STORY 1 - TRAVEL


AU timeline: Around the end of "Change of Plans"


G'raha woke up with a start, blinking hard and looking around wildly. Gasping at the sight of throne room of Crystal Tower.

Surr wasn't here…

He frowned, sitting up and looking down on himself. He was in his old skin. He stretched his arms in front of himself, looking on them with a daze, crystallization gone. He clenched and unclenched his right hand, rolled his wrist, then shoulder, smiling at how different it felt. He rolled his neck, wrapping his hands around it and sighed, feeling only skin under his palms.

Gods… He forgot already how it felt not to be covered by crystal…

He jumped off the crystal throne deftly, marveling at the smoothness of his moves; grinning as he stretched lazily, his arms high over his head, his tail whipping behind him with enthusiasm. Wicked white… He felt so full of energy, it was marvelous…

When they prepared for his travel, he was sure his body will be extremely stiff at best, after more then three years in stasis, so that he felt so well, was surprising. But it was far for him to complain.

Now where was his mate?

He frowned, focusing his senses then smiled softly. She wasn't far… Not in the Tower, which was surprising as it powered up around him slowly, but he could feel her. He thought she will have to be close for this to work, but maybe his soul found it's host before she even reached the Tower?

He left the throne room quickly, rushing down crystal staircases, intent on welcoming her once the gate opens. She'll be surprised probably, he thought with a grin, but he couldn't wait to see her smile.

She was so worried about this. He wanted image of her beautiful smile to erase last thing he saw before crystal vessel flashed, storing his soul for the travel across Rift. She was sobbing, tears rolling down her face, so terrified she will lose him again. But he felt, in depth of his soul it'll be fine. It had to be. He wasn't allowing himself to think otherwise.

He loved her so desperately, he never wanted to be part from her again. And for that, he had to be on the Source, no matter the risk.

And it was fine! He was awake, his body felt great and Surr was near… But she wasn't getting closer… G'raha frowned as he finally reached the gate, twitching nervously, his tail whipping with impatience as he waited till Tower powers up enough so he open the gate. He was too fast, he thought with a chuckle.

Gods… It really felt great to be young again.

Then he blushed, swallowing hard. He couldn't wait to test other aspects of it too… Surr… Twelve, even the thought about her taste send his blood rushing south. How it always felt so intense? He moved his hand to his shoulder, smile on his lips as his fingers reached under his leather vest… then he frowned. Shouldn't his mark be faded after three years? Surr's was when she came to the First. Did the Tower kept his body in stasis so completely it didn't heal over? He sighed, figuring it was possible. He was far from complaining about it.

He was hers and she was his. Always.

And now they can be together again in full, not worrying about anything. Not Tower's pull over him, not about looming Calamity. Gods… He couldn't wait to see her.

Finally… Finally the gate opened and he rushed outside, breathing in deeply. He was free! He laughed out loud, sound bouncing of the walls of the Labyrinth.

Oh, yeah he forgot about it… He laughed again, this time at himself. But where was Surr? Shouldn't she reach him yet? Maybe something stopped her? He still felt her, but she seemed to stay in one place, somewhere outside the Labyrinth.

G'raha frowned, then closed the gate behind him with a thought, sealing the Tower. Not completely, feeling how low was his aether reserve comparing to what he was used to when he was bound to the Tower, but enough that no one would be able to access it.

Done, he rushed down the long corridor, in direction where he felt his beloved. He thanked his good memory as he crossed the Labyrinth, as it didn't take long till he breathed in fresh air, standing over the stairs leading to destroyed Eight Sentinels. He grinned, finally feeling her move, fast, toward him.

He didn't know what stopped her before, but he decided to just wait for her, sitting down on last stair, leaning back on his elbows and stretching his legs in front of him.

Soon he grinned, spying small, white-haired Miqo'te rushing toward him across separating them space. Then his grin fell when he saw tears streaming down her face. He jumped up immediately, opening his arms and catching her, almost falling over as she jumped on top of him.

"Raha…" Surr sobbed, coiling around him tightly. "Raha… I thought… Gods…"

"Surr," he wrapped his arms around her, petting her back in comfort. "It's alright, my love. I'm fine. Everything is alright."

She buried her face in his shoulder, still sobbing desperately and shaking. What...?

He frowned, sitting back down on the stairs, and sighed when she coiled around him even tighter, her sobs not lessening in the slightest.

"I thought… I… lost… you… Raha," she choked out against his skin between her sobs. "I… didn't… feel… you… when… Gods… It… hurt so much…"

Wicked white… She was so upset… He whimpered softly, his heart breaking for her. G'raha coiled his arms around her tightly, running his hand over her long hair gently, rubbing his cheek against her head, purring soothingly and waiting patiently till she calms down.

Then his hand froze when he realized something. Her hair was longer. On the First, it reached past her shoulders with a adorable fringe that she would blew on often with a smirk, as it fell in her eyes. Now it almost reached her waist, in lush, pearly-white waves. His eyes opened wide. Like when they first met…

He leaned away, or tried, as she still coiled around him desperately.

"Surr," he whispered, delicately untangling her arms from around his neck and pulling her back gently. "Surr… what…" his voice died in his throat as he framed her face with his hands, looking at her carefully.

She was younger. Younger then in the First. His heart started to pound furiously.

"Raha…?" her tearful, purple eyes met his and she sniffed miserably, her hands moving to fist in his vest. "How could you…?" she sniffed again, more tears rolling down her face. "You can't… leave me..." she started to sob, wrapping around him again as he let go of her face, his arms moving around her numbly as his unfocused gaze trailed over her shoulder. "You… can't…"

Something went wrong… He swallowed hard, his arms tightening around her. He was back on the Source, back in his skin…

But in wrong time…


Twelve… He was here, he was back… Her Raha…

Surr couldn't calm down, couldn't stop crying, wrapping around him like her life depended on it. Felling like he would disappear again if she let go.

She was so numb the whole morning, curling tightly on top of his bedroll, hoping and praying that it was just a bad dream, a nightmare, and he just left for his morning training like he sometimes did.

She heard other scholars and engineers gathering their things, calling between each other, relieved to be done here and go back to their homes.

She wrapped her hands tightly around her ears at that, whimpering softly, because it wasn't true, and Raha will be right back and her soul wasn't bleeding, because her mate wouldn't leave her… Gods, please, please….

Then she felt him getting closer and she thought she snapped and went insane. She didn't care, she felt him again. So she jumped up and run out of the tent, whining, ignoring Cid's surprised scream behind her, because she could feel Raha again.

And he was here. He was. All gorgeous red hair, crimson eyes; hugging her tightly and running his hands soothingly over her back, cooing softly against her ear. Her Raha, her mate…

"Raha…" she sniffed weakly, so tired and drained, sagging against him finally. But he was here… "You can't leave me… Please…"

She didn't care about the wish of the ancients, she thought, her nails digging in his vest. She didn't care about the dangers of Crystal Tower. She didn't. She won't survive losing him again. She can't.

She heard him sigh quietly, leaning his cheek against her head as he wrapped his arms around her harder.

"I'm not going anywhere, Surr," he tilted his head, trailing his lips over her cheek gently. "I'm here to stay," his voice took on a sudden hard edge, but she was too exhausted to think, resting against him. So happy as his smell filled her head. "Consequences be damned."


So, basically... when they attempt travel from the First in "Change of Plans," G'raha accidentally lands back in ARR, pretty much the same day as he sealed Tower originally ^_^