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She walked through snow covered Coerthas, steps heavy with weariness, and her mind heavy with the recent events.
She had refused to stay in Mor Dhona. As much as her friends had welcomed her back, her heart belonged elsewhere.
Too weary to even ride a chocobo, she had donned her heavy cloak and started to walk slowly but surely through the thick white blanket that would cover Coerthas forever.
People recognized her at the Obersvatorium, but she simply walked past them smiling weakly. At Dragonhead she stopped briefly, thinking of walking into his old office. But she didn’t. She wanted to go home.
Finally, she reached the Gates of Judgment, her feet already freezing from walking on the snowy paths.
Whether the guard there recognized her, she couldn’t tell. The tall, imposing elezen retained an unmoving posture. How they could keep this up for hours in the cold, was beyond her.
When she entered Foundation the clouds had made way for sunbeams, turning the usually cold grey of Ishgard into something glittering and shining. Something that felt like being welcomed home.
Fighting a flood of emotion she stopped on the stairs, willing her body to stop shaking. It didn’t work. With each deep breath she took to calm herself, she felt the tears burn hotter behind her closed eyes.
“Is.. is it turely you? You are returned?”
A familiar voice. She opened and her eyes and looked into the dark, worried eyes of Artoirel.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice sounding small and weak even to her. “Yes, I am returned. I am here.”
Artoirel smiled and offered her his arm. “Come with me then. He is in the Brume, overseeing some construction work. He will be most happy to see you.”
Returning the smile she took the offered arm and walked unsteadily next to the eldest Fortemps son.
“The war has slowed down. A lot of the troops have been dismissed. Everyone is happy to have their loved ones back. And just in time for the Starlight Celebration in a fortnight.” Artoirel chattered away with a cheerfulness she had rarely seen in him. “I don’t quite trust the current peace, but I welcome it nonetheless.”
They walked down some steps and around a small bend in the road. Ishgard would always remain a labyrinth of small streets and alleys.
“Ah there we are.” Artoirel stopped and pointed towards a scaffolding at the end of the street.
With his blue coat she saw him immediately.
He was talking to a woman, pointing at the scaffolding and some bricks on the side of it. At this distance she couldn’t hear what they were talking about.
She let go of Artoirel’s arm, thanking him with an almost invisible nod. As if not quite trusting her to retain her footing he walked behind her for a few steps.
But then Aymeric turned and saw her. Their eyes met and there was nothing holding her back anymore, the weariness all but gone. She ran towards him and he moved towards her. Her vision blurred, as the tears she had been fighting to hold back all the time finally broke free.
But he was there.
She all but crashed into him, her legs suddenly buckling under her. Aymeric held her, pulling her into his arms and holding her as close as he could. Sobbing loudly she wrapped her shaking arms around him in turn.
All the pain of the past days breaking away. All the loss and suffering that had threatened to tear her apart slowly eased away with every breath she took pressed against him.
“I missed you,” he whispered in her ear, still holding her, uncaring of what was going on around him.
She wasn’t able to reply, to form the words. Not yet. But he knew anyway.
Her soul had almost been torn asunder, now finally she had found peace again.