Chapter Text
The Warrior of Light liked to think of herself as a reasonably cautious person, all things considered.
Sure, there had been times of…not stupidity, per se, but rushing in head first. Acting first and asking questions later. Asking for forgiveness instead of permission. Such was the way of saving the world. The fey of Il Mheg, though…well, the sooner they finished their business here and slayed the Lightwarden, the better the Warrior would feel. Everything about the inhabitants of this land was putting her on edge. Oh, she had noticed the many topiaries during her treks across the too-green grass, and she hadn’t been at all surprised to find out that they were what was left of the unlucky souls that got the raw end of a deal with a fey.
Il Mheg was gorgeous, though. She kept finding herself distracted by the verdant fields, the dazzling blue lakes, and the flowers – gods above, the flowers, in every shade of color she could imagine and then some. The botanist in her longed to take her time wandering and cataloging every plant species. She wished to sit underneath the large thistles down by the shore and sketch them to keep a memory. She had been equally fascinated by the fast blooming wisterias in Dohn Mheg, where she currently found herself.
She had to give it to the Fuath. They certainly knew how to put on a show for their guests.
The warrior rolled her shoulders and lowered her sword, sore and sweaty from the battle that she just finished. The room she stood in with the Scions was now empty and quiet, save for the sound of water cascading down the walls. The shell crown was nowhere in sight, but before she could ask about it, an amused voice rang out from the waters to her right.
“Well fought, well fought!”
The words of one Fuath turned into many – a chorus of praise and amazement at the fight they had all just witnessed. It was nearly deafening, and there were so many of them that the Warrior instantly felt on guard. The voices paused when their leader spoke up. Aenc Thon stood behind her.
“Oh! You do not hold back…But I would have it no other way! Seldom have I enjoyed such sport!”
The warrior was exceptionally grateful for the patient way in which Urianger spoke with the Fuath. All she wanted to do was to get the shell crown and leave. They had already spent far too much time here, in her opinion, and staying was only tempting fate.
When Aenc Thon pointed to the shell crown, the warrior nodded at the twins to retrieve it. Finally. Even so…as the twins took the crown in hand, she felt eyes on the back of her head.
“Ah, but you, my friend…you are mighty indeed…and pleasing to the eyes besides!”
The warrior quirked an eyebrow. Was that supposed to be a compliment? She thought to herself. I think so.
“I’m flattered, but –”
“More, more! I want to see more!”
“Yes, yes! I could watch her forever!”
“Why don’t we just make her one of us?”
The warrior stared at the Fuath with wide eyes. One of them? She cleared her throat. “We really should be going. Thank you so much for the crown and the – er – sport.”
Her words were drowned out by a chorus of “One of us! One of us!”
“What a fine idea! Why ever didn’t I think of that!? You may have the crown…but in exchange, we will have you!”
Before the warrior could react, water swelled around her and crashed down on her and the Scions in a wave. It swept her away, and darkness came over her.
“Wake up! Wake up, damn you!”
The Warrior slowly opened her eyes, blinking slowly. The first thing she realized was that she was underwater, surrounded by tall grass and ruins of buildings. The light filtered through the water in gentle waves. The second thing she noticed was Ardbert to her left.
“Oh, you’re alive! Thank the gods. I don’t know where you learned to breathe underwater, but it’s lucky you can. Even so, there’s…a problem”
She frowned and tilted her head.
“I’m sure you had your reasons, but the first rule of dealing with the Fuath…is do not deal with the Fuath. It’s said they are born from the souls of the drowned. They were all too eager to have you join them, and…well…” He nodded his head towards her lower half, and the Warrior looked down. A stream of bubbles escaped her mouth in a gasp as she saw what Ardbert was talking about.
Instead of her legs, there was a tail. A fish tail, bright aquamarine blue in color – the same shade as Hydaelyn’s crystal, she noted dimly. A coincidence? A simple consequence of the Fuath magic that transformed her? She wasn’t sure. She moved the tail back and forth and propelled herself upwards in the water towards Ardbert, who chuckled at the sight.
“You’re taking to that like a duck takes to water. Or perhaps a fish takes to water in this case?”
The Warrior rolled her eyes. “At least one of us is having fun with the situation.”
Ardbert held his hands up. “I think this is a better outcome than you being drowned, and I’m sure you’d agree.”
She had to give him that.
“Your friends are safely back on dry land, in case you were wondering. They’ll be searching for you, I expect.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief. She turned towards the ruins and listened to Ardbert speak of the old kingdom of Voeburt, of its fall, and she couldn’t help but think of Ishgard and its own stubborn people. The world was full of those that would dig their heels in and refuse to acknowledge change. It was sad, in a way.
When she looked back to Ardbert to tell him as much, he was gone. She was alone in the water. She swallowed and began her swim towards the surface. The armor still on her top half was starting to weigh her down; she’d have to shed some of it once she found the others. The Warrior breached the surface with a gasp and brushed her wet hair back from her face. She spun in a circle to get her bearings and was relieved to see the Scions on shore not far away. She waved, and the relief in Alisaie’s yell was clear.
“Look! There she is!”
She swam towards shore, moving quickly now that she was starting to get used to her new appendage. She stopped when the water started to become too shallow and offered her gathered comrades a sheepish smile. “We…have a problem.”
Thancred tilted his head in question. “What kind of a problem?”
She leaned back enough to lift her tail from the water and wave at the Scions with it. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Alphinaud’s stunned face.
Minfillia was the first to speak. “Oh, it’s so beautiful! It suits you.”
Alisaie stared at the young girl. “Suits her? How in the seven hells is she supposed to fight with that? She can’t leave the bloody lake!”
Minfillia’s cheeks flushed pink, and Urianger spoke up. “Calm thyselves. Raising thine voices will do naught to solve this problem.”
“Problem? We think it a rather nice gift!”
A familiar voice made all gathered turn to its source. Aenc Thon stood on a lily pad to their right, and he bowed. “I meant it when I said you were pleasing to the eye. We think this makes you even better! And now you can stay with us!”
The Warrior took a breath and did her best to keep her voice even. “While I appreciate the gift — truly, this is a new experience for me — I am needed on land.”
“Land is overrated!” One Fuath said this from behind her.
“Perhaps, but I…don’t you miss the night sky? I’m here to bring it back. The reasons we gave for needing the shell crown still hold true. Is there any way I could have my legs back?” She looked at Aenc Thon and swallowed. She’d never been as good as Alphinaud at negotiating. “Please?”
He hummed and looked pensive. “Well, there is a way for you to change back, but I won’t make it easy for you!”
Alphinaud turned to the Fuath. “Tell us what needs to be done, and we will do it. Whatever it takes.”
“Tis nothing that you can do.” Aenc Thon spun in a circle and pointed his candy cane at the Warrior. “Haven’t you read any fairy tales? Things like this are solved with one thing, and one thing alone.”
The gathered Fuath started chittering excitedly, and in unison, they said:
“True love’s kiss!”
The Warrior and her companions blinked. Thancred scowled. “And just how do you propose we find her true love? Here, when she’s so far away from home?”
The Warrior was still stuck on needing a kiss, and hadn’t made it to the true love part. Did she even have a true love? With the way her life had gone, it was hard to imagine herself with anyone. Sure, there had been some interested parties — Aymeric especially — but she had never felt the spark she assumed was needed for a relationship to blossom.
Aenc Thon laughed. “We would not make it impossible! Nay, her true love is within reach. I would wager that he is watching even now!” This just made the rest of the Fuath even more excited, and the water of the lake bubbled and churned.
The Warrior looked at her comrades, feeling just as confused as they obviously were. She cleared her throat. “W-Well, I…I see. Perhaps we could have some privacy with which to discuss this?”
“Of course!” Aenc Thon hopped from one foot to the other excitedly. “We would not want to be in the way. Have fun!” The Fuath dove into the water, and the rest of the gathered followed him away.
In the silence, the Warrior felt even more lost. “I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s romantic, isn’t it?” All eyes turned to Minfillia, who flushed again. “I-I mean, outside of present circumstances…”
Urianger let out a sigh. “Aye, child. Outside of present circumstances, twould be the makings of a fairy tale. I would consult with Feo Ul — wilt thou be alright here?”
The Warrior opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Alisaie. “Alphinaud and I will stay with her. You three can consult with the fey.”
Thancred nodded. “We’ll bring some lunch back, hopefully along with some answers.”
The Warrior waved. “Be careful.”
The gunbreaker snorted in response as he turned away. “Usually I’m the one telling you that.”
The Warrior sighed at the retreating figures of her comrades before turning to the twins. “Want to swim?”
Alphinaud very quickly shook his head. “I am just fine here on the shore, thank you very much.”
Alisaie pinched his cheek as she stood up. “He may be completely inept in water, but I’m not. I’ll join you.”
Alphinaud’s indignant squawking fell on deaf ears as Alisaie waded into the water. The Warrior swam out to a deeper part and stretched her tail out in full. The lake was clear enough that the sunlight filtered through and glittered off her bright blue scales. Alisaie stopped, treading water a few feet away. “Minfillia is right. It does suit you. You’re beautiful.”
The Warrior laughed. “Careful. Maybe I’ll hang up my weapons and armor and make my home at the bottom of the lake where no one can bother me.”
Alisaie scoffed and splashed some water towards the Warrior. “You would never.”
“Hey!” The Warrior laughed and splashed back. “You never know what I might do.”
What followed was a much needed relaxing afternoon. The Warrior swam with Alisaie out towards the center of the lake, where the two of them could observe the ruins of Voebert beneath them. Alphinaud pouted from the shore, so much so that the two in the water eventually swam back to join him. The Warrior requested stories of their time on the First — good stories, happy ones — to pass the time. In turn, she provided her own tales of the small things they had missed. Alisaie helped her take off the bulk of her armor until she was left in a simple shirt that wouldn’t get too heavy in the water.
It was late in the day by the time the others returned. The Warrior perked up at the picnic basket Thancred was carrying.
“I think you’ve missed the window for lunch, but you can earn your forgiveness with dinner.”
Thancred scowled, but a smile tugged at his lips all the same. “Forgive us. We wanted to exhaust every possible avenue of inquiry before returning.”
“And?” Hope crept into the Warrior’s voice.
Urianger shook his head. “The fey are in agreement with the Fuath and the terms they hath set forth. Feo Ul was in particular supportive of you using this…opportunity, as they put it, to meet thy true love.”
The Warrior groaned, sinking back into the water. “If he was my true love, and he was watching, surely he would have come to help by now!”
Minfillia speaks as Thancred unpacks the food. “That’s what Thancred said, but I pointed out that maybe he wants you alone.”
The Warrior blinked and flushed pink. “T-That’s –”
“A valid point,” Thancred said begrudgingly as he held out a wrapped sandwich to the Warrior. “Even Feo Ul recommended we…leave you alone for the evening.”
The Warrior mumbled as she unwrapped her dinner. “I don’t appreciate the implications in what Feo Ul said.”
Alphinaud was as red as he could get, and Alisaie bristled. “Neither do I! We’d be leaving you out here defenseless!”
Everyone – including Minfillia – leveled Alisaie with a withering gaze, and she huffed. “You know what I mean. Even if she’s the best damn fighter on this shard and the next, she’s obviously handicapped at the moment!”
“Enough!” The Warrior took a bite of her sandwich and chewed before saying anything else. “I can take well enough care of myself, and you all need to get some rest tonight. There’s no point in you all staying on the shore when you can sleep in Urianger’s cottage. I am a simple linkpearl call away, and if I require help, I will be sure to call. Let’s just enjoy our dinner and avoid any talk of this curse or true love or kisses, alright?”
Thancred’s laugh echoed off the water. “I never would have thought that the thing to make the great Warrior of Light nervous would be a kiss.”
She flushed and was half tempted to soak her sandwich through with lakewater before throwing it at his head, but she resisted – the sandwich was good, and it was the first thing she’d eaten since entering Dohn Mheg. “I’m not nervous. I’m eager to be out of this form without scandalizing the twins in the process.”
Alisaie bristled. “We’re not children!”
The conversation devolved into lighthearted arguments between the twins and the other Scions. After the stress of coming to the First and being thrown into another crisis…the Warrior was enjoying herself despite the present circumstances. Only when Minfillia started to yawn did she tell her friends to leave.
“Go. I’ll be fine, I promise. Hopefully when you come back tomorrow I’ll be back to normal and we can deal with the Lightwarden.”
“Call if you need anything, alright?” Thancred’s voice was laced with concern, and the Warrior couldn’t help but notice how very fatherly he’d become after his time on the First. She smiled and waved him away.
“I will. I promise. Now go. Get some rest, all of you.”
The Scions said their final goodbyes for the evening before leaving the Warrior alone. She swam out to the middle of the lake and stretched out again, taking a breath before diving underwater. The persistent light was dimmer the deeper she went, and she was glad for the break it gave her eyes. At the bottom of the lake, she settled against one of the ruined buildings and closed her eyes. Surely a few moments of rest would be fine.
The Warrior had no idea how much time had passed when she next opened her eyes. The light made it impossible to measure the passage of time. She stretched from head to tail and let out a sigh.
What was it that had woken her? Her sleep had been peaceful, and for once, her dreams hadn’t been terrifying nightmares of Zenos looming above her, ready to cut her down. A shadow passed across her, and she looked upwards.
Something was above her. Above the water.
She frowned and swam upwards towards the shadow and breached the surface moments later.
“There you are. I was starting to wonder if I needed to dredge the lake for you.”
The voice was full of snark, and the Warrior could practically hear the curl of a lip in the man’s voice. She squinted in the light, and heard a sigh.
“Come to shore. I don’t want to get wet.”
She frowned and looked up to retort back, but the shadow was gone. She spun around in the water until she saw a figure on the shore. He held out a finger and curled it in a beckoning motion, and she scowled as she swam towards him until she came to a stop in the shallow waters. She looked up at the man, his form framed by the persistent light of the sky. There was a darkness about him that contrasted sharply with the bright colors of the flora of Il Mheg. Even the water she was floating in, the beautiful clear aqua that plainly displayed her tail beneath her, seemed all the brighter against him.
Her eyes narrowed at the third eye upon his forehead. “The last time I checked, there were no Garleans here.”
His mouth twisted in a smile, and he kneeled down in front of her to meet her eyes. A single stand of white hair framed his face . “Indeed, you are correct.”
His hand moved lightning fast to grab her chin. She reached up to try and pry his gloved fingers away and found she could not. By the twelve, he was strong.
“A rather unfortunate situation for a warrior such as yourself to be in, hmm? I dare say you won’t get much fighting done with a tail instead of two legs.”
She struggled to move away from him, her tail twisting every which way under the water. “And? Why do you care?”
“You’re asking the wrong questions, my dear. Allow me to help you. You should be asking what I’m going to do about it.”
She stopped her movements to look at him. “You’re…?”
He grinned and leaned in closer. So close that her nose nearly bumped against his. “I overheard the stipulations of your curse. You do not know me, dear warrior, but you will. You do not remember me, beautiful and wretched creature that you are, but you will. You will.”
And then, to the Warrior’s complete surprise, he kissed her.
The Warrior gasped in surprise, and the man took advantage of the opportunity to push his tongue past her lips with a pleased hum. The kiss wasn’t…bad. It wasn’t what the Warrior had expected her first kiss to be. The man’s lips were soft, and he knew what he was doing, even if she didn’t. His lips moved against hers, and her eyes fluttered. It was…intimate in a way she’d never felt before. His hand moved from her chin to cup her cheek, and she found herself leaning into it and returning pressure against his lips. After several moments, he broke away so that both of them could catch their breath, and the Warrior realized she was treading water with her legs instead of her tail.
The man looked down, and upon seeing her legs, removed his hand and stepped back. The Warrior climbed out of the lake, water dripping from her soaked pants. At least I didn’t end up half naked when the curse broke, she thought to herself as she stood under the man’s gaze. He lifted a hand and, with a snap, her wet clothes became dry.
She just stared at him. “How did you do that?”
He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. It certainly wouldn’t do for you to catch a chill right before a big battle, would it?”
“No, but…” Questions. She had so many questions. “Was the Fuath’s curse real? Are you really –”
“Your true love?” He sneered. “In the matter of souls, I suppose I am.”
The Warrior tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not telling you.”
She huffed in frustration, resisting the urge to grab the man by his fluffy collar and shake the answers out of him. “Okay. What did you mean by me not remembering?”
“I’m not telling you that either. It’s no fun that way.”
“Then what will you tell me?”
He hummed, rocking back on his heels. “I will say that we’ll be seeing much more of each other. At least, we will if you defeat that Lightwarden. Don’t disappoint me, dear Warrior. It would be a shame to end the play in its first act. Oh, but before I go – here.”
He took her hand and dropped something into it. The Warrior opened her mouth to respond, but the man disappeared into a dark portal, the shape and shade of which made her stomach drop. Surely it was a coincidence. Surely her true love couldn’t be an…
No. She wasn’t going to even entertain that train of thought. He had seemed just as thrilled about the whole situation as she was, so maybe they could put it in the past. Ignore it. If the other Scions asked, the Warrior would simply say that the man came and went, and that she had no desire to track him down – because really, she didn’t. The Warrior opened her hand and looked down at what rested in her palm – a single earring, gold with a teardrop pearl. Identical to the single one the man wore.
She tucked the strange memento into her pocket and began her trek through the flowers up the hill, lost in thought. She’d never really pictured herself in a relationship, or as a romantic person, partly because of her occupation, and partly because no one had caught her eye before. Having a relationship – someone that important to her – was a liability. She could make a list malms long of people who would use a romantic partner as leverage against her.
It was better this way.
Eventually, the Warrior made it back to Urianger’s cabin. She quietly opened the door and stepped inside, only to see Thancred stand up from his seat by the fire.
“You’re back to rights, I see.”
“You’re supposed to be asleep.” The Warrior frowned as she closed the door.
He shrugged. “I was worried and couldn’t doze off.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I see you’re alone as well.”
The Warrior grimaced. “I’d rather not talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.”
“I might be able to accept that, but the twins and Minfillia – Minfillia especially – won’t accept that answer. Did you know them?”
The Warrior sighed and sat down by the fire. “No.”
“Do you think you’ll be seeing them again?”
“He said we would, but…to be honest, I would be fine if I never saw him again.”
The Hyur quirked an eyebrow. “Most people don’t say that about their supposed true love.”
The Warrior shrugged. “He’s not the kind of person I could ever see myself being with. Too snobby by half for me.”
“And the kiss?”
The Warrior leveled him with a glare that made it very clear the discussion would not be proceeding down that path, and Thancred held up his hands in surrender.
“Very well. I won’t pry any more. You have a few hours before the others will be awake. You should rest.”
The Warrior hummed in agreement and grabbed a blanket to pull over herself as she curled up in the chair. Every time she closed her eyes, though, all she saw were his own staring back at her. A curious shade of yellow, unlike anything she had ever seen before.
With everything that happened the following day – defeating Titania, seeing Feo Ul take the crown, and narrowly avoiding the Eulmorans – the Warrior felt like she could sleep for a week. She was well and truly exhausted, and when Minfillia again tried to pry out some details about the happenings at the lake, the Warrior used her exhausted expression to make the young girl leave her alone. As their tired group walked into the Crystarium – which was blessedly calm under the night sky – Thancred gave her a sideways smile, his expression saying “I told you so.”
The Scions came to a stop in the center of the city, and the Warrior was only half paying attention to what Alphinaud was saying. She was already dreaming of the warm bath and soft bed waiting for her in the Pendants. A voice behind her, however, quickly woke her up and sent a chill down her spine.
Those yellow eyes. The white hair.
“You certainly took your time. I had half-resolved to complete the task myself.”
The Warrior did her best to keep her expression neutral, even though her heart was thundering in her chest. It was him. Here, in the Crystarium.
Alisaie was the first to speak. “And you are…?”
Urianger responded before anyone else, and the Warrior felt her stomach sink at his words. Founder of the Garlean Empire, and others like it. It was impossible for him to be alive, and yet – here he stood. The Warrior nearly groaned when a familiar red mask appeared in front of the man’s face. She hated being right, even if she hadn’t let herself even think the word Ascian that night by the lake.
“I am Emet-Selch. Ascian.”
The Warrior was dimly aware of her comrades speaking, but she couldn’t hear them over the roaring in her ears. Emet-Selch’s eyes moved to hers, and his smirk was slight. It was obvious that he knew exactly what thoughts were running through her head. Clarity returned slowly as the man – as Emet-Selch – waxed poetic about the light and the Rejoining. She leveled him with a glare as he pointed straight at her and blamed her for ruining his plans, and he stared right back with a furious expression. The whole situation was…laughable in its ridiculousness. This was her mortal enemy, the same man who had kissed her quite intensely not long ago.
The gulf between them seemed wide. The Warrior had never felt so far distanced from another person.
As Emet-Selch continued to speak, he took a step towards the Warrior. She took one backwards in turn, and a slight frown painted his face before he smiled.
“Cooperation! I did say we would be seeing more of each other, did I not?”
The Warrior’s cheeks flushed, and she heard Thancred’s quiet intake of breath behind her. Damn him. Damn all of this. The Warrior looked skyward and internally cursed the Twelve, and then immediately apologized for it.
“I will not raise a hand to hinder your hunt for the Lightwardens. If you desire it, I will even lend you my knowledge and strength.”
The Warrior just stared at Emet-Selch incredulously as Alphinaud questioned him. How had things gone so sideways so quickly? By this point, she was used to how the Ascians operated. Nabriales, Lahabrea, and Elidibus had all been seemingly cut from the same cloth. Emet-Selch, though…he was different. This was unknown territory, and the Warrior felt adrift. She came back to reality as his eyes met hers again.
“Shed your preconceptions. See beyond the unscrupulous villains you take us for. When all is said and done, we may find ourselves…pleasantly surprised.” He smiled towards her, and she looked away from him.
Urianger took advantage of the opportunity to throw one of his cards towards Emet-Selch, who disappeared into purple smoke. The Warrior jumped at his voice behind her, in her ear.
“My apologies. You will forgive me if I am not entirely at ease in the presence of a famed Ascian-slayer.”
The Warrior wheeled around to face him, and he grabbed her chin again, staring into her eyes.
“I take my leave, friends. Rest assured, we shall meet again soon.” He gave her a wink before stepping back and disappearing with a wave.
The Warrior could still feel his gloved hands on her skin. Thancred stepped over and placed a hand on her arm.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded, clearing her throat. “Yeah. Ascians, you know?” She shrugged her shoulders, as if shaking off the whole encounter. “They’ll do anything to get under your skin.”
Alphinaud sighed. “That I can agree with. In any case, we should all get some rest. The past few days have been taxing.”
Alisaie came over to the Warrior. “Would you like to walk to the Pendants together?”
The Warrior took a breath. “Actually…I think I need a drink. A really strong one. I’ll see you all later.”
Before any of them could protest, she took off towards the Wandering Stairs.
Cooperation.
Assistance.
What a load of rubbish. His ulterior motives probably had ulterior motives.
As if she would ever trust an Ascian. She would never let him get that close again.
Even if he was a good kisser.
Not if she had anything to say about it.
Her fingers closed around the earring in her pocket. She would tell herself that again and again until she believed it.