My name is Lyse Hext. Soon to be a graduate of Sharlayan's Studium. Like my sister. I might even become an Archon if it suits me. But I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm still a ways off from graduation.
In the meantime, I study, eat, sleep, socialize, and feel good doing it. Now that I'm 19 Yda, my sister, by the way, works more now. She and Papalymo are only home so much these days.
But I always wait patiently and am ready to greet her with a smile.
After everything we'd been through, she deserved no less. Papalymo too.
I wasn't expecting them back home for another few weeks, but she called me on our emergency linkpearl to tell me she and Papalymo were on the way and that we had a lot to talk about and to brace myself…and that she loved me.
Something must've happened, I've had this linkpearl for 5 years and I've never used it. Whatever happened, I'd be there for Yda and hear whatever she had to say.
I used up the better part of my allowance to get all her favorite food from the Last Stand and some big pretzels for Papalymo.
I was so anxious, it was all I could do not to spill anything on the way home. I laid out everything on the table so Yda would get a full view of everything.
Of course, when I heard the front door open, I forgot about it immediately. I hurried to the living room and there she was, Yda, mask off adorning her face tattoo. I didn't wait for her to notice me, and I called out to her practically singing 'Welcome Home!'.
Only stopping short at the sight of the young man standing behind her. A young man with a Garlean 3rd eye!
My instincts kicked in and my body moved on its own. I would kill this Garlean Imperial where he stood.
BAM!
The windows all flew open and the curtains buffeted in a rage. Wall decorations shook by the hinges.
I aimed true, right between his eyes, but I was stopped short having my fist caught inches from his face.
I was shocked to see I was being held back by none other than my own sister.
WHY!? What was she doing!?
Papalymo squelched, calling out to the 12, and nearly fell over. The Garlean merely stared at my knuckles three inches away from crushing his skull.
"Papalymo, could you keep Bayn company? It looks like I'll have to have this talk with my sister sooner than expected." Yda said, sullenly.
"O-Of course." Papalymo chimed recovering from his stupor.
"I'm sorry." Yda said quickly to Bayn while tugging me to the stairs.
I never took my eyes off the Garlean, even after we got to the second floor.
We went to my room and only then did I finally focus on her.
"Yda what the hell is going on!?" I asked, angry and confused.
"I need you to calm down." Yda said keeping a firm grip on my hand.
"Calm down? A Garlean just showed up in our home! The same people who took everything away from us!" I shouted.
"Lyse, please!" Yda caressed my hand firmly. I was about to yell again, but I stopped as soon as I looked at her eyes.
Tired and weary.
Pleading to me cease.
She was never like this. However bad it got while she was away, Yda always returned with a pep in her step.
The only time I can remember seeing that look on her face was when we had to leave Eorzea for Old Sharlayan.
I was angry then too.
I didn't understand, and Yda had begged me to stop fighting her on the matter. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have tolerated my misbehavior.
But the more she talked to me, the more I saw how much she didn't want to leave either.
At 4 years old, we were forced to leave Ala Mhigo, and 5 years later, we were forced to leave again for the Great Exodus at the age of 9.
Yda took care of me through it all, and if this is anything like last time she really needs me to listen.
I took a deep breath. Taking my sister's hand I sat with her on the bed and met her eye to eye.
"Tell me what happened." I pleaded.
Yda gave a sigh of relief and sat with me.
She told me about Fordola. About how she hoped the child would become a part of our family. How her father died.
Ala Mhigans killing Ala Mhigans. Specifically, families that had "bent over backward for the empire." If Yda hadn't told me I wouldn't have believed it and the Imperials just let it happen.
Yda still wasn't done either.
After a few months of spending time with Fordola, she extended the offer to join the party that would sneak out of Ala Mhigo. She was turned down but held the offer right up to the last second.
Then it all came to a head.
Yda grasped both my hands and knelt to me, taking a pause.
She held them to her face.
She always did this when she was on the brink of tears, happy or sad. When I was younger I would cuddle up to Yda in response.
So I naturally followed my instincts.
I nestled my head into Yda's shoulder and we rested upon the pillows.
"What happened Yda? What does the Garlean have to do with his?" I asked.
I felt her grasp my hands even tighter and I could feel the tension building in her shoulder blade.
"When I led the Imperials away, I had already decided to die to protect that girl. It was the only way to make things right for putting her in danger in the first place. For thinking I could have two little sisters. I had every intention of dying there Lyse..." Yda confessed.
This wasn't easy to hear. Yda was my whole world. My only living family, my everything. There wasn't anything I would change about her.
These were my thoughts, but a torrent of emotions twisted and turned in my belly. Relief, bitterness, sorrow, rage...I squelched it all down to focus only on Yda. I placed my head under her chin.
"I'm sorry." she whispered.
"There's naught to forgive, you made it home, you came back!" I exclaimed.
"No Lyse. HE brought me home." Yda said.
"Then thank Rhalgr for Papalymo! I'm sure he'd agree, all that matters is you're safe with us!" I argued as I clutched Yda's palm.
"Not Papalymo, Lyse." Yda said. I looked up at her in confusion and she looked down at me with an affirming gaze.
"The Imperial!?" I said.
Yda nodded without a word. That doesn't make any sense!?...or does it!?
"Yda, you know what that means! He's a spy! He wouldn't save you for any other reason! The Garleans have tried to get into Sharlayan for years!" I nearly screamed.
There was no end to the methods Garlemald used on those they deemed 'Savages.' Yda had told me as much. They would kill the parents and use the children they orphaned as bait to lure in other resistance members, collaborators, or would-be refugees
Papalymo taught me about the ongoing practice of taking conscripts' families hostage to keep them obedient.
I wish those were the worst ones...
"You're wrong Lyse." Yda said, turning on her side to lie down. As I scanned my sister's posture, I couldn't help but act as her mirror.
As we faced either side of the walls, I kept thinking of what I could say to convince Yda that I didn't already.
This Garlean was meant to undo us!
"After everything you've taught me, everything we've been through, why is one Garlean worth putting us at risk?" I asked.
I could hear Yda take a course breath through her nose.
"I know what it looks like. Like I'm foolishly dragging a death sentence into our home. I won't lie. It wouldn't be the first mistake I've made lately." Yda said. I could hear the hurt in her voice.
I inched closer to Yda with my back to her.
"If he is a spy, he went through no small amount of effort to keep me alive. The healers at Gridania told me that the amount of aether used would've endangered most people's lifespans if it didn't outright kill them. I wouldn't have survived my wounds otherwise." Yda said.
"Aether? But he's Garlean?" I said. Garleans had no ability to wield aether let alone cast magick, it's why their whole race turned to magitek.
"You were probably too busy trying to welt him to notice, but he has a black 3rd eye." Yda said.
I didn't actually, but I kept that bit of sass to myself.
"What difference does that make, I saw a Garlean Yda! The race of people who want to enslave everyone and everything!" I sassed.
"I taught you that. The war taught me that. It was our truth for survival. But I taught you how to see the good in people too." said Yda.
"That implies there's any good in a Garlean." I retorted. I heard Yda give a heavy sigh.
We were silent until I heard her take a deep breath.
"He's half-garlean. That's why his eye is a different color. Wouldn't of known if he didn't tell me. Not even Papalymo knew that and it's no wonder. Never once did I think such a thing as half-garleans existed." Yda said.
"They don't. A Garlean is a Garlean." I replied, gritting my teeth. I heard Yda take even longer breath before speaking.
"Lyse, Ala Mhigans killed Fordola's father. They weren't even conscripts, just regular angry people...and one man to take it all out on." Yda said.
I curled up hearing that again. Me and Yda never saw our father die, we heard it from other survivors. Meanwhile, a little girl watched as her father was pelted to death protecting her.
"Were there consequences?" I asked.
"It didn't seem like it from Fordola's perspective, but guess what Bayn told me?" Yda said.
"Who?" I asked.
"You just met him." Yda said with a hint of sarcasm.
I wasn't 2 feet away from punching in his nose, wasn't I?
"Wait you're not on a first name basis are you?" I asked frantically.
Yda ignored my question and continued.
"After returning from a trip to the capital Gaius van Baelsar was furious. The man himself severely punished the two soldiers guarding the palace that day charged with maintaining order. Stripping them of their rank, he beat them half to death. Bayn thinks left to a fate worse than death." Yda said.
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. This surely had to be a lie.
"He could only tell me so much. He wasn't inside Ala Mhigo proper that day. But one thing's for sure, following that incident no one slacked on guard duty ever again. Try making sense out of that. Ala Mhigans killing Ala Mhigans, Garleans actually standing up for what's right, an Imperial saving me from his own Legion!? Where's the sense in any of it?" Yda said with a sad laugh.
I couldn't formulate a response, nothing from my own experiences could prepare me to answer any of that, I doubt Lord Lousoix even could.
"But I know this, when I found myself alive and well out in the Fringes, unsure what was real or if I was in the 7th Heaven, there I saw a boy no more sure of anything than I was. Lost, and lonely, with nowhere to go. Sound familiar?" Yda asked.
I didn't respond, but I sunk my head deeper into the bedding.
"I saw that look in Fordola's eyes. On you, and on myself I'm certain back before we moved to Sharlayan." Yda said. " Lyse my recklessness jeopardized the lives of innocent refugees, Fordola, her family... I told Papalymo to look after you in my stead, you weren't even my last call. I didn't have time to plan out anything before the Imperials showed up, but that doesn't change I put that burden on Papalymo out of nowhere when we already had built the escape plan weeks in the making and go back together like always." Yda finished, taking a deep breath. Then I felt Yda press her back to mine.
"What's more here I am bringing an imperial soldier into our home, and just hoping I can convince you to go along with it. I have not done well by the people I love lately. But Lyse...I'm here with you because HE saved me, no one else. Not the resistance, not Papalymo, not Lord Louisoix, HIM. Tell me if this boy wasn't half Garlean you'd be treating him the same way." Yda said.
I went dead silent...