The return trip to Camp Bronze Lake somehow felt shorter than the mad dash to catch up to Y’shtola. Twilight chalked it up to her exhaustion and injuries muddying up her perception of time. That and the warmth and companionship from her Carbuncle at her side, occasionally purring or chirping at her to lift her spirits and keep her focused on the road ahead. But either way, they soon found themselves advancing up the steps and through the archway into town.
The moment she was back, Twilight made a beeline back for the hospice she had initially woken up in and the warm hot springs out in front. She gingerly lowered herself into the steaming waters and set her spellbook down behind her, not eager to damage it anymore than it already was. Any pain that had been lingering in her sore muscles and bones was quick to fade away, and Twilight let out a long sigh of relief.
She sat there for quite some time. Her Carbuncle curled up behind her, slowly fading away as it returned to the aetherial waves it called home, leaving her to her thoughts. She kept her eyes closed for most of her time in the pool, just trying to shut out the rest of the world and focus instead on relaxing and clearing her thoughts.
Eventually, when she was nice and pruny from the hot water, she clambered out and found a place to sit on a bench up against the hospice’s outer wall. It was getting on into the afternoon at this point, but there was still no sign of Y’shtola and the Lominsan soldiers. She tried not to concern herself for their wellbeing and turned her attention back to her spellbook.
She frowned at it. It was dry now, but it was still badly damaged, and practically useless. She couldn’t even refer to it to try and figure out how exactly she had conjured up that red version of her carbuncle. She knew about the different gem types it could align with, and the red one would have been Ruby Carbuncle, a version aligned to pure offence and heavily aspected to fire. But she had yet to even begin delving into how conjuring the entity with that aspect worked.
Impulse and instinct, then. Much like how she had managed a healing spell during the battle with Ifrit. With a sigh, Twilight cast the book aside and looked down at the ground, her brow furrowing. She gingerly reached a hoof up to the still throbbing bullet hole in her chest, and her lips pressed together into a pained cringe. After the scuffle with Y’sanna, the fact that Twilight could heal others, but couldn’t rely on them to heal her in the same manner, troubled her greatly.
“What is it?” she wondered aloud, whispering the words tiredly under her breath. “What is it about Eorzean magic that disagrees with me? How can I make it more cooperative? How can I stop myself from being such a liability when these people need me to pull my weight?”
She pondered the subject for quite some time, trying to puzzle out an answer. She went over everything she knew about the spells that had worked on her so far. The Amalj’aa’s sleep spell had knocked her flat, rendering her defenceless and easy prey for Ifrit’s followers. Her glamour spell worked with relative ease whenever she needed it, thanks in large part to the medallion she kept with her to enable it. It wove over and around her flesh, but never penetrated it. An optical illusion, nothing more. Her Radiant Aegis had worked, forming a protective shield around her body to keep it safe from external harm - even if it had been as flimsy as tissue paper.
“Maybe if I were the one casting it?” she thought after a minute, scrunching up her muzzle. “The aether would be coming from me in that case - or at least, I’d be the one calling on it. If I laced it with my own Equestrian magic, maybe then it would work. It might be weakened, watered down, but… Gah! Without my book, I can’t even test these theories!”
It was a matter that would need more consideration. But such wonderings would have to wait, as a moment later, Twilight’s eyes were drawn up by a sudden commotion from the entrance of the town. Grunting with strain, she hauled herself up from her seat and ran up to the nearest railing to get a look. The smile she wore when she saw Y’shtola and the rest of the Lominsan troops returning threatened to reach her ears, and she had to force herself not to try and fly down to meet them. There were trees and sharp rocks beneath this rail, and that would be a very inglorious end.
Not to mention the scolding from Y’shtola. Even death shuddered at such a fate.
So, with that in mind, Twilight decided to not push her luck for a change and remained at the railing. Y’shtola and her escorting host of maelstrom soldiers wandered into town, exchanging words, though Twilight couldn’t help but notice the absence of a certain primal slayer. A fear of the worst outcome briefly crossed her mind, but she quickly calmed herself by noting Y’shtola’s calm demeanour. If the battle with Titan had gone anything other than smoothly, she doubted that the Archon would conduct herself thus.
The alicorn waited patiently as they made their way up the path, Y’shtola speaking some final parting words to the soldiers before breaking off on her own. She made her way up the steps for the Hospice, towards the pools, and her eyes finally glanced up and met Twilight’s. The mare pulled back from the railing and returned to her seat to await Y’shtola’s return.
She didn’t have to wait long. The miqo’te emerged up a nearby staircase and approached Twilight with a relieved smile.
“I see you have managed to control your urge to hurl yourself into danger once more. I trust you have been a receptive student to this lesson?”
“I’m always a receptive student!” Twilight protested with a pout. “...This one just happened to be a lot more painful than most.”
“Indeed. Your wounds?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I was just trying to figure out some magic stuff. Your healing practices versus my own, and just why they don’t seem to be entirely compatible…”
“That is indeed a conundrum. But one for another time. Rest means rest, Twilight Sparkle. You need not stay alert here. Within the borders of this settlement, I do not believe Y’sanna will attempt another strike at you.”
Twilight sighed, recalling her desire to follow up on certain things Y’shtola had said back during their fight with the manic imperial. She had certainly noticed their shared history. It was obvious from their words that they shared a homeland, and maybe even a teacher. Master Matoya? The Studium? There was plenty to learn, both about this new enemy and this world as a whole.
But more importantly, and most pressingly…
“What happened with Titan?” Twilight asked tentatively. “And where is… is he-”
“He’s fine. The Lord of Crags, much like Ifrit, has been slain,” Y’shtola immediately quelled her concerns regarding their friend. “An admirable feat, to say the least. Most would be considered mad to claim to have beaten one primal, but two? With the way he conducts himself, one would be forgiven for thinking he had a history of primal slaying even before the amalj’aa.”
“Maybe he does. Did you ask?”
Y’shtola chuckled. “No, but ‘tis most unlikely, given that I found him as a fresh-faced adventurer during a mutual encounter with a goobue,” she said. She then frowned, her eyes trailing off to one side, and her hand rising up to tap at her chin. “Although, I cannot deny that there has always been something… familiar about him.”
“What do you mean?”
Y’shtola perked up, returning her attention to Twilight. “Ah. This is recent history you would be unfamiliar with. Before the calamity, a group of adventurers was given the moniker ‘Warriors of Light’. They were heroes, who much like our friend made it their profession to slay primals and defend the realm. But in the aftermath of Dalamud’s fall, their faces have been lost to us. Whenever we think of them, they are shrouded in silhouette, lost within a blinding glare. Nary a word has been heard of them since the disaster. Most believe they perished at Carteneu fighting to save Eorzea. History, like I said. But today’s events…”
Y’shtola paused, taking a moment to lower herself down and actually sit next to the little pony. The close proximity almost took her by surprise, even with their improving relationship. But the dark look in Y’shtola’s eyes blocked any comment on the matter.
“...As Titan was slain, and we Scions stood victorious, I arrived in time to witness a troubling sight. Two imperials, Nero tol Scaeva and Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, Tribuni of the XIVth imperial legion under Legatus Gaius van Baelsar. They appeared to be watching the fight, judging Titan’s capabilities.”
“Judging? They didn’t attack as Y’sanna did with us?”
“Nay, they merely observed. From what little I could hear, they were in the midst of a disagreement regarding a project Scaeva was attached to, seeing as his rank would suggest him being the foremost magitek expert in the legion. Yet it was after Arvina had departed that a third figure entered the scene; the ascian encountered in Gridania, Lahabrea.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Lahabrea? The Overlord?”
“Aye. Superior to this ‘Scarmiglione’ no doubt, who is but one of the black masks.”
“Then… if he was here too, is he the one who wants me? If the ascians are working with the Empire?”
Y’shtola frowned. “A disturbing thought, though recent events corroborate it. As for Lahabrea’s interest in you, I cannot say for certain. Perhaps it is the will of the Empire. Perhaps there are other threads yet unexplored. But with your Element of Magic still in their possession, I would not seek to assume any of their intentions, only that they spell a dark omen for Eorzea.”
“...We’ll get it back. Right?”
Y’shtola looked at the alicorn, keeping her silent stare for several moments before offering her a small smile. “Indeed. With two primals dealt with, only Garuda yet poses a threat. With that in mind, I have sent the hero of the hour back to the Waking Sands, and after we finish business with the Admiral here, we should follow. The attempt to capture you should be shared with the others and the interaction may yet hold vital clues.”
Twilight nodded, eager to get back to the Waking Sands and rejoin the others. “Then… we’ll just have to reexamine the facts with the fine eye! And with the rest of our friends, we’ll get a whole host of fresh perspectives that can to new possibilities!”
“A wise sentiment. I trust Urianger would have a thought or two… though he would describe them in a few dozen more words than is strictly needed.”
Y’shtola hummed, cupping her chin as a new thought entered her brain.
“Yet, while we are here, we would do well to make provisions for the future. Had you a means to contact me beforehand, you needn’t have placed yourself in harm’s way. To that end, I would suggest we obtain a linkpearl so you may speak with the Scions wheresoever you may be. That way, whatever the scenario, you will always have an ally to fall back upon.”
“Friends. They are called friends.”
Y’shtola turned back to Twilight with a small smirk. “A synonym. The point remains that if we are to be in such close collaboration, you will require a more reliable means of communicating with us from afar. We can procure one for you once we are back in Limsa Lominsa.”
Twilight raised a brow as something occurred to her. “Wait. Why didn’t we get one for me when we were in the city before?!”
Y’shtola flinched, ear ears twitching down just a little. Her tail gave a few agitated swishes. “...I confess, I had neglected to procure one for you on the grounds that I still did not entirely trust you. And after the encounter with the sahagin, I was too occupied with trying to keep you alive - and our preparations to face Titan - to give the matter any thought. But such concerns have been resolved, and I will allow this oversight to continue no longer.”
Twilight nodded along, shifting on her seat, once again reminded of Y’shtola’s doubts about her. But all things considered, she supposed she couldn’t be too upset. “Alright, that’s fair.”
Y’shtola lowered her hand to her hip. “And while we are at it, we’ll have the chance to also procure a new spellbook for you from the Arcanist’s guild - and perhaps a chance for more professional instruction in the art,” she added, glancing down at the damaged book by Twilight’s side on the bench.
Twilight eyed it for a moment, her ears lowering as she recalled the moments that had rendered the tome so utterly inoperable. “Yeah… on that note, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Y’shtola quirked a brow. “Oh? What is it?”
Twilight leaned forward in her seat slightly, her wings ruffling against her sides. “You and Y’sanna… you two know each other.”
It wasn’t a question, and Twilight was not going to let this bit of information go. Y’shtola was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “We’ve met a handful of times.”
Twilight leaned forward. “Only a handful? The verbal lashing you gave her seemed pretty informed from where I was sitting.”
“Half reputation and half deduction. Y’sanna and I shared a tribe, but precious little else.”
Twilight held Y’shtola’s gaze for several seconds. “Tell me. If she’s trying to kill me, I deserve to know about her,” she said, lifting her head higher.
Y’shtola narrowed her eyes at Twilight for a moment, then relaxed. “Very well. I shall reveal what I know,” she said before returning to sit beside Twilight once again. Her eyes were glued onto the top of the aetheryte, spinning slowly in place in the heart of the settlement. Twilight settled in to listen, her ears facing forward.
A moment later, Y’shtola began.
“Y’sanna and I are from the Y tribe, as I am sure you could guess. We were based out of the hinterlands of Dravania. At an early age, I was accepted into the colony Sharlayan had established in the region, under the training of Master Matoya. Y’sanna was also a student in the colony but to a different master. We spoke on precious few occasions, usually only during time away from our masters to return to our tribe for one fleeting reason or another, or in passing on the streets. She was always a self-assured individual. Confident, to the point of arrogance, and was not the sort to let a slight against her go unpunished. But in spite of that, at least at first, I never had cause to believe she was a problem. She loved her homeland, she loved our tribe, and none were more fiercely dedicated to their protection than she.
“However, as we grew into maturity, and the colony was abandoned in the face of the coming threat of the Empire, something in Y’sanna started to change. She became absorbed in her studies, often on the subject of Garlemald, its history, and its progress. For the first few years, she was a voice in favour of a military response to the threat. When such notions were summarily obliterated by the Forum, she attempted to propose peaceful solutions to the threat. But as the years passed, and Garlemald’s advances across the Three Great Continents continued, her position gradually shifted from one of diplomacy to one of submission.”
Twilight frowned. “She did say she believed the Empire was inevitable…”
Y’shtola nodded. “That she did. And coinciding with her calls for submission, there came a rise in her own hostility. She had always been proud, easily agitated, ruthless, impatient, and selfish. But all of these things got worse and worse over the years. She reached out to grasp strings and powers that were not hers to wield, often treading on the shoes of instructors, researchers, and even members of the Forum itself. She went from an angry if reliable colleague to a genuine, and brutal, problem. Eventually, I heard that she had left Sharlayan of her own accord, not too terribly long before Louisoix led us to Eorzea. None knew where she had gone. I suppose now the answer is clear. She threw her lot in with the Empire.”
Twilight looked down, her ears lowering. “Do you think she was being manipulated by outside forces? Did the Ascians get to her?” she wondered. No other explanation made sense to her. If Y’shtola was right, then Y’sanna had once been just as dedicated a defender of Eorzea as her peers.
Y’shtola shook her head. “No. She was always ambitious - and had a paranoid streak. Were I to make an assumption based on what I know, I would assume that her fear of losing a war with the Empire is what drove her to side with them. Perhaps to spare herself from the pain of it. Or, if I were to be charitable in my view of her, mayhap it was to try and ease the pain on her homeland. In short, she may have betrayed us thinking she was saving us.”
Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “That’s… but that’s wrong. Breaking away from her friends and allies would only make them weaker and easier to destroy. She’s not saving anyone by siding with the invaders, she’s just making their job easier!”
Y’shtola shrugged. “Again, I am merely speculating. Though we were born of the same tribe, we were never close,” she said before rising back to her full height. “Whatever her reasons, she is our enemy now, and her actions are unconscionable. Should we face her again, I won’t hesitate to do what must be done.”
Twilight felt a small pang of uncertainty at that remark, but she bit on her tongue, reminding herself once more that this world was far more violent than her own. The bullet hole in her chest stung in a not-so-subtle reminder of that fact.
“Now, we have much ground to cover,” Y’shtola said, lifting a finger to her ear. “And if we are to be delayed in our return to the Sands, then I would at least inform Minfillia of the basics.”
“A bullet point presentation! Things are bad, let’s make them not bad.”
Y’shtola offered her a bemused glance. “Childishly put. But accurate.”
“I was making a joke!”
“Then clearly your next research assignment should be the foundations of comedy.”
Twilight’s eye twitch. “You… are just so mean.”
“A matter of opinion. Now shush,” Y’shtola concluded with a smirk, her fingers pressing against the pearl in her ear. Twilight heard a trio of light ringing sounds emit from the small device. “Minfillia? It’s Y’shtola.”
A moment passed.
And then another.
The ringing sounded again.
Another ten seconds went by in pregnant silence. Y’shola’s smirk gave way to a suspicious frown as her hand finally fell away from her ear.
“Odd…” she murmured.
Twilight frowned, suddenly getting a bad feeling. “What’s wrong?”
Y’shtola glanced at Twilight with concern and confusion in her eyes. “There is no response. I am merely finding dead air.”
“Well… maybe she’s busy? In another big meeting with the other Scions? Thancred? That smaller one, Tataru?” Twilight ventured optimistically.
Y’shtola hummed uncertainly. “Hm… it is possible she is presently receiving reports of the encounter with Titan. Our friend would be arriving by now if he used the aetheryte to Horizon and made good time to Vesper Bay by chocobo… Yet Minfillia has always been punctual. This is most unlike her. Perhaps…”
She pressed the pearl again. And, after another moment of ringing, they were once again left in dead silence.
“...Thancred is likewise silent.”
The bad feeling in Twilight’s gut swelled into a deep pit in her stomach. “Okay… maybe a really busy meeting? Or something else that’s keeping them all occupied in Thanalan?”
Y’shtola didn’t reply, instead, the ringing echoed out once more.
“Yda?” she finally spoke out, focusing on a reply beyond Twilight’s hearing. “Yes, we are still in La Noscea. What of Papalymo? Back to the Sands? You are by yourself? I know you are capable, that’s not what I- …I see. We shall return soon. Should you arrive before us, locate the others. Walk with care.”
She lowered her hand again, letting out a breath that was a strange mix of both relief and mounting worry.
“You got through?” Twilight asked quickly.
“Yes. Yda remains in Gridania for the moment. However, it appears she and Papalymo are walking separate paths for the moment. We should conclude our business here and make haste to meet her back at the Waking Sands. This silence disturbs me. I would have the reason for it.”
The alicorn scuffed the ground nervously. “Do you… how worried should we be…?”
Y’shtola crossed her arms. “I shall keep attempting to contact Minfillia. Twelve willing, there is a reasonable explanation for this silence. But I cannot lie to you, Twilight..”
She looked her dead in the eyes, transmitting the gravity of the situation with one intense glare.
“We shall make haste, for I am extremely worried.”