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“Ooh, there’s another one!”
A streak of light in the sky zips out of sight as a certain person points it out to her partner. It’s the third one tonight.
“They’re so pretty, I never really thought much about shooting stars before…”
“But they’re still not as pretty as you, babe.”
“You’re such a sap. But I love that about you.”
A starry night greets the two sentinel babes of the Mighty Nein, all alone out here in Xhorhas. The only light apart from the dual glows of Catha and Ruidus is the campfire beside them as they cuddle in their shared bedroll.
“Have you ever thought about what could’ve been?” Yasha says out loud as they stare at the stars above.
“As in…?” Beau replies, unable to help herself.
“I mean, considering all we’ve been through, I wonder what other possible outcomes there could have been had we made different choices.”
Beau rolls onto her side, propping her head up with her elbow. “And I thought I was the one who’s always got her head full of theories.”
Yasha laughs, still staring skyward. “Hah. I wonder where I got that from?”
The expositor just laughs. It’s still hitting her that they are out here, right now, just the two of them. They had just said their goodbyes to Zuala at her grave, even left a marker with one of Caduceus’ seeds, and were content with just taking their time going home.
Something about what Yasha said does pique Beau’s interest, though.
“You know, now that you mention it, I sometimes wonder that too. Is it because the night sky reminds you of the beacons?”
“Yeah,” Yasha responds. “I know they’re so strange in their weird mystical ways, but looking into them, it’s so pretty. Like a portable sea of stars.”
“And every ‘star’ is meant to be a road not taken, huh.”
“Exactly.” It’s now Yasha’s turn to prop herself by elbow to meet Beau’s gaze. “I mean, I wonder just how things could’ve been different with us. I wonder how often we still ended up together… or not.”
Beau nods. “I know what you mean. I’d prefer to leave that talk to Caleb and Hot Boi, though. I’m more of a woman of action, one who likes living in the moment, not worrying about what could’ve been…”
Yasha just snorts. “Baby, we both know that’s a lie. Your head is full of nothing but what-ifs.”
The expositor mimes being shot in the heart by a ballista bolt. “Guilty as charged.”
The two women cheerfully laugh as they continue to make lighthearted jabs at each other. It just feels so natural to them, as if this was meant to be their norm all along.
“I will admit,” Beau opens up, “that I sometimes dream about other possibilities, even stuff that never really happened or versions of ourselves in new places. I swear, one of them had you making a living as a writer, or me as a knight in service to a queen.”
“And let me guess: I was the queen.”
“Yup.”
Beau sighs as she plops back onto the ground, staring skyward once more. “But it’s just a fantasy. And I’m fine with that. Because right now, there’s no better place I’d rather be than out here. Right now. With you.”
At the corner of her periphery, she notices Yasha going back to stargazing as well as reaching out blindly for Beau’s hand. “Me too. I’m glad we’re here, and that we’re together.”
Beau takes Yasha’s hand and holds it tight, while extending her free hand out as if reaching to the sky. “Wouldn’t trade this for the world. Certainly wouldn’t break it for you, either.”
“Huh? Where did that come from?” Yasha asks her, sounding quite curious.
Beau just shakes her head. “I dunno. Heard from a colleague that someone in the past had said that once. Sounds like a total wacko to me.”
“Or someone deeply in love with someone. But would love really drive someone to try something that horrible?”
“Maybe.” Beau shakes her head again. “But sometimes, you just gotta let go and reach for someone new to love.”
Yasha hums in affirmation. Beau then sees her arm reach out to the sky as well.
“I wouldn’t dare dream of sacrificing the world for you, Beau.”
The night is slightly cold, but that is not what sends a mild chill down Beau’s spine.
“Someone almost did, though.”
The jovial mood dies down a bit, as both of them remember exactly what the monk is implying.
“I’m glad we stopped him… and saved him from himself…” Yasha says.
“Me too… It’s what Molly would’ve wanted. To leave the world better than what we found it… not destroy it.”
“Yeah.”
It takes a while for the conversation to go back to happier topics, including more theorycrafting about alternate realities or possibilities. It’s a rather animated back-and-forth, as ideas fill in their heads about what-ifs and other things.
It only makes Beau all the more grateful that instead of allowing a city that made dreams manifest into reality to do as it pleased, they’re doing it themselves of their own free will.
Because where was the fun in forcing change onto a world just because one person hated it?
Nah, Beau’s an asshole, but she loves the world for all its flaws and wonders.
It’s how she met Yasha and the Mighty Nein.
Perhaps if things had gone differently, she could’ve become like Lucien and hated the world so much that she wanted it changed to suit her needs…
But there’s no point in dwelling on that anymore.
What matters is the here and now.
“So…” Yasha speaks up, shattering the bleak reverie forming in Beau’s thoughts, “I think we’re about a week out of the Empire. I don’t wanna keep you from getting back to work in time.”
Beau sighs. “Okay. I suppose we should get some sleep.” She flips to her side, ready to allow Yasha to spoon her. “Good night, Yash.”
Yasha holds Beau close and she feels the aasimar plant a kiss at the base of her skull. “Good night, Beau.”
It doesn’t take long for the two sentinels to fall asleep, the light of Exandria’s moons still shining over them even as their fire goes out.
Tomorrow will be a new day. And with a new day comes new possibilities and new branching outcomes.
And Beau didn’t need to look into a beacon to see which path to take for herself and her girlfriend.
Because the only path to take is forward.