Work Text:
When the Warrior returned from the initial push at Ghimlyt Dark, the Alliance leaders didn’t imagine that she would be returning alone. Thus, when Lord Hien and Yugiri had Alisaie’s body in tow, making a beeline for the medical ward, all concern the Lord Commander had directed itself to Aria. Prior to the beginning of the operation, she and the Leveilleur had separated themselves to speak privately, to which they both had solemn expressions pinching their face. After a moment, they both returned with resolve masking the hint of fear they desperately tried to hide in the moment.
Now, the fear was laid bare as Aymeric stared at the door to which Lyse had brought Alisaie’s sleeping frame. Aria was in there, the man knew. He tried to think of something to say to her once she steps out, whenever that may be, but words failed him the same way it had when he went to confront his father many moons ago.
When the door opened, Aymeric expected to find Aria standing before him. Instead it was Lyse, who looked frantic and had searching eyes. The moment her gaze landed on him, she had stepped towards him quickly with furrowed brows.
“Lord Commander, I am terribly sorry but we need your help,” she pleaded.
Aymeric’s eyes widened slightly. “Is aught amiss?”
“It’s Aria. She’s losing it. Nothing I say seems to be working, so maybe if you were to talk to her…”
Aymeric nodded in understanding and followed Lyse inside the building. Even before the Lord Commander reached the door frame to which they held Alisaie, the pair could already hear sniffling coming from the room. They looked to each other and decided to wait a moment to see what would transpire.
“Alisaie, please wake up…” Aria muttered through her tears. “We made a promise, right? That we wouldn’t leave each other alone. Please…”
There was a moment of silence before Aria chuckled darkly to herself.
“I know…” she whispered. “I know that you aren’t able to hear me. Yet, I can’t help it. Everyone...everyone is gone. And here I remain. Is this a blessing or a curse…? Can it not just take me to where you all are?”
Aymeric’s heart squeezed in his chest, but before he could motion towards her, Aria had released a low growl that startled even him before marching out. Whether she knew he was there, he couldn’t say, but she had her rapier tight in her grip when his eyes followed after her.
“Aria, wait!” Lyse called out to her.
When the Ala Mhigan commander had chased after the Warrior, Aymeric followed suit. Luckily, they didn't have the need to travel far as Aria was found wailing on training dummies just outside the building. Rather than the precise strikes that the hero was known for, her movements were without purpose other than blowing off steam. With every strike, she released an animalistic snarl and those around her began fearing that debris would fly if they were near proximity.
Yet, the more she released her rage, the less focused she had become. It wasn’t long until she had lost the will to continue going and she had dropped her weapon while falling to her knees, her hands reaching up to cover her face as she convulsed into sobs. Aymeric took a chance and ran to her then, dropping to one knee beside her and pulling her into his arms.
Aria’s cries reverberated throughout the plaza. Those that were bystanders were eyeing the woman with either pity if they knew the cause or with distress as they hadn’t known their Warrior to be susceptible to such inner turmoil. Aymeric could only hum to her in a soft lullaby, one that she had sung to him when he had nightmares of his own after the Dragonsong War. It was enough to calm her shaking, but her tears only continued to streak down her cheeks.
“Aymeric…” she called to him in a chant. “Aymeric...Aymeric…!”
“I know,” the Lord Commander answered, squeezing her tighter in his arms as if it would will her pain into him. “We will find a way to bring them back. I assure you of this. Do not forget - even as the others are taken, you have others that yet stand with you.”
Aymeric felt her trembling arms wrap loosely around him before her hands clenched at the cloth of his cape in desperation. The kind that made it seem that, if she didn’t hold on for dear life, she would drown into the deepest abyss with no way out. It only caused the Elezen to pet the back of her head in an attempt to soothe, letting locks of her hair linger about his fingers.
For all she was, the Warrior of Light was still but one mortal woman. She had suppressed much and more of her heart in order to continue lighting the beacon of hope for the rest of Eorzea to run after. To lose so much and be left as the last one standing would break anyone; there was a lot to be said of him, as he would have fallen apart had he not had her and allies of his own.
For what it’s worth, she was strong enough to keep going and stronger yet for allowing her weakness to be shown in front of the people she cared about.
The least he can do to reward her bravery was to be the anchor she needed the most.