So I wrote this at the end of last year after finishing the game. I've been part of the fandom for a while, since the game came out, but never actually wrote about it until this.
Anyway, this takes place right before the World Tree, and is very strongly Pyrex.
Rex stared at the roots of the World Tree thoughtfully before turning back to the rest of his party. He was exhausted, they all were. Their battles with Jin and Malos on the Cliffs of Morytha, as well as their trek through the dangerous Land of Morytha itself, had taken a remarkable toll on them. At that second, Nia staggered momentarily, her weapons almost falling from her hand. "Guys."
The rest of the party turned their attention to the young salvager. "Why don't we head back to Torigoth, take a day or two to recuperate? It's been a crazy few days and I think we could all use a rest before we start our climb."
Tora started jumping up and down in agreement. "Good idea, Rex-Rex! Tora have great new idea for power-up for Poppi!"
"I agree with Rex. We could definitely all use a couple of days" Nia chimed in.
She gave Rex a long stare, and at that moment Rex knew that they were thinking the same thing. Especially Pyra and Mythra, considering everything they've been through. "It's settled, then."
They were all exhausted by the time that they finally reached the inn at Torigoth. Barely making it to the steps by the fountain that led up to the inn before they collapsed, the party sat still, their breath coming in ragged pants as they gathered their strength in the cool air of the Gormott evening. Rex was the first to make a move once again, struggling to his feet after only a few minutes, with Pyra just seconds behind him and ready to catch him should he collapse. "We'll go ahead and secure rooms. Three rooms okay with everyone?" he asked.
A chorus of agreement greeted Rex's question, and he nodded. Turning towards the inn, he and Pyra climbed the last of the wooden steps together, approaching the woman at the counter. She looked up at the sound of their footsteps, smiling warmly at them in greeting. "Hi, what can I do for you both this evening?"
Rex smiled, gesturing behind him to where the others were sitting on the steps. "We'd like three rooms for the night, please."
The woman nodded in understanding and inquired a bit about their further needs before doing a couple of quick mental calculations. "That'll be 200 gold for the night, please"
Her head tilted slightly, thoughtfully, as Rex reached for his coin pouch. As his fingers pulled it from his belt, however, there was a sharp intake of breath. "Hang on. You're the ones who've poured so much of your time and money into helping develop the economy here by getting the stores a bigger variety of products. Rex and Pyra, right?"
The pair glanced at each other for a couple of seconds before Rex nodded to the clerk. "That's us."
"In that case, since you've given Torigoth such a boost… 100 gold for the night".
Rex carefully counted out one hundred gold coins onto the counter. "Here you are. Could you please get the rooms ready as soon as possible? We are pretty tired."
The woman, whose name Rex now remembered from previous stays at the inn was Helmie, nodded. "Of course, I'll have them made up for you right away."
"Thank you."
Rex tossed and turned in his bed that night, unable to sleep. The soft, steady, breathing of Zeke and Tora, as well as of Gramps and Nia's Blade Dromarch, filled the quiet room. None of them had bothered with opening the room's small window before turning in, which made sense considering how tired they had all been when they arrived at the inn in the first place, and the temperature in the room was making Rex just uncomfortable enough that he couldn't drop off to sleep. Groaning, he slipped from his bed and pulled some shoes on, then stepped out into the hallway. "Couldn't sleep, Rex?"
Rex glanced up. The door of one of the other rooms was open, and Pyra was standing in the doorway, giving him a concerned look. He shook his head. "Too hot in there. Thought I might go outside, get some fresh air."
"Do you mind if I join you? Nia's talking in her sleep again. I'd forgotten how bad it could get, honestly. It felt like Mythra would probably try and kill her if I didn't get out of there."
Rex smiled slightly. "I was hoping you'd ask that."
The pair made their way out of the inn, greeting Helmie in soft voices as they passed by her desk, and walked down to the small pond nearby. Sitting down on the grassy shorelands of the small pond, they watched the small silver fish darting through the water. Pyra sighed softly in satisfaction, resting her head against Rex's shoulder. Rex instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, feeling the warmth produced by her fire powers through his thin top as she shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable against him. "I'm glad we got to the Cliffs of Morytha in time. I can't imagine what I'd do without you" he admitted quietly after a few minutes had passed in silence.
Pyra made a quiet humming sound in agreement. There was silence for a few minutes, during which Rex thought she'd fallen asleep before she spoke again. "Honestly, Rex? I'm glad you got there in time too. I know what Mythra and I said about our real reason for asking you to take us to Elysium, to beg the Architect to let us die, but… I love this world because you're in it. Mythra and I both do. I can't imagine what either of us would do without you either"
The two of them lay back, staring up at the stars sparkling in the sky up above them. They could see the green of the World Tree glimmering faintly in the distance, and Rex sighed. "Back before I met you and our friends, when I was still living on Gramps' back, I used to stare up at the sky every night and wonder if the stories about Elysium, about a paradise with space enough for everyone to live, were true. Ultimately, I think I would have gone up there either way, but I'm glad we're going up there together. Pyra… Mythra… there is nobody else in this world I'd rather go on this journey with than the both of you."
"The feeling's mutual, Rex…"
There was a soft sighing sound from next to him and when he turned his head slightly, he could see that Pyra's eyes were shut and she was slumped against his shoulder, breathing deeply and gently. Chuckling gently to himself, he shifted slightly enough that the red-haired Aegis would be comfortable in her sleep and closed his own eyes, falling asleep under the open air of Torigoth with his partner and Blade by his side.
