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The crescent moon stood high above the empty courtyard of their temporary refuge. The air was crisp with the late seasons chill, and the only sound to be heard across the cobblestones were the leaves pushed ever onwards by an unrelenting breeze. It was late, the Scions and those who had chosen to stay with Lord Hien and the remaining forces were more than likely fast asleep by now. Cassia had tried that, the sleeping part, but after turning for a good hour found that she couldn't. There were a thousand thoughts running through her mind, each one more important than the last and pressing against the inside of her skull, as if wanting to be released into the world.
She had said it once to Minfilia, and she'd say it again now; this wasn't her world, she couldn't hide, or run, or disappear anymore - she was the bloody Warrior of Light after all, and they sure as hell weren’t supposed to slip into the shadows.
Some warrior she was, dozing off on a rooftop in the middle of the night staring at the sky, praying for answers that will never come. There was comfort in the stars, come what will their light was everlasting, they might die tomorrow, or the day after, or maybe they'll live out their lives and die of old age - but the stars, they'll see it all, and so much more. War might tear this world apart one of these days, but the stars, they were untouchable, impervious.
Another gust of wind blew over the monastery, and she shivered in the shirt that she had thrown on after crawling out of bed earlier. Cassia clutched her arms, scars dotting the skin from hand to shoulder like the patchwerk dreams of a deranged painter. Sometimes she wished she, too, was born a star.
But she was never meant to be a one, she was meant to be a rat, a beggar and a thief, and then, then she was meant to be more, so much more. Back then she could’ve run, in her old life, run away and never look back. It's what she used to do, more times than she cared to count, but now it's like someone cut through her heels and kept her right where she was. At the eye of the storm, because the storm wasn't the Empire, or some primal, or even Zenos himself - no, it was her. Whenever she went, the storm was soon to follow.
There was a sound, quiet footsteps drumming along the cobblestone below, almost completely silent amidst the wind and rustling trees. A light pierced the darkness, the small lantern danced in the breeze, right in the middle of the circle shaped plaza. And there she was, an ever watchful Yugiri scanning the surrounding buildings, watching any and all movements or sounds that she might have awoken. They never came, and shrouded in darkness Yugiri didn't seem to notice her spectator watching from the rooftops. She wasn't sure what Yugiri did out here, all alone in the middle of the night, but then again, she didn't have an excuse either.
There were many things Cassia had learned about the Doman woman ever since their first encounter all those months ago, back when Yugiri was just another lost soul swept up on Eorzea’s shores and wouldn’t show her face to anyone outside her own people. Something she understood, albeit under different circumstances. They had grown closer since then, a byproduct of the countless times they'd fought back to back, no doubt. Still, something about Yugiri felt different from anyone she's ever met, and Cassia couldn't figure out what it was.
Her thoughts were interrupted by movements below, and for a moment the warrior of light had to make sure she wasn't dreaming this up. Shadows flickered across the walls, growing taller and collapsing again a heartbeat later - the Doman practically flew across the courtyard, Yugiri's steps carrying her like the leaves that drifted in the winds around her. Cassia had always known that there were things that Yugiri kept close to her heart and away from prying eyes, but she had never thought that something to be so mesmerizing.
Cassia followed the movements with her eyes for what could have been hours, but in reality likely came closer to minutes. She dimly remembered that she wanted to say something and make her presence known, but something about the scene made her change her mind - like the picture would shatter if she were to make but a sound or sudden move.
A sound that ultimately came, not from herself but from the woodlands behind her - a bird's screech that echoed through the courtyard. Yugiri turned her head, and Cassia didn't duck fast enough behind the walls. The lantern's light vanished, and for a moment the world was quiet again. She held her breath, and was about to poke her head back up when she felt something cold and sharp press against the side of her neck. Looking up she found a pair of piercing green eyes stare back at her, the pressure left her neck not a moment later, and Yugiri took a step backwards.
"It's you," she said finally, it sounded more like a question than anything else.
"It's me." Cassia nodded, getting on her feet. "Couldn't sleep, thought I'd get some fresh air and watch the stars," she knew that Yugiri caught her staring, and the heat that rose on her face wasn't helping, "I didn't know you could dance."
Yugiri stared at her, her lips parting briefly before closing again, "I don't dance," she protested. There was a moment of silence, and just as Cassia dared to hope she might save at least a few pieces of her dignity, the Doman continued, "It's an old Shinobi training exercise, passed down the generations. I was taught before we had to flee our homeland, it helps me remember why we do what we do. Why we fight to reclaim what is ours."
"I'm sorry," Cassia said, now feeling her face flush for an entirely different reason, "I didn't mean to pry."
"It's… it's quite alright, I'm just tired of all this - not being able to do anything but sit and wait. It's the worst part." Yugiri considered her for a few seconds, then spoke again, "If, you're still feeling as restless as before, there's another exercise I haven't been able to practice ever since we left Doma behind - it requires a partner."
"I… I'm no Shinobi, Yugiri. I don't want you to share your secrets and go against your people."
"I want to, otherwise I wouldn't have offered, would I?" Yugiri assured her and reached for her hand, "And you're right, you're no Shinobi. You've done more to fight for Doma than many of them could ever hope to. A Shinobi is judged by their actions, not the labels and names they may choose to give themselves."
Despite everything, Cassia found herself smiling as Yugiri led her back down on the ground, never letting go of her hand as she did so. The lantern was reignited shortly after, and it filled the courtyard with a faint golden glow that radiated warmth. They stood there for a while, just taking in everything around them. The restless trees, the sound of the wind, the forest animals just outside the walls of the monastery. Yugiri took the first few steps, and almost immediately Cassie felt herself loose what little balance she had.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not much of an acrobat," she apologized.
Yugiri shook her head and took her free hand in hers, "Nonsense, I've seen you move on the battlefield - you wouldn't stand here if you weren't as… extraordinary as you are," there was a faint hint of color on her face, perhaps that was the light playing tricks on her vision. "Just follow my lead, all right?"
Cassia found herself nodding, because anything else would require her to shift her focus away from the way Yugiri held onto her.
They went through the steps again, their pace increasing rapidly once Yugiri felt that Cassia had the basics memorized. They kept close together, the Doman's hold on her guiding her through the exotic movements with the ease of a lifelong teacher. There was a secret to it, Cassia realized, she didn't think about the steps anymore, instead she focused on Yugiri. How her hair fluttered in the wind, how her lips twitched up in a smile every time they'd manage a new set of movements, how her mouth was only a heartbeat away from her own when they finally came to a standstill.
How her hand found hold in Cassia's hair, how soft her lips felt against her own, how Yugiri molded against her as they watched the sun rise above the mountains. How there were still things worth fighting for below the watchful stars.