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The soft light of a new day came forth, passing through the window and illuminating the room. A figure was still resting upon the bed and while the light of the day was a sign to wake up, she thinks to herself about how maybe she can spare five more minutes lazing about under the sheets. What does she have to do anyway?
Such are the thoughts of the Warrior of Light, accomplished Hero and brave saviour of the Star and the Universe itself — and yet she wants nothing more but to remain in bed just a bit longer and rest her weary body, a tired mind and an even tired heart, even if many joyous outcomes have occurred, many of the wounds were still open and some were reopened while going to the Edge of the Universe, therefore…the Hero, the Savior, refuses to try to move out of bed for the time being.
She has been told she needs to rest, after all, right?
She should.
Yet when her eyes face the ceiling of her house and she remembers that outside the windows there's snow falling, as always in Empyreum, it means that she is home — and she could continue to debate what that means, how that works and what is the next step in her life but her thoughts are suddenly stopped, her thoughts become muddled when there's a sudden smell coming from somehwere around the house and it is a smell that absolutely shouldn't be happening, she did not left anything cooking and then forgot about it, that wasn't like her — then why was the smell of food coming from the kitchen? Therefore the Warrior of Light thinks there's something else happening right now, and frankly, the last thing she needs at this moment is someone breaking into her house.
She gets up and without changing, she walks outside the room and begins to tiptoe her way downstairs towards the kitchen, ready to attack or scare away whoever the intruder may be, and soon she starts to hear the faint noise of some humming which is…strange, she hasn't ever heard of someone invading someone else's home and then start to cook with absolutely no regards for when they're gonna be found. As she finally arrives at the main floor and makes her way slowly towards the actual kitchen, the voice begins to sound less muffled and more clear — and there's a small hint of surprise on Iso's face because she knows this voice, she knows the person who is humming.
She steps into the kitchen without trying to be discreet and then she sees something she cannot believe at all: There's Hythlodaeus in there, humming as he is stirring something inside a pot, with a smile on his face and dressed like this is a completely normal scene in their lives — he has a loose sweater that shows a shirt underneath, comfortable pajama pants and his hair is tied so it doesn't get in the way of cooking — and it's obvious that Isoldahlia's presence has been noticed when the man stops caring for the food and turns around to look at her, "Good day to you, my friend…did the aroma of food called you to join us this lovely morning?"
Inside the mind of the Warrior of Light, she wants to say yes, to walk there and sit down and start to act like this is a dream, like this is happening now and go with it but — she knows dreams and she knows this is not a dream at all, therefore she remains in place, frozen and wondering what she is seeing, is this a prank? But who would be able to do something so elaborate?
A door opens and Isoldahlia turns around towards the main entrance, leaving the kitchen which makes her lose all of her air because she just sees Hades — Emet-Selch — coming through the door and looking around, not facing her just yet. "…I will give to them that, despite the cold…it's not as uncomfortable inside of this place as it could be…but there's a reason I was quite fond of the heaters in…" Hades turns around finally and faces Iso, he goes silent.
A few steps come from the kitchen as Hythlodaeus smiles and then stands next to Hades, "Well? Aren't you to tell her something? Don't just stand there all in silence."
That just makes the former Emet-Selch cross his arms and look away before he moves a hand towards Iso and begins to talk, "Can't you see she is completely unaware of what is happening? She has no idea why we are here and thus, we're back to the beginning…neither us or her have any idea of why or how this is happening!" As the former Ascian mentions this, the Warrior of Light begins to cover her face and shaking a bit, making both men in front of her tense for a moment, as they worry — is she crying? Is she laughing? They have no idea as she is making no sound at the moment.
Despite the sudden start of the day, Isoldahlia ends up joining Hythlodaeus and Hades for breakfast after asking a few questions that include asking how long they have been in her house and, more importantly, why are they dressed differently? Which the Warrior of Light knew was a very important thing to keep up with Hades back in Elpis, after all, he couldn't be seen breaking the rules and all that.
The answer ended up being simply that, much like in the past, he doesn't want to draw attention to his person and much less end up scaring someone if they ended up seeing them. Or so the esteemed Emet-Selch says as the Hero listens and tries to allow her thoughts to settle inside of her mind.
The biggest thing right now is the fact that there's two Ancients here, in her house and one of the even cooked her the breakfast — which is delicious — and the other is a former Ascian, and not just any Ascian, one of the Unsundered. She, probably, should be telling the Scions or maybe asking more intese questions but at this point she is finding that she does not care about what Hades was or what he did, too much. And as she was thinking if she should or at least was trying to have a morality dilemma, Hythlodaeus was looking at her, "Is there a problem…?"
The man's lavender eyes were fixed on Isoldahlia, and after a few moments he ended up shaking his head a little with that soft smile of his that the Warrior of Light had grown accustomed to in their limited days back in the past — "I was just wondering why are you thinking so much? We are aware this might now be something permanent but, even a little bit of extra time with you is…wonderful, right, Hades?"
Despite the sudden surprise etched across the man's face, the second he saw the small hint of seriousness behind his forever friend, Hades decided to not act like he didn't care, or something along those lines and just let out a long sigh before frowning and focusing his gaze on Iso, "While I may not find it as wonderful as my companion here, I do have to admit that seeing what the people…our people do now that the true threat of the Final Days is gone, brings me calm and…a strange sense of peace I haven't had in far too long…" There was a silence, as if the man was trying to think of more words to say, or maybe trying to remember how it felt to be open about himself, so many thousands of years ago — "…What I am trying to say is that you have done a good job and, I think you deserve even a little bit of a moment to rest, and maybe…we can allow you to show us this world. This everything you have fought to valiantly to protect."
There was a moment of silence that fell over the three people inside the house, and while Isoldahlia wouldn't ever voice outloud that she genuinely sometimes just wanted someone to acknowledge what she has done for this world, or for the entire Universe in this case — she does have to admit that hearing one of the people who once stood across her in complete opposition to her — to her entire family and loved ones' — survival accepting this and muttering these words, really makes her feel like everything she has gone through up to now was…worth. A lot more.
And such a moment would have lasted more, and maybe gotten into more of sincerity while the Warrior of Light and her current company remained inside the house — alas there was a sound coming from the door that had to drag them back to their current moment and, worse of all, drag Iso back to her current situation and the date it was. "…Excuse me a moment…I need to attend the door…" She says and stands up from the table before walking away to check who may be at her door and, silently, hoping there's no new calamity she needs to address today out of all days.
She had, genuinely forgotten the date until she opened the door and saw a messenger from Borel manor right there.
Three silhouettes could be seen walking among the Jeweled Crozier, two of them were completely unfamiliar to anyone there, but the person at the front was someone everyone was always more than happy to wave at and wish her a good day — to the detriment of Hades' mood that kept going down the more people approached them and the more everyone seemed to just need to ask about who Hythlodaeus and he were. "What are you looking at…?" The man finally snaps at his companion of violet hair, making him laugh outloud and drawing even more attention at them. "Can't you…?! By the Stars, why do we have to be here?!"
Isoldahlia finally turns to see Hades and, despite the screaming and probably more than obvious rude demeanor, she is smiling and shaking her head more like a mother does towards a child that does not understand something rather than being annoyed or actually angry at the shouting, "I told you, we have Valentione's today and if you're staying…well, for the entire day at the very least, you should dress for the part so we can go celebrate." The explanation does little to soothe the humour of one of the once few alive unsundered, and it just makes Hyth's smile grow bigger as he, in particular, finds one of the stalls among the path to be selling clothes.
The former Chief of the Bureau of the Architect can't help but walk away from the discussion between his friend and his new old friend and start looking over the pieces of clothing with a more discerning eye, but he has more tact than to just say his thoughts outloud as he nods along, almost as if he was weighing the quality of the creation of these garments. "Welcome good Ser, may I help you today?" the man behind the stall asks, and Hythlodaeus looks up before making a soft smile and then turning back to his friends, concluding they seem to be busy still.
"As a matter of fact, a bit, yes…my friends and me are looking for clothing for the festivities, well, for my grumpy friend and me mostly. We're new in these lands and this is the first time we have heard of this Valentione festival." At the mention of what he was there for the merchant immediately clapped his hands together and nodded excitedly, noticing that the person behind Hyth was the Savior of Ishgard herself and decided to give this man his complete attention.
By this moment, the other two had finally noticed the absence of their scheming companion and joined him at the stall, with Iso giving a small greeting to the merchant and then explaining a bit further what type of celebrations they were going to attend.
It didn't took too long before the Hero of the Universe was standing to the side of the stall, waiting for the two of her companions to rejoin her after getting proper clothes — and of course, as any time when this happens, her thoughts went towards a few topics that were never out of her mind, at least completely. In a way, this was just what she would've been doing in bed had she not been roused from it a bit earlier than usual byt the sudden presence of two friends appearing out of nowhere…one of those topics was her own daughter and, how now truly all dangers seem to be gone for her life and they're not only able to be together but also able to enjoy life to the fullest. And she, for the briefest moment thinks about what Nym would think of Hades and Hythlodaeus yet, reality comes crashing down once again that they have no idea why this is happening.
And as much as the Hero wishes this could be permanent, she is more than sure that this is just a temporary blessing and Hades' words keep resonating inside of her mind.
This is not the world I loved.
Once more were the three of them walking through the streets of Ishgard, towards the Borel manor where Aymeric had so kindly invited Isoldahlia for a late dinner with not only Iso's lovers, but also with any friends she wished — and that Estinien wished — to invite. Not because they did not wanted to have time alone, rather, it was more out of kindness for her and, most likely, to give Isoldahlia a comfortable place and make her feel loved above everything else, which seemed to be the thing she needed the most after the last months or even after the whole journey to get here since she joined the Scions.
And maybe that was even more obvious to the company she had right now, as right before they had to turn the corner to walk right to the manor, Hades stopped and let out one of those sighs of his that showed he was tired and done with something, or just annoyed, "I feel I have given you enough time to speak up but…I have to ask. Hero, are you not happy?"
The question was vague and yet loaded with so many possibilities to answer and misunderstandings waiting to happen, and all of those possibilities came across Iso's face in a flash, but not too fast to go unnoticed by Hythlodaeus who immediately shook his head and moved his arm to hold back Hades, just a bit, "Now, I think that's not exactly what you wanted to ask…and I know you tend to fumble your words around the people you care for…"
"I don't…!" As much as he wanted to complain, he held himself back and then looked away, with just the slightest pout on his face. "I…just, the last time we saw her she seemed very determined, surrounded by the people she cared for…" his gaze goes up, staring down the Warrior of Light immediately. "…I even helped you recover that which you yearned for…so, I do not understand…why you seem so troubled now?"
Iso blinked initially, and then she smiles as it dawns on her that Hades is worried. He is worried about her and her current life and happiness after everything, "I can say I have not been this content with my life in a long time…and, you're part of why that has been possible." She is sincere, making the Ancient take a small step back before he clears his throat, "That does not mean everything is perfect, and there's still obstacles I have to face and maybe, this is one of the biggest reasons as to why I do not look completely fine to you…but that's life, I have come to realize, life and the joys and hardships that fill it…and the hardships in front of me are just…" the Hero falls silent, smiling for a second as she closes her eyes.
To the side, Hythlodaeus smiles as well as he understands what may be going through her head, "…Your hardships are more mundane than ever?"
Iso chuckles and turns to look at him, "Yes, they are. Just a bit more of every day issues that I…think I need to remember how to tackle, again." Once she has said this, there's the sound of footsteps to her side, as Hades is starting to walk again, "Is that not a satisfying answer for you?" She asks, making the man stop, and while the Warrior of Light may have sound a bit smug, she is genuinely worried that Hades is now upset…though it would be a bit disappointing if that was the case…
Fortunately, as soon as the former Emet-Selch stops, he clears his throat, "No, you said you had to arrive at a place at a certain time and we're running late." He barely looks behind himself, over his shoulder, "...And I have my answer…therefore I know I have no need to worry about your feelings for now. Just about everything else, as…" he stops himself, "…just like I used to do for someone else who was as troublesome as you." Before the former Ascian could walk away a bit more, the Hero caught him and grabbed his arm, "We are going to be late to your reuinion."
Isoldahlia smiled and then shook her head, "There's more important things right now, and I know you will probably not answer me properly because you…you always do this thing where you show how you truly feel for one second and then act completely different because I think you're afraid of what I am going to say or I don't know…but…" She takes a deep breath and then, with her heart lighter than ever, her gaze finds Hades' "Thank you."
The man scoffs but smiles one of his rare sincere smiles, "For what? I haven't done anything you didn't deserve…and I mean that."
"For much more than I can express, but above everything…for being here, today. Tonight. And…if I could be selfish, if I could wish for one single thing today…is that, I would love to show you more of this world…more of what you helped to protect, because these may not have been your people…and not your world but, you did live with us for so long…isn't it just fair that you, too, get to see the changes that will happen…?"
Hythlodaeus had walked towards them by this moment and before Hades could answer anything, he had also grabbed his hand and then took Iso's free one on his own, he stared at the two of them and smiled a bit, "I think we should get to your reuinion and…maybe, continue this conversation later…as much as I would like to give you an answer, and I am sure Hades as well…we have no idea what brought us here, or how long we have left to be here…so, what if we just enjoy what is left of today…?"
The Warrior of Light looks down for a moment, but this time is Hades' hand that makes her look back up once more, "Do not misunderstand Hero, if there's a later for this conversation…you shall have my answer, and that is a promise."
The three friends smile at each other after a moment of silence, and resume their walking, down the street, while Isoldahlia gets ready to explain this oddity, this very good oddity.
There's a soft aroma of tea coming from somewhere as a lone figure opens her eyes, she finds her own ceiling greeting her first thing this morning, just like many other times — there's the light of the Sun coming from the windows and then the small but subtle aroma of home made food being prepared.
And that's what makes Iso jump out of bed and rush downstairs, turning towards the kitchen entrance and she almost feels like she is about to fall down as she finds Hythlodaeus in that same sweater from the previous day, already cutting vegetables and getting some water boiled on a pot.
At the table, Hades seems to be complaining about something but the sound of his words does not reach Iso's ears as she is unable to understand if this is just a continuation of a dream or her reality — until Hades turns to look at her "…I think this is a good enough answer to your request…and, I can assure you, this is not a dream." He smiles, again, which is something Iso feels she can get used to, a lot.
Laughing, with a few tears pooling over her eyes, she walks towards the table and then nods, smiling as brightly as she can muster, "It is…and I can't wait to show you all the good things we have to offer…"
Hythlodaeus chuckles from the side before he approaches with a cup of tea and leaves it on front of Iso, "I am looking forward to that and more adventures with you…after all…not everyone gets an opportunity to be with a long lost friend, again…even if it's in a different life altogether."
The trio that mirrors an image of old continues to chat inside the comfort of the house, and outside the small window to the side, a blue bird chirps before taking flight and going away.