Work Text:
For six years, all Raya had thought about was saving her father and fixing the world. It had consumed her every waking moment and most of her dreams as well. She ate, drank, and breathed that goal.
She hadn't considered what came after.
As a child, Raya had been raised to be a chief someday. She'd learned combat and basic diplomacy skills, had learned how Heart's economics worked and knew the people who made each part of Heart possible. But for six years, none of that had mattered. She was all that was left of her people. What good did knowing how things were made do if she didn't have a home to make them in? She could fight, but who was she protecting?
By the time Kumandra was reborn, Raya had lost that part of herself. She didn't realize it until two nights later, though.
The first night back in her home, sleep had eluded her. Raya blamed it on the excitement and fear of the day. Her body couldn't calm down and rest, she told herself. The second night, lying in bed felt like her skin was crawling. Raya tossed and turned, laid in this position and that, to no avail. Eventually, she abandoned her bed to wander the grounds.
"Some fresh air will help," she said aloud, as if that would make it true.
The gardens of the palace were overgrown after six years without tending. The workers had done an admirable job that day of cutting back the vines and overgrowth, picking up detritus and coaxing out animals that shouldn't be there. But it had only been a day and there was plenty left to do. The wild nature of the gardens soothed Raya, though. It reminded her of camping in the forests of Talon. Of cozying up with Tuk-tuk when he was yet too small to ride and the noises of the night still scared him.
A yawn slipped out of her and Raya frowned. She couldn't sleep in the garden, no matter how inviting it seemed. And yet…She picked a spot at the base of a tree, still half hidden by foliage, and settled in. There was no soft mattress there, nor even a blanket, but Raya could already feel herself drifting away into dreamland. She would simply wake up before anyone could spot her, she told herself. After all, she'd always managed to avoid danger before, so the gardeners should be no different.
A hand on her shoulder jolted Raya awake some time later. The sun was not up yet, but the sky was edging into lighter blue. And leaning over her prone form was none other than Namaari, her brows furrowed in—concern? Confusion?
Raya shoved herself to her feet so fast the world spun and she had to put a hand on the tree to balance herself. How long had she been asleep? Not long enough, obviously. Her body told her to lay back down, but she couldn't. She'd been spotted.
"Raya? Are you okay?" Namaari asked, standing too.
She sounded concerned rather than disapproving, but Raya did not relax. Here was someone raised in a palace her entire life. Someone Raya once again thought of as a friend, whose opinion she cared about.
"I'm fine," Raya insisted.
Namaari didn't look convinced. "You were…sleeping out here?"
Raya didn't answer, but her whole body stiffened, ready for judgement. Beside her, Namaari's eyes narrowed, calculating. Then, with a nod, Namaari sat down. Raya blinked down at her, confused.
"While following your trail for months, I had to camp outside a lot. You don't exactly go into towns much," Namaari said, her tone nonchalant. "When I got back home to Fang, my bed felt…I don't know," she shrugged, "too soft? I couldn't sleep at all."
Oh. Namaari talking about her own sleep issues wasn't what Raya expected. And she said it like it was normal, expected. Raya let herself sink back down as well, sitting against the base of the tree as her muscles relaxed.
"Oh yeah?" Raya asked.
Namaari nodded. "Yeah."
"What helped you sleep?" Raya asked, clasping her hands in her lap. She stared at Namaari in a way she hoped was 'politely interested' and not 'desperate for sleep.'
A hum. "I practiced with my blades for a bit, drank a warm tea," Namaari said, her gaze on the distance as she remembered. "But my bed still felt foreign. I didn't fall asleep until almost dawn," she revealed with a huff of laughter.
"Oh." Raya deflated, putting more of her weight on the tree trunk and looking down at her hands. She'd been hoping Namaari could make it better, could make her better.
One of Namaari's hands reached over, covering Raya's own and drawing Raya's eyes up again. The look on her ex-enemy's face was understanding in a way Raya didn't know how to handle yet. It made her squirm and wish she had a hat so she could hide her face.
"It'll get better, Raya," Namaari assured her. "Just give yourself time to get used to things again."
Time. Raya let out a sardonic laugh. "I'm not used to having time to spare," she admitted.
Now Namaari looked guilty. "I know," she said with a frown, glancing down for a moment. "But you do. Have time. We all do now, thanks to you."
Raya's lips quirked up and she shook her head. Turning one of her hands over, she lightly grasped Namaari's hand. "Thanks to all of us."
It looked like Namaari wanted to argue, but after a few moments, she visibly swallowed her words. She squeezed Raya's hand. "Rest, Raya. I'll keep a lookout for you."
She made to pull her hand away, but Raya held tight. At Namaari's surprised look, Raya just smiled softly and got comfortable against the tree. With a tender look of her own, Namaari settled in beside her.
It should not have been possible for Raya to sleep with Namaari beside her. They had been enemies far longer than they had been friends. They had hurt each other both physically and emotionally. But Namaari had been integral to saving the world, had trusted in Raya when it mattered most, and Raya had trusted her too. Now, sitting in the growing light of the garden in Heart, surrounded by her home and with a friend at her side, sleep came to Raya easily.
…
…
The night market of Talon was busier than ever when Raya and Namaari arrived with a small entourage. People turned to stare as they walked by with their pilldillos and their serlots, but their eyes were filled with curiosity or awe rather than distrust or hostility. Raya still struggled to keep her hand off her sword hilt. The stiff official robes didn't help. She was going to choke.
"You've hosted people in Heart before," Namaari reminded her with a grin.
"Helping Ba host is one thing," Raya countered, then whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "Visiting a chief you stole from is another."
"Ah." Namaari paused to purchase a green and yellow treat from a stall, then held it out to Raya. "Eat something. It'll help calm your nerves."
Raya wasn't sure she could keep anything down, but since Namaari had bought it for her, she forced herself to at least take a bite. It was sweet, lemony, with a hint of mint, ginger, and coconut. Raya let out a surprised pleased noise and stuffed the rest of the sweet into her mouth in one go. Beside her, Namaari laughed.
"Maybe don't stuff your face in front of Dang Hai," she suggested.
Face flushing, Raya swallowed the rest of her treat. So much for calming her nerves. She felt more nervous than ever.
"Listen, it's not as complicated as you're thinking," Namaari said, quiet enough to not be heard by the crowds, waving to some kids they passed. Awkwardly, Raya waved too. "Don't say anything rude about his appearance or how he took a shard of the dragon sphere. Don't bring up the thievery unless he does. Find something to compliment. We are here to offer support as the tribe transitions back to him as chief rather than his mother, not to take over or threaten. Just be nice."
That sounded easy enough. Raya should be able to pull that off.
"Something to compliment. Something to compliment," she muttered to herself, casting her eyes around the market as they walked. She could compliment how bustling the city was? "Oh. I need a gift." At Namaari's raised eyebrow, Raya held her hands up. "Sisu says you should always bring a gift. It says 'I trust you, will you trust me' or something."
There was a stall selling hair bands with floral designs. Raya bought a purple one for Dang Hai's beard and had it gift wrapped. Then their procession made it to the chief's palace. Their animals and entourage remained on the ground floor while Raya and Namaari were ushered upstairs to meet with Dang Hai in the main hall.
The room was decorated with flowers, as Raya had thought it would be after meeting 'the flower guy' on her last visit. Unlike last time, the room was bright with the light of many torches in decorative bases. Dang Hai stood before an elaborate chair—where he usually sat to greet guests, Raya assumed.
"Good evening, Chief Dang Hai," Namaari greeted, bowing and making the sign of the dragon sphere. Raya mimicked her. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."
Dang Hai gave the sign back but did not bow. Raya clenched her jaw. "Of course. The daughters of two of the chiefs of Kumandra, how could I refuse?"
It sounded like he'd wanted to refuse. If Ba had been there, Dang Hai would not be so dismissive, but he was busy rebuilding Heart.
"We heard about your return to power and wished to renew old treaties and offer our assistance in the transition, should you need it," Namaari continued as if he'd smiled and welcomed them with open arms. She kept her back straight and her voice composed the whole time. Raya was impressed.
Dang Hai frowned. "Once all the people in the forest graveyard were healed, they wanted revenge on my mother for putting them there. They would have rather I killed her, but settled for isolation. Now I must prove that I am not going to have my enemies killed on a whim."
He sounded offended that his own people would ask such a thing of him. Given his reputation and the way his mother had acted? Raya thought the people of Talon were well within their rights to want better of their leaders.
"By coming here, you are already providing all the assistance you can," Dang Hai finished dismissively. He crossed his arms. "Especially you," he looked directly at Raya. "After you stole our dragon stone, the Druun turned many in our city to stone. You are an enemy I could retaliate against with no qualms."
Even as Raya's eyes widened—dammit, he was upset about that—Namaari stepped between her and Dang Hai, her hands on her weapons.
"Is that a threat against a peaceful guest, Chief Dang Hai?" she asked, her low voice a threat in and of itself.
Across the room, Dang Hai's hand also went to his sword hilt. Heart leaping, Raya hurried around Namaari and knelt on the floor.
Lifting the wrapped gift up, she said, "We brought you a gift! I hope it can be the first step in making amends for how I've wronged you."
Dang Hai removed his hand from his weapon and crossed the distance between them to take the gift from Raya's hands. Despite how roughly he'd accepted it, his fingers were careful as they unwrapped the present. The hair band seemed insignificant in the face of all the trouble Raya had caused, now that she stood before the chief. He would laugh in their faces, or throw it back at Raya and pull his sword. She just knew it, and her palms tingled with the effort of not grabbing her own sword first.
After a small eternity, Dang Hai lifted his gaze from the hair band to Raya, still kneeling on the floor before him. He let out a huff of air through his nose.
"We can talk more over dinner," he said, his voice holding a sort of begrudging acceptance. Then he turned and walked toward the door at the side of the room.
With his back to her, Raya let out a heavy breath of her own. The gift had worked. Sisu was right. Thank goodness. A hand on her shoulder had Raya looking up into Namaari's impressed face. Namaari offered a hand and helped Raya to her feet.
"Well done," she complimented, still touching Raya's shoulder.
Raya let out a shaky laugh. "I still don't know what I'm doing," he said in a nervous whisper.
Namaari nodded toward the door where Dang Hai had gone. "You're going to dinner with a chief."
Raya rolled her eyes at Namaari pointing out the obvious, but allowed the other woman to herd her toward the door—and dinner.
…
…
Tail was as dry and sandy as ever—at least away from the river. There simply was not enough water to keep the ground fertile and lush like in Fang, Heart, and Talon, or even Spine. Not that the dragons hadn't offered to make it so, since several of them had gifts that could make that happen. The people of Tail had declined, though, saying they were resourceful and improvisational. They would be fine. Besides which, changing the ecosystem would harm the animals that lived there already.
As Namaari cried out, Raya couldn't help but think she would've preferred to harm them.
"Get off her!" Raya shouted, slashing her blade toward the komorong's fuzzy face but not touching it. Even if she had, it's chainmail-like scales would have protected it.
The furry reptilian pulled back with a low hiss. It's prehensile tail—as long as its body—curled around to lash out at Raya's legs, but she jumped back then swung out again with her sword. It sliced through the whiskers along the right side of the komorong's short muzzle. With a cry, the komorong scuttled backward and then darted back into its lair on its short, stout legs.
Namaari let out a hiss of her own and Raya's attention snapped back to her. The Fang warrior had both hands on her calf, just above where the komorong had bit into her leg. Its serrated teeth had gone straight through her clothing to the flesh beneath and blood now darkened her pants and boot.
"Namaari!" Raya cried, sheathing her sword and dropping to her knees. "You need a doctor, and fast. Komorongs are venomous."
She grabbed Namaari's satchel and rooted around in it for one of Fang's flares. Namaari always had one on hand when they split up with their travel party just in case of emergencies like this. It felt like it took forever, but finally Raya's hand wrapped around the flare. Aiming at the sky, Raya pulled the ignition string and sent the flare bursting into life.
Only once she'd watched the flare explode in the sky and knew help was coming did Raya turn her attention back to Namaari. Other than the occasional grunt or hiss, Namaari was keeping rather quiet considering how painful komorong bites were.
It should've been Raya. Raya was the one who hadn't been watching where she was going. Raya was the one that disturbed the komorong nest. But it was Namaari that threw her out of the way and took the hit from the territorial animal.
Raya pulled rope from her own bag and tied off Namaari's leg above the bite. She braced herself, then pulled it tight. Namaari shouted in pain.
With a wince of her own, Raya asked, "Why would you do that?"
"I couldn't…let it get you," Namaari huffed, doing her best to breathe through the pain.
Raya shook her head. "Why not?" she asked with a self-deprecating laugh. "You're way more important to solving Tail's problems than I am. I'm just here as backup and to represent Heart. It should've been me."
Namaari shook her head and groaned, rolling onto her side and clenching her hand around her leg so tight that her fingers started to turn white. Raya flung her eyes around the desert in every direction. Where were the Fang warriors? If they didn't get there soon, Namaari might lose her leg—or worse, her life! Raya was one second from throwing Namaari over her back and trying to drag her to help when she spotted the dust cloud heading their way—Warriors on serlots. And one of Sisu's siblings was with them, leading the way.
Even as Raya breathed out in relief, one of Namaari's hands latched onto hers. With a gasp, her gaze snapped back to Namaari.
"Then…think of it as…making up…for when we were kids," Namaari managed, even as she struggled to keep her eyes open instead of squeezed shut in pain.
This time, Raya's laugh was one of surprise. "Please," she said, reaching over to brush Namaari's hair from her face. "You've more than made up for that, dep la."
For a moment, Namaari's expression wasn't one of pain. It was gentler, fonder, and she wore a smile to match. In that moment, Namaari was as beautiful as she'd ever been and Raya's heart raced not in fear but with something much stronger.
Then the pain made Namaari's face screw up again and she cried out, and any warm feeling fled from Raya. Lifting her eyes to the nearing dragon, she shouted, "Hurry! Please hurry!"
…
…
New Year celebrations used to consist of placing floating lanterns in the dragon river and making a wish for the new year, eating special desserts, and offering prayers to generations past and the dragons who had given their lives to protect humanity. With the dragons back in the world, that last part was more than a little unnecessary. The rest of it remained much the same, except that now it was all accompanied by the dragons putting on a performance in the air above Heart, the central point of Kumandra.
People from all over Kumandra came to Heart, and to the banks of the dragon river all around it, to watch the show. The dragons made it rain—but didn't let the water land on any observers—so that the sky was littered with rainbows during the day. The dragons glowed with power and ran on raindrops during the night. They made shapes out of fog and mist, danced in the air while blowing fire or air from their mouths, glittered and shapeshifted and changed color to the joy of all who watched. And when they weren't performing, they took to the ground, mingling among the people to talk and play and eat together.
After an entire day in the city with her people, Raya was exhausted of human interaction. She escaped to her palace, above the revelry and noise, to watch the spectacle from somewhere much quieter. Even from so high up, Raya could see the dragons playing in the water and the sky. She leaned against the edge of the garden railing and sighed.
Growing up, she'd heard tales of how Kumandra with dragons had been paradise. Experiencing it herself, Raya knew it wasn't perfect. People didn't always get along. But it was infinitely better than the world she had known before. It was as close to paradise as she could imagine.
The words Sisu had spoken to her earlier in the day made her frown. There was a way her world could be more perfect, but Raya wasn't sure she could trust Sisu's words this time. It would be too wonderful. And yet—
"Hiding out?" Namaari asked as she came up to join Raya at the ledge. Her festival outfit was a mix of the white and gold of Fang with the greens and blues of Heart, matching Raya's, and there were ribbons in her hair. She was so pretty she was almost hard to look at.
Raya laughed awkwardly. "That obvious?" She smiled down at the city and all the lights of the festival, all the lanterns on the water. "It's beautiful, but it's also…a lot."
Namaari hummed in agreement. Her eyes were on the dragons performing in the sky when she said, "It's like the stories of the past. Like paradise."
Paradise. Raya frowned again.
"Hey, Namaari?" she hedged, glancing at her companion before looking down at the festivities again. "Sisu told me something today."
"Sisu says a lot of things," Namaari joked, but reached over to touch Raya's hand as she said, more seriously, "What was it?"
Raya looked at their overlapping hands, her heart in her throat. "She said…I always trusted you. Even when we were enemies."
That made Namaari pull her hand back and Raya wished she hadn't spoken. Turning her back to the city, Namaari leaned against the railing. "I don't think she's right about that one."
Shaking her head, Raya said, "I think she is." She opened her hands to stare at her palms. "I didn't hesitate to tell you who Sisu was the moment I saw you in Tail. And in Spine, I didn't go into that fight with my all, because part of me never thought you would seriously hurt me."
She sighed and curled her fingers into her palm.
"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have been so hurt when it seemed you had betrayed me in Fang." Raya put her hand to her heart. "I've always wanted to believe the best in you, from the moment we met as kids. No matter what. Because I care about you more than anyone, other than my ba. Namaari," she said, lifting her eyes. "I—"
Namaari closed the scant space between them to cup Raya's cheek and press a chaste kiss to her lips, and Raya froze. After a moment, Namaari pulled back, frowning.
"I love you," she admitted, and it looked like admitting it gutted her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you. I just—" Clearing her throat, Namaari took a step back, straightened her posture, and adopted her diplomatic tone as she continued, "I understand that your care for me is that of a friend, nothing more. I hope my emotional reaction will not damage our friendship."
Sisu was right. As usual, Sisu was right. All Raya had to do was be honest with herself and her feelings and things would be alright—would be better than alright.
Raya took a step forward, leaning into Namaari's personal space, close enough to hear Namaari's breath catch. Smiling, she grabbed both sides of Namaari's face and pulled the taller woman into a kiss. It only took a moment for Namaari to melt into her touch, to kiss her back.
When the kisses ended this time, they were both smiling.
"I love you, too, cưng mèo," Raya whispered into the air between them.
Namaari chuckled. "You're lucky your cute, cưng."
Then she leaned in for another kiss as the dragons played above them.
…
…
fin