A/N: Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

Heart & Steel


Isashi stepped out of the Thaumaturges guild and inhaled the heady scent of Ul'dah. Spices mingled with the smell of leather and sand, gods, how she loved this place. "By the seven," X'rhun breathed, drawing Isashi from her reverie. "Is there none in the five kingdoms that you don't know?"

A grin pulled at the corner of Isashi's lips. The Lalafell inside had recognized Isashi from her misspent attempt at Thaumaturgy. Prelate Yayake had an outstanding memory, though she'd graciously left out the time that Isashi had set the curtains in the back room aflame. Afterward, she'd taken her leave, and found a love for pummeling things instead of playing with ice and fire.

"It was a passing fancy," Isashi waved a hand, then cast a longing look around the beige city with its splashes of vibrant reds and yellows. "I've spent a lot of time in Ul'dah." Truth be told, the arcanist guild had claimed as much of her time as the pugilists. Still, the desert always drew her back. "I owe tithe to the Flames, so when the call goes out, I return."

"Fascinating." X'rhun watched Isashi with a curious expression, one that she'd seen a lot recently. It troubled the Au Ra that she couldn't parse out its meaning, and whenever she asked, X'rhun feigned ignorance. "You truly are a remarkable woman."

Isashi fluffed the feather in X'rhun's hat. "Enough about me, we have a damsel to rescue."

"Indeed." X'rhun began to pace, while Isashi crossed her arms and let him. "Lilith holds the power to slither inside the minds of those with even a whisper of her essence within their veins." The flamboyant Miqo'te counted off fingers while he rehashed everything that they'd learned from the forbidden books inside Thaumaturges Guild. "She spits venom, and drains the lifeforce from the victims she inhabits."

X'rhun stopped when a merchant's cart interrupted his path, his face stricken. "She plans to reinvent Arya's soul and claim the girl's body for her own. It would destroy our young friend completely."

Isashi placed a hand on X'rhun's shoulder to bring him back. "Hey, we've got a location. It's more than we had this morning." The scrolls claimed that Lilith would return to the original place of her summoning from more than a millenia ago, to the city of Mhach. While Isashi had never been overly interested in the history of Eorzea, she'd never been more appreciative that there where those who where.

"Yes," X'rhun sighed, then looked at the sun. "Prelate Yayake claimed that Lilith must wait until the conditions of her summoning were exact. That gives us two weeks to prepare. Come, there is much to do."


The mages did not waste the next twelve days. Isashi made contact with an old alchemist friend who provided them with copious amounts of the antidote to Lilith's venom. She'd also spent a fair amount of time arguing with Alphinaud over her 'dalliances'. The pesky Elezen had even conned Thancred into contacting her, though all he'd asked were questions that Isashi had no intention of answering. She disconnected from the linkshell when X'rhun inquired about the reddening of her cheeks.

Night fell at last, and it was time to make their approach. X'rhun had found Jessie, the Deputy President Jessie of the Garlong Ironworks, who was more than happy to offer them a lift to the abandoned city. She had a kind heart, and Isashi was convinced that the woman would have aided them even without the lifedebt she felt.

Isashi's boots clicked against the wooden deck of the airship as she sought out her lover. X'rhun leaned against the railing above the prow, iconic hat tucked under one arm and pale hair ruffling in the wind. Isashi joined him, letting her shoulder rest lightly against his. X'rhun's eyes drifted shut, and he inhaled a slow breath.

"We'll get her back," Isashi offered, nudging him gently. "Arya is within our grasp."

"I do miss her enthusiasm," X'rhun sighed in an uncharacteristic bout of pessimism.

They lapsed into silence, and Isashi noted the same air of distance as before. She reached over and smoothed the lines from X'rhun's forehead. "Going to tell me what's on your mind?"

A sad smile graced the Miqo'te's features. "You've reached the end of your training, my dear. There is naught else for me to teach you." Isashi tensed, she'd wondered when X'rhun would stop coming up with excuses to perfect her style. Now that he'd arrived, she wanted him to stop. "Once Arya is safe again, there is nothing more to tie you to this wandering vagabond."

Isashi wasn't prepared for the anger that sliced through her. How dare X'rhun throw away their time together so frivolously. Defense mechanism or not, she would not be so easily cast aside. Isashi intended to tell the infuriating mage as much, but snapped her mouth shut when one of Jessie's men crested the stairs. "We've arrived, my lord and lady."

X'rhun avoided Isashi's eyes when he turned toward the man. "Excellent news." He clapped his hands, donning the chipper persona that marked the Crimson Dualist. "Please give Jessie our best, and let her know that we shall return forthwith." When X'rhun faced Isashi, he somehow managed to see past her. "It is time to release merry hells on the voidsent."

Isashi forced her ire aside. It wasn't the first time that she'd gone into battle while baring a personal grudge. She and Haurchefant had once fought dragons for six straight hours back to back without uttering a single word to one another. She couldn't remember what they had quarreled over, only that she felt foolish when the battle was finished.

Isashi's foot slid on a moss covered stone, and X'rhun steadied her by the elbow. "Careful, these ruins are treacherous." His voice had taken on a familiar cadance, which went a long way towards settling Isashi's nerves. X'rhun held up a hand when they came to a broken bridge. He shivered, lips curled in disgust. "I've felt that insidious aura before, Lilith is here."

"We must hurry," Isashi whispered, pointing towards the horizon. The first rays of dawn began to peek over the distant mountains. "The moment of Lilith's summoning draws near."

"There!" Without further explanation, X'rhun pressed his back against the far wall, then took a running start before launching himself across a gap that Isashi would have sworn was too wide for the Miqo'te to make. He tucked into a roll on the other side, then sprang to his feet with sword drawn and orb hovering behind him. It was only then that Isashi saw the two figures in the center of the balcony.

Before Isashi could second guess herself, she copied X'rhun's leap and grit her teeth at the pain the shot through her knees upons striking the ground on the other side. Having been less preparing for the jarring than X'rhun had apparently been, Isashi staggered to his side and drew her blade. Magic snapped around it in purple arcs in contrast to the soft, red glow of her mentor's.

"Release the girl," X'rhun snarled at Lilith.

The ancient voidsent threw her head back in laughter, her hand resting possessively on Arya's shoulder. "She is mine," Lilith whispered in a voice that carried on the wind and sent a piercing cold all the way to Isashi's bones.

X'rhun attacked.

The battle that followed blurred in Iasahi's mind. She was aware of each attack that her partner launched, and altered her own until they fell into a rhythm that felt both effortless and natural. X'rhun drew Lilith's attention while Isashi regenerated her mana, then she'd dive into the fray to give him a repreve. All the while, the Miquo'te never stopped calling out to his ward, pleading for her to wake from her dreadful slumber.

Arya remained unresponsive until a stray attack knocked the girl to her knees. She cried out at the same time as Lilith, then the voidsent vanished, and Arya went limp. X'rhun threw down his sword and ran for the child, skidding the last few feet on his knees before gathering her into his arms. He shook her gently. "Arya! Lilith is gone. Come back to us now." Panic brightened his eyes when he sought out Isashi. "Dammit, why won't she wake?"

Isashi crouched opposite of X'rhun and closed her eyes. Resting a hand on Arya's hair, Isashi called upon the magic around her, sensing life in everything, then filtering through the lense of her companion's spirits. Arya's lifeforce was weak, but present. It tangled with a darkness that could only be Lilith, and the realization of what had transpired shocked Isashi from her trance. "Arya and Lilith still battle for her soul."

X'rhun blinked, understanding dawning slowly. He looked at the child in his arms, smiling even as tears dripped from his chin. "Do you remember the time you blasted me into a stream after I'd called for a break, young one, then tried to use Aero to dry my trousers?" Isashi lifted a brow. She hadn't been present for that, but fully intended to get the full tale once this was all said and done.

X'rhun sniffed. "I shan't overlook that midnight stroll you and Isashi took through Idyllshire after I'd grounded you to your room, either. You reeked of roasted damselfly, not a pleasant smell, I might add. You both thought that you were so clever."

Isashi sat back on her heels, listening while X'rhun yammered on about nonsensical adventures that they'd shared. He never mentioned the song worthy battles, but spoke only of small moments, the quiet times when Isashi had felt most connected to them. X'rhun's voice grew in strength with each recounting, until it surrounded them all.

The Miqo'te chuckled. "Lest we forget that little incident when-"

Arya breathed in so suddenly that the famed duelist nearly dropped her. A pale hand lifted to shield her eyes against the sun before she focused on her mentor. "X'rhun?"

X'rhun pulled Arya into a tight hug. "Welcome back, my friend!" The girl protested the strength of his hold, and he relaxed it only a modicum. When X'rhun met Isashi's eyes, she nodded. There was no sign of Lilith's essence within the girl. Whatever had occurred inside her mind, Arya was the undisputed victor.

"I heard your voice," Arya said, allowing her friends to pull her upright. "I couldn't understand the words, but I knew they were important, that you wanted me to fight." A proud smile graced X'rhun's face, though it faltered when Arya swayed. "I'm so tired."

"Come." Isashi pulled Arya's arm over her shoulder. "Let's get you back to Idyllshire for some rest."


Arya slept the entire trip home with her head in X'rhun's lap. The Miqo'te had refused to leave his ward's side, patting her hair every time she whimpered in her dreams. Once back at Rowena's, Isashi had overtaken Arya's treatment to properly inspect her for injuries. The prognosis thankfully proved to be severe exhaustion and mental strain, nothing that a good week of rest wouldn't cure. There was, however, another matter that needed to be addressed.

"It's true, isn't it?" X'rhun asked when Isashi entered the main room. He tossed another log onto the fire, then rested his forearm against the hearth. The Miqo'te's sword rested against the lounge, but the rest of him was still dressed for battle.

"It is." While checking the girl over, Isashi had examined her mana levels, only to find that they were no longer in existence.

X'rhun nodded. "It would seem her abilities were tied to Lilith's blood. With the she-demon vanquished, so too is Arya's talent for magic. She'll need to start from the beginning."

Isashi joined X'rhun to stare into the flames. "She's a quick learner, and I could always pull some strings at the Thaumaturges Guild. I could check in on her whenever I'm in town." X'rhun nodded, though remained mute. "You know that she'll seek you out again, once she's ready."

"Then, I will live for that day." X'rhun's dour mood began to affect Isashi, but she couldn't decide if she had the energy to press the matter at the time. He saved her the trouble. "I'll be leaving in the morning."

Isashi blanched. It wasn't often that she was so caught off guard, and she hated the feeling. "Am I so easy to forget?" Part of her anger was self-motivated, that she'd allowed herself to fall for a man who only saw her as a passing fancy, when she'd believed it to be more.

X'rhun met Isashi's gaze for the first time. "Hardly." The word cut off sharply. Before Isashi could protest, his fingers curled around the back of her neck, pulling Isashi into a passionate kiss that left her breathless. When X'rhun pulled away, it was only far enough to press his forehead against hers. "You are the Warrior of Light, and I've kept you from your duty too long."

"X'rhun."

He kissed her again. "You graduated my lessons long ago, but I selfishly bound you to me. Now, it is time to give the world back its hero."

Isashi toyed with the golden toggles on X'rhun's coat. "I'm bound for Ala Mhigo, don't you think it's time for you to return home?" If he joined the fight for his homeland, not only could they stay together, but their chances of success increase exponentially.

X'rhun sighed and pulled away with his signature, cocky smile, though a note of sadness sullied it. "I must take up my pilgrimage once more, but fear not, those who defy the tides of destiny are always drawn together, sooner or later."

"Then, you are not done with me?" Isashi aimed for coy, but she couldn't hide the note of desperation that bled into her tone.

X'rhun laughed, pulling Isashi into a tight hug, and kissed the top of her head. "This is not farewell, my love, merely a temporary parting of ways. Eagerly, I do await the day our paths cross again." When he lifted her chin to peer into her eyes, a familiar twinkle backlit his own. "And, please write, let me know that you are well."

Isashi wiped at her eyes, frustrated that her lover would soon be gone, yet relieved that his absence would not be permanent. "I will, I promise." Glancing back at the room where Arya slept, a coy smile twisted her lips. "You did say, in the morning, right?"

X'rhun's laugh turned dark as he began backing towards their room, her hand still held firmly in his. "You read my mind, my love."