Chapter 3:
Griseo wasted no time escorting Inertia to the train station. Her journey was mostly uneventful, except for all the servants of House Nox Fleuret who stopped her on her way out of the manor to say their goodbyes. She hadn't realized just how much it meant to belong somewhere, to be someone worth missing, and now that she was getting ready to leave them all behind, albeit just for a little while, she wished she'd appreciated it more while she still had the time.
The Niflheim soldiers nodded at her as she made her way through the station, acknowledging her autonomy as retainer of the Oracle.
"Hey, kid, slow down!" She knew that voice before she saw her. Aranea Highwind had stopped her in her tracks, gripping her in a bear hug she didn't know the woman, barely taller than she, was capable of.
"Commodore," Inertia laughed, hugging her back. The two had become fast friends after first meeting in the training grounds of the manor, and later at several events hosted by the state of Tenebrae. Aranea was technically a mercenary, hired by the empire to do their dirty work, but oftentimes she was assigned guard duty to the Oracle, and, by extension, her retainer. Seeing her around Fenestala wasn't unusual these days. She wondered who'd spilled to her about her leaving Tenebrae to head for Lucis. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard you were heading to Lucis and wanted to say Sayonara!" Aranea was 8 years her senior, but it never felt like it. The friendship between them had come naturally, and she was probably her only other true friend besides Lady Lunafreya and Gentiana themselves.
Inertia eyed the red MagiTek engine far off in the distance, shining in the sunlight. She whistled. "She's looking good, did you get her all done up for the occasion?"
Aranea laughed, following Inertia's gaze towards her baby. Aranea was a dragoon, and she loved nothing more than being in the skies, whether in combat or flying through the air. "Only the best for the women of House Nox Fleuret," She gave her friend one last hug. "I hate to run, but I kinda sorta technically made a diversion here, and they're gonna catch on if I don't head out soon."
"Where are you headed?" Inertia walked with her back towards her ship, wanting just a few more moments of freedom before heading for Insomnia.
"Gralea," Aranea shrugged. "Nobody told me why, but it's supposed to be important. Biggs and Wedge will throw a fit if we don't leave soon."
"Better not keep the boys waiting, then," Inertia teased. Biggs and Wedge were Aranea's two direct subordinates, but they were still somewhat her friends, too. Even if Aranea hated to admit it.
"I'll never hear the end of it if I keep Niflheim waiting," Aranea shrugged, trotting down the steps and out the nearest gate to head back to her army.
"Be safe," Inertia waved, letting her friend run off. The hand on her shoulder took her by surprise.
"Since when were you and the Commodore close?"
She'd know that voice anywhere, and it sent chills down her spine.
"Ravus."
"Relax, I'm not here to cause you trouble," She wasn't sure what she felt when she saw him. He looked more tired than usual; there were dark circles under his eyes, and his brilliant blues had turned dull. He was taller than she remembered, and his silver hair had grown to his shoulders. She could feel the exhaustion coming from his body, and so she reached a hand to touch his. Even if he and her hadn't ended on the best of terms, she wouldn't let him decay under the empire's slimy hand.
"Stop!" He jerked away from her touch. "I told you not to do that anymore."
"Sorry…" She withdrew her hand, guilty. Griseo had returned out of nowhere, nuzzling the hand that now burned at Ravus's rejection.
"Griseo, how are you, boy?" Ravus offered him his hand, and Griseo nuzzled it affectionately. If Griseo still trusted him, he couldn't have changed that much… right?
"I'm glad you still have a heart left," She smiled in spite of herself, reaching for his hand again.
"I said stop! It's bad enough my sister does that," Ravus ran the hand she'd reached for through his hair, catching his breath. "I don't need you messing with my head, too."
"I'm sorry, Ravus, I was just trying to alleviate your pain," Inertia patted Griseo, unsure of what else to do with her hands. They were itchy now, like they wanted to be busy and didn't tolerate the idleness. "You're exhausted."
"And that's my choice," He was inches from her face now, and it made her swallow.
"The empire is killing you," She murmured softly. She wasn't in the business of speaking ill about the empire in hearing range. She wished the Niflheim soldiers would leave the station, already.
"Relax, they're mine, Inertia," He could see her looking off towards the soldiers lining the platform, and tried to allay her concerns. "Anything you say won't make it past this stop."
"Why did you bring them here?" She gaped at them, but they ignored her, staring ever forward.
"To ensure your safe passage to Lucis," He asserted calmly. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Since when did you care what happens to me?" She scoffed, shouldering her bag. The weight of it was starting to bother her, and she hadn't realized for just how long she'd been carrying the blasted thing. While she wasn't taking more than a bag with her to Lucis, she'd need enough to see her job adequately done while she was there.
"I have always cared what happens to you," He spat. She backed up a little, the intensity of his stare beating down on her like knives. "You and my sister are the only ones that matter to me."
"Is that why you let the empire pull your strings like a puppet?" She challenged him. "Is that why you left me and Luna behind to go play war for a country that doesn't give a shit about any of us?"
He grabbed her wrist, then. The motion was small enough that hardly anyone else in the station noticed, but the strength of his grip, the armor of his gloved hand, tore into her skin, making her wince in pain.
"Mind your tongue," He murmured in her ear. She was unsure if it was a threat, or a warning meant to keep her safe. She shivered, and pulled her hand away from him.
"So is this your grand apology?" She laughed bitterly. "Accosting me on my way to Lucis?"
"I…" He faltered. "I merely wanted to see you there safely, Inertia." He took another step toward her, and she fought the urge to step back. This wasn't the same Ravus she'd grown up with; this was someone else entirely now. Someone she no longer knew. "And to give you this." He pulled something from his pocket, and she eyed his closed hand suspiciously. What could he possibly want to give her? After all this time, all the shit he'd put her through, what was there left for him to give her?
She was surprised when he placed a charm in her hands. A blazing sun profiled by a crescent moon, inlaid with beautiful gemstones she'd never seen before. It was a small thing, and the detailing was meticulous on such a tiny creation.
"What's this for?" She breathed, marveling at it.
"A keepsake," He offered his hand, and she allowed him to take it in his hands. He ran it through his fingers before taking her wrist in his own. Much to her chagrin, the charm bracelet he'd given her years ago still adorned her tiny wrist. He smiled, and he added the charm to it, his fingers lingering longer than they needed to. "A promise I made to you long ago that I intend on keeping." And with that, he turned on his heel, leaving her there alone, suddenly frigid, beside the train. Griseo had to push her towards the nearest car to get her moving, and she wasn't sure if she should fear Ravus now, or pity him.
She was sitting on the bench beside her favorite fountain in the grand garden of Fenestala Manor, watching as the sun set behind the mountains. She didn't know why Ravus had asked her to meet him here, but she would wait anyway, because she trusted him. Even if it meant shirking her afternoon duties. She would prepare for Lady Lunafreya's scolding later, after she met with her elder brother.
Ravus was 23 now, and he'd just graduated from university. She herself was 17, which meant she had only been here for 2 years. She'd only been taken in as Luna's retainer at 15 years old, and while it was old enough for her to be attracted to Luna's older brother, it wasn't old enough to act on the impulse. Whenever he came home from school, he would walk her through the garden, teaching her in the ways of etiquette and diplomacy and love and war for however long she would listen. He'd been surprised when he'd offered to train her to defend herself, only to find her martial skills were quite remarkable. When she'd disarmed and felled him in the training yard, and held her dagger to his throat, their faces inches from each other, she'd wanted so badly to kiss him… but who was she to kiss Ravus Nox Fleuret? He was 6 years older than her, and she was little more than a teenager. And he was Luna's brother. And a college student. Nothing about them was practical. She fled the training grounds and returned to the Manor before he'd even had a chance to yield. To this day he teased her he never truly lost that day.
He was the only one she'd introduced to Griseo. He would play with the fox in the garden, and smuggle him home treats from school, something the local dive bar called an "onion ring." She didn't care; Griseo loved them.
He'd only just returned home from graduation. She had been saddened to learn that she and Luna wouldn't be able to attend; some kind of 'security risk'. At least that's what Iedolas had told them. She didn't care if he was the emperor. He was pretty stupid. They'd welcomed him home with a grand dinner, and gifts, and all the well wishes they could give him. Inertia's favorite part was how happy Luna was to have her big brother home. She'd never seen the two siblings so happy in all her time serving their house. But he'd pulled her aside after the feast, and asked him to meet her here, in the garden, on their bench, at sunset. He'd offered her nothing else, instead running off to pick up little Lucille, the House's highest steward's 3 year-old.
So here she sat, staring at the sunset, waiting for him to arrive. It didn't take long. As the clouds began to dance pink and purple, he rounded the corner, his shock of silver hair falling in his eyes. It was such a shame, too - he had the most beautiful eyes, like Luna. She wondered why he was letting it grow; in all the time she'd known him, he'd kept it short.
"Hey, Inertia," He smiled down at her, and she beamed back up at him, happy to have him home.
"Ravus!" She was on her feet in seconds, throwing herself toward him for a hug. But he shied away from her, and only then did she notice he was hiding something behind his back. She eyed him suspiciously. "Whatcha got there?"
"What have you got there," He corrected her, though he rolled his eyes when he said it. Part of the joke they shared was that, even as he corrected her speech into more proper English, he preferred her casual tongue, and hated the fact he even had to tell her to fix the way she spoke. She chuckled at his light teasing, clearing her throat.
"What have you got there, sir Nox Fleuret?" She enunciated every word with precision, and he flashed her a two-thousand gil smile. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she tried not to blush.
"I got you something," He seemed a little shy, sheepish even, and Griseo bounded over, sure it was for him. "Sorry big fella, it's not for you this time." Disheartened, the fox trotted off with his many tails between his legs. Perhaps if he went and found Umbra or Pryna somewhere he might feel better. But she lost her train of thought when Ravus presented her with a small box. She cocked her head in confusion. The thing was beautifully wrapped, and she was afraid to even crease the paper with her suddenly ugly, dirty fingers. He laughed at the way she crinkled her nose at the thing. "Go on, open it."
Tentatively, she peeled the tape away from the wrapping paper, slitting the paper with a nail as gently as she could. Ravus laughed at her.
"It's meant for opening, Inertia," He teased her. "Just tear it open." Several agonizing moments later, she'd gotten it open, and blinked down at the thing in the box. It was a charm bracelet, and she wasn't sure where to start her hungry eyes. There was a sylleblossom, and a set of crisscrossing daggers, and a bird in flight, and a music note. She stared down at it, lost for words.
"Well?" He asked, impatient. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," She breathed. He took her hands in his own, and for a second her heart stopped, but then she realized he was reaching for the box. He took the bracelet gently, and it looked so small in his huge hands.
"May I?" He asked. She nodded, wordless, breathless, allowing him to take her left wrist in his hand, clasping the bracelet there. He smiled down at it, satisfied with how it fit. "It looks lovely on you."
"Thank you…" She was blinking furiously, unsure of how to proceed. "What's this for?" She blurted it out, tactless and unthinking. She blushed immediately after the words poured from her mouth, unbidden. He laughed lightly.
"I care about you, Inertia," He smiled down at her. He towered over her, even sitting together like this, on the bench.
"Oh…" She felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? No, he couldn't be. She was a fool. He'd been away at college; plenty of hot, older girls there to garner his attention.
"Not merely as a friend…" He continued. "But as a man cares for a woman."
"Me?" She choked on the word, trying not to laugh. "But… you've been away at college this whole time! Surrounded by sexy, sultry coeds!" He laughed, a genuine, hearty laugh. It was like music to her ears.
"Sexy, sultry coeds?" He took her hand in his own, and her heart raced. "What trash gossip magazines have you been reading?"
"I saw it in a.. movie…" She pouted.
"And what movie was that?" He inquired.
"…Girls Gone Wild.." She mumbled, embarrassed. He was laughing again, and it made her feel a little better than before.
"Inertia," He managed between laughs. "That's not appealing to me at all."
"What? They aren't your type?" She asked seriously.
"No. You are," He offered gently. She was sure her cheeks were redder than a tomato by now. He laced his fingers in her own, and she was suddenly very aware of how clammy her hands had become.
"But.. I'm younger than you," She fumbled for the words. "I'm your sister's lady-in-waiting."
"I know," He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she shivered. "And… I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" She was worried now.
"I have to leave again," He cupped her face in his huge hand, and she was stunned into silence. What? He was professing his feelings for her and now he was going to be wrenched away from her AGAIN!?
"What do you mean?" She asked, eyes brimming with tears. "You only just came home."
"I know," He let go of her then, and rose from the bench just to kneel before her on the ground. Even here, he was eye-level with her. "But the empire needs me now that I'm done with school. There's a war coming."
"But we need you," She knocked the empty jewelry box from the edge of the bench in her hysteria, and he eyed it, sad.
"I'll be back," He offered gently. He made her meet his gaze, and she tried not to cry. "And when I come back, you'll be a little older. And then we can be together."
"How long?" She managed weakly. Numbly. He shook his head. "How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know," He admitted honestly. "But know this. As long as the sun rises in the morning and the moon ascends at night, I'll come back to you." And then he kissed her fiercely, holding the back of her head gently as she cried into his lips, unsure of when she'd ever see him again.
Inertia fingered the charm bracelet as she watched the world pass by outside her window. Griseo was allowed in the private cab with her - first class. Only the best for the Oracle's retainer. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Ravus had given her this sentimental thing. She'd long since buried those feelings, ever since he came home and wasn't the same man. He was being molded into a man she didn't recognize, and she was powerless to stop it. Just one more person the empire had taken away from her.
So why did she still wear this bracelet?
If her love for him had died, why did she still wear the one thing she had that connected her to the old Ravus, the Ravus she'd fallen in love with as a girl? Her first and only love?
Because you pity him.
Inertia looked to Griseo's steady face, and she knew in her heart he was right. She cried silent tears that night on her way to Lucis, mourning for the boy she'd lost, and the man he'd since become.