1.
Admittedly, the only thing she knew about this woman before she'd met her was that Alphinaud wouldn't shut up about her.
Alisaie drummed her fingers on the table beside her as May slept. The sultana had been gracious enough to grant them a room to rest in as some small reward for dealing with the Coils. A paltry bounty for such a task, but Alisaie was content enough with it. She did not do this for the wealth or glory.
Nor, according to her brother, did the Warrior of Light.
Lady May Daye, owner of a ridiculous name, uniter of Eorzea, slayer of primals, friend to the powerful, mother of Alphinaud's children.
A jest, that last one. Though from how much he spoke of her, it was as if she were the Twelve's gift to this world. If he was to be believed, she fought an ancient Allagan warmachina and saved the realm. Add Bahamut to her list, and this woman was starting to develop a habit of doing the impossible.
Alisaie sighed. She shouldn't be so callous, so jaded. The woman had obviously done enough good to impress her brother. And he was hard to impress.
"You're a curious one," she mumbled to herself while looking at the sleeping Au Ra. When they'd first met, she'd asked herself what they all saw in her.
May snored.
Alisaie chuckled softly. She looked gentle, laying there, with her short hair framed nicely by her horns. May had the look of a person you could depend on, and a cocky quirt to her smile that'd have you mirroring.
Perhaps that was how she'd gotten past her brother in her previous instances of mandated bedrest. Both Alphinaud and Urianger had bid her make damn well sure May actually rested. When Alisaie had asked why, the two had exchanged looks and regaled her (briefly) on not one, two, nor three times she'd escaped her recovery bed. Well, they told her three stories, but their eyes bespoke of a far greater number.
Nearly torn asunder by Garuda's winds, Alphinaud told, yet we saw her up and about three hours later. So, sister, make sure she actually stays in bed.
A woman who wouldn't let the world stop her, though their adventures in the Coils had taught her that. A woman after Alisaie's heart, admittedly.
Just who was this intrepid adventure, this woman who'd come from Gridania and joined the Scions?
May stirred. Alisaie was determined to find out.
2.
The second time she played babysitter to May was under much less pleasant circumstances.
Alisaie had come with the intention of joining the Scions on their path as it led to the Far East, but her arrival came far overshadowed by the events that had just unfolded.
Rhalgr's Reach, attacked. The Resistance broken. Y'shtola grievously wounded, May not fairing much better.
The healers tended to Y'shtola while Alisaie had been given May as her charge. Though neither were in mortal peril (no longer), May required bedrest. Something, as Alisaie's memory served, May was extraordinarily good at getting out of.
"Look," May said, "I'm fine. He didn't even get me that bad."
'That bad' was her torso marred by a narrow, but deep, cut from Zenos' sword. It stretched well over a foot in length and traces of blood still colored the bandages.
Alisaie gave her a stare. "In what world is that not bad?"
May looked down at the wound and grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm a healer too, yeah? I can just take care of myself."
By the Twelve, this woman. Alisaie shook her head, more at herself than May. Her brother had warned her of this, had he not? Given the opportunity, May would get out of bed no matter the wound.
"No," Alisaie said, resolute. "You need your rest. He nearly cleaved you in half."
"There's people out there who need help. People who need healing," May whispered, voice losing that spunk she always seemed to carry.
Alisaie's face softened at that. How was she to decry that? The woman just wanted to help. "You can't help them if you keel over," she reasoned. "Others are already helping those who can be helped. You need to rest if you want to help more in the future."
May studied Alisaie's face for a moment before conceding defeat. "Fine," she said with a pout. "You don't have to stay here, though."
As if Alisaie was going to fall for that. "Nope, you're stuck with me," she laughed, reclining in her chair.
If possible, May pouted more. Alisaie would call it cute if she didn't expect some sort of nefarious plan to distract her.
"Let's pass the time, then," Alisaie began. "My brother has a lot to say about you. He's quite enamored with you, and I can't help but concede to being curious as to what happened in Ishgard and before to earn that."
May blushed hard, turning away. "I don't really do anything. I just kill things and help the others where I can. They're the smart ones, with the plans."
"Somehow I doubt that," Alisaie chuckled.
The Warrior of Light would not be deterred. "I mean it. They're the smart ones, the Archons, the people who are good with words. I'm good with magic, but that's it. It's why I hate being in this godsforsaken bed while I could be of use."
Part of her wanted to deny it, tell her that she was in no way right. May had never come off as such during the Coil. But she stopped herself, in the unfamiliar position of relating to it.
In the company of Archons must be similar to the studium with Alphinaud. She loved her brother, but damn did she feel like she lived in his shadow at times.
So instead of brushing it off, she smiled. "I think I know what you mean."
May's eyes flickered in shock. Years ahead, Alisaie would realize that was when their friendship really began.
3.
After a plethora of examples in the Far East of May not taking a damn break, Alisaie saw it upon herself this time to take vigil.
That's what it felt like, as Alisaie looked upon her friend. Shinryu had done a number on her, the kind that had bubbled up in fear within her throat upon seeing her.
Lyse assured her it wasn't as bad as it looked, that she was still breathing. Alisaie was of the mind that the qualifier of 'she's still breathing' was not an ideal comfort to be giving.
Alisaie herself still recovered from her own wounds, so the two made good company while Ala Mhigo began to reckon with the immediacy of freedom, consequences and all.
May finally woke up after hours. Alisaie sat on the edge of her bed and jumped in fright when a hand suddenly brushed hers.
"Did I…win…?" May murmured, weakly holding on as if she floated at sea.
Alisaie looked down at those weak eyes, so usually full of life and verve. Instead, she saw a weak woman whose bones were broken and had something of a concussion. Alive, yes, but beaten and bloody.
"Yes," Alisaie whispered, grabbing her hand tightly. "You beat him. Ala Mhigo is free."
A wide, nearly unhinged grin, spread across her face. "Ha," was all she seemed to be able to say.
"How are you feeling?" Alisaie asked, turning her body better to see May.
The Warrior of Light's hair had burned away in places and there were scorch marks on her horns, but the Auri girl still looked powerful. As ever, Alisaie felt drawn to it, wanting to bask in the light and help however she could.
If being at her side when she seldom took rest was the way to do that, Alisaie was content with it.
May thought for a bit before saying, "Like I fought a dragon."
A sliver of a giggle escaped Alisaie's lips before she covered it up, albeit too late.
May grinned widely, showing her teeth. "What was that I just heard?"
"Nothing."
"Was that a giggle?"
"You heard nothing of the sort!"
May laughed and abandoned her teasing. With a breath of levity in the room, May deigned to ask about all that had happened.
It didn't amount to much conversation, since Alisaie was kept out of the loop mostly. The Scions were well familiar with their two members who were wont to work themselves to death, and decided that a lack of direction would curb that tendency.
It didn't work as intended, as both women wanted to find out more. But each saw the other's injuries and bit back those words, so as to keep the other resting.
Or maybe that was the Scions' plans all along.
4.
For once, the two didn't find themselves in this position by nature of May's injuries. The Crystal Exarch had bid them rest, and Alisaie had asked May if she wanted company.
In truth, she had an ulterior motive for asking such. While the events of Holminster Switch did necessitate a rest, it was an apology on Alisaie's lips.
May sat on the bed, a hairsbreadth away from sleep. Alisaie sat next to her, each up against the wall as the night bled into the room through the window.
"May?" she whispered softly.
"Mmph," May mumbled unintelligently.
"Are you awake?" Alisaie asked, suppressing a grin.
"Yeah."
She said nothing after that, dwelling on her words. Alisaie could feel May's eyes on her, but they didn't push. She waited, patiently.
"Before Ghimlyt, I…" Alisaie lost her words. Why? Why was it so hard to say?
May reached out and grabbed her hand. "You don't have to, if it's too hard."
Damn this woman. Too good for any of them.
"I'm sorry."
The Warrior of Light—or was it Darkness now?—reeled back with shock on her face. "Whatever could you be sorry for?"
That faith she had in Alisaie, in all of them, it warmed her. The bonds between the Scions, though far from their world, had never been stronger. In this foreign land, that they had each other was ever a comfort against the pain of the world.
"For leaving you," Alisaie said. And once she started, the words poured out. "I made you promise—promise!—not to leave me like the others. And then I…I was the one to leave you. Alone, without anyone."
She'd been bottling up the words for a while, nigh on a year. When May'd come to the First, she'd been bursting to say them, but had been swept up in the storm that was the Warrior of Light. Truly, there was always something to fix or fight when May was around, with no fault to the woman herself. Perhaps it was that she was there where she was needed.
"Hey."
Alisaie looked to her.
May smiled, kindly. "I don't hold it against you."
"But I left you alone."
Her friend's smile faltered. "I…don't like being alone. But I came and found you. All of you." May's eyes steeled. "And I would cross any number of worlds to find all of you again."
As if the discussion was over, May leaned her head on Alisaie's shoulder and closed her eyes. "If you need forgiveness, you have it," May whispered. "All of you will always have it."
She passed into sleep while Alisaie sat there as a pillow, listening to the rhythmic breathing from her companion.
"Thank you," she finally said.
5.
May was damn near dragged to her bed after Paglth'an.
"Why in the seven hells are you up?" Alisaie shouted. "You just killed Bahamut—again! I refuse to believe the healers cleared you to be up and about."
For all she was compared to a storm, hurricane Alisaie was much fiercer. May flinched and mumbled something about having cleared herself.
Alisaie's eyes flashed and no sooner were the words uttered was May in a bed within the sultana's palace.
"I can't believe you!" Alisaie shouted, concern bleeding off her like watercolor. "After all this time, still you push yourself too far!"
May accepted the beratement like a scolded child and waiting for Alisaie's fire to fade. And fade it did, and Alisaie plopped down in a chair, exhausted.
"I'm sorry," May finally said.
Alisaie looked up, surprised. "For what?"
"For worrying you."
No for pushing herself, for worrying her. It concerned part of her, as if this hero of the people would push herself as hard as possible until she broke. But an equal part of her was just happy she understood what it was like when May faced primals. Cure for tempering or not, they'd no way to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Which meant May faced these dangers alone.
Alisaie smiled, softly. "A lot of people would be distraught if you didn't come back home."
May echoed the smile. "Home…I haven't had one of those in a while."
"You fool, the Scions have been your home," Alisaie said, as if it were an afterthought.
May said nothing, but the warm glow about her said enough. Alisaie was glad to have caused it.
6.
Her eyes were red from crying.
May felt awful about it, knowing her delay was the cause of it. Her fight with Zenos had been necessary, but from how the others told it, she came back within an inch of death.
By the Twelve, did she look it too. Her entire body had been seen to with bandages and all manners of healing magicks. And while she knew she'd be fine, perhaps it was necessary for the other Scions to fuss over her. It was the least she could give them after taking everything on by herself.
And Alisaie was crying.
May hadn't put up any fight as Alisaie dragged her (gently) to the Baldesion Annex to rest. The others exchanged knowing looks and forsook their well earned right to be at her bedside.
"I'm sorry," May whispered as Alisaie helped her into bed.
"You came back, that's what matters," Alisaie replied in kind, brushing tears away. "But don't you think about getting out of that bed."
May laughed, though it hurt. "There's room to join me, if you like."
She'd meant it as a jest, mostly, but Alisaie took it at full value and climbed over her. May stared at her as she lay down beside her, staring into her eyes.
"No more heroic sacrifices or risks or whatever crazy plans you hatch up," Alisaie said. "Promise?"
May drew her into a loving embrace and held her, pressing her forehead against hers.
"Promise."
Author Notes: I beat Endwalker last night, didn't sleep, and had FEELINGS. I've never done the 5 & 1 prompt before and decided to just write something purely for myself.