that cannot stop thinking about him or not.
It is not really a good thing, though. Because now she wants to meet him. She wants to talk to him, to hear his tender voice, look at his silly narcissistic gesture, and gaze deeper into his oceanic eyes.
Frieren still looks the same. Time hardly leaves a mark on her appearance, unlike it did with Himmel. It's funny though, since even when Himmel’s image was altered in many places that people cannot even tell which is the real one, Frieren will always remember the portrait of a gentle handsome young man with blue eyes that contains the pleasant breeze of the ocean. Time can erase people’s memories, but Frieren’s memories stay intact. She wonders if it is a nature of the Elves race, or it is something else that she has just discovered recently?
Memories lead Frieren back to the Goddess’s Monument. It gave her a chance to meet Himmel again, though she was still oblivious to her feelings at that time. They had such a dangerous encounter, but it also gave her a chance to glimpse what could have been, or what Himmel always wanted, but gave up to it. An idyllic dream. If it is her now, she will talk to him, and let him know that his feelings are not one-sided. But it is too late now. There is no trace of magic left in the stone tablet. No more travelling through time, huh, she thought.
Himmel will just live in her memories now. No magic could bring him back to live, nor magic that could bring her to him. Frieren does not have these kinds of thoughts normally, but recently, they have filled her mind. Her mind’s shelf is full of grimoires about him, she cannot make space for these thoughts. But they are stubborn, just like Himmel.
Something is telling her to touch the monument. Frieren does not know what feeling is this, maybe reminiscence? Humans have a saying to leave the past behind and walk to the future, but her future is long, and it does not have Himmel in it. It probably is alright to just take some time looking back, as she does not want to leave Himmel behind.
Frieren touches the stone tablet, and closes her eyes. The last time she was here, she also did this, and when she opened her eyes, she was among old friends, beside Himmel. It was a thrilling trip to the past, at least.
Frieren opens her eyes. Nothing changed. Of course, the magic has completely vanished from this tablet. What was she expecting? Actually, the Goddess Monument looks less rugged, somehow. When Frieren wants to take a look closer, a familiar sound, that seems so surprised, and puzzled, gets into her long elf’s ears.
“Frieren…?”
Frieren’s eyes open wide. This voice, even if she goes into a thousand years, even when time has finally caught her, she will still remember it like yesterday. It is no one other than the reason for her adventure, the reason why she researches humans, and most importantly, the source of her feelings, Hero Himmel.
Frieren turns back. The image in her mind starts mirroring the appearance of the young man standing in front of her, and finally merges into the Himmel that she always knew. Himmel stands holding a bouquet in his hand. He is still wearing the same outfit as usual, though now he looks so surprised that Frieren thinks it starts to make him look so…cute?
Is this what happens when someone is in love with someone? Frieren has heard some human talk about it, and also read about it herself, but she always thought it sounded so silly, and the thought was thrown away to make space for new magic she acquired, until today.
So, liking someone is like this, she thought. A magic that makes someone become beautiful in one’s eyes, huh.
“Frieren? How does this happen again?” See Frieren’s smile, Himmel calms down, walks to her.
“Um, this, for you.” He hesitates, but then holds the bouquet to her, and it is the Blue Moonweed flowers, the one that he wanted to show her, but never had a chance. Himmel kneels down, raises the bouquet to Frieren, just like the way he did when he gifted her the Mirrored Lotus ring.
Frieren looks at him, then the bouquet, and takes it.
“I fulfilled my promise, am I?” Himmel smiled. His gaze is gentle as usual, though the feelings underneath it are leaking out so plainly. Frieren can tell that he tries his best to suppress it, but it is not that effective.
Huh, I never noticed that before. She thought to herself. I was so slow, weren't I.
“It is beautiful. Thank you, Himmel.” Frieren carefully holds the bouquet in her hands. “I don;t have the magic to keep it at its best state though, but it could be somewhere that I could find.”
“Best that it is not inside a mimic’s tummy.” Himmel’s humor seems intact, as well as his confidence. If anything, Frieren finds that he holds a tranquil atmosphere around him, almost like he has dropped everything behind and achieves peace in his mind.
“Let’s go to camp, then we can talk.” Himmel makes an inviting gesture. Winds breezes through his hairs, playfully lift some chunks of hair up, but it cannot beat his handsome looks.
“Yes, let's go.” Frieren walks up, waits for Himmel to catch up with her, then they both start moving to Himmel’s camp.