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“Cheers, to the Warrior of Light!”
Kasumi laughed and toasted her friends, the roar of the tavern uncharacteristically loud for a Tuesday night, but very characteristic of a visit from the famous Warrior of Light herself. In the Lavender Beds people really knew Kasumi, and the one who knew her best was her childhood friend Kat.
“I heard the Warrior of Light slayed the Miser’s Mistress all by herself,” Kat teased, elbowing Kasumi in the ribs and grinning. This was his favorite game to play with Kassy when she came home for a night or two. Braggart’s Bullocks. Whoever could tell the truth so outrageously that no sane person would believe it won, and after each tale you told, you drank. If the story was true enough, Kasumi drank, too. The stories tended to get more outlandish as the night went on more due to the ale than to the game, but it was a fun way to catch up on what Kasumi had been doing across Eorzea, and an even better way to get her drunk under the table.
“I heard the Warrior of Light fought an ancient dragon in Ishgard alongside the Lord Commander, who has a massive crush on her.” Tea giggled, gesturing to an oil portrait of Aymeric that had been gifted to Kasumi and hung on the walls of the Tarot Tavern to be admired by the ladies (and lads) who frequented it. Kasumi’s face flushed a violent pink around her ivory scales, and she wouldn’t even look at Tea as she sipped from her flagon. “OOOOOH you have to tell me all about him! What’s he like under that armor?” Tea pressed, flustering poor Kasumi even more and making her hiccup.
“I heard the Warrior of Light liberated a city!” Sammy cheered gleefully, teal eyes sparkling in admiration.
“It was a kingdom, love. Doma is a kingdom.” Lysandre chuckled, wrapping an arm around Sammy’s waist to bring her back to her seat before she overturned the bench and set half the group on their asses. “And she made a powerful ally by doing it.”
“I heard the Warrior of Light fought Zenos yae Galvus and lived to tell the tale. Several times. I even heard he HAD a tail!” Thane shuddered, taking a long drink from his glass before laying out the winning card of his Triple Triad match against Barbuto, who groaned.
“For fuck’s sake, you won with a starter card? I’d be mad, but I have to respect the joke of playing a Scion in this match when you know I’ve got every card minted,” Barb winked at Thane, stealing Thane’s drink and sipping before gesturing for the group to continue without him. “Off to bed for me. Kas, take care, yeah?”
Kasumi grinned and waved goodbye, swaying slightly in her chair. Mirri had gone to get new drinks, and while nobody knew where Midi and Gabi had gotten off to, Gabi’s screeching could be heard in the distance. She leaned her head heavily against Kat’s shoulder and sighed.
This was home for the Warrior of Light, a place where she was just Kasumi. Kat’s best friend in the whole of Eorzea.
“I heard the Warrior of Light make a funny gurgling sound just now, so I think it’s off to bed for all of us now,” Kat said with a lopsided smile, dragging Kasumi to her feet to stop her from successfully grabbing one of Tea’s ears to stroke the glossy black fur. Tea only laughed and pretended to chop at Kasumi’s arm with her chakrams, her “weow” battle cry slightly slurred.
“Oi, card set and fee back to the house,” Beb shouted from the corner, already scratching down the free company’s share of the Triple Triad winnings in his account book. Tarot Tavern was a smaller venue, but stayed profitable when the Warrior of Light wasn’t around due to Beb’s shrewd business sense.
Thane saluted the group and then jogged over to Beb to hand over the loaner cards, Sammy and Lys waved as they left to walk home to their cottage across the Lavender Beds, and the group dispersed for the night. Kat looked down at his drooping friend hanging onto his arm with a smug expression. “You’ll have the Warrior of hangovers tomorrow, I’ll wager.”
“Oh, it’s nothing! Hic ! I’m toooooootally fine! Hic-ic. Ah, my stomach feels like I just got punched in the gut by that sloppy man. What was his name again? Hiccuphiccuphiccup. I’m going to vomit,” Kasumi finished in a somber tone, then promptly spilled the game’s winnings all over the table.
“I heard the Warrior of Light better get out of here before Tamsyn gets back and finds out she puked in the guest area again,” Potato called from the bar where he perched on a stool, polishing glasses fresh from the wash.
“I hear ya, I hear ya,” Kat groaned and, without ceremony, picked up Kasumi bridal style and carried her up the stairs to the company room she was renting.
After stripping Kasumi of her soiled outer layers and tucking her into bed, Kat was setting out a carafe of water and casting about for a candle snuffer when he heard a quiet whisper from behind him.
“Did we win?”
“Yes, you absolute walnut, you won,” Kasumi chuckled and licked his index finger and thumb. “Just like you always do. Because you’re the Warrior of Light.”
He pinched the wick and the last candle went dark, and the Warrior of Light slipped into sleep as her best friend slipped out of the room and into the night.
(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
Kat strolled into the tavern the next morning, the sun a few fingers above the horizon. It was easily past the 9th bell. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the door as he tugged it open, a pleasant aroma compared to the unique scent of many drunk people in a small space. Thinking of drunks caused him to chuckle to himself, remembering how Kasumi had stumbled and slurred her way up the stairs, supported by his arm. She had certainly earned the break, but by the Twelve, she could not hold her liquor. After a quick detour to the kitchen he headed upstairs.
He found Kasumi’s door ajar and peered inside. There she was, sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. Her usually neat hair was a tangled mess, and she clutched a pillow like a lifeline. The sight made Kat grin. He stepped in quietly, setting a cool pitcher of water and a couple of fresh rolls on the bedside table.
“Oi, Kassy, time to wake up,” he said softly, shaking her shoulder.
Kasumi groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow. “Go away, Kat. The Warrior of Light has fallen,” she mumbled, her voice muffled and thoroughly wrung out.
“More like the Warrior of Whining,” Kat retorted. “Come on, you’ve got to get up. I brought you some water and bread. You need to eat something. No healing until you do the hard part yourself.”
She slowly lifted her head, one eye peeking out blearily. “You’re too good to me,” she muttered, reaching for the water. Kat watched her take a few tentative sips before flopping back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. “Why did I drink so much?”
Kat laughed. “Because you’re a glutton for punishment. But seriously, you need to get up and get moving. It’s almost ten. Fresh air will do you more good than rotting in here.”
Kasumi groaned again but didn’t protest further. As she attempted to hide amongst the blankets, Kat heard a commotion downstairs. Who in their right mind would be so loud first thing in the morning? Kat turned to let Kasumi know he was going to investigate, but found her drooling in her cocoon. He sighed, running a hand through his navy hair, just a shade darker than the girl across from him. People used to mistake them as twins growing up, and since she was like a sister, he knew that trying to wake her before she was ready was a death sentence.
He made his way down the stairs two at a time and hit the landing just in time to hear a gruff voice calling out, “Warrior of Light! Your presence is required immediately!”
Kat lifted his gaze to glare at a stern-faced messenger standing in the doorway, whose eyes fixed on him. The other man’s brow furrowed as he took in Kat’s appearance, and glanced around the empty tavern hall as if there were meant to be others present. “There’s no time to waste, Warrior of Light. A primal has been sighted near the Twelveswood, and we need your aid.”
Before Kat could correct the messenger, he was grabbed by the arm and hauled towards the door. “Wait, you’ve got the wrong person!” he protested, trying to pull away.
The guard’s grip tightened. “No time for modesty, Warrior. The people need you.”
Half an hour or so later Kasumi, half-awake and confused, wiped the saliva from her face and sat up to see the rolls and water Kat had brought just a moment ago. But where was he? “Kat?” she called weakly to no avail, and she groaned and rolled to her feet, dragging a blanket along to cover herself as she made her way downstairs to find her friend.
(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
Kat strutted alongside the guard who’d met him at the edge of the city, a confident smirk plastered on his face as they made their way through the bustling streets of Gridania. His mind raced, trying to think of a way to explain the mix-up without causing a scene. But on the surface, he worked hard to play it cool, waving to passersby as if he was the Warrior of Light herself. Soon they reached The Adders’ Nest, where the imposing Serpent General awaited them, his expression grave. “Warrior of Light, thank you for responding so swiftly,” he said, addressing Kat. “A primal has been detected near the East Shroud, and we need your skills to deal with it.”
Kat opened his mouth to explain, but the Serpent General’s urgent tone left no room for interruptions. “We’ve already mobilized our forces. You’ll be leading the charge.”
Kat’s heart pounded, but he kept his facade. “Of course, General,” he said, trying to mimic Kasumi’s confident demeanor. “Lead the way.”
As they rode towards the East Shroud, Kat’s mind whirled with anxiety. How had he gotten himself into this mess? He was no Warrior of Light. He could barely handle a basic fight, let alone a primal. Damn it all, he was a healer! He hadn’t swung a sword since his youth, and he prayed to any god who’d listen that his muscle memory would carry him through.
Upon arrival, the chaos sprawled before them as soldiers scrambled to form ranks. The air buzzed with tension. In the distance, a monstrous figure loomed, its form sparking with elemental energy. The primal. At least it wasn’t Ifrit?
Kat’s knees wobbled, but he forced himself to stay upright through sheer stubbornness. At this point the best he could do was keep himself alive long enough to avoid embarrassing Kasumi and sending Eorzea into a spiral thinking the Warrior had fallen. The Serpent General gave him a firm nod. “We’re counting on you, Warrior of Light.”
Kat flashed a cocky grin, gripping his borrowed weapon with sweaty hands. “Right. Let’s do this,” he said, trying to sound brave.
As he advanced towards the primal, his final rational thought was to hope that Kasumi would wake up soon and realize what had happened. Because if she didn’t… Well, it was his last rational thought for a reason.
(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
Kat stood at the edge of the battlefield, his heart pounding and the heroic front fading fast. The primal, a towering entity of swirling fire and smoke, roared in defiance, sending waves of heat across the fields and singeing the tree trunks in the blast radius. The soldiers around him tightened their grips on their weapons, ready for the inevitable clash. At this point he was convinced these young Adders were braver than he was.
He took a shuddering breath, gripping his own blade tighter. He could feel the sweat on his palms and the weight of the soldiers’ expectant gazes on him. He had to keep up the act for their sakes now. His fear solidified into a numbness, and he forged ahead lest his nerve fail.
"Remember, the key to victory is teamwork!" Kat shouted, trying to sound authoritative. Teamwork was important, right? Hopefully? "Stay in formation and follow my lead! If you’re injured, fall back. Burning to death is not how any of us want to go."
The Serpent General gave him an apprehensive nod. "We trust in your guidance, Warrior of Light."
With a final sweeping look over his comrades, Kat gulped and then roared the order to charge and sprinted forward, the soldiers following close behind. They swept towards the primal in an arc, the idea being that the primal could only strike one section at a time. The primal bellowed and lashed out with fiery tendrils just like the Adders had anticipated, and Kat narrowly dodged the first attack, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Focus on its legs! We need to bring it down first!" he yelled, waving his sword in the air. The soldiers obeyed, attacking the primal's lower limbs with practiced precision.
Kat's mind raced. He had always thought Kasumi had it easy. She won every fight, often with a smile, and her tales of victory were so grandiose that half of them didn't even sound real. Dragons, ancient evils, and legendary duels—she made it seem like a fairy tale. He’d always thought to himself, ‘how hard could it be?’ but seeing the faces of the ranks of people fighting alongside him had shaken him. If they got hurt, he could try to heal them, but that would mean he’d need to drop the sword. And then who would lead? He couldn’t be Kasumi, couldn’t be in every place he needed to be, and probably couldn’t defeat this horrible flaming creature. Fear narrowed his vision, a black vignette closing in.
"Is this really happening?" he muttered to himself, trying to dodge another attack. A stray flame scorched his sleeve, but instead of feeling burnt his blood ran icy cold with terror.
He wished he had said goodbye to Kasumi, or at least thanked her for what she did. Now he understood why she got so drunk. The weight of all of these lives was unbearable, and he was going to die with them at his side, thinking they were going to be saved by the Warrior of Light.
)xxxxx[;;;;;;;;;>
Back at the tavern, Kasumi was trying to get the full story of what had occurred. Her eyes throbbed, and her stomach churned, but she stumbled down the stairs, clutching her blanket cape close.
"Where's Kat?" she asked groggily, squinting at the bartender, Potato.
"He got dragged off by some guard," Potato replied with a shrug. "They thought he was you."
Kasumi's eyes widened. "They what?"
"Something about a primal in the East Shroud. Looked pretty urgent."
Tamsin rounded the corner, a cast iron skillet gripped threateningly. “You didn’t think to stop them!? Or to warn the poor thing her friend was marching to his peril? I should have sent you down a river as a child for all the good you do as a brother.”
Kasumi groaned and rubbed her temples. "Of all the times..."
Tamsin winced apologetically, dipping back into the kitchen and returning with a small vial which she passed to Kasumi. “Drink this, then take our chocobo. You’ll need to fly to get there fast enough to save his sorry arse.”
After tossing back the potion and giving it a moment to start working at her headache, Kasumi felt better enough to run back up the stairs to her room. She grabbed her gear and bolted out of the tavern. She had to get to the East Shroud before Kat got himself killed.
(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑
Back on the battlefield, Kat was doing his best to stay alive. The primal was relentless, and every time he thought he might have a handle on things, it threw something new at him. His legs ached from dodging, and his arms were leaden with fatigue.
"Keep at it! We've almost got it!" he shouted, though he wasn't sure if it was true. He was just hoping to buy some time until someone—preferably Kasumi—showed up.
As if answering his prayers, a familiar voice rang out. "Stand back!"
Kasumi burst onto the scene, her eyes blazing with determination as she launched off her chocobo and darted towards the primal with a speed and grace that left Kat in awe. She taunted the beast, drawing its attacks away from the exhausted soldiers. A few took the opportunity to drag the wounded to safety. Kat stumbled back, relief flooding through him. "Kasumi!"
She shot him a quick, exasperated glance. "You idiot! What were you thinking?"
"Not much, obviously," Kat admitted, abandoning his blade and working to cast a healing field over them and a few of the closest soldiers. "Just trying to stay alive."
Kasumi engaged the primal with a ferocity that reminded everyone why she was the real Warrior of Light. With precise, brutal strikes and deft maneuvers with her shield returning the primal’s blasts to it, she began to turn the tide of the battle. The soldiers rallied around her, their morale restored by her clear competence, too consumed by the need to survive to question who their savior was.
Kat watched in awe as Kasumi fought the beast. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy mixed with admiration. She made it look so effortless. Even now, linked as they were by him supporting her with magic and healing, he felt the harsh toll the primal’s attacks were taking on her.
Suddenly, the primal let out a deafening roar and launched a massive wave of fire straight at Kat. He froze, realizing too late that he couldn’t dodge in time. But before the flames could reach him, Kasumi leapt in front of him, her sword and shield glowing with an ethereal light that nearly blinded him.
"Passage of Arms!" she shouted, raising her shield high. A shimmering barrier formed around her, deflecting the fiery onslaught and protecting Kat and the soldiers behind them. The flames licked harmlessly against the barrier, unable to penetrate Kasumi's formidable defense.
Kat stared in awe, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and gratitude. "Kasumi, you saved me!"
"Focus, Kat!" she commanded, her voice filled with urgency. "We need to finish this!"
Kat nodded, shaking off his shock. With renewed determination, he joined Kasumi in the fight, attacking the primal with everything he had. With Kasumi’s vigor bolstering their courage, the soldiers pressed the advantage.
Within minutes, the primal began to falter, its movements sluggish and its attacks less precise. Kasumi saw her opening and delivered a final, vicious blow that brought the beast crashing to the ground. The soldiers erupted in cheers, their victory secured. Kat sat heavily on the ground, struggling to catch his breath and to not vomit from overexertion.
Kasumi turned to Kat, her expression a mix of relief and frustration. "You owe me big time," she said, panting slightly. God, she even made recovery look easy.
Kat grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I think I do. Thanks for saving my hide, Kassy."
The Serpent General ran over, his expression stern. "Warrior of Light," he began, then paused, looking closely at Kat. "Or rather, the one pretending to be the Warrior of Light. Your ruse nearly cost us dearly."
Kat gulped, guilt washing over him. "General, I—"
The Serpent General raised a hand to stop him. "Save your apologies. Your friend’s timely arrival prevented disaster. But know this: deception on the battlefield is a dangerous game."
Kasumi stepped forward, bowing her head slightly. "I apologize for any confusion caused by my friend's actions. He meant no harm."
The Serpent General nodded. "You are forgiven, real Warrior of Light. We couldn't have done it without you."
Kasumi nodded, sighing heavily as she cast a glance at the wounded soldiers behind Kat. "Just doing my duty, General. It was your Adders who won the day."
As the soldiers began to disperse, Kat and Kasumi found a quiet spot to sit and recuperate. Kasumi turned to Kat, her eyes filled with worry and a touch of sisterly concern. "Kat, you really scared me today," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can't just jump into these things without thinking. You could have died, and nobody would know where to even send your body."
Kat looked down, feeling a pang of guilt. "I know, Kas. I thought your job would be easy because you always win. And half the stories you tell don't even sound real! I tried to tell them, but nobody would listen, the were all so convinced you, well, I could save them. They needed you. I almost led them to their ends."
Kasumi sighed, her expression softening. "It's not easy, Kat. Every fight is a struggle, and I have to be prepared for anything. I don't do it for the glory; I do it because it's my duty to protect everyone. Promise me you'll be more careful."
Kat tucked his ears back in embarrassment. "I promise."
Kasumi smiled, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Good. Now let's get you back to being just Kat. No more heroics for today."
They stood up, ready to head back to the Tavern. As they walked, Kat couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He might not be the Warrior of Light, but he had faced a primal and lived to tell the tale. And he knew that with friends like Kasumi, he could handle anything Eorzea threw at him.
)xxxxx[;;;;;;;;;>
Later, Kasumi thought about how convenient it would be to have a double for some of the lesser tasks she took on. Fray had gotten into her head, and she was tired of being an errand girl for moogles or innkeeps everywhere she went. The further afield she and the Scions traveled the harder it was to keep affairs in the main cities in order. And Kat did look pretty similar to her. They both had tails, at least…
“Kat? I’d like to run an idea by you~”