Chapter Text
The Crystal Tower. A structure of Allagan creation.
It loomed in the sky, piercing, a sigil for the warrior's next path that she must take.
They had found the beacon. The one the mysterious person had ripped the warrior’s soul out of her body to warn her about. Her friends, the Scions, still remained in a deathless slumber. Her stomach churned at the thought as she stared at the tower ahead of her in strong resolve.
With the help of the Ironworks, they had successfully managed to scan the beacon. Using it’s data a portal had been created, based at the bottom of the Crystal Tower.
Where it led, she thought, she did not know.
If anything were to strike any ilm of fear in her, it was the fear of the unknown. The fear of not knowing what lay ahead for her, and her friends. Their fates unknown and the weight of their well being sat on her shoulders heavily, keeping her grounded in determination.
It was sunset, the Tower gleaned, fractals of light speckled and glowed from within it’s translucent walls. An azure spire against a burning orange sky.
She adjusted the greatsword on her back, and began to make her way towards the paved road that led to the base of the tower.
Greeted by Cid, he looked a little forlorn as he explained that they did not know how stable the portal would remain, and if you would be ok entering.
But there was no other option, this was what she had to do. Tataru stood nearby, tearful. The warrior leant down, telling her it’d be ok, she would return and bring the souls of her friends with her.
Standing in front of the portal, the Allagan technology thrummed, fractals of blue stood fragmented, unnatural light waited for her.
Members of the Ironworks stood, watching the warrior stare intently ahead. She bowed her head, closing her eyes to steel herself for what lay ahead.
There was a rushing of clawed footsteps from behind, scattering down the rocky path and across the ruins. The warrior ignored it for a moment until Cid broke the silence with surprise.
“Lord Commander, what brings you here on such short notice?”
She spun on her heel, opening her eyes.
Ser Aymeric de Borel leapt off the chocobo with grace, a swirl of blue and gold armour. He was walking towards her, his expression looked pained, a fall from the usual polite demeanor he carried.
Upon realising Cid had asked him a question his expression changed, in a moment of flurry he spoke as he still caught his breath from his frantic race to the Tower.
“I do apologise. I came here to see the Warrior of Light, I caught wind of her new endeavor and wished to speak with her before she ventures forth.”
He was standing not only a few yalms away from her now, his clear blue eyes bore into her own. She could feel her heart swelling to the point she couldn’t breathe at his sudden appearance. Her face burned.
And yet her eyes welled slightly with tears, knowing the Lord Commander had come to see her not for Alliance talk, but for something much more personal.
---
He was looking at her with desperation, not realising that other people could see him. He didn’t care.
It had been Estinien who had come to him, telling him he had been watching over her since he saved her from the final blow from Zenos. Whisperings of an Allagan artifact, namely a ‘beacon’ had come to the elezen’s ears and he pieced together than the WoL was to potentially venture to another unknown.
Whether she came back, however, was a question Aymeric wished not to ask, a thought he wished not to indulge.
But he knew he had to tell her how he felt.
The Lord Commander and the Warrior of Light stood, overlooking the ruins where the portal had been created, a little privacy had been requested by him.
She folded her arms, tilting her head and smiling at him broadly. When was the last time she did that? With everything that had gone on, to see her smile made his chest well.
“Aymeric, what did you wish to speak to me about?” She spoke, making eye contact with him.
He fumbled, trying to keep his stature in balance so he would not slip, he just wished to tell her there and then, to let forth the boundless words he wished to share about how she was a graceful warrior on the battlefield, but when in his company outwith, she made his heart sing in ways he had never felt.
“I daresay it’s unusual for you to be so quiet around me.” The warrior said, stepping forward towards him, “Pray, tell me what ails you.”
She rested a hand on his arm, looking up at him with eyes that glistened, dewy with the danger of tears.
He felt his throat dry up, he could tell she knew he had not come here for want of talk of business.
“I... My lady I wish not to burden you with something so trivial before you depart.” He looked to his left, gazing over the ruins, “I don’t know what I was thinking. Clearly I was not if I wished to rush out here so suddenly to see you.”
“It has been one moon since the battle with Zenos.” The warrior said, “It warms my heart to see your face once more after such time.”
He felt winded, his insides felt like they couldn’t accommodate his heart anymore. A warmth spread across his face as her hand grazed across his.
He longed to crush his lips against hers, to feel her against his skin. In this moment, it was all he could think about.
---
It had been something unspoken between them for quite some time. The way the handsome elezen gazed at her spoke volumes of how he felt. Often in meetings with the Scions, the warrior and the knight would exchange humorous quips, idle flirtations that would pass over the most unaware of people.
It wasn’t until Alphinaud had caught wind of this that he would often tease the Warrior of Light, letting her bat him away playfully and stare longingly at the sky for a moment before shaking herself to her senses.
To find love in these trying times, when war with the Empire was in its heat, was a dangerous thing.
“It is… awfully selfish of me to ask, that you don’t go.” Aymeric said, breaking the silence. His face flushed with shame from his request. “I know that you must.”
She looked at him sadly “It is true, I must. There is no other way. I must find them.”
“But even the Warrior of Light must know her limits,” Aymeric started, “I could enlist some of my knights to-”
“No,” she interrupted, “I was contacted, it is me he wants.”
Aymeric’s arms flew to his sides. “I can’t-” His fists clenched.
“I can’t let you go.”
His words were strained, forced from his throat in a moment of desperation.
The knight felt calloused yet soft fingers entwine with his own. He looked down.
“I feel there is a truth here that we both are harbouring and finding hard to share.” She spoke, a small sad smile upon her lips. He squeezed her hand tightly, pulling her close to his chest.
He uttered her name gently for the first time since he had arrived.
“You know damn well how I feel.” Aymeric said, his chest heaving, leaning over slightly to shelter her, holding her head against the curve of his neck.
“Please,” she begged. “Please don’t-”
“You know I love you.” He said.
“Please don’t!” She choked, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. “Please.”
He felt the fabric of his armour grow damp with tears. Her harrowed crying was all that could be heard for the next few moments. He held her tightly, his long arms wrapped around her.
He felt his heart ache at every sob, a throbbing that pained him because he knew she had to go. He tried to fight back his own tears, scrunching his brow, glad she could not see him as so.
“I can’t. I can’t say it back. I’m scared.” The warrior kept her face buried against his chest. He gently stroked her hair, letting his fingers linger delicately.
“Pray, don’t feel you have to respond,” Aymeric said, his voice low and gentle but sincere, “I just wished to let you know how I felt, for I could not keep it to myself much longer.”
“I want to. I really do. Don’t you ever dare think I don’t feel the same.” She broke away from his hold, looking up at him angrily. “It isn’t about that.”
Ah yes, the short temper of the Warrior of Light, Aymeric mused, a small interruption in the otherwise angst like situation they were both in. Cold swept into Aymeric’s armour as the warrior paced away, turning to look over at the Tower.
The sun had set, a thin line of dusk scorched across the horizon, as inky blue and black gradients swept across the ceiling of Eorzea, stars speckled like glittering magic across the night sky.
It was the first time since he had met her once again, that he realised she had changed.
The afterglow of the sunset framed her, and he took note of her complete change of attire.
The sweeping ornate steel of her armour, gold and brilliant with the blue fabric she usually adorned had changed (he knew she chose blue as a way to dote on him, for the shade she picked was as close to his Ishgardian armour as possible).
It was now black, a uniform of Tataru’s creation, jutting fabric at the shoulders, a large scarf adorned her neck, a cape of jagged edges swooned from her back. Leather buckles accompanied by leather boots all hugged her nimble but muscled figure, her hair swaying in the night breeze.
She turned to face him, her arms folded again, wiping the tears from her puffy eyes. She gave him a lopsided smile, embarrassed. But he could see the fear still laden within her expression.
She was different, recent events had changed her.
“What are you afraid of?” Aymeric said, stepping forward, with the need to comfort her once again. He ran both his hands along her arms, slowly loosening hers before running his arms around her hips, entangling her body against his.
He gently placed a kiss on the top of her head, taking in her warmth, how she always smelled comforting even when in the middle of ancient war torn ruins.
“Aymeric…” she breathed, her touch drifting across his armour. “I-”
As he looked down his nose brushed against hers.
“I’m sorry. If I say it, it becomes real. I don’t want to lose you Aymeric. I… I already lost so many people.” Her voice was slow, choked.
“I will crumble if I lost you, my Lord.”
Aymeric lifted his head, his azure eyes bathed in the light of the tower, glistening slightly as he held back tears. His heart stopped, his lips dry as the moment they both existed in - This moment, felt like forever.
He closed his eyes, his lips forming a straight line.
“I understand, my lady, I wish not to burden you.”
---
It was hard not to feel disappointed, or heartbroken?
Aymeric shook his head, trying to shed these thoughts from his mind, it was selfish.
Though the heavy feeling of someone dragging down his chest into the ground would not leave him.
It was hard to ignore the feeling that his legs felt dense, and yet his armour felt light, as if it had scattered into the winds behind him. He felt an uncomfortable feeling of numb, cold, and yet, at the same time, as if a great fire of yearning was burning slowly from within.
Yes, he thought. This is heartbreak.
As they both returned to the main ruins, people turned to watch as the Warrior of Light walked forward, pacing slowly towards the portal.
They had been holding hands and walking in silence as they made their way back. Gentle squeezes every now and then was their way of telling each other what they felt.
Aymeric held onto this comfort as the Warrior of Light slowly let his hand go, the lingering touch of her fingers danced across his palm, a gentle touch he’d savour for as long as he could. She looked behind her shoulder, eyes red from tears.
A small smile formed and she lifted her hand up to give a silent goodbye. He felt his throat catch as he gave her a small wave back, trying to remain composed as he could.
Cid nodded at her, as he stepped forward to give her a hug, patting her on the back, exchanging words of good luck.
Her cloak billowed behind her as the warrior stepped forward, ready to delve into what dangers lay ahead.
Aymeric couldn’t watch. He couldn’t watch the woman he was in love with be wrenched away from him yet again.
His mind cast back to when Estinien appeared after the battle with Zenos, her body limp. That brief moment of assumption that her life had left her felt like her had been shot through the body with Estinien’s spear. A sudden shock, coldness, plunging through his stomach like an icy dagger at great speed.
It felt like this again, only instead of it being of great speed…
… It felt like someone had slowly sank a great jagged sword into him, searing, numbing, twisting, as if the blade were slowly and painfully seeking something to wrench out from within.
His heart.
A strangled cry of words escaped his mouth.
“Please, My Lady, do take care and safe travels!”
The Warrior of Light stopped and turned to face him, giving him one last smile.
That was it, her face forever engraved into his memories, he needed to get away.
The Elezen knight turned to make his way to his Chocobo.
She would come back all healthy and well, he knew it. He prayed to Halone for it.
To see the light returned to her eyes as she sat in the infirmary bed in the congregation after the battle with Zenos brought him much relief. It was hard to refrain from showing how elated he was as he embraced her, curling his chin over her head, sweeping her close to him.
Aymeric knew she was strong, determined and powerful. But in those moments before, where she lay dormant, the Warrior of Light had never looked so fragile and battle worn. He nearly admitted at that time how he felt but it was clear she was troubled by her soul being called to, the visions she confided to tell him for she trusted him.
He remembered her face when she described seeing her companions, Lord Hien, Lyse and Yugiri strewn like ragdolls around Zenos, his mask shattered, showing one lucid blue eye, fierce with bloodlust.
Something distant and dark broiled in her once usual clear eyes. Surrounded by death and hurt, she needed space to compose herself once again.
He was ruminating, the pounding in his ears wouldn’t stop as he made his way to his mount.
And in those moments as his heart yearned and his mind spiralled...
...He understood with great clarity why she did not want to lose anyone, anymore.
The pain, the pain drives you, My Lady, Aymeric thought to himself.
In that one moon ere they met again at the Crystal Tower, the Warrior of Light had changed, both mentally and physically.
The same woman who grasped firmly at his cape as he walked.
Who caused him to turn on his heel with such speed.
Who nearly tripped over himself as arms wound their way around his neck, pulling his head down.
Whose lips feverishly crushed against his, damp with tears.
She was crying again, as her lips felt soft and swollen, brushing against his with great passion. He leaned into her more, sweeping her off her feet, drowning in the depths of the kiss.
Their lips parted, tongues finding each other and gently tangling in a longing dance. Her hands skimmed through his raven hair, circling themselves within thick strands.
He sighed in bliss, his heart felt full. He was burning, the fire would consume him if they didn’t stop. But it was delicious, something he had craved to taste for many moons.
“I love you too. So very much.” The warrior said, her voice laced with wanting and Aymeric’s heart leapt. “I promise you I will come back to you. I promise!”
She traced the outline of his jaw with her thumb, drinking in the alluring gaze of his eyes, his lips parted and he ghosted them across her hand.
Through the tears and darkness and resolve, she smiled broadly, her eyes creasing, absolute with happiness.
The smile he had grown to fall in love with.
It was real, their feelings for each other were real. No amount of wars or worlds or realms could take that truth from both of them.
“My Lady…” Aymeric breathed, sounding husky as he lay soft kisses across her face, using a knuckle to gently wipe away tears.
“I know you will.”