Chapter 5
Notes: Titled "Reunited"

Peace never seemed to last whenever they got it. There were good things that happened, like Nanamo's death turning out to be faked because of another man's interference and the contest between Ishgard and the rest of the Eorzean Alliance bolstering moral and deepening bonds. But they never seemed to quite counter the bad things.

From Warriors of Darkness to a Primal being summoned within Garlean territory and Papalymo's subsequent death, there seemed to be no sign of the fighting stopping. Between Gyr Abania and Othard, he found himself half wishing for that numbness to return, even if only fleetingly, - Zenos he could have done without, period - but he could appreciate the small moments littered within the chaos of war that made the lack of numbness mostly worth it. There was just so much. How he was managing to eat through it all was beyond him.

And then Thancred collapsed.

Whatever was reaching out to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn was dropping them fast and hard. After Thancred, Y'shtola and Urianger collapsed and he couldn't blame Alisaie for her growing fear, especially not when Alphinaud was returned to them in the same comatose state shortly thereafter.

After Alisaie collapsed, it was only a matter of time before he did too, and doing so at the peak of conflict with the Garlean Empire was not the most ideal time to do so. With both sides holding fast, he followed through with the voice pestering him - what gate? - and quickly found himself deposited onto a world being swallowed by Light.

The First was certainly in a sorry state. Beyond the Light still threatening the people, the populations that remained were barely managing in some areas. He didn't trust the Crystal Exarch. Granted, he understood the urgency but it was hard to truly tell what was truth and what was lie after everything he had been through.

The Exarch encouraging him to seek out his friends first certainly helped ease that distrust, as did the man's hospitality.

He went after Alisaie first. The hug she gave him probably bruised a rib and he returned the embrace just as strongly not caring. With the manner they had parted and her words just before, the hug was a welcomed greeting and she lingered in his space even afterwards as they talked.

The conditions of those on the edge of Amh Araeng made his heart ache, but more did it ache for Alisaie as she fought day in and day out to help them any way she could. Even though he was there for only a moment, he could see the passion and care of all those caring for the afflicted. So too did he feel a glimpse of the despair Alisaie had to be drowning under when all they could do was fetch supplies and kill sin eaters.

And then Tesleen was turned into a sin eater.

Alisaie had been rightfully distraught afterwards. Knowing she would not accept a hug or the like in the moment - not from him, at least, and he understood that - he did rest his hand on her back for a moment to remind her she was not alone there anymore before he walked away to talk to the other carers in her stead.

When they parted ways - her to the Crystarium, him after Alphinaud - she kept some distance between them and did not look back.

Kholusia set him on edge long before he stepped onto its rocky beach, the echoes of La Noscea - be they truly there or put there by his mind at the vague reminder of the region he called home - making that unease all the more worse. Finding Alphinaud was surprisingly easy and a lot less running around than he had half expected after going after Alisaie.

It was no surprise that Alphinaud didn't hug him like Alisaie had upon sight. It was clear the other was focused on some mission and when Alphinaud immediately started asking about the Source and everything that had happened before Alphinaud filled him in on what the other had been through, he assumed the moment had passed and let it be.

When Alphinaud turned to head for Gatetown, Alphinaud paused as if something had occurred to him before he turned right around and hugged Echo'a. It wasn't the same crushing hold Alisaie had given him but it was no less fervent. Alphinaud didn't linger, pulling back nearly as quickly as he had turned to hug him, but Echo'a didn't give Alphinaud the chance to pull away and pinned Alphinaud to his chest in a tight hug. Alphinaud sagged against him, arms returning securely around his torso.

"I truly am glad to see you well," Alphinaud muttered into his shoulder. "To not fret about you and the others on the Source while I was here took considerable effort. Glad have I been to have something to keep my mind too busy to wallow in it." Alphinaud still pulled back first. "Come. There is much to do and it would be best if you saw the state of things with your own eyes."

Gatetown made his skin crawl. He lingered closer to Alphinaud than was probably proper but he couldn't help it. Alphinaud's hand found his and he had to blink a few times to get himself to focus on Alphinaud. "Is something wrong?" Alphinaud asked, but they were interrupted by the arrival of the red and blue jongleur and the crowd that swarmed them. He watched the gathering, watched as the two jongleur asked for a cook from among the gathered folks and how they all pondered if they could fill the role. Alphinaud started talking again, explaining Eulmore a bit more. Had it been out of the reminder of his lack of knowledge of Eulmore and the surrounding lands or Alphinaud's attempt at keeping him steady, he couldn't tell.

The cook was picked and the red jongleur pulled out a share of meol.

Nausea slammed into him so hard, he was nearly sick where he stood. He clasped his free hand to his mouth, eyes clamped shut against the sudden wave of sick, and his head came down only to find Alphinaud's shoulder catching its weight. Alphinaud's other hand was already on his other arm slowly rubbing up and down as Alphinaud got him to steady his breathing with words that trembled with concern.

It was a long moment before the nausea quelled back down to the familiar ache that came when he got too hungry. He withdrew enough to raise his head, finding Alphinaud's gaze on his face when he looked up.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine now."

Alphinaud when digging in his bag. "I have both water and food if either would suffice."

His mouth was dry and the thought of food clashed horribly with the lingering nausea. "I have my own," he started but Alphinaud was already shoving both into his hands.

Alphinaud's touch lingered on his arm as their gazes returned to the gathering that was coming to an end as the last of the meol was handed out. Alphinaud explained what he knew of the meol; he used it as a distraction to eat the few bites of food Alphinaud had given him. Alphinaud kept a close eye on him as they lingered for only a moment longer in Gatetown before leaving.

He didn't react to anything else as violently as he had in Gatetown, not even when they made it into Eulmore and ended up face to face with Vauthry. Oh, he had wanted to, though. The entire time they were there he felt nauseous to the point that he was concerned that he would be sick at any moment. Thankfully they did not linger in Eulmore and returned to the Crystarium without much fuss.

Things moved quickly after that and he forgot all about his reaction to Eulmore. Thancred was the next to be "found", though it was more in part due to dire situations than an actual attempt at finding him. Meeting Minfilia's reincarnation was odd. He wasn't sure about the interactions between her and Thancred and he nearly had a mind to say something about it. There just never seemed to be a good time to do so. They were soon off looking for Urianger in Il Mheg which quickly led into dealing with the pixies which then led into looking for Y'shtola and dealing with three Lightwardens along the way.

He did not trust Emet-Selch. He was certain no one really did but the man seemed to just rub him the wrong way. Still, though, he could not help but wonder at how much of the Ascian's words were truth, lies believed to be truth, and simply lies, especially when he regaled them all with the history that was painted on the walls of the Qitana Ravel. He was not opposed to them having the wrong spin on history - he had seen those sorts of lies often enough to know it was always possible - but the idea that the Calamities had to happen left him with a bitter taste on his tongue.