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Delphia was excited. The next god to fight was Halone. All the stories she heard while training in Ishgard would be nothing next to this. Her tail whipped behind her and her ears twitched. The Elezen from her training days would never believe the little Miqo’te is the one who got to fight Halone. The Au Ra next to her clearly didn’t share her excitement. They had a glare on their face.
“Ash, I promise this will be fine. It’s just scouting. If we can tell the others what to expect the fight will go better,” she said. Ash groaned, it was clear they disagreed.
“We have faced Nophica, Althyk, and Nymeia together with no scouting. I don’t think we should be doing this. At the very least I don’t think you should be fighting as a Dragoon,” they said. Delphia frowned; this was an argument they’d had a few times already.
“Ash I told you I have to fight Halone of the twelve as a dragoon.” She held up her lance for emphasis. It wasn’t as though she had stopped keeping her gear ready. She also trained with her guild pretty often. Sometimes even getting Estinien to spar, usually with Tataru’s help. She was ready.
“You’ve been fighting as a ninja for all of the others. Halone is the goddess of war. The fight shall be worse than any other, we should not be alone for this.”
Delphia stopped walking and stared up at the tall Au Ra. Sometimes she hated when she couldn’t stare down at them. The house they’d bought in Gridania’s lavender beds gave her a perfect perch usually. Although, they hadn’t been there since the final days were averted. It was too painful to see the home that three of them had put together.
“Ash, we’ll be fine. Rescue me if it looks like things will go wrong and we’ll run. You’re one of the best white mages out there, you’ll keep me alive. Just let’s try this fight with Halone. I can’t just be part of the crowd later,” she said. She couldn’t wait. If they did it with the others everyone would know. She would be asked to leave, G’Raha would convince her to leave. She couldn’t have that.
“Is this truly going to help?” their voice was quiet. It made her shiver, they weren’t just treating it like a strange adventure anymore. They were making her face the truth too. “I know that this-”
“Pray not now.”
She had wrapped her tail around her leg, her ears flat on her head. Ash came up and pulled her into a tight hug. Things hadn’t truly recovered for them, not yet. The final days were horrifying. So many innocent people lost, and they lost one they loved. Nothing had been the same since they watched their partner disappear.
“This won’t bring her back, Halone didn’t-”
“The twelve didn’t help! You know how many nights I begged to bring her back. To show us she was safe. They could have done something… They could have helped. I need to be here to fight them, but Halone… She looked like Halone Ash. I can’t even enter the Holy See… I need to be sure I can face her, that we’ll finish this fight against them. I can’t let them keep me from fighting.”
“We’ll fight, but we leave at the first sign it’s too much.” They pulled back, large hands cupping her face. She leaned into them. “Promise me we’ll leave, I can’t lose you too.”
“I promise. We both live after this and… and maybe we can finally go back home once we’ve faced her. Just live in the memories until the next disaster. The next foray into the world of the voidsent.”
Ash leaned forward and kissed her. It was quick, but their emotion came through like fire. She wouldn’t be able to face this painful reality without them. Thavnair was rebuilding, the entire world was rebuilding. The lopporits were trying to find their place. The final days were stopped. Everything was good, but for the two of them life had been changed in horrible ways. Ways that they were fighting to overcome.
They spent the rest of the walk to Halone holding hands. This was about more than just discovering the truth of the twelve. This was her own chance at revenge. Revenge for the years she spent promising to serve Halone, to fight under her. The nights she prayed and begged for Alessia to be safe. That the disasters had merely separated them. Ash’s grip on her hand was tight, they were thinking the same things.
The battlefield for Halone was open, much like Nophica’s. There didn’t look to be any danger of falling, that made this easier. The goddess hadn’t appeared yet, but they were ready. They could do this. Ash had brought her back from death before. They took the events of the final days so much harder. They couldn’t save someone from their own dynamis destroying them.
“Ready?” she whispered as she squeezed their hand.
With a single nod they released her. Their staff in hand they started casting the spells that would keep her safe. She held her lance forward as she stepped closer. A large woman landed in front of them. The pain was already starting. The same hair and form as the one they lost. The warm feeling of Ash’s magic faltered for only a moment.
“Nophica had warned me there would be an army to fight,” the voice was melodic. She hadn’t heard Halone talk, she didn’t expect a similar voice. The goddess had a change in posture as she focused on the two of them. Almost rigid. “Pray let the battle commence. It shall be one to remember either way.”
Delphia ran forward. The fight began and her own mind started to go numb. Halone had been a guiding light in her time training as a dragoon. She’d been disliked for her heritage. Looked down on for her small stature. Halone pushed her forward at each step. A calming thought of someone who could stand tall, someone she could look up to.
She jumped, aiming to hit that armor Halone wore on her face. She wanted to see the eyes of the goddess she had grown to hate. Hating her was almost strange. Following her brought her to Ash. The Au Ra had traveled to Gridania to train in healing magic. They wanted to see the forests the place was known for. They were why the house they bought was in the lavender beds.
Delphia bounced off when her hit landed. There was no visible crack. It would take time to build up the jump again so she went for quick stabs. Halone was moving slower than she expected. The other gods had all been constant attacks, but Halone was leaving wide openings. Delphia grew desperate to make this goddess take their fight seriously.
“All-piercing spear, drink deep of raging blizzards!”
Another set of warnings how the ice would scan the floor. Ash had to run up next to her. The safest part of this attack was the two of them together. They had tear tracks. This was hard on them too. Delphia reached up to her own face, her gauntlet came back with the frozen tears. The ice attacks were stopping her own from streaming down her cheeks. It made this easier.
“For glory you must be prepared to render your all!”
Ash ran back and Delphia jumped again. She landed a solid blow on the helm once more. It wouldn’t be impossible to keep this up. She would see Halone’s face, see the face of the goddess who failed. She could remember the day she and Ash had been traveling. When a random woman had been injured. Ash healed her while Delphia fought off the attackers.
“You must do better than that against me.” Halone’s voice sounded strange again. Almost like she was crying. Delphia would never expect that.
A massive spear attack was coming and she had to watch for the safe spot. Running to that location gave her only more time to think, to remember. The brown eyes sparkling as they talked. Night-sky hair that she spent time helping to free of blood. The laughter when the new woman had never heard of such normal things as the aesthetician. The excitement with some of it. Ash had even spoken around her quite a bit.
Delphia managed another jump, landing on the helm again. The attacks were landing easily. It didn’t seem right. There was something bigger coming. The goddess of war couldn’t be this easy to defeat. This wasn’t the fight that she wanted, it was… It was as though Halone wanted to lose against her. That wasn’t enough.
“Fight like you mean it, Halone,” she shouted. That caused a reaction from the goddess.
“There is no retreat - only victory or defeat!” Halone screamed.
A pulse of something came from the goddess’s feet. Likely a warning. Ash had stepped forward, she could see them considering a spell. They were ready to rescue her out of danger. As she reached them a ring of icicles appeared behind them. She grabbed their arm and ran to where the icicles spawned. Just as they reached safety icicles spawned where Ash had been standing. This time there was no sign of the goddess going easy.
The icicles continued to appear in a circular pattern growing closer to Halone. Ash prepared spells, the pulsing hadn’t stopped. Another circle of ice appeared, she realized then it wasn’t icicles. Lances of ice were shooting up from the ground. Apt for Halone. She took the chance to do another jump attack, the helm had cracked. This should be enough.
Memories filled her mind as she entered the air. Working as an adventuring party. Taking in anyone who wanted to aid in battle. Yet the three of them were always together. She was their damage, dragoon or ninja once she’d learned of that job. The stone spoke to her in ways the dragoon job stone never did. Then a paladin, the only paladin she and Ash would ever work with.
“Victory must be seized with one’s own hands!” Halone’s voice hadn’t moved. She took aim.
Another attack landed, but this time Ash pulled her away. The rescue spell hadn’t been needed. She could do this, she would win. They’d finally move forward, forget all the pain. Reminisce in the memories that were too painful to see. Ash grabbed her arms and held her facing Halone once the rescue had finished.
“What are you-”
“Look,” they interrupted her.
Delphia watched as the goddess who may even be bigger than the ancients stood with her head straight up. She… she was taking Delphia’s attacks on purpose? That made no sense. Those attacks could cause the helm to shatter, freeing up new spots to injure. Create better openings to defeat the goddess.
“Why…” she whispered.
Ash shook their head, but pulled her into their arms. This fight was over. Together they watched the helm split in half as Halone turned to face them again. Delphia fell to her knees. Now she could see the tears on the goddess’s face. The clear pain in her eyes. The helm fell to the ground cracking the ice at the goddess’s feet. It wasn’t… it wasn’t possible.
“Alessia?” Ash was the one to say it. Delphia shook her head. This wasn’t possible. Alessia was a miqo’te. Adorable ears that twitched all the time. A tail that wrapped around Ash’s horns when she slept. Alessia… was another warrior of light.
Halone didn’t continue the fight. She dropped her weapons, both fading away. This couldn’t be Alessia. Alessia was shorter than Delphia. Halone, the goddess who looked like their lost partner, was gigantic. Taller than even the tallest Roegadyn. This wasn’t Alessia, this was someone else. A goddess playing an awful trick on a follower who used to be devout.
Delphia climbed to her feet. Ash’s hold had already fallen away. It was the opening she needed, the opening she wanted. These battles weren’t meant to be fatal, but this time she’d end the goddess who failed her. She switched her jobstone out, all of it was prepared. She pulled out her daggers and ran forward, she’d punish the twelve for abandoning them.
“Delphia!” Ash shouted. She ignored them, rescue wouldn’t be ready yet. She used a skill to get above Halone, forced the pain in her heart down, and made a move to kill. Except… that didn’t happen.
Halone caught her waist. Two massive hands holding her like a Roegadyn held a Lalafell. She squirmed to escape. There had to be a way to get free. To continue her plan. The twelve abandoned them in the final days, they weren’t there for Bahamut. It was never their power that helped they didn’t get to take credit anymore. She’d make sure at least one was gone, even one that looked like someone she could barely live without.
The goddess moved her until she was cradled against her armored chest. She hated it. It felt like when Alessia hugged her in those last few days. The night just before they fought Zodiark. Before the final days began. Alessia hadn’t gone along on that fight. She said she’d stay back, she’d protect the others.
When they returned Ash found her first. Delphia showed up seconds later, but those precious seconds were too many. She watched Ash desperately trying to heal Alessia as that horrible black smoke took over her body. No creature appeared in the aftermath, Alessia was just gone. The dynamis destroyed the aether of her soul.
The goddess kneeled in front of Ash. She towered even over them, they just barely reached Delphia while Halone crouched. It felt almost normal. Ash near her while she was wrapped in someone else’s arms. This wasn’t Alessia though. It wasn’t their partner and she had to get away. She started to squirm, a massive hand set on her cheek stopped her.
Delphia was forced to stare into brown eyes that looked too much like the ones she lost. She couldn’t even use Ash for support. Their fingers were wrapped around the hand bigger than her head, trying to pull it away. There was no chance for this to work. She should have known better. She couldn’t kill a god, at least not if it was a real god. Something more than Zodiark or the other primals.
“I missed you,” Halone(?) said. Halone couldn’t have missed her. They had never met before. At least not outside of the times Delphia prayed for help. “I missed both of you, but I couldn’t come back.”
“Lady Halone, we have never met. Pray release Delphia. I will make sure the two of us do not continue with the fights. I beg that you forgive her. We both have yet to truly recover from the losses suffered during the final days,” Ash said. Delphia could hear the undertone of fear. That wasn’t her bigger concern.
“No!” Delphia screamed. “Our fight isn’t over! You can’t just decide it’s done!”
“Del, I don’t-”
“Don’t call her that.” Ash was angry, she didn’t even have to be upset. She was angry too though. Only Alessia used her nickname… Alessia gave it to her.
Halone finally changed how she held Delphia. The goddess set her down next to Ash who pulled her close. Together they were left staring up at a face that couldn’t exist. Brown eyes, red lips, tears still trailing down massive cheeks. Bigger than any other race in the world. One of the twelve gods and yet… A carbon copy for the women the two of them loved and lost.
“Ash, Del, it’s me. It’s Alessia,” the goddess said. Delphia had already started shaking her head. It wasn’t possible. “Pray… why would I lie? What… what would Halone have to lie to you about?”
“Ash…” Delphia whispered. Their arms around her grew tighter. A few taps on her hand where they held it. Taps that meant no. They knew what she was thinking, they both wouldn’t risk it. Hope had left them both nearly dead too many times now. Claims that people thought they saw her, belief that she had somehow escaped that awful fate.
“Pray, how can I prove I am who I claim? We bought a home in the lavender beds? You both said I was the only paladin you’d place your faith in? The private moments shared in bed after the hardest battles my loves, two warriors of light, fought?”
“Why are you doing this?” Delphia’s voice was wet with her tears. Ash had already crouched to bury their face in her hair. “Is this punishment for coming to fight you alone? For my attempt to kill you? I thought only the Ascians would be this cruel.”
The goddess’s arms surrounded them. They were pulled forward, pressed against her. Another feeling of normalcy. A feeling of home that shouldn’t exist. If Ash wasn’t holding her, still crying against her, she’d fall for it. Think this was just like before, that their lives could go back to the simple days before the final days began.
“Pray believe me. I wanted to come back, but it wasn’t possible. I had to return to my post as Halone…” the goddess said. Ash tapped her again. They believed the goddess, but it only hurt more. Alessia was Halone? The goddess that Delphia looked to for guidance so often. That she begged to bring her love back. That same person was who she wanted back.
“Why did you come to us?” Ash asked. That caught Delphia off guard. They didn’t usually speak up, but then again this was Alessia. “Why stay as long as you did?”
Alessia let them go. She backed away, standing up to her full height. Three times Ash’s height at least. Just as beautiful as when she was a Miqo’te. Somehow more gorgeous standing so tall. Able to carry both of them easily if she wanted. To take them from here, make the decisions about what happened next. Yet there were still tears dripping from those warm brown eyes.
“I fell in love,” Alessia whispered as she bent over to be closer to them. A hand bigger than her head cupped Delphia’s cheek. An identical one holding Ash. This really was her. Their Alessia. The same one who they watched disappear during the final days. She was alive.
“I don’t understand. How are you Halone? One of the twelve… Why were you left weak by the road if you’re a goddess?” Delphia started to ramble. Everything was too much. The woman she loved was alive. Both her partners were alive. The three of them were together. She wanted to kill this woman . Nothing made sense. “How did you disappear during the final days? What… why couldn’t you come back? What let you stay in the first place?”
A massive thumb wiped away her tears. Ash’s head had moved to rest on her own. Her loves, her partners, all around her. Yet nothing would let them go back. Their home in the lavender beds wasn’t right for a goddess. She’d been so cruel to Halone since Alessia disappeared. They didn’t deserve the happy ending.
“The same reason you’re here now. I have to be a part of these fights. The truth you must learn. After… after I might be able to come home.” Alessia leaned forward, her head was big enough to touch both Delphia and Ash at once. A motion that was reassuring and cruel. “I… the me you knew was something I made. I’d been drawn to both of you for a long time. When I saw your adventures I grew jealous.”
“I didn’t think one of the twelve could be jealous of the rest of us,” Ash muttered. There was mirth in their voice, the comment made Alessia laugh. Delphia was lost, by the twelve was Alessia’s laugh beautiful. Even thinking that felt wrong, swearing the beauty by the beauty itself.
“I’m different. I made that person you knew, a young Miqo’te woman who could live with you. My power had been affected by the final days. The body I’d been using was disrupted and faded away.” A sigh followed by those huge hands disappearing. They pulled Delphia and Ash into a hug again. Alessia’s lips by her ears. “It seemed like the feelings I had were the power behind that creation. I couldn’t be her anymore though. I wanted to see you as myself. I had… I had no way of knowing this would even be possible.”
“What next then?” Delphia pushed back, Ash moved with her. They weren’t letting her go. It seemed they were worried she’d collapse. She probably would without their support. “You’re Halone of the twelve. We’re just… we’re just people that others call warriors of light. Is it all over?”
“No.” Alessia’s voice was loud. Similar to her quips during their battle. “Tomorrow, I fight as I’m expected to. I follow my role until it’s done. Then, once this is all over, I’ll come home. I’ll find a way to be with you both again. Not as Halone, not as the Miqo’te woman who had been lost and confused, but as myself. Alessia, a paladin who aids two warriors of light as they save the world time and again.”
“If you can’t come back?” Ash asked. Their weight against Delphia grew, they were worried too. That this dream would turn to a nightmare.
“I’ve spoken with Menphina and Nymeia, you two are my loves and my fate.” Alessia lifted them both up, holding them tightly to her chest. “I will be back once this is settled. Once this business I am needed for is over. I can return then. We can go home and be happy. I make no promises I will be a Miqo’te again, I find I like being able to hold you both like this.”
Alessia laughed again. It caused both her and Ash to laugh along. Alessia was alive. Their grief could be over. Ash even loosened their hold, but that reminded Delphia of one thing. She slid from their grasp and reached a hand up to Alessia. The giant woman crouched until her cheek met Delphia’s small hand.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Brilliant brown eyes were shining in front of her. Ash had followed her, their hand pressed on Alessia’s other cheek. “You heard my prayers and curses didn’t you?”
“I… Try as I did I could not avoid them.” Alessia’s voice was a whisper. Ash moved closer, pressing their forehead into her cheek. “I tried not to listen closely, I did not deserve to hear your words.”
“I’m so sorry. The things I’ve said… Pray, let me prove to you I had never meant to hurt you. Once we’re home I shall show you the truth of my feelings.”
“Alessia, I apologize as well. I have made my own cruel prayers.” Delphia jumped hearing Ash say that. They had tried to convince her not to blame Halone and yet they also blamed her. “You did not deserve the anger or pain from our hearts blasting your own ears.”
Tears rolled down the goddess’s face. Flashes of pain and relief in her eyes. Their words must have been akin to swords stabbing through her hundreds of times.
The remainder of the time was spent in silence together. Alessia had eventually shifted to hold them both. Her armor had been taken off and it was like the night before Zodiark. Before their lives changed. It was unbelievable to have her back. Unfortunately they had to leave. Sneaking back to camp where everyone would prepare for the fight the next day.
The trip to the battle was faster with their group. Everyone was anxious to fight the goddess of war. Delphia and Ash were towards the back this time. The fight would be exciting, Alessia promised a true challenge this time. There was a moment when the group reached the battlefield that Delphia worried the night before was a dream. Except she could see the mark on the helm where she’d cracked it. Everyone took their places, Ash squeezed her hand as she went to her spot. Alessia as Halone smiled, Delphia knew it was at them.
“I, the Fury, shall test your strength of spirit.”