Cool rain fell over her as they walked, rivulets soothing her fair skin. She wasn't paying attention to what her friends were saying; not really. The newly refound darkness of night felt like a calming sea, like home.

Ironic that a so-called Warrior of Light would find such comfort in its antithesis, but it'd always been so. Darkness always had a pull on her, an allure she could never shake.

To anyone else, it would have seemed like it was the approaching footsteps were what broke her out of this moment of calm, yet it couldn't be further from the truth.

A pull, a yearning that she hadn't felt in years. Calling her soul to someone, to someplace that'd make her feel whole again. Gold. those endless pools of gold, so similar to her own.

Her heart hurt.

"You certainly took your time. I had half resolved to complete the task myself."

For a second, she did not register what those words meant at all. No, the feeling of them washing over her, how they made her aether sing in response, was far too distracting. 'Twas only a moment later that she realized who this person looked like. Yet not quite.

"For all my study of Garlean history, I was not aware Emperor Solus had a daughter."

The blonde Elezen Black Mage did not care that she was staring at this person as if they had two heads.

"He did not."

Unbidden, she pushed through Urianger's extended arm , taking in the sight of this woman, an oasis of feeling in a desert of drudgery since-

Since Haurchefant had died.

Then why? Why did this person make her heart hurt so? Why did she feel so familiar?

Why did she yearn to hold her?

"I see some measure of explanation is still in order. I am Solus yae Galvus. Founder of the Garlean Empire, and under various guises, of many other such nations."

The woman blasély passed her hand over her face, a red sigil covering it before she theatrically bowed in greeting.

"I am Emet-Selch. Ascian."

The theatrics continued, but she paid attention no longer. That name.

It was wrong. Incomplete. She felt clueless as to why, but she knew that was not this woman's name. Not truly. And the damnable pain in her chest would not cease.

"So? Think of it. Is cooperation not preferable to opposition?"

She felt the card about to pass by her, and for reasons unknown even to herself, caught it in midair before it struck the Ascian whom she was by now but an arm's length away from. Much to the protest of her friends, though she did not truly hear or care. Not when she had to understand this pull, this yearning.

She was a woman of learning and science, after all. Or that was the reason she told herself, and not that it was because she could feel the same aura that her only love had coming from this stranger, but a million times stronger.

An extended finger slowly but firmly pressed against the fur on the figure's coat, the adornment giving way under the pressure until she felt the firmness of flesh underneath. Golden eyes locked against golden eyes, never wavering.

A small smile formed on the woman's lips.

"Ah, an olive branch I see, unlike your peers. I am touched."

She pointedly looked down at the warrior of light's hand.

"Rather literally."

"-'twould seem I misjudged your willingness to parlay in person. We will not dismiss it outright."

While Urianger still held himself in wary, he nevertheless approached enough to take back his card which still lingered in her hand.

By the time she reached her chambers in the Pendants, the feeling was maddening. She'd soldiered on, after the death of her beloved, if only because it was the only thing she could do, and she was the only one who could do the things she does. That had been what kept her going.

Things need to be done because no one else can. Because if she doesn't, no one will, and she couldn't live with that either. Onwards she went, needing to help people just so she could help them more, never denying those in need. A duty, a comfortable numbness.

Now she'd been dragged out of it, kicking and screaming by some Ascian woman who deemed them worthy of her grace. Why? Why did the pain and yearning come back so violently when she'd buried those feelings so fiercely?

"You look pained, hero. What is the matter?"

Once again gold met gold, her hand reaching towards the staff in her back. But not quite grasping it. Not yet.

"You. Why do I know you? How do I know you?"

"I do wonder, you seem rather enraptured with me. But I believe a smile suits you better."

She wasn't prepared. Not just for the words, but for the physical wave of aether that hit her, a physical wave of him. It was all she could do to stay standing.

"You- You can't be-"

"I swear by the falling snows themselves. You see, 'tis a bad habit of mine. Being unable to leave you be, even if through just a small shard of myself. Over and over again,
through eons, empires and ages."

His. Hers? She didn't even know anymore, lips curled into a soft smile, eyebrows set in a self-pitying look.

Her own scrunched in fury. Joy. Hurt. Relief. Betrayal. So many emotions at once, she felt like screaming.

She settled for marching forward and slapping the smile out of the Ascian. And feeling awful about it, but she couldn't quite care about that at the moment.

"Do you have. ANY. Idea. How much losing you hurt me!?" Her voice wavered through tears, the grief she'd suppressed for years attempting to rip her very soul apart.

"Why did you do that!? I thought I'd lost you! Forever!" She was surprised at being able to keep the sobs at bay. For now.

Emet's face fell, being able to both see and feel the pain on her turbulent soul, storming to all sides, both lashing out and grasping in despair. Because of him. One more sin to add to his pile.

It was getting to be a rather sizeable one by now.

"I do." At her confusion, he continued. "I've watched you die in every single life. I was at your side. Every time. So yes, I know how much losing you hurts."

Her whole body shook. This was just- this was all insanity. First she finds out that the love of her life was an Ascian all along, and now that he's been doing this for gods know how long? Why?

"What does it even matter then? You know you will be with me again. You do not lose anything!"

His/Eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't I? You're always you, but always unique. The you before this was an aristocrat, a lover of theatre and arts. The one before that a peerless general and tactician. So on and so forth. Each one of those people is lost to me. Forever. I mourn them all even as we speak."

"Then why do you keep doing this?" At this point she just wanted to understand. To fathom what this lunatic, this villain, this- this person that so thoroughly stole her heart and made her feel true joy for the first time in her life, wanted from all this.

"Because I cannot force myself to leave you. To be away from you. To not have you at my side. That is the worst fate I can possibly fathom."

It might as well have been the knight of House Fortemps himself saying those words.

That was it. She'd reached her limit. Ishgardian, Ascian, Knight, man, woman, she just did not care anymore. The pain was too great. She pushed the dark-robed figure back, making her fall on the bed, before pouncing on top, hands pinning down her shoulders. Emet was tall, but so was she.

Champagne-coloured hair cascaded from her face to his, clinging to her cheeks where the tears had not yet ceased. Once more their golden eyes were locked on one another.

"Then why did you leave me? Why did you hurt me like that?" Exhaustion robbed her words of the power they should have had, but the despair in her expression hit him just as hard.

"I could not stand it." His voice was a whisper, covered in guilt.

"Being at your side as a mere shard was killing me. You are so radiant, so whole this time. I had to be able to feel you properly, to be with you for once. 'Tis not a noble reason. But it is my reason."

A fresh pang of pain crossed her features, her fist hitting his shoulder weakly.

"And you didn't think of simply EXPLAINING this to me!? Did you think I would reject you, spurn you for being what you are!?"

"Come now, dear. You are well aware of my flair for the dramatic." His eyes avoided hers.

"Perhaps to a fault, sometimes."

He wouldn't admit to himself that he had entertained the thought and the mere possibility of failure had frozen him in terror.

A shivering sigh preceded her slow fall against the soft, padded chest of his current form, her face nuzzled into his neck, feeling for his pulse, to make sure this was real, that maybe, just maybe.

Her reason to live instead of just exist had returned.

"I have not forgiven you just yet."

His eyes carefully wrapped themselves around her, holding that ephemeral, mortal body to his.

"On that we can agree."

Story Art by the wonderful moogiedaisuki on twitter