Rynn felt herself be moved to the bed.  Between her cries and sniffles, she managed a thank you, and quieted down.  For the most part, the worst was over,  There were still tears, and her nose was dripping.  She rubbed her eyes, and sniffled again, turning away from Gideon.  "I look like a mess, don't I?" she managed finally.  "Thank you, for being here…"  Another rough sniffle, followed by a cough and a hiccup.  "I probably shouldn't have done that, should I?" she said, starting to laugh.

"You know, Aeolus was genius.  He was so smart, that no one could keep up with him.  Only person who ever stood a chance was Jace.  We all learned from him, and he was more than just a cousin.  He was like a second older brother."  She rubbed her face, trying to wipe away the tears.  "When he saw what we were up against, and how we were fairing, he knew that we couldn't win.  He knew he couldn't win either.  It was a war of attrition, more than anything."  

"Aeolus had lost both his parents.  He probably thought that if he went all out, and bought us more time, that he could prevent us from losing anyone else.  The idiot…"  She chuckled, and shook her head.  "No.  He was smart.  He was right.  We never stood a chance.  If he hadn't have done it, we would have all died then and there…."

"Anyone who meets true sorrow is a mess, and that goes for men and women alike," Gideon said as he offered her a handkerchief to dry her face. "No, I think it was a good thing you did," he admitted. "You've buried so much that it was bound to come out eventually. I think it was brave that you told the tale at all," he said. "It takes a lot of courage to tell that sort of story," he told her. 

"Jace wasn't the only one who could keep up with him. Crystal did well in her own way," Gideon said. "They were mates after all," he pointed out. "The people who sacrifice the most are always the ones who we love the deepest, and sometimes it takes losing them to realize it," he said. "I think if Aeolus hadn't gone out the way he did… that maybe Magnus never would have had the chance to make the decision he did about Endless," he said. 

Rynn thought about it for a moment while drying her tears.  It had been a mess of things near the end, and everything had happened too quickly.  The decision had been cast, and what remained of their world disappeared.  It was a miracle that any of them survived at all.  Magnus had made the choice.  Rynn's grandfather, Drake, had entrusted everything to Magnus, as if he knew that the old spirit's choice would be for the best.

"Do you…ever wonder…or, I guess…do you think Magnus regrets his choice?  Do you think he made the right one?"  Rynn asked,  She looked to Gideon.  "Is this really the best choice.  To move forward with all of this?"  She realized where she was headed, and shook her head.  No.  I know better.  "I'm sorry.  I…I shouldn't have."  She took a calming breath, and closed her eyes, moving herself so that she could lean against Gideon, her head resting against his leg.  

"There isn't any point in 'what if'.  I'll just drive myself mad fantasizing about a perfect world that doesn't exist.  All we can do is push forward, and hope for the best."  And to honor those who have fallen by living.  "Thank you for supporting me, Gideon.  I think…"  She yawned, suddenly feeling exhausted.  "I think it's time that we….call it a night."  She started to doze, he mind falling into the comforting arms of sleep.

"Oh…." she said, half awake.  "You're sleeping on the floor tonight…"

"I don't know…" Gideon answered. "I didn't get a chance to know all the gods and guardians like you did, Rynn… I know that they had been fighting Fate and the Void long before I was even born… probably as long as Magnus had been alive, and we both know that he was the longest lived out of almost all of them," he replied softly. "But… if I am being honest… if the choice had been between letting the fight end, or turning the clocks back so that everyone could come back, but the fight continue… I would have done what he did. It wouldn't have been right to ask all those who had sacrificed before to come back and make them fight again… it would have made what they gave up meaningless… But this way, their sacrifice gave us who decided to try to move on to a new world a chance to do just that… they gave us a chance to truly be free," he said. 

What he said seemed to strike true as she quickly began composing herself and talking more like the girl he knew. He smiled softly and lightly caressed her hair as she rested still against his leg. He leaned against the headboard of the bed and began to relax as sleep began to overtake her. This was nice, sorta cuddling. He rested his head back, content to stay there. 

"Oh… you're sleeping on the floor tonight."

Damn… He rolled his eyes and slid his leg out from beneath her before he pulled the blankets up and over her shoulders before he took his place on the floor between her and the door. 

"Sleep well, Rynn."

"Sleep well Gideon.  And thank you…."  Rynn's voice started to trail off.  "I don't know…what I'd…do…"

—

Rynn groaned as her eyes fluttered open.  The light was more than she could honestly handle in the morning.  She tried to roll over, only to realize that the bed she was in was almost too small, and any more movement would have her falling to the floor in a heartbeat.  Another groan, and she sat up, stretching.  Hmm…Gideon?  She yawned, and looked to the floor to see if her partner was still asleep.  As per usual, he had already woken up. 

I guess he let me sleep in.  I'll have to thank him later.  Another yawn escaped her lips as she started to get up.  She walked over to the mirror that was in the room, and examined her face.  I look terrible in the mornings….  A third yawn.  Oh.  I'm still in most of my clothes from last night.  She struggled a moment, but managed to get her corset off, tossing it and her shirt aside.  

That's so much better, she thought as she stretched her arms to the sky, letting out yet another yawn.  

Gideon glanced up at the bed from his place on the floor and looked at Rynn's dozing form. He sighed wistfully and rested his head on his forearms, his primary wings coming to cover him in a downy warmth. "Dream sweet, my lady…"

__

The night was less than comfortable, but by this point he had gotten quite used to sleeping on hard surfaces. The stiffness and aches came with it were routine at this point. Dawn was just peeking over the horizon as he sat up and stretched out. Rynn was still sound asleep on the bed when he got up, and he decided to let her sleep. It had been too long since they had really had a chance to rest, and she needed it. He silently got up, got cleaned up and changed for the day before he slipped outside via the window and took off for an early morning flight. 

The coastal breeze was cool and there was still a low mist coming in off the sea. The entire bustling city was still, except for maybe the docks, where people got to work early. This was his favorite part, finding a place where he could sit and watch a city come to life after the stillness of the night. 

He watched for a time as the people of the city began to awaken and the mists cleared. Shops were opened and the city came to life with a will, the quiet stillness banished with the lively activity of city commerce. Gideon smiled and stood from his spot to fly back to the inn where he was sure Rynn had yet to awaken. The tell-tale swoop of his wings and the clatter of him landing on the roof above their room would signify his return to her.

Rynn heard the telltale sounds of Gideon's wings, and she turned around.  "Oh, good morning, Gideon."  Her arms were still stretched above her head, her fingers locked together to extend the stretch as far as it would go.  "Do me a favor, and hand me my shirt and pants from over there?  I was stuck in that corset all night, and everything is sore now…I think we need to talk to Dart and see if there isn't a hot spring of some sorts we can visit.  It would do wonders for us…"  

She turned back around, not waiting for Gideon to respond.  "Other than the last song we did, I think we did really well.  I think…we will have to shelve that last one for awhile.  But that's okay.  We have more than enough to keep the crowd enthralled.  I'm genuinely surprised, though.  I knew you were talented with a lute, but I honestly didn't think I'd hold a crowd as well as Serah.  Well…of course, she'd have held them better…but it wasn't a bad first night."  

"Anyway, let's get dressed and go talk to Dart.  I could use some food…maybe they'll have made something delicious down in the tavern."

Gideon clambered back in through the window, did half of a double-take and went to do as Rynn said. They had gotten past the awkwardness of walking in on each other undressed years ago. Sometimes it bugged him that Rynn didn't seem to grasp what kind of an effect she could have on him that way, but it was pointless to try and bring it up. Serah and Crystal had tried and failed some time ago. Gods, that was a fun memory. He was pretty sure he still had a scar from it. The fact that he had walked away with eyes at all was a miracle in and of itself. 

"Right," he said as he turned his back to her and grabbed her clothes. He proceeded to go throughout the rest of the one-sided conversation without ever actually looking at Rynn. It had become a practiced art, though it was one he rather wished he didn't feel the need to do. But he would, until Rynn was ready. He handed her clothes over and waited patiently until she was ready. 

"Hey, Rynn…" he asked before she could walk out the door. "We need to talk about something," he said. "About what is going to happen after we find Jace. I know that you would rather focus on what is in front of us now, but… I need to know."

Rynn got dressed with relative quickness after Gideon handed her the clothes, but paused when she was asked the question.  

"I'm not sure I follow?" she asked.  "We'll find Jace, and then figure out why he left.  After that, we should be able to live together like we used to…"  At least, that was if Jace cooperated.  The reality was, Rynn had no idea what state Jace was in.  Knowing her brother, he was blaming himself for the way everything happened, and probably punishing himself for it.  But that was something they would have to tackle once the time came for it.  "Or did you mean something else?"

It was about that point where her stomach rumbled in protest.  "Oh…I really do need to eat something," she said.  "Can we talk about this over breakfast?  I'm starving Gideon…"