Author's Note: Apparently, for every chapter of The Adept's Guide to Weyard that I publish, my brain also sees fit to compel me to write another one-shot. This one is not particularly novel, plot-wise, but hopefully it will be forgiven. The title comes from an Anchor & Braille song, but it is in no way a "song fic." If it seems cyclical, it's intentional.
Disclaimer: I may be able to play video games, but creating them is beyond me. And purchasing the rights to one is simply out of the question.
Like Steps in a Dance
They had been toeing the line between friends and lovers for years, from innocent declarations of love at three to the awkward position they found themselves in now: hugging just a little too long, murmured words all saying the same thing—"I missed you." The abandoned house in Contigo seems like an inappropriate place for a reunion, but they embrace each other gently while others make introductions or become reacquainted. The moment is over all too soon, and they are swept up in the union of their fellow Adepts. The air feels like peril and destinies unfulfilled, with Mars Lighthouse lingering in the back of all their minds, and no one feels much like celebrating for long. There is too much to be done.
Even sailing between Treasure Island, Yallam, and Magma Rock provides few lulls in action, as lighting Jupiter Lighthouse has done little to lessen the amount of monsters plaguing both seas. But during the occasional lulls, while others rest, practice, and occasionally pull a prank, they wander apart from their companions, just talking. Isaac tells her about his adventures in pursuit of her abductors, from when they first met Ivan all the way up to Jupiter Lighthouse. For someone so short-tempered and impatient, Jenna has all the time in the world for his stories. Sometimes, when he retells something particularly dangerous, she places a hand on his arm and looks at him with something like worry and frustration, but he knows she is only wishing that she could have been there with him. When he tries to downplay his collapse at Colosso, she actually gets angry enough that she scolds him and directs the conversation back to their childhood,
"Remember the time that Garet stole Kay's birthday present?"
But she only does this because there's no good way to say 'I wish none of those things had happened to you. I hated being separated from you' and 'I can't believe how far we've progressed.'
Isaac mostly tells these stories because he doesn't want it to feel like they were ever apart, and in that same vein listens to Jenna's stories, which are delivered with far more hand motions and action. Sometimes he gets a dark look on his face, and Jenna quickly learns it's because he hates to think she was ever mistreated in his absence. Most notably, when she and Kraden were abandoned by Alex and the others to find their way from Venus Lighthouse to Menardi's ship, or when the Mayor of Alhafra harassed both she and Sheba after publicly pinning the blame on their group for Briggs' theft of the ship. So Jenna tries to turn those moments into jokes, and if it doesn't work, she drags him away to find something fun to do with the others, driving the darkness away.
Their friends watch with knowing glances, idly wondering amongst themselves how long Isaac and Jenna will dance around their feelings. Sometimes Ivan or Garet will try to start a betting pool, only to have Mia or Felix halt their gambling with a disapproving look. Piers will roll his eyes and Sheba will come up with something else for them to do. When all eight are spending time together, Isaac and Jenna are just as involved in the antics.
Those carefree moments help to ease the tension, and when Kraden watches them laughing, he remembers his companions as the carefree young scholars they had once been, earnest but easily distracted, and ready for adventure, but only so long as they knew they could come home happy and safe. Those three years after the boulder fell had done away with any teenaged presumptions of immortality, leaving them somewhat more cautious than others their age. And after all that pain and suffering, they were then sent on an arduous mission by the Wise One? It hardly seemed fair to the old man. But then he would watch Isaac, Garet, and Jenna tease each other and their resiliency would put the scholar's mind at ease.
Other times Isaac and Jenna are bursting with energy, chasing each other and yelling about something or other, but never really angry. Those times make Felix and Garet remember when they were twelve and suddenly Jenna could no longer join in their games. She had shouted at Isaac that they would never be friends again, and he'd shouted back saying that 'girls were no fun anyways.' The next day they were playing tag as though the fight had never happened.
Jenna cannot help but jump with excitement watching their new cannon burst through the iceberg that stands between Piers' ship and the village of Prox. She knows that her parents are within reach (and Isaac's father) and the excitement is tangible. The others feel it too, but Isaac's is tinged with apprehension. Too many bad experiences with members of the Fire Clan makes him apt to mistrust Karst and Agatio's assurances of their parents' safety, but he keeps these suspicions to himself.
They search the whole village, and Isaac's concerns are confirmed. Felix remains stoic, unsurprisingly, but Jenna is holding back tears. They agree to stay the night at the Inn before taking on the traps and winding passages of the Lighthouse. Long after the others have gone to sleep, Isaac sits with Jenna by the fireplace, staring quietly at the flickering embers. They don't talk about their innate disappointment, and although they hold each other, neither is thinking of romance. Both are remembering a time more painful than this, when they mourned their dead and nothing anyone could say or do would fill the gnawing emptiness. Then too, as children, they had clung to each other, bound in mutual grief. This time, as they drifted from the main room to their beds, they reach for each other briefly.
Jenna isn't sure who initiates, but their lips briefly touch and it feels like fear and friendship. Not like their first kiss, which was years ago, awkward, and felt like nervousness and hormones. There is too much else on her mind to dwell on it very long, and in spite of everything running through her head, exhaustion and sleep lay claim on her brain for a few blessed hours.
Isaac sleeps more uneasily, drifting in and out of awareness, thinking about the Wise One, the Lighthouses, Jenna, his father, and Alchemy. He wakes up feeling tired, and neither he nor Jenna brings up the previous night. Sheba mutters something about how late they had stayed up, and both shrug it off with enough sincerity that no one thinks anything of it, not even Isaac or Jenna. There are too many problems of staggering importance to think about a brief kiss.
Mars Lighthouse appears to be alight with flame—a glowing, searing, shimmering red now that the Mars Star has been placed within its depths, but the haggard, grim faces of the eight warriors can only stare in disbelief at the crumpled bodies before them. Jenna fights back bitter tears, holding Felix because he is too stunned to do the same. Isaac has a dark, sad look on his face that lacks the surprise of his companions', and Kraden sees and understands. The others can only look on in sad disbelief, aloof from the grief that has twice stricken Isaac and Jenna (and Felix once). When the Wise One appears and their parents are revived, the three adepts rush forward – even Felix – after a moment's hesitation, afraid it was all too unlikely. The Wise One is gone, and somehow all twelve of them stumble to the elevator and back to Prox, where the village awaits them with a lavish celebration (well, as lavish as a nearly frozen Prox could provide). If they mourn Karst and Agatio, it is by honoring them as heroes, and no one has the heart to disillusion the village in the least.
The whole group is anxious to return to Vale, and leave the very next morning, after much needed sleep. Their flying ship, magnificent in the morning light, makes the trip an easy one, but as they approach Vale, Garet asks an alarming question,
"Where's Mt. Aleph?"
The others rush to the ship's railings, looking for the familiar mountain, but all they see is rubble. As soon as Piers sets down the ship, they are running and tripping over each other rushing towards Vale, desperately hoping things are not as they seem. Garet reaches the ruins first, terrified for his family, but their fears are soon alleviated as the villagers emerge from the woods around the ruins of Vale, unscathed. Dora clings to her husband and son, amazed, while Garet rushes to introduce everyone to his laughing family. Jenna practically pounces on her brother, ecstatic when he laughs for the first time in weeks. This is the joyful reunion she'd never imagined, and although their beloved homes are gone, Vault is more than happy to receive the residents of Vale and its heroes. The party that follows feels almost magical, with lights glowing everywhere and villagers from both towns laughing, drinking, and dancing. Isaac leaves his parents to allow them time to catch up, joining his friends on the bridge overlooking Vault. They sit quietly, taking in the revelry until Garet spots a pretty girl and, emboldened by drink, runs off to ask her to dance. Sheba is determined to quiz Piers about his age, and when he refuses to divulge the information, she drags Ivan into the debate, and when the Lemurian tries to run for it, the two Jupiter Adepts chase after him. Mia, observing the other three left, asks Felix to dance, smiling mischievously at Isaac as if to say 'You're welcome.' If Isaac flushes, Jenna doesn't notice, and laughingly asks,
"Does Mia have a thing for my brother?"
"Huh?" Isaac replies, startled.
"Mia. Felix. Dancing," Jenna repeats.
"Oh. Well, everyone else was gone, and Mia does like to dance…" Isaac answered, shrugging.
"Whatever you say," Jenna trailed off, companionably leaning her head on Isaac's shoulder. She wonders briefly if he'll think anything of it. Isaac wonders if maybe she expects him to dance with her.
"Jenna? Do you want to—"
"Stay here and enjoy the stars? You bet!" She interrupts, leaning back and beckoning for him to do the same.
"It's been forever since we've done this…" Isaac agrees, but Jenna notices that he's not actually looking at the stars.
This time, she knows that he kissed her first, and it feels like exhilaration and affection. And while Isaac is content to stay that way, Jenna breaks the embrace, and drags him to his feet, and with a flushed face giddily says,
"Come on, let's go join the party! I think Garet's about to get slapped!"
And laughing, hand in hand, they run to join the celebration.
Vale is magnificent in its rebuilt glory; although no longer in the shadow of a mountain. It took three years and more than a little patience with setbacks, but the village is peaceful and no one regrets the work that restored this beautiful place. Today, the eight heroes are together again, after several months' separation, and they talk amongst themselves, their excited chatter echoing throughout the village. At one point, there is a shriek—Jenna is the responsible party, and soon she is hurtling after Isaac, who is laughing. She shouts,
"You're a dead man!"
And the others double over in laughter, some wiping away tears. Felix vaguely remembers seeing similar incidents as a boy, usually because Isaac or Garet had taken some toy of Jenna's. The game ends a little differently, with Jenna kissing Isaac instead of pummeling him to the ground. Garet rolls his eyes, while Ivan and Sheba whistle and catcall.
The happiness is tangible, and there is no longer any doubt as to which side of the line Isaac and Jenna are on.