As the days went on, Caius more frequently met up with the warrioress to chat over drinks or lunch, coming to find that she was easier to talk to than he had expected. For a long time, he had been reluctant to forge bonds with people, fearing loss again. But as he got to know her, he found himself growing attached to her. It was oddly refreshing to have a friend again, and her dry humor and tough attitude were finding it easier and easier to make him smile. Yeul looked on knowingly, having seen already how things would play out between the Guardian and the warrioress.

One day, four weeks after Caius's first non-hostile encounter with Lynn, he returned to Yeul after having gone hunting on the plains. Brushing aside the cool beads in the doorway, he saw Yeul look up at him, a little smile playing on her lips.

"What is it?" he said curiously.

"You have done a wonderful job of befriending Lynn, you know," she said, the smile persisting. Caius plunked down on the bench to the side of the room, nodding.

"She is an interesting woman, clever and sharp-witted and strong," he said honestly. "We get along better than I would have expected. It makes sense that she would be bestowed with some of Etro's power."

"Yes, and she makes you smile and laugh," said Yeul innocently, "and that seems to be a rare gift."

Caius gave her a look. "What are you getting at?" he said with a sidelong glance at the seeress, who was still smiling knowingly.

"It is about time you found someone else to concern yourself with," said Yeul. "I cannot be the only one in your life forever."

An unwelcome blush rose to Caius's cheeks. "What do you mean? I don't..."

Yeul laughed, softly and clearly. "There, now I know for certain!"

"Know what?"

"Lynn is special to you, isn't she?"

"She is close, yes, and has been a good friend."

"Is there anything more?" Yeul looked at him, still smiling. Caius's eyebrows knit together. Was there? He wasn't certain. He had never really had time for such feelings, and didn't quite know how to recognize them.

"I... perhaps?" said Caius, sounding unsure. "I don't know, to tell the truth. I have tried not to let emotions get in the way of my tasks, which are to keep both you and her from harm's way."

Yeul placed her hand on his. "There is no need to be ashamed if your feelings are true."

Were they? He supposed that he thought of Lynn differently than he had thought of Ara and Evan, had noticed the finer aspects of her; the way the sun struck her rosy hair that was always pulled over her shoulder, and the way her blue eyes glinted with vitality and strength.

"Perhaps you're right," he said to Yeul. "Though I will not let these feelings interfere in my duty. You remain of utmost importance to me, Yeul."

The girl laughed softly. "Do not let me keep you entirely from experiencing your own life, Caius. Please, let yourself be happy with someone, at least for a while."

Caius smiled, giving the seeress's shoulders a quick hug. "If you wish," he told her.


The next day, Caius found himself at a jewelry shop, purchasing a pair of blue and yellow beaded earrings. The vendor had been giving him strange looks throughout his short time in the shop, to which Caius at last responded, sighing, "It is no concern of yours." The vendor shrugged, handing him the earrings in a little blue box, and Caius rolled his eyes.

He came across Lynn soon enough at a small café in the midst of the market, her blade resting by her side as she sat with a mug of something, reading a slender book, the title of which Caius couldn't make out.

Sliding into the seat across from her, he said, "I have something for you," placing the little box on the table. The warrioress looked up from her book, surprised.

"Hm?" she said absently. Her toughened hands opened the box, withdrawing the earrings, and she smiled. "Oh! Thank you!"

"They reminded me of you. Simple and elegant, but strong and sturdy," Caius said to her. She gave him a smile, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you calling me simple and sturdy?" she said, prodding his chest. He blushed.

"I didn't mean... I meant so in the best of ways," he blustered. Lynn laughed, the sound strong and hearty compared to Yeul's quiet, crystalline laughter.

"I know what you meant, Caius," she said. "I was teasing." She quickly put on the earrings, brushing her hair behind her ears so that he could see them.

"They look quite nice," said Caius, composing himself again. He felt more relaxed than he normally was when around the warrioress, and didn't dwell on embarrassment.

"Thank you," she said, toying with one. "I like them. Though may I ask why you got them for me?" There was a glint in her eye, and Caius looked innocent.

"Do I need a reason to give a gift to a friend?" he said. Lynn laughed again.

"No, I suppose not." She fidgeted with the earrings for another moment before speaking again. When she spoke, it sounded strained. "Listen, there's something I've got to do today, and it's important. But you won't be able to follow me, alright? I know that Yeul told you to keep an eye on me, but I promise I'll be safe. It's just a little excursion. But I have to be alone." She seemed to avoid his gaze slightly, and a worried feeling settled in his gut.

"What do you mean?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows. "What do you need to do?"

"I'm not sure," Lynn said quietly. "I'm figuring it out. But I just know I'll have to be alone. Alright?" She placed a slender, strong hand on top of his, and it felt warm to the touch. Caius was uneasy, but something in her blue eyes said she was telling the truth, and he nodded reluctantly.

"As you wish," he said slowly, watching her uncharacteristically serious expression.

"Thank you," she said, standing up and giving his shoulders a squeeze. "For that, and for the earrings."

"Of course," said Caius, uncertain of her sudden change in behavior. Lynn was not normally one to be secretive, but he sensed that she wasn't telling him everything. However, he chose not to pry, instead watching her form grow smaller as she left the café and went down the street. He stayed for a bit longer, ordering a small lunch and wondering what had concerned the warrioress. Lynn's mind had seemed far away when he had spoken to her, and she had seemed stressed about something. Both of these behaviors were unlike her, and he couldn't help but worry, pushing the food around his plate. Sighing as he paid for his meal, he decided to return to Yeul again.

He picked a pink blossom he came across for her, tucking it carefully into his belt. Once he reached her room in the temple, he began to speak as he pulled aside the beaded curtain.

"Yeul, I found you something— Are you alright?" Caius rushed over to the seeress, worried. Though she had tried to hide it, quickly brushing the droplets aside, Yeul was teary-eyed, something he did not often see. Caius knelt, gently brushing her hair behind her ear. "Yeul, tell me, what is wrong?" She tried to turn away and hide her face, but didn't quite manage it, tears still squeezing themselves out of her big green eyes.

"I... It's nothing. Just a... nightmare." She spoke uncertainly, her voice constricted. "What are you doing back here so soon?" She tried to change the subject, furiously wiping her eyes, but Caius was not keen on letting her do so.

"I finished my business, and so returned here," he said gently, clasping her hand. "Now tell me what has truly upset you. I know that nightmares scarcely drive you to tears anymore, let alone in the middle of the day." He looked at her intently, his eyebrows knitted upwards in concern. She sighed shakily.

"Please, Caius," she said, a hint of insistence in her voice, "believe me when I say 'nightmare,' and do not concern yourself. Really, I am fine." She managed a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. Caius sensed that she wasn't truly going to tell him what had caused her tears, but he knew once more that prying would do no good. So instead, he shook his head and pulled her into a tight hug, letting her rest her head on his shoulder until she stopped crying, stroking her hair in silence. It hurt his heart to see his little Yeul like this, with such a grief-stricken expression and tearful eyes, and he wouldn't leave her until she was smiling once again.

Once she had quelled her tears, she sat down on a bench, Caius following suit. They sat in silence for another few minutes, Yeul resting her head on his shoulder. At last, Caius spoke softly, withdrawing the blossom from his belt.

"I found you this," he said, tucking it into Yeul's silvery blue hair. "I thought you might like it." The seeress smiled at him, and this time it was genuine.

"Thank you, Caius," she said, tracing the petals with a fingertip. "How was your day?"

He shrugged. "I spoke with Lynn at a café. She seemed a bit... distant, and told me that there was something she needed to do alone. There was great emphasis on that last factor. Do you know why she may have been acting so?" He had hoped to get Yeul's mind off of whatever had saddened her, but instead her eyes grew wide and she looked at him in worry.

"Did she say a time or a place?" Yeul said urgently.

"No, she didn't," said Caius, slightly taken aback.

"Caius, please, I do not know what she has gotten herself into, but you must find her quickly. I have seen many possibilities stemming from her actions that will greatly impact the course of history. I am sorry to burden you with this, but I know that you must find her today." Yeul spoke intensely, sitting up straight and looking him in the eye. Caius stood immediately, an unsettled feeling settling once more in his gut.

"I understand," he said. "I will find her, don't worry." He placed his hand on Yeul's shoulder, offering her a nod before hurrying outside once again, his eyes quickly adjusting to the bright sunlight. He began asking a few people who were milling about outside if they had seen Lynn, and their vague hints gave him an idea of where she had gone; he gathered that she had gone to the slummier eastern part of the city, and immediately headed there himself. Moving as quickly as he could without bringing too much attention to himself, he reached a rickety, inconspicuous-looking building. He would have passed right by it had he not suddenly heard voices coming from inside. Though he couldn't make out the words, he recognized one of the voices; it was Lynn. But who could she be talking to? Apprehension gripped his heart, curling in his chest like a snake. He inched closer to the doorway, straining his ears to listen. At last, he could make out some of what they were saying.

"–another way?" he heard Lynn say, her voice unnaturally shaky. "I... I couldn't..."

"Do you want your nation to have a future?" said a male voice with a thick accent that Caius recognized as belonging to a neighboring tribe, one that had had disagreements with Paddra in the past.

"Of course, but please, anything but that," the warrioress continued, sounding pleading. "Kill me instead, take me away, just don't make me do this."

"This is a non-negotiable offer," hissed the male voice. "You must fulfill this task, lest we burn this city to ashes, taking your precious seeress with us."

Caius felt cold fear clench in his chest at this last sentence. Was Lynn trying to neogotiate the safety of her people? Caius knew that she would do almost anything if it were to protect her tribe. So what was this that she could not bring herself to do? He realized suddenly that a great part of the fear in his chest was for Lynn herself. What challenge was she facing? Why did she sound so pained? His heart went out to her, and he wished that he could take her place, could bear whatever burden had been placed on her shoulders.

"I... I understand," said Lynn at last, sounding crushed.

"Good. Do this, and we will show mercy." The man's voice was icy and thin, and something told Caius that mercy was not in his nature. Caius heard footsteps approaching the door, and swiftly hid behind a nearby shed. He watched as a slender, willowy man in a hood exited the building, casting suspicious glances down the street, then hurrying away. Caius waited to see if Lynn, too, would emerge, but when she didn't, he waited until the man was out of eyesight and earshot before slipping inside the building himself. At the sound of his footsteps, Lynn turned, eyes wide, likely expecting to see the man again. Caius saw that they were brimming with tears, something he had never thought he would see.

"Caius!" she said, reaching out involuntarily. Caius could see that she was shaken. "What are you... I told you not to follow me!"

"Yeul told me to," he said gently, his voice full of concern. "I did not intend to, but after I told Yeul what had happened, she immediately told me to find you." Lynn turned away, blinking.

"What did you hear?" she said quietly, her voice almost harsh. Somehow, however, Caius sensed that the harshness was not directed at him.

"I heard you talking to a man about negotiating the safety of the city," Caius said slowly. "When I arrived, you were just saying that you... couldn't do something."

Lynn laughed mirthlessly. "Ironic," she said.

"What do you mean?" said Caius, confused. She shook her head, raising a hand to her mouth.

"You came just after I..." she broke off, her voice cracking.

"Is it something you cannot do alone?" asked Caius. "Can I help you?"

"No, dammit!" cried Lynn suddenly. "You're the last person I wanted to see right now! Why did you... why couldn't you have waited?" Her voice was harsh and ragged, and when she turned back to him, her red-rimmed eyes were blazing. She looked like a wildcat that had been cornered, and had Caius been anyone else, he would have recoiled.

"What are you talking about?" he said, keeping himself from raising his voice. "Why can't I help you?"

"Because I'm supposed to kill you!" Lynn's voice broke away, and she turned from him, clenching her fists. "If I do that, they said they wouldn't destroy Paddra, but I..." Her voice faded away again, and Caius was struck silent. This was what she had been tasked with? He supposed it made sense. He was a Guardian, the strongest Farseer warrior, and the one tasked with the protection of the seeress. He was undoubtedly a threat to enemy nations. It was no wonder that someone wanted him dead. But why ask Lynn? Could this have been what Yeul had sensed? Caius had thought that the warrioress's only role would involve the dormant chaos within her, but it seemed that there was more. So much more. He wanted suddenly to hold her, to tell her everything would be alright. But that opportunity was now lost.

"But what?" he said at last. Lynn sighed heavily.

"You never noticed me before, but I remember the day you became Guardian as well as if it were yesterday," she said, clenching her fists tighter. "You were a hero to me for years afterward, and then that epidemic came, and I was put in charge of your mother. She told me stories about you, and I guess I..." She laughed bitterly. "You can see where this is going. So then, a few weeks ago, when you started following me, I was almost hopeful. I thought I'd botched it all up when I got mad at you. I did that out of defense, didn't want to make myself vulnerable. But then, when you came to me at the chocobo stables and when we went to the Green Oretoise, I thought I just might have a chance. I thought I might win for once, and today, when you gave me these earrings, I really thought I had, but now..." A small sob escaped her, and she pressed her fist to her mouth as if wishing she could take it back. "But now, I have to choose between you or this city. And part of me hates myself for how hard that choice seems." Lynn's shoulders slumped, and after she had spilled o much, she looked almost empty. This sight, alongside what Caius had just heard, made his chest ache with sadness and surprise and another feeling he was unfamiliar with. He knew just how the warrioress was feeling: the hope that something would go right for once, only to have that hope be dashed. How cruel was Fate?

Caius took a deep breath, drawing his sword slowly, the weapon feeling heavy in his hand. "Lynn of the Ballad clan, you are the bravest woman I know," he said. "And you have been presented with a decision no one should have to make, choosing between the one or the all. I... I am sorry." He had hoped for his words to sound strong, but he had faltered, his voice ragged with emotion. "Listen to me. Should you best me, then you must take on the role of Guardian, do you understand?"

Lynn nodded. "If that is your wish."

Caius sighed, the weight on his chest all but crushing him, sadness and regret weighing him down. There was no way out of this. He would either defeat the woman he cared for at the cost of his city, likely losing her in the process, or he himself would die, leaving Yeul without a goodbye and leaving Lynn with the guilt that would come from killing him. A knot formed in his throat. He held his sword at his side, and waited for Lynn to draw her own weapon, a collapsible sword she held in a holster behind her thighs. Her expression was pained, more so than he had ever seen it. As she lunged at him at last, his sword just barely deflecting hers, he heard her say two words: "I'm sorry."


We're almost done. Can you tell who I partially based Lynn off of?