The Light of her Eyes
The hunt for the Archbishop and his Heaven's Ward, now turned primals, continued and their goal was clear: Azys Lla.
At the time we had no idea what they wanted to achieve there, nor did we know the location of this ancient, Allagan ruin, but with the Ascian's involvement, we knew that there was no time to waste.
Young Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light, together with their friend Cid Garlond, chased them deep into the Sea of Clouds where, after many struggles, the way to Azys Lla revealed itself. Yet, as it turned out so many times with places of Allagan origin, getting inside proved to be another challenge by itself.
It was at that time when a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a friend returned.
The calming patter of water followed Alphinaud, Tataru, and S'eni as they returned from Lotus Stand, having just finished their audience with the Elder Seedseer to ask the Elementals for aid in locating Y'shtola.
When she had first heard that neither her, Thancred or Minfilia had been among the bodies discovered in the watercourse underneath Ul'dah a wave of relief had washed over her, only for the worry to return almost instantly as Urianger told them the spell that Y'shtola had used to get away had trapped her within the Lifestream, floating adrift somewhere within the Twelveswood.
"Contrary to its name, the Lifestream is more akin to a raging torrent. Linger overlong in its midst, the aether that formeth one's soul shall be scattered, never to be reformed," he had said.
Time was of the essence.
Thankfully, Kan-E-Senna was all too willing to try and beseech the Elementals, but for them to find Y'shtola in the Lifestream they needed someone whose aether was similar to her own.
As fortune would for once have it, she knew exactly the person that fit the description. And apparently so did Tataru.
"If I remember correctly, Y'shtola's sister is called Y'mhitra and is a member of the Sons of Saint Coinach," the Lalafel said.
"That's right," S'eni replied.
"Oh, you know her?"
"I do." She turned her head to look at Alphinaud, curiosity clear in his eyes. "We met while Cid was preparing the Enterprise."
"I see. I have to admit I always marvel at the number of acquaintances you have." A smile formed on his lips. "But I suppose that's an adventurer's life for you."
Tataru grinned. "Well then, that should make things easier!"
"Alright." Giving them a nod, she gestured for them to follow her. "She's usually at the Apkallu Falls. Let's try looking for her there."
Making their way into Old Gridania, they didn't take long to locate Y'mhitra, standing in front of the falls, just like she predicted. She was staring at the falling water, eyebrows drawn and a hand resting on her hip like it always did when she was deep in thought.
S'eni noticed her ears twitch as they approached her, making Y'mhitra look in their direction. Her eyes grew when they fell upon them.
"S'eni?!" she exclaimed, turning to fully face her, before hurrying over to meet them halfway. "Thank the Twelve! When I heard that the Scions were being pursued I tried contacting Shtola and you, but I couldn't find a single trace of you two."
The other Miqo'te looked her over as if to check her for wounds, before breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Hello to you, too," S'eni replied with a smile, but then grew serious. "I'm afraid we'll have to catch up later."
"What do you mean?"
"Lady Y'mhitra, it's an honor to meet you. " Alphinaud cut in, bowing politely. "My name is Alphinaud Leveilleur, and this is Tataru Taru. We too are Scions."
Y'mhitra looked between the three of them, before focusing her gaze on S'eni. "What's going on? It's about Shtola, isn't it?"
"Mhm." S'eni nodded and began to tell her what had happened after they had made their escape into the watercourse beneath Ul'dah. A look of startled surprise crossed her features when she mentioned how Y'shtola had used the forbidden Flow spell to escape the traitorous Crystal Braves and that she was now trapped in the currents of the Lifestream.
"Now I know why I couldn't reach her. A forbidden spell!" the other Miqo'te buried her face in the palm of her hand. "Oh, Shtola...How could you be so reckless?"
"That's why we wish to ask for your help," Alphinaud said. "For the Elementals to find Y'shtola they need to be presented with aether akin to hers."
Removing her hand, Y'mhitra nodded. "Of course. We were born of different mothers, but we share our father's blood. I hope it will be enough for the Elementals."
"Don't worry," S'eni said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it will."
At least she hoped so.
The journey to Evershade was a quiet one, none of them saying anything as the fear that they might already be too late grew with every step as they came closer to the meadow that was home to the ancient guardian tree.
As they arrived, they found the Elder Seedseer waiting alongside her two siblings and her personal guard, standing in the shallow waters surrounding it. The elder Padjal's gaze landed on Y'mhitra almost instantly and she offered her a bow in greeting, before addressing them all.
"Then we are complete." She looked at her siblings. "Raya-O, A-Ruhn. Let us begin."
The two younger Seedseers nodded in unison, then followed their sister to the foot of the tree.
"Oh, great ones," Kan-E-Senna began, raising her staff into the air. "We have come to you with a humble plea. Let a drifting soul return; lead her to us."
S'eni watched as each of the three Seedseers staves started to radiate a light of pure aether.
"Please, Y'shtola..." Tataru said next to her, hands folded in prayer. "Please come back to us..."
Her heartbeat going quicker with every second that passed, she curled her hand into a tight fist. Shtola...
She had to come back!
Then, out of nowhere, a twinkle appeared in the air, followed by another, and another, until there looked to be a cluster of dazzling stars hovering above.
"I have her!" Kan-E-Senna suddenly called out, raising her head. "Now!"
Raya-O-Senna and A-Ruhn-Senna raised their staves to join that of their elder sibling. A blossom of blinding blue light appeared above them, making her raise a hand to shield her eyes. Little by little, a shape started to form, revealing arms, legs, and finally that oh so familiar face, as the light started to pull away while she was slowly lowered to the ground.
When the light had fully faded, Y'shtola was lying in front of the Seedseers, like a baby freshly born into the world.
"Shtola!" Y'mhitra ran towards the group, slipping down onto the ground next to her sister after one of the Elder Seedseer's guards had covered Y'shtola's body with a blanket.
Not being able to take it anymore, Tataru started to head over as fast as her short legs could manage and it took S'eni all of her willpower to not do the same. But Kan-E-Senna raised a hand to stop them.
"A room has been readied at the Roost," she said, then glanced over her shoulder at her guards. "Take her there, swiftly."
With a nod, one of them picked Y'shtola up and started carrying her out of the meadow, Y'mhitra not once leaving her sister's side and soon being joined by Tataru. Releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding, S'eni followed suit, falling in step next to Y'mhitra as soon as she caught up with her and glancing over at her friend's face. She looked almost as if she was asleep.
Relief started to flood her very being, and she offered a silent thank you to the Elementals for returning Y'shtola to her.
It was late afternoon when S'eni walked through the hallway of the Roost, the sound of her boots reverberating off the wooden floor.
As soon as they had arrived at the Carline Canopy, their group was already awaited by two members of the Conjurer's Guild, who took Y'shtola and placed her inside the room having been arranged for her.
Then the waiting game had started, as nobody knew when exactly she would regain consciousness once more.
While Y'mhitra had gone to join Y'shtola and put her own conjuring skills to good use, Alphinaud had gone to the Lotus Stand to give his thanks to the Seedseers. With only the two of them left, Tataru had requested for her to go on a small errand. She didn't mind, as it gave her something to focus on.
By the time she had returned, the Lalafel had welcomed her back with the news that Y'shtola was awake.
Now, holding the two packages she had retrieved, she came to a stop in front of the door where her friend was waiting for her.
As Alphinaud reached out to knock on the door, S'eni found the tip of her tail curling itself around her lower leg and she had to force herself to pull it back into place.
Stop being nervous, she berated herself. It's just Shtola.
"Come in," that familiar, husky voice called out, and despite what she had just told herself, she couldn't help the little flutter her heart did when the door finally opened and she saw her sitting on the bed; alive and well.
"Y'shtola!" Tataru exclaimed, running towards their returned friend. Wrapping her tiny arms around her as best as she could, her voice grew thick and tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "I'm so glad you're back!"
"Tataru..." S'eni heard Y'shtola say while placing the items she was carrying onto the nearby table, smiling at the fondness in her voice as the other Miqo'te was consoling the Lalafel.
She waited until Tataru was calm again, before approaching the bed, and her smile grew wider as Y'shtola turned to look at her.
"You're safe..." Her friend said, a relieved breath passing her slightly parted lips. "Thank the Twelve."
"I'm glad to see you well again," Alphinaud said. "Do you feel strong enough to talk?"
"I am, Master Alphinaud." Y'shtola looked at her sister, offering her a small smile. "Would you give us a moment, please?"
"Of course," Y'mhitra replied and rose from her chair. Walking past them, she sent S'eni a grateful smile, before leaving the room.
"Well then," Alphinaud began when the door closed. "Tell us what happened. The tunnels were completely collapsed."
And so she did. While Y'shtola recounted what had happened, S'eni decided to watch her friend. She must have been rather obvious about it since the other Miqo'te shot her a glance, the corners of her lips quirking upward in amusement, and she couldn't help a silent chuckle.
For a brief moment, their eyes met—
What in the Seven Hells?!
—and the smile on her lips fell.
Eyes that were once a mint green were now a silvery white, like the morning mist, touched by sunlight. Beautiful in their own right, but so very different.
What happened to them?
She was startled out of her musings by Y'shtola's next question. "What about the others?"
"They remain unaccounted for. You're the only one we managed to find," Alphinaud replied, his eyes downcast. "It was all my fault. My Crystal Braves pursued you that night. I destroyed the Scions of the Seventh Dawn."
"No, Master Alphinaud." Y'shtola shook her head. "You were the one to keep the light of hope alive. If the others were here they would surely agree."
"Don't worry, the others are alive and well, I'm sure of it." Tataru then said. "We'll find them!"
Sighing through his nose, Alphinaud nodded. "You're right, Tataru. Let's find our friends and rebuild the Scions."
"That sounds better already," Y'shtola said with a smile. "Then it's time for me to get back up."
Using her hand to push herself off the mattress, Y'shtola slowly rose back to her feet, taking a deep breath to gather herself.
"I have a change of clothes for you. I made them myself while we were staying in Ishgard," Tataru said with no small amount of pride in her voice and for a moment S'eni even forgot about Y'shtola's eyes.
First Alphinaud, now Y'shtola. Was she the only one that didn't get a change of clothes from Tataru?
With a smile on her face, Tataru turned towards Alphinaud, looking expectantly at him. For a moment, the younger man didn't seem to realize what she meant, before his eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back once it finally dawned on him.
She felt a corner of her lips curl up into a small smirk; it couldn't be easy being the only guy here. Raising her hand, she beckoned him towards the door. "Well, come on. Let's give her some privacy."
The other two's giggles echoed after them until they were out of the door.
Together, they headed down into the Carline Canopy, where they found Y'mhitra sitting at one of the tables.
"Let me guess, my sister is already up and about?" she asked them as they sat down.
"You know how she is," S'eni replied.
"I do." Y'mhitra shook her head. "I wish she would take it a little slower. But I suppose there's no time to lose, is there?"
"I'm afraid not," Alphinaud said.
"Don't worry. We'll keep an eye on her," she promised the other Miqo'te.
"Thank you. I know she can take care of herself, but—Ah, never mind."
"So, Y'mhitra. Why is it that you're here in Gridania and not with your fellow Sons?" the young Elezen asked, clearly wishing for the conversation to head in a more relaxing direction. Not that she could blame him there; they could all use it.
S'eni listened to her for a while, but since she largely knew the reasons already, found herself slowly tuning the conversation out and her mind began wandering. It didn't take long for her thoughts to return to the sight of Y'shtola's eyes.
She couldn't have been the only one to notice the drastic change in color. There was no way that Y'mhitra wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
On top of that, there was something oddly familiar about it; a feeling, tickling in the back of her mind. Closing her eyes, S'eni tried to reach out to it, mental fingers tracing over her memories, inching closer and closer...
All of a sudden, the image of a blond Lalafel sprang up in her mind, sitting next to her and talking amicably with her. A hand rose to remove the shades resting on his small nose, revealing to her a pair of silvery white eyes.
The realization hit her like a Goobbue's punch, knocking the wind out of her with a sharp breath. Opening her eyes wide, she immediately glanced over to Y'mhitra, thankfully still talking with Alphinaud, and the words she had said only a moment ago now rang much differently inside her mind.
She...she had to talk to her. Now.
"Hm? Where are you going?" Alphinaud asked as she rose to her feet and started to head towards the door leading to the Roost's rooms.
"Checking how long they're going to take," S'eni lied.
Taking two steps at a time, she headed upstairs and down the hallway, forcing herself to slow down lest she ran over one of the other guests.
As soon as she had arrived at Y'shtola's room, she raised her hand and knocked.
"Yes?" the muffled voice of Tataru called out.
"It's me," S'eni replied. A moment passed, and the small woman opened the door a gap.
"Y'shtola is still getting dressed."
"Yeah, I figured as much." She bit the inside of her lips. "Would you mind giving us a moment?"
The Lalafel gave her a curious look but nodded. "Sure. I was getting quite thirsty anyway."
"Thanks," she said, giving the smaller woman a smile. As the door opened further, she noticed Y'shtola standing by the bed, dressed in a pair of black shorts and an equally black undershirt.
Tataru let her pass, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. As soon as it was shut, S'eni leaned her back against it.
"So," Y'shtola said after a moment of silence, placing a hand on her hip while turning to look at her. "What is it you want to talk about?"
"...You lost your eyesight." It wasn't a question.
Her friend sighed. "I guess it was a fool's errand to hope you wouldn't pick up on it. The one time for you to be so perceptive too."
"When were you planning on telling us?"
"I wasn't." S'eni opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by Y'shtola's hand. "Because I'm fine. I can still see, just not in the way others do."
"How?"
"I can see the aether of people and things. It's hard to put into words..." she then pointed towards the vase resting on top of the window sill, filled with purple violas. "Take these flowers for instance. I know they're flowers and can even make out their shape, but I couldn't tell you what color they are."
"That's sad…"
"It is what it is."
"So that means when you look at me—"
"I see you, shining bright like a beacon. Your aether like nothing else I have ever seen."
S'eni crossed her arms. "But can you see my face?"
"I can make out enough to hold a proper conversation," Y'shtola said, bridging the distance between them and locking eyes with her. "Right now I'm looking at your eyes, and I can tell that you're frowning."
"Shtola…"
"I'm fine," she insisted and walked back towards the bed to put on the coat that Tataru had made for her. After putting her arms through the sleeves, she sighed. "Eni...Just trust me."
S'eni felt her fingers dig into her arms as she squeezed tightly, eyes never leaving the other Miqo'te while she was buttoning up her coat. Eventually, though, the tension left her and she let her arms fall back to her side, exhaling through her nose.
Pushing herself away from the door, she walked over to her friend and, after a moment's hesitation, placed a ginger hand on her shoulder. "You know I do," she said, biting her lip and averting her eyes. "I'm just...worried."
After fastening the decorative clasp over her chest, Y'shtola turned around and gave her a warm smile, reaching out to return the gesture. "And I'm glad to hear that. It shows that despite everything that happened, you're still very kind."
Her eyes flickered back up, coming to rest on Y'shtola's. Their light was gone, but the look inside them still spoke of that remarkable intellect that was just so her.
Without thinking, she slipped her hand from the other woman's shoulder, took a step forward, and gathered her in a hug. A surprised yelp escaped Y'shtola and for a moment she was too stunned to even move, her arm hanging almost comically in the air before moving to return it.
"It's good to have you back," S'eni breathed out, her head coming to rest on the other's shoulder.
"It's good to be back," Y'shtola replied.
Feeling herself relax for the first time in a while, she closed her eyes and held onto her, simply letting herself enjoy the presence of her friend. She breathed in her scent, like a spring morning after a rainy night. Instinctually, S'eni felt herself squeeze her a little as if to remind herself that she was indeed here; that this wasn't a dream.
Gentle fingers brushed over her back, making her smile.
They remained like that for a few moments longer before stepping back and looking at one another.
"So," Y'shtola began, taking a few additional steps back. "How does it look?"
S'eni looked her friend up and down, taking in her new appearance. It suited her, but—
"It's missing something," she said and glanced over at one of the packages resting on the table. The one from the leatherworker's guild. Following her eyes, Y'shtola turned to look as well, and together they headed over to take a peek inside.
"Oh my..." the other Miqo'te said as soon as the lid had come off, revealing a pair of black thigh-high boots. Reaching a hand out she ran her fingers across them.
A low whistle escaped S'eni. "Another pair for the collection?"
"First pair actually, but I have been meaning to get some for a while now." Y'shtola picked the package up and carried it over to the bed.
A chuckle escaped S'eni at the sight of her friend taking in her new pair of boots with the same appreciation a gourmet would have for an excellent dish and fine wine. Guess who else hasn't changed?
"Well, I take that as my cue to leave."
"Tell the others I won't be long," Y'shtola said while slipping one on.
"Will do." Leaving the room, she gave the closed door a long look, before starting to head down the hallway.
Y'shtola was strong, even with the loss of her regular sight, and she knew without a doubt that she could take care of herself. But she also was very stubborn, and sometimes a little too proud to ask for help.
A little smirk formed on her lips.
But what kind of friend would she be, if that stopped her from helping her anyway?
Ayyyyy, Y'shtola is back. Applause.
Her blindness is such an odd thing, because she seems to not be blind at all most of the time. She can actually still read books and that one Tales from the Storm side story had her 'see the fire in Lyse's eyes', so clearly she can still make out little details as well. So I guess I'll just roll with that.