"I want you to make me a promise," the miqo'te before her declared.
Neyla knew what was about to happen, what G'raha was about to do. Already, so many of her dearest friends had sacrificed themselves so that she and the others could push forward. She knew this was the only way, but a part of her was prepared to promise him anything if it meant he would stay with her.
"Be it across time or space, our promises have always connected us," he continued. "And so I ask that you indulge me once more, that this won't be the end."
How could he be so sure of this? Everyone seemed so confident in Neyla, that she would see this through and all would be well. She seemed to be the only one who had begun to doubt, though she didn't dare show it. She supposed this was why she had no choice but to respond.
"You say it, I'll do it."
"Is that so?" G'raha replied. "In that case, I won't hold back.
"First, I want to visit Ishgard with you," he continued. "Properly. We scarcely had time to look around last time. I should like it very much if you could show me the sights. Next, you must regale me with your greatest adventures. In the places where you lived them, if possible. I may have read about all your deeds, but there is no substitute for a firsthand account.
"And last but not least, a new adventure together. Unlike any we've experienced before. We'll travel the lands, cross the seas, and take to the skies upon the eternal wind… and it will be marvelous! It will…"
G'raha's gazed turned skyward, a hopeful smile on his face. He looked down at Neyla once more, and held out a clenched fist. She could tell this was a dream near and dear to his heart, and she wanted nothing more than to see it fulfilled. But, after everything they had been through, how close they had become since reuniting in the First, there was one thing Neyla wanted in return. She raised her own fist.
"On one condition," she prompted, her voice beginning to break.
"Name it."
"Such a journey sounds like a grand undertaking. Something that would bring us close enough to, say, allow me to call you Raha?"
His smile took on a softer quality. "My friend, you've had that privilege for some time now. You only needed use it."
Neyla finally allowed her fist to meet his, a warmth accompanying the ache in her heart. G'raha pulled away, closing his eyes before turning to the automaton behind him. He offered his hand to it, promising to tell the tale of a man who realized his grandest dreams. At that moment, he was surrounded by a torrent of dynamis, a cloud of black and purple.
"G'raha!" Alisae cried, reaching out to him, but it was too late. G'raha only had enough time to turn back and smile at his friends before the haze swallowed him whole, leaving nothing behind.
Stigma-1's body became encased in crystal, forming a path forward, but Neyla felt no desire to take it. Her knees threatened to buckle, folding her over to wallow in her sorrow. But that would serve no purpose, except to risk her succumbing to the very same dynamis, becoming a blasphemy that would no doubt turn on the last people she had left. So she resolved to take it one step at a time, and do what she could to be equal to the faith her friends had in her.
Several months later
Neyla found herself at a table at Mehryde's Meyhane, absently turning her spoon in a bowl of curry. Unlike many of her fellow Au Ra and other people she knew, there was only a small level of spice she could handle. Even if she could, she wasn't that hungry to begin with. After coming so close, she and the other Scions had lost Azdaja to the void, with her awakening as Zeromus. There was still hope of saving her, but that was a small comfort when Neyla thought of the pain she had seen in Vrtra's face. She had never been so close with a sibling, but the loss of a loved one was something she understood too well.
With that thought, Neyla had a sudden impulse. She stood, leaving enough gil on the table to pay for her meal, then cast Teleport. Almost instantly, she appeared in Old Sharlyan, and made her way to the Baldesion Annex.
"Raha?" she called as she threw open the doors. "Raha, are you here?"
"In here," a voice called from the main hall. Neyla followed it, and, sure enough, found the scholar pouring over some papers at a desk within. He looked up and smiled upon seeing her.
"This is a pleasant surprise."
"Any revelations from the data we gathered on the Twelve?" Neyla asked.
"Not as such just yet," he answered. "But that's hardly a new experience for me when it comes to research. But far more interesting is what I've been hearing of your exploits. Have you truly managed to find a way to safely use the voidgate to travel between here and the Thirteenth?"
Neyla couldn't help teasing. "Is that so surprising to the one who pulled all of us to the First?"
Raha returned her grin. "Touché. Now, what all have you been getting up to in the Void?"
Neyla gave him a brief overview of their journey so far: meeting Zero, exploring her domain, and fighting Goelbez's minions, all leading up to their recent setback.
"I agree with Y'shtola that an abundance of Light might be enough to counter Zeromus." Raha had put one hand below his chin. "But you hardly need my help in procuring it. You have as much experience traveling to and from the First as anyone."
"That's not why I came to you," Neyla explained. "I was thinking that, while Y'shtola works out the details of harvesting Light from the First to take to the Void… I haven't forgotten the promise I made to you back in Ultima Thule. If you can spare the time, I would love to show you around Ishgard. I could use the diversion."
Raha's ears perked up. "There is nothing I would enjoy more. It's not as if our studies on the Twelve have a deadline. Let us be off!"
He had attuned to the Aetheryte in Foundation the last time he had been there, so the two were able to go at once. Neyla instantly felt more at peace once she saw the stone walls and blankets of snow within the city. Despite everything that had led her to once take refuge here, and other events that had taken place within its walls, she had come to consider Ishgard like a home, second only to Gridania. She began to point out landmarks to G'raha, regaling the events that had taken place at each one in the course of her exile and her subsequent involvement in the Dragonsong War. Each time she turned to look back at him, she saw the rapt attention and excitement on his face, ever endearing.
"But that's before showing you the true heart of Ishgard," Neyla explained. "How about we pick this up over drinks at the local tavern? My treat."
Thus did they go to the Forgotten Knight, easily Neyla's favorite place in the city.
"So this is where Tataru staked out to hear the local gossip?" Raha queried as they sat down with their tankards. "Sounds like there was much to talk about. I can only imagine what the city was like in those days, or what it was truly like for you."
"It was hard," Neyla admitted. "Going from national hero to being accused of regicide. Not to mention… the more I learned about dragons, the more I questioned what it meant to be a dragoon. The history behind the skills I had worked so hard to hone, everything Estinien had told me… It all started to come crumbling down."
"I never realized. With the pride I know you take in doing what you believe is right, it must have felt like quite the crisis of faith."
That was exactly how it had felt. Neyla hadn't shared that with anyone before, and it wasn't something one would have read in a historical record. Somehow, in the years that had passed, Raha had gone from the fanboy she had left in the Crystal Tower to someone who understood her, who saw her as a person. She knew the other Scions did as well, but, in a way, it felt more genuine coming from him. It made her want to open up even more. Why did that scare her? She decided to turn the conversation back towards him.
"Did you ever question your plans, the way you went about saving the First?"
He looked down into his cup. "More and more as I saw the extent of the toll it took on your body, absorbing so much Light. Would that there had been another way, but…"
"It might not have been as bad if you had explained everything from the beginning."
"I didn't want to risk you trying to stop me from my original plan to take the Light from you and get rid of it."
"Interesting way to phrase 'killing yourself.' I think I'm starting to share in Alisae's opinion of noble sacrifices." Neyla shook her head. "You've always been one to think too little of yourself, ready to throw yourself away for the greater good. You have value, too, you know. I…"
"You're one to talk," Raha countered. An inkling of a smile accompanied the pointed look he gave her. "Warrior of Light, putting your nose in every problem that comes your way."
"It's not as if I go looking for trouble."
"Nor do I."
"It seems to find me well enough on its own," the two said in near unison.
Both of them paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. Neyla imagined Raha felt the same way she did, that neither of them were about to change, and neither of them would have it any other way.
"It's getting late," Raha noted. "Provided you don't have to run off, we could stay here tonight and pick up in the morning?"
"Sounds like a plan," Neyla agreed. "There are a few more things to see here in Ishgard, thenI can take you to Dravania. The stories I have about the moogles…" She chuckled as she let the sentence fade.
"I look forward to hearing them. In the meantime, sleep well, Neyla."
"You, too, Raha."
*AN: Welcome to my first time dipping my toes writing a story in the vast realm of Eorzea! Sorry this first chapter doesn't have much non-MSQ content; I mostly wanted to establish the placement of the story in the game's timeline as I get a feel for writing in Neyla's voice. I hope you enjoy, and will choose to stick around!*