A Night Returned
One hundred years of endless Light. Generations upon generations that have never known a single dark night in their entire lives.
Then, all of sudden, the sky split apart like phoenix wings, revealing that endless sea of stars that people only ever heard about in stories.
After the initial shock had passed, a different story began making its rounds. The legend of a great hero, coming to save this world from the Light.
The Warrior of Darkness.
Ironic, isn't it?
They say one really only comes to appreciate things when they were gone. Friends and family, whose presence was one of life's constants, could be gone from one day to the next, leaving a hole behind that reminded one just how much they meant. A beloved pet or a treasured item could be the same.
And so was the sky.
Looking up into the night's sky and letting her mind simply wander, in a way she had taken such a thing for granted. It was the sky, after all. It wasn't going anywhere.
But having to spend days with nothing but bright glowing white above her had quickly made her miss something so simple, yet precious as night.
And now that she could look upon the star-covered sky once again, there was really only one thing that came to mind...
It was absolutely beautiful.
A smile formed on her lips as she watched the stars twinkle away through one of the crystal domed roofs of the Crystarium, only looking away when the sound of nearby laughter caught her attention. The short time she had been here, S'eni had quickly realized that the people of this city were a determined lot, eager to do their part in fighting the Light. But tonight it was the first time she was seeing them happy.
With almost childlike glee, they were staring up at this unknown, dark sky, unable to look away. She had to chuckle when two men actually collided with one another because they were so transfixed by it.
It hadn't come cheap of course, the earlier attack of the Lightwarden on Holminster Switch had taken many lives and left even more injured and without a home. But that was a worry for tomorrow. Tonight was a time to celebrate that first tentative step on that road to saving their world.
"Want another one?" a voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she turned her gaze towards the woman standing there. It was Cyella, the Wandering Stairs' bar wench.
Looking at her tankard, she considered the offer for a second before pushing it over to the other woman. "Sure, why not?"
The ale was pretty good after all.
"Coming right up," Cyella said, taking it by the handle and returning towards the bar where Glynard was already preparing more drinks. As she watched the Elf fetch her another drink, a set of light footsteps approached her, and she looked up to see none other than her mysterious host walking towards her, the staff he usually carried around with himself nowhere to be seen for once.
"Crystal Exarch," she greeted him. "Come to check up on your people?"
"In part." He chuckled. "But also to see how our hero is doing. Do you mind if I sit down?"
Her eyebrows rose in clear amusement. "Last I checked, you kind of run this place, so not like I could say no."
"Oh, you could." The corners of his lips rose. "But I would probably be very sad for the rest of the evening."
"And we can't have that now, can we?"
As he sat down on the stool next to her, S'eni took in his appearance. In this now newfound darkness illuminated by only a few lights that had been hastily manufactured, the faint glow of his crystalline body parts stood out even more now.
A moment of silence passed between them in which the Crystal Exarch watched the citizens gathered in the tavern, the smile on his lips growing, before turning his attention back to her. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Fine, all things considered, but also pretty beat. I wasn't really expecting to head into battle so shortly after coming back from Eulmore," she replied.
"Yes, the situation changed much more rapidly than I expected," he agreed. "But it also worked in our favour. Saved us the trouble of looking for it. The others will undoubtedly be more elusive."
"Hm." She hummed, shortly followed by a yawn. "Well one thing's for sure. I'll be sleeping like a rock tonight."
"I think tonight we'll all be sleeping the sleep of the righteous."
"Here you go," Cyella's voice chimed in, shortly followed by a freshly filled tankard being placed in front of her. A look of surprise then crossed the other woman's features when she saw who else was sitting here. "C-Crystal Exarch! Now that's a rare sight. Here to celebrate the night too?"
"Actually," he said and began rising to his feet. "I just wanted to wish my friend here a good night. Besides, I'm not much of a drinker. Well then, S'eni, have a good night."
"Don't stay up too long," she replied, taking a sip from her ale.
"Hah, don't you worry. I shall be sleeping in good time." With a final wave, he left. The two of them watched him leave for a moment before Cyella turned towards her.
"Yes?" S'eni asked when she saw the other woman's expression.
"I didn't know you were friend's with the Exarch. Hmm." The Elf stroked her chin. "Could I borrow your time for a moment tomorrow? I'd like to introduce you to some people. Don't worry, there'll be something in it for you."
Considering that offer for a moment, she nodded. "Sure, I'll come by. Unless there's an emergency like today."
"Thanks," Cyella said with a smile. "Enjoy your drink!"
After the bar wench had left again to tend to the next customers, S'eni went back watching the people, letting out the occasional chuckle at their merriment while she drank. Once done rose to her feet as well, but instead of heading to the Pendants, where her bed was already eagerly waiting, she made for the Exedra, deciding to follow Alphinaud's example for a little evening stroll.
It was such a beautiful night after all.
Stepping outside, her eyes immediately landed on the Crystal Tower, its glow wrapping the entire plaza in a blanket of soft blue. It was still so unbelievable that it was here at all, its gate wide open.
One of the first things she had done as the Exarch had shown her around, was to ask what had happened to G'raha, and as the words he had told her echoed in the back of her mind, a frown began to form on her face.
"I'm afraid I found no such man inside the tower when it passed into my care."
Just like the presence of the tower on this world, her friend's absence was a complete mystery, one that the Exarch had assured her they would try to uncover when the immediate threat had been taken care of. But still—
What happened?
With a shake of her head, she resumed her walk. Her eyes shifted away from the tower and towards the steps leading up to it, where the lone guard keeping watch was too busy staring up at the sky to actually pay attention to his surroundings.
A sudden, very familiar ache made her stop in her tracks, her hand shooting up to her forehead reflexively as it turned into a painful throb. The Echo. Within a second, her vision blurred as her mind was flung across time…
The tower's gate closed behind the two figures stepping outside, both dressed in plain robes and each carrying an expression of deep thought on their faces. As they began walking down the staircase, one of them spoke up.
"Tell me, Urianger. Is what you saw really true?" Y'shtola asked, looking at her companion.
"Aye." he nodded. "I beheld it with mine own eyes. The Eight Umbral Calamity. And our friend….perished."
She stared at him for a moment, her eyebrows drawn, before turning away and stalking down the stairs.
"Where art thou going?" he called after her.
"The Cabinet of Curiosity," she replied, her face scrunching up and hands balling into fists.
The scene shifted to Y'shtola standing in front of a table, pouring over one of many opened tomes lying about, murmuring softly under her breath as she ran a finger across the words written inside. She stopped, ears perking up at the sound of approaching steps and she glanced over her shoulder to see Moren coming her way, holding a stack of books.
"H-Here. The books you were asking for," he said.
"Thank you. Please put them over there." she pointed next to another stack.
After doing so, the young Hume took a step back and looked at all the books and parchments lying around. "It is rare to find individuals with such a thirst for knowledge, though I can't help but wonder what it is you are looking for."
"Answers..." she replied. "...and the truth."
"The truth you say..."
Y'shtola didn't respond, already having gone back to reading. With every passing moment, her face darkened and soon enough, she slammed the tome shut. "No, that's not it either," she muttered in frustration, putting it aside and immediately taking the next and opening it.
As she began to read, her hands gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white.
The scene changed once again to Y'shtola heading towards the Crystarium's main gate, dressed in a long traveling coat and wearing an expression of determination on her face. She was about to pass through when a voice calling out to her made her stop.
It was the Crystal Exarch. What could be seen of his face from underneath his hood was turned into a frown.
"Are you certain you wish to leave?" he asked her. "I won't stop you, of course, and I apologize if I have somehow offended you. But I assure you that we both wish for the same thing."
A few seconds of silence passed before Y'shtola narrowed her eyes into a piercing glare.
"I am certain," she replied, whirling around and walking away, leaving the gate and the Crystarium behind without looking back. "...just not of your intentions."
Another shift, this time to a seemingly endless-looking sea of trees, their canopies managing to drown out even some of the glaring light in the sky.
Y'shtola was walking down a path, covered by fallen leaves and overgrown with grass that rustled with every step she took. She looked around with calm curiosity.
"So these are the Rak'tika Greatwoods," she thought aloud.
She stopped, pulling a bound leather book filled with notes, and turned a couple of pages until she found a folded piece of parchment. She opened it, revealing a simply drawn map.
After a moment of looking at it and checking her surroundings, she placed it back and resumed her walk.
"Then let's see what secrets may be uncovered here."
...and returned again when the pain receded. Opening her eyes, she slowly turned around and looked into the direction of the city gate.
"Shtola..." She breathed out, warmth spreading throughout her body at seeing her lover in any state that wasn't confined to a bed, but her face soon darkened as her thoughts turned to the exchange between Y'shtola and the Exarch.
What happened between them that would cause her to rush off like that?
Before she could further ponder this new mystery though, a sudden wave of fatigue hit her like a herd of wild Chocobos and her body began to grow heavy as the events of today now well and truly caught up to her.
Guess that one was a little too much, she thought and turned around to head towards the Pendants after all.
After a short conversation with the manager, and learned that the rooms have all been equipped with lamps in light of the situation, she entered her room. With a little sigh, she walked over to the window and opened it, letting in the pleasantly cool evening breeze.
She was just about to walk to the bed when a sudden presence from behind her made her glance over her shoulder at the ghostly form of Ardbert.
"Now you are the Warrior of Darkness. Quite ironic, isn't it?" he asked, and it almost sounded like there was a hit of amusement in his voice.
"You do know..." she turned to face him. "...that this is my room, right?"
"I do. That's what makes it such a good place to talk. What would people say if they saw you conversing with yourself?" he shrugged. "They can neither see nor hear me, or did you forget?"
"No. No, I didn't," S'eni replied, sitting down on the windowsill. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
Ardbert seemed to hesitate for a moment before inquiring, "Those twins. I've seen them fight alongside you in the past. Have you known them for long?"
"Yeah. Not as long as the others, but we've still been through a lot."
"Hm. I figured as much. You'd do well to keep an eye out for their safety. It's easy to lose sight of what's important when you set out to save the world."
Looking away from her, he turned his eyes towards the night's sky instead, his gaze growing distant.
"I wonder when it was...that I lost sight of it?" he asked, more so himself than her. "I just got so tired of it all on my journey: the pain of losing friends...to see their memories trampled upon..." He shook his head, meeting her eyes once more. "You should get some sleep. It was a long day and I wouldn't want to deprive you of an actual good night's rest."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and left, vanishing through the wall just like last time.
"Ardbert..." when she had first met him, there had been a fire burning behind those blue eyes. A fire so strong and intense that it threatened to burn anyone who dared to step in the way of saving a world that had labeled him and his friends as villains.
And now, as she looked out towards the stars for one last time, she found herself wondering if he would be able to find the answers he sought.
Outside the Crystarium, on one of the many hills of Lakeland, stood a lone girl, staring up at the twinkling sea of stars covering everything as far as the eye could see.
Her short white dress and long blonde hair stood out in the darkness of the night, giving her the appearance of a ghost that would be gone as soon as one averted their eyes for just a second.
"So that's what lay hidden behind the Light all this time," the girl said, a note of awe in her voice at this strange, unknown, and slightly frightening sight
She raised a hand, letting it come to rest just above her heart and holding it there for a long moment. "...She's here. I have to see her."
A pair of glowing, crystal blue eyes looked towards the giant tower in the distance, and the girl began to walk.
My, I wonder who that person at the end could be.