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As Zero journeyed with Golbez on their mission to restore the void, occasionally they happened upon rifts large enough for stronger voidsent to enter. Upon finding them, the two had agreed to send Zero through to scout for any imminent dangers while her former adversary lingered behind to guard from the Thirteenth’s end, and so it was that Zero was returning once more to the Source.
Golbez insisted it was because she was the less visually intimidating figure to denizens of the Source or that the light of that world was yet too harsh to his eyes, but Zero was no fool; in their many long talks about their individual journeys across their long, long lives, Zero’s often focused on those most recent times with the Warrior of Light and her companions - Y’shtola was a more frequent topic than anything else.
Golbez had rather pointedly mentioned her obvious affection for the sorceress, and he decided the arrangement with the rifts soon after.
Zero could not complain, but had yet discovered a means to thank him properly for the opportunities he provided.
The other side of the rift met her with the cries of gulls and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. The sun beat down harshly upon her, making Zero wish for a moment to bring back her trusty hat.
As she considered shifting to reclaim that protection, however, she felt another presence on her head, and her eyes were shaded.
“Sneaking up on me is quite the feat, you know,” Zero said, already knowing who was waiting for her. She tugged at the object that had been placed on her head and saw the straw weaving of what she had learned was called a sunhat. Across from her was the one who had placed it on her head, wearing an identical item.
“Sneaking is for untoward ends. I prefer to call this a surprise,” Y’shtola said, giving a smirk that still spoke to how proud she was to do it.
“How did you find me?” Zero asked, taking a better look around with the glare out of her vision. It was the ocean, but not the Thavnairian one Zero had grown so accustomed to in her first stay on the Source. In the distance the buildings were different in design, speaking to an altogether different culture. The rift had left her on a rocky strip of land surrounded by ocean, preventing easy access from those up the shore.
“We’ve of course been tracking the fissures since the incident with Golbez. I just happened to be the one nearby when one tore open on the beaches near Limsa Lominsa,” the sorceress said.
Zero took another look at Y’shtola and noted she was clad in a two pieces of slim black cloth and not much else beyond the hat. Back in the distance, she noted more people crying out in apparent joy wearing similar outfits.
“Happened to be, is it?” She asked with a soft smile.
“Some of us just happen to know how to both read aether maps and correlate festival dates,” Y’shtola said with a simple shrug. “You’ve arrived on the beaches of Costa Del Sol during the annual Moonfire Faire, a summer celebration and wonderful excuse to bask in the sun and sea.”
Zero examined her own armor with growing distress. “Clearly an event I am ill-equipped for.”
Y’shtola tilted her head to motion back toward the festivities. “Since I was hoping you might pop through, I did make sure to bring a spare.”
“You are ever the prepared one,” Zero said as she waded through the shallows to follow the Miqo’te. She paused a moment as she thought about the implication. “You knew what size to buy?”
“I know many things about you, my dear,” Y’shtola said, giving a rare genuine smile - rare, at least, until she was alone in Zero’s presence. The Voidsent kept that smile in her thoughts in the most trying times on her journey.
The seaside village was bustling with activity, enough to make Zero confuse the small collection of buildings for a larger city. It reminded her of the children running around with families nearby in Thavnair.
Y’shtola lead Zero to a small series of rooms where people were walking in and coming out adorned in swimsuits. Y’shtola handed the bag over to Zero, who looked into it with some confusion. “I presume this just… slips on?”
“I suppose between the armor and an unfamiliar garment you would need some help,” the sorceress said. She seemed to think for a moment, then took Zero’s gauntleted hand and led her into one of the empty rooms. “Well, let’s begin, shall we?”
Zero offered up the held hand, and watched as Y’shtola meticulously unbuckled each clasp of the gauntlet and slipped it off slowly and letting it fall to the floor, strangely silent as it landed. Zero could guess it was some magic at work on Y’shtola’s part, but didn’t see anything happening, as her gaze was transfixed on the Miqo’te.
She knew of the sorceress’ augmented vision, of course; Few could be around her for long without indulging their curiosity about how she navigated the world with sightless eyes. So she knew that when Y’shtola’s eyes moved about, she was studying something she found fascinating.
Not that Zero was complaining, as her companion was dutifully undressing her all the while.
“Something strange?” She finally asked as she slipped off the last of the armor on her own.
“Not strange, no,” Y’shtola admitted. “Since you reclaimed your light, your aether has a beautiful swirling color to it. Darkness and light swaying around each other, almost like a dance. I lost myself in my examinations, forgive me.”
“I hardly think forgiveness is in order for a compliment,” Zero said as she delivered a soft kiss on Y’shtola’s forehead. Her partner’s ears flicked as a smile spread across her face.
“Well, as much as I love to have you bare in front of me, I did intend to show you the festival, and for that, you need to get dressed again.” Y’shtola pushed the bag against her and looked away.
No doubt hiding her blushing face, Zero thought with a chuckled as she lifted the swimsuit out. It was a thin dark blue and white garment of a stretchy material. Y’shtola walked her through slipping it on and into place.
At the end of it all, Zero could only feel very exposed.
“And I’m to walk out there like this?” she asked.
“Certainly, just like everyone else. And if anyone makes you uncomfortable about it, I let them join the fireworks,” Y’shtola said calmly. Zero knew that threat to be at least plausible.
Y’shtola dropped the pieces of Zero’s armor into the same bag, and the bag mysteriously did not seem to grow bulky with its new contents. More magic, Zero assumed. Her partner was full of such surprises, and adding to her arsenal all the time. It was one of the things Zero admired about the woman.
The Faire was still roaring with excitement, with people splashing in the waters below as Y’shtola took Zero’s hand and navigated her along the docks. A short ferry away was a smaller island - almost a sandbar - that had a number of activities people were partaking in. The largest and most obvious was an athletic challenge that had people jumping across divides and up a tower, lest they plummet to the sea below.
Zero found the obstacles quite easy to traverse, though she was asked by one supervisor of the area to not use her arts to cross the gaps that others had to leap to. Upon hearing that, she moved herself back to the former spot and continued as intended by the hosts.
Y’shtola, however, had no scruples about zipping herself to the top via aetherial manipulation once Zero had made it to the tower’s peak.
From that platform, they got a wonderful view of the sun glittering off of the waves, and basked in the serenity of the moment. Sitting with legs dangling off of the edge, Y’shtola allowed herself some comfort with the seclusion of the area to snuggle into Zero, wrapping her tail around the voidsent woman. Zero, in turn, rested her head atop Y’shtola’s and put an arm around her.
“I missed you,” they both said at the same time. Hearing it, the two broke their embrace to look at one another, and closed their lips on one another. One kiss followed the next, and Zero was content to lose herself there.
The scrambled grunting of a tower challenger interrupted the moment. A lavender-haired Miqo’te pulled himself over the edge, and the two separated as he cheered to someone down below.
Zero looked over at Y’shtola, who was trying to collect herself. The fur of her tail was bristled from the surprise though. With a quick motion, Zero smoothed it down to help her.
Y’shtola cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose we should make our way down now. There’s more to see. Food to sample, perhaps?”
“I was thinking it had been a while since I had last eaten,” Zero said. She stood, and then with a single swift motion, bent low and picked Y’shtola up, cradling her in her arms.
For a moment, the sorceress was all smiles, but her expression changed as Zero took a step toward the plank at the edge of the tower.
“Wait. Zero, you cannot mean to-”
“It is the most expedient way down. The water is deep enough at the bottom,” Zero replied simply.
“I can make my own way down, you don’t need to!” Y’shtola protested.
“Trust your knight,” Zero said. And before either of them could speak another word, she jumped, clinging Y’shtola tight to her. Cries of surprise turned into exasperated laughter on the descent, until finally they plunged into the depths below.
Zero had to admit that the view even underwater was pretty, with colorful fish and reefs all around them. Y’shtola opened her eyes briefly to glance at Zero, and pressed her lips against Zero’s quickly as they began to rise back to the surface.
“You, madam, are a bully,” Y’shtola teased.
“You sounded like you were having fun toward the end.”
“See if I buy you dinner after that.”
“I thought I was being treated to the festivities today?” Zero said. Her tone was as even as ever, but her smile gave away the jest.
Y’shtola sighed. “You’re lucky you’re so charming. Very well. Food it is. Just don’t expect it to be as spicy as what you ordered in Thavnair.”
“I may have to consider the cuisine second-place at best then.”
The food was delicious despite the lack of intense heat, and the two meandered around to examine what else was on offer until the fireworks display. While beautiful, Zero and Y’shtola found themselves wandering away from the crowds and finding their own private activities far from the crowds and closer to the secluded area where the rift had materialized. Zero was glad in that time that sights and sounds did not travel through, as neither of the women were particularly discreet in those areas during their intimacy.
All too soon, however, the rift began to waver, a sign that it would soon collapse.
“I suppose it is time to go,” Y’shtola said quietly as she helped Zero refasten her armor.
“Unfortunately so. I will have to find another tear soon to visit again.”
“Given how our adventurous friend manages to stumble into solutions to our problems, perhaps she will soon give me the lead I need to come visit you in turn,” Y’shtola said as she stood on her toes to lean in for another kiss.
Zero grabbed her and held her close until they ended the kiss. “See that she does. She has quite the knack for landing in trouble along the way, so make sure she stays safe.”
“Take care of yourself, love.” Y’shtola said with a small wave.
“And you as well, my dear.”
Before she could let herself be trapped, she stepped back into the rift, and a moment later was back in the dark world of the Thirteenth, where Golbez stood stalwart. The nixie familiar was playfully tapping his helmet to no reaction.
He looked down to Zero as she emerged. “I assume your… excursion was successful.” He paused and seemed to examine the knight more closely. “Why are you pink.” It was more statement than question.
Zero touched her face, wincing slightly at the stinging sensation it caused to her sunburned skin. “Proof that light can also be a burden without proper precaution, I suppose,” she chuckled.