Though logically, he was prepared for it, Raha couldn't help the gasp when Damon easily launched their shared body in the air above the crystalline planes of Mor Dhona. Hovering over the space between the spire of the Crystal Tower and the visible in-the-distance battlements of Revanant's Toll, his Ancient hummed with consideration, observing the area below them.
And even if he knew Damon's plan now… he still felt quite shell-shocked when his immortal raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and with terrifying ease, terraformed the whole area to his whim. Gone were the monsters that called the crystalline planes their home, the old Allagan ruins littering the space, and the crystals themselves. The labyrinth guarding the gate to the Tower and Eight Sentinels disappeared as if they never were there in the first place, and so did everything else in a wide radius of the crystalline palace.
When their feet touched the ground in front of the stairs now leading up to the Allagan structure, he felt a gentle, internal push and stumbled a little when they split, gawking in astonishment at the rich, fertile ground under his boots.
"That's… it?" he gasped involuntarily while cringing at how naïve it sounded. Damon's chuckled only confirmed that while his Ancient wrapped his hands around his shoulders and meaningfully turned him toward the direction of the city.
"Far from it, Raha," he replied and smiled when he looked at him over his shoulder and frowned. "This is the… groundwork, let's say," he added, pulling him back until they both stood on the crystalline stairs. Then he wrapped his arm around Raha's shoulders and, keeping him close, raised his free hand, moving it wide toward the perfectly flattened planes separating them from the visible in-the-distance battlements. "Now, however… close your eyes, boy, and imagine the possibilities. Imagine… what would work the best as the foundation of our home, hm?"
He looked in his bright, cyan eyes for a moment before he took a deep breath, steeled his resolve… and did just that. He closed his eyes and, with some apprehension and nearly matching excitement, thought of a perfect home – for him, Senri, and their families. In a kaleidoscope of mixed memories from both of his lives… he smiled involuntarily at how easy it felt – while so not long ago, he would be hard-pressed to even think about any place that he could call home.
"Perfect," Damon hummed with satisfaction by his ear, and he heard another snap that made his ears twitch. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, still gasping with awe to see his… vision realized. A perfectly smooth, crystalline path now started at the bottom of the stairs, widening into a round square that split into more paths leading to various crystalized buildings. The lush greenery and colorful blossoms reminiscent of those filling Ares's greenhouse filled the space between them up to the tall, beautifully carved walls surrounding the area Damon... changed.
Turned into a sprawling city that looked ready to be their home. His and Senri's. Their families and friends – safe and protected… provided for… Now and for the rest of eternity. A somewhat eclectic mix reminiscent of both Amarout and Old Sharlayan – but better than both, with the addition of the best Allagan technology had to offer.
Their home.
Their… Empire.
And by the wide, downright cheerful grin on his Ancient's face when Damon looked around their creation, he felt his heart swell with nearly painful emotion.
"Well done," his immortal focused his bright eyes on his face and raised his hand toward Raha's cheek as his voice softened and his gaze grew fond… and perhaps a tad sad. "You're home, Raha… and nobody, ever, will take it away from you… or from Senri. I promise you that, boy."
Not the confinement of the Tower and not the empty loneliness of the city of scholars… but a place where their families could thrive. He took a deep, steadying breath and rested his hand over Damon's on his cheek, not in the least embarrassed about the fact that his grin was sure to match his Ancient's… even while his eyes burned with tears.
"Thank you," he whispered in a thick voice, even though the words felt too small to express the feeling making his chest ready to burst.
"Don't," Damon pulled his hand back, but not before flicking him on the nose playfully as his grin turned devious. "Now… onto the serious business, my boy. Time for us to prepare for guests, hm?" he chuckled at Raha's expression, then turned and motioned for him to follow as he headed up the crystalline stairs and toward the massive gate. He stopped by it, turning to look at him expectantly, and Raha shook up, skipping stairs as he joined him. He looked up at the gate, and his heart skipped a beat as with merely a thought, the blue plates lit up and then swung open… to stay.
For the first time in over five thousand years, the Crystal Tower stood open… ready to play its part in his Ancient's grand scheme. As he was – now more than ever.
They picked the top of the Tower – for symbolism's sake – to be the scene of his play, and Damon was more than pleased to do away with the massive throne of the old Emperors. As their 'guests' slowly filled the throne room, each sported a look of surprise at the sight of the round table set square in the middle of the crystalline arena. With fourteen seats set around it – for a start – it send a message for them he intended to convey to those brave enough to face the challenge of his idea.
Some of them looked excited, some wary, as they were pointed to stay near the walls by the four gorgeous girls while using the designed for it break in the table's surface, Raha took his place in the middle of the round podium it created. Damon kept his expression neutral as he joined him, and they both patiently waited until the other side of the room – opposite their guests – filled with the Ancient part of their family, making the mortals gasp as they warped in as planned. Each with a neutral look in their bright eyes when they focused on them, ignoring the obvious curiosity and apprehension of the present mortals – especially for whom it was the first time seeing one of them.
Finally, when the door closed behind the last of their guests and each side – mortal and immortal – set in a semi-circle around the room, Raha cleared his throat, and Damon found he barely could bite back a proud grin at the sight of the steady, confident tone when his boy spoke up, looking about the gathered.
"Though all of you are aware of the reason behind this meeting… let's start with the formal introduction," he said calmly and turned his serious, crimson eyes toward him. "Damon, who we can thank for the changes in the area surrounding the Tower… if you can, please, start?"
He nodded theatrically, biting back another smirk with effort, while ignoring the awe his boy's words set on the mortals' expressions, he gracefully moved toward one of the inner edges of the table, in front of one of the seats, while above it looking toward the bright eyes of one of his oldest friends.
"Erebus," he said with a nod, waiting until the Pashtarot, still with that neutral look, moved to stand behind the designed for him seat before he moved to the next one next to it. "Gaia," he introduced in exact same tone, and again waited for his cousin to mirror Erebus's spot. "Artemis, Themis, Hades, Hythlodaeus and… Ares," he continued by each seat, finally smiling only when his husband tossed him his ridiculous, crooked grin breaking the schema… because, of course, he would!
He gave him a warning look before moving back to Raha's side and looked at his boy while raising his eyebrows expectantly. The redhead nodded briskly, then moved toward one of the free seats on his side of the round table with a polite smile, looking toward one of 'his' mortal guests.
"Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo," he said in an even tone, and the blonde Lalafellin smiled with grace and poise moving toward the spot. Set on the edge of the immortal part of the group, the curiosity on her face, when she looked toward the towering figure of Erebus next to her was obvious but short before she turned with a serious expression toward Raha.
"I, Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo, thereby revoke the autonomy of Ul'dah and request my city-state to be accepted into the newly formed Empire of Eitherys," she said in a tone that suggested it was well rehearsed. "As my people chosen representative, I swear loyalty to the throne and to serve as a member of the Convocation to the best of my ability."
"Accepted," Raha said softly, and the woman smiled at him – unaware that he wasn't exactly the boy that spend years as her private counselor… and a good friend. He still smiled back before moving to the next free seat and looking at another of their guests. "Kanna-E-Sanna," he said, and the same exchange followed.
Damon tuned out from the introductions while looking at the present while internally running a checklist of his own.
Seven Ancient to represent their side of the new Empire and Seven mortals to add theirs – an effort years in the making while his boys and their skilled sisters used all at hand to dazzle the mortals with the possibilities of such alliance. The area now surrounding the Tower also served that purpose in a way: showing the world their capabilities – and their more positive aspects, before they'll break the news of the less… pleasant conditions of being part of their creation.
Sultana Nanamo was likely the one to be the least surprised by it, considering the drastic changes that took place in Ul'dah after Raha took it under his wing in this timeline. Kanna-E-Sanna, similarly, after years of dealing with Senri and Merlwyb… Well, she was likely one to be pleased to stop a number of the ships in Limsa's employ from constantly disappearing.
Raubahn Aldynn was chosen to represent Ala Mhigo – all aware of the animosity between Raha and 'Yda' when they were still part of the Scions. Hien stood for Doma – and he smirked, hearing a slight stutter in his boy's voice at his introduction into the new Convocation. Poor Raha was still struggling with some of his counterparts… exploits, if personally, Damon wasn't much surprised – or concerned – about their previous engagements during their stay in the Far East. The prince of Doma was made well aware beforehand that it was nothing but fun – and knowing his honorable nature, he honestly doubted that he would expect any sort of special treatment because of that.
Less surprising was the fact that young Alphinaud was picked to represent Forum and Old Sharlayan – since he could imagine that they saw benefits in using the boy's skill in discourse… not to mention his years-long friendship with their boys and membership in the Scions. Radz-at-Han and Thavnair sent an even younger-looking AuRa boy, Vrtra – if very few were aware of his real nature, and they were asked beforehand to keep it that way for now. With Haurchefant as Ishgard's representative, though, Damon doubted that even if the fact of Wyrm's presence slipped, it would be perceived as an issue. Since the mess of Dragonsong War and under Aymeric's guidance, the frost-bound city was still undergoing the radical changes in how dragons – and other 'issues' – were seen, but it was very distinctively seen as progress on their part that Fortemp's bastard was chosen nearly unanimously… likely, also due to his friendship with Senri, but still.
When all introductions were done, Raha moved next to him once more, and likely only he – and Senri, that alongside O'rahm, took designed for them places where once the throne stood – realized the redhead's nerves before he cleared his throat and looked around the present one after another, taking a confident stance.
Knowing him, it wasn't real – not yet, at least – but he hoped that with more time to adjust and take comfort in his counterpart's memories… eventually, it would be.
And with eternity at hand, he didn't doubt that eventually, both of them would learn the lesson they intended to give them with their bet. Surrounded by family and friends who adored them, it wasn't likely they would be long able to hold on to their sad ideas about their value, as their intervention taught him as well over the eons they spent apart. But while he had literally millennia to learn that he wasn't a toll to be used by others, a hard lesson despite Ares's unconditional love to help him along, he understood that it might take Raha some time to get used to the drastic changes in this fused reality. He did, so he only smiled encouragingly when his boy sent him a brief look in his peripheral vision, radiating confidence and calm across their connection right before they fused into one while leaving his boy in charge as he settled back.
Some of the present gasped, and some others looked only mildly surprised, but when Raha, with a gesture, motivated them to take their seats, none hesitated.
"Thank you all for your trust… and allegiance," he said once all were seated, looking from all sides toward them expectedly. "With the formation of this new Convocation, the council of both mortal and Ancients, we aim to bring prosperity to our star and respective communities. Including – for now – all of the Three Great Continents, eventually, we hope to reach toward our brethren across the seas as well and offer them to be a part of this effort. With time and some recalibration, we also aim to unite with our neighbors across the Rift, and last but not least… We want to make the Source a safe and secure home for all – mortal, immortal, and beast. Toward that goal, concessions would be required on all sides – concessions you agreed upon when asked to join our cause," Raha took a deep breath, and his expression hardened. "There would be no more expansion into the beast tribes' lands in your domains, is one. With the help of those of us who have the Echo, we negotiated with the representatives of each beast tribe within our intended borders, but until we stop threatening their young and their way of life, we can't expect their cooperation. To assure them of our sincerity, each was taught and allowed to summon an improved version of their respective deities – to watch over them and… deter any who think to breach this Convocation's agreements. If we prove trustworthy, we hope that with time we will welcome their representatives among us… while they had been warned that this offer of coexistence is going both ways and any attempt to use said deities to attack others would be addressed by one of our Warriors of Light," he briefly pointed toward Senri and Rahm, who only nodded in agreement, keeping relaxed stance and serious expressions. He smiled at them briefly, then his expression fell as he continued, looking back at the present. "Next… joining us, you agreed to conditions as follows: within your jurisdiction, rape, attempts of such, and slavery are punishable by death. So is the exploitation and abuse of children. Those rules would be executed with prejudice, no matter the wealth, position, or reputation of the accused. By magical means, you will be given… a gift upon leaving this place today. A creature weaved from the energy our Ancient members call dynamis," he looked toward Erebus meaningfully, and the immortal smiled wryly, standing up while resting his hands on the surface in front of him and looking at the mortals in their gathering with narrowed eyes.
"Said creature," he said slowly, and his lips tilted into a sharp smirk. "Damon's invention with my personal… improvements, I might add, will track down and in a very, very painful way devour someone matching its designed trigger. It hunts by recognizing the pattern of emotions that is very specific to the people capable of committing such… things, as we…" he nodded toward Rahm, then looked toward Merlwyb specifically. "…practiced with it well upon the shores of Limsa Lominsa. You can trust us that no innocent would be harmed with its release… and those who will, well, we have no use for within our Empire," he stated and sat back down, nodding toward Raha, who smiled and looked around again. Merlwyn, if anything, looked only relieved to finally know what happened with the missing ships… and safe from anyone's but his boy's awareness, Damon chuckled.
"There would be no bargaining or bribing it," Raha said coldly, and those mortals nodded back at him, making the redhead relax slightly, resting his hands on his hips. "Another condition is one you also agreed upon: all orphans and children without guardians to look after them, you would send here – to this city – to receive care and guidance under our supervision. Many of those, eventually, would be trained as teachers who would return to your cities and teach the next generations the values we would see instilled and flourish within our borders. In exchange, the vaults of the Empire will fund schools and other necessary facilities – including sharing the more… useful information and technical advantages coming from the study of the Allagan technology and – eventually – from any improvements coming from the trade of knowledge with our neighbors, both across the seas and the Rift. You'll also have one of each Ancient member of our group set… an office, so to say, within your city who you can petition for their assistance with using their magic, with some adjustments to account for their personal preferences and situations."
At that, Senri left his post and, with a confident step, moved to stand next to him.
"Erebus, alongside his wife, Nemesis," he stated neutrally, motioning toward the man. "Agreed to continue their efforts in Limsa Lominsa," he pointed that hand toward Merlwyb, who nodded in agreement if looking toward the Pashtarot with a slight frown. "Gridania, in my place, would get the support from Nyx and Cassiopeia," he waved toward the immortal couple standing near the wall. They grinned at Kanna-E-Sanna's somewhat relieved expression at that, while Senri nearly pouted before rolling his eyes and moving on. "Ul'dah gets Hades and Hythlodaeus, while Ala Mhigo: Themis. Doma goes under the patronage of Gaia and Artemis, while Venat would look after Old Sharlayan. Raha and me – alongside our respective Ancients, Damon and Ares – will stay here, coordinating our efforts on both mortal and Ancient side."
While all the present nodded along, exchanging looks and smiles, Damon took it for his cue, seamlessly taking over and making his boy unable to protest his next statement.
"To make it clear to all of you," he said with a sharp smirk. "Though this council's advice and input would be respected and taken under consideration, this will be an Empire, not a Republic. And Raha, the sole person capable of controlling the marvel of this Tower, I think you will all agree, is the best candidate – with my sage input, obviously – to serve as the Emperor. Both he and Senri are immortal now, so there would be no risk of any future fights over the succession, and with all of you knowing him… I believe that there would be no objections?" he said hauntingly, and only he was aware of Raha's surprised squeak – something that they needed to work on – when all their 'guests' cheered.
After he escorted the last of their guests to the gate, Senri wasn't that surprised to find that following his bond to his redhead led him to the edge of Silvertear Lake within the city. He found Raha sitting on the edge of the crystalline bridge, his boots set next to him as his mate dipped his feet in the water while staring with unseeing eyes at the starlit skies above them. He didn't even try to be quiet, but his lover still didn't seem to notice him until he settled down behind him and wrapped his arms around his chest. He didn't startle but simply leaned back into his chest, resting the back of his head against Senri's shoulder as he wrapped his hands around his forearms.
"Do you think it's going to be okay?" Raha finally whispered after they sat like that for a long moment, simply watching the stars in comfortable silence.
"I think…" Senri sighed and tilted his head to brush his lips against his lover's throat. "…it's going to take time and work, of course, and… probably some trips and stumbles along the way, but… I'm pretty optimistic, babe. With you and Damon at the steer… how could it not?"
"I… want to believe that and that I'll prove worthy of…" his mate started and trailed off when Senri delicately set his hand over his mouth, smoothing his thumb over his cheek.
"We won't be proving anything, Raha," he whispered against his ear, looking toward the stars again. "They trust us to do our best… and that's what we will do, yes? In the end… all that matters to me is that you're with me, at my side, now and for the rest of forever. All else… we will deal with as it comes, just know this: I'm here, with you, and whatever you will ever need of me…"
Raha pushed his hand back and turned around within his embrace, then silenced him with a kiss that made Senri's insides melt while he wrapped his hands around his lover's face with reverence.
"I don't need anything from you," his redhead breathed against his after a moment, curling his arms around the black-haired male's neck and keeping him still as he set a sweet, tender kiss at the corner of his mouth. "All I'll ever need is you, my dream. And whatever comes… I love you, Senri, now and forever."
"Good," he strived for humor despite his tight throat as he rubbed the tip of his nose against his lover's. "Because I love you too, babe… as permanently. And every single day, I'm thanking gods for choosing to get drunk in Limsa that day…" he grinned toothily when his lover snickered, shifting in his arms to soon straddle his lap.
"Considering how it worked, I suppose we would meet anyway, Sen," Raha muttered, staring at his hands as he set deftly upon the buttons of Senri's shirt, looking up only when he pulled the black material back from his shoulders. "Pulled together like magnets," he added, pressing against after as quickly opening his own shirt, and Senri loved his forwardness no less than the hot press of his skin against his own.
"And thank gods for that, too!" he snarked, and they both grinned – wide and carefree – before drowning in each other's taste.
