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Giselle had seen Agnea dance once before, on the floating stage of Tropu'hopu, and even just that one time had been enough to light a new fire in her heart. Yet it hadn't prepared her for how brightly Agnea shined now.
At the Grand Gala, on the stage of the sun and moon, Agnea danced to her "Song of Hope," her movements both graceful and spirited. To compete after ones such as Hermes and Dolcinaea was a tall order indeed, but her smile grew brighter the more the audience called her name. Just barely moments before, few even knew she existed, but as she continued to dance, more and more people cheered for her, more than they had for Hermes or even Dolcinaea.
And among the cheering crowds, Giselle watched her, enthralled.
"Ah, she's so beautiful!" Tanzy exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "It's no surprise that even the goddess is interested in her…!"
"Agnea's like a goddess herself!" Coda replied with a laugh. "Isn't that right, Giselle?"
"Wait, what?" Giselle said, suddenly remembering where she was.
"Don't tease Giselle like that, Coda," Rico said with a huff. "You know now infatuated she is with Agnea!"
"And you're the one babbling about it where everyone can hear!" was Coda's retort.
Giselle felt her cheeks flush and was about to open her mouth to speak, but her attention was drawn back to the stage when she saw Agnea stumble. Her heart leaping into her throat, she almost cried out, but then Agnea jumped back to her feet, that bright smile still on her lips. Giselle let out a sigh of relief; Agnea truly was strong. She knew how hard Agnea worked, having seen the callouses on her feet with her own two eyes in Tropu'hopu. Even though Agnea was so young, Giselle had never met another so filled with hope.
As her heart continued to race, she could do nothing but watch Agnea dance.
Eventually the festivities ended, with Agnea having shined the brightest of all, and the town of Merry Hills remained joyous as everyone celebrated Agnea's performance. Between her traveling companions, her family, and all the other friends she had made on this journey, Giselle grew overwhelmed trying to remember everyone's names, but it clear how many hearts Agnea had touched. Her dream was a simple one, but Giselle was all too aware of how important smiles were and how fragile hope could be.
As evening began to fall, Tanzy approached Giselle, who stood at the edge of the crowds to clear her head. "Now that the Grand Gala is over, I'm going to visit Flamechurch for a bit," she told Giselle.
"Again so soon?" Giselle said, raising an eyebrow; the troupe had stopped in Flamechurch briefly on their way to Merry Hills, and she remembered Tanzy having gone to the cathedral on her own. "Oh, but that's where your parents live too, isn't it?"
Tanzy wrapped an arm around herself, and her bottom lip quivered for just a moment. "That is… one reason, yes."
Giselle cursed herself silently for being so thoughtless; she had a poor relationship with her own parents, and she knew Tanzy's parents were worried about her traveling, especially after her lover's passing. More than once Giselle thought of asking about him, but she didn't want to reopen old wounds either. "Be sure to take care of yourself," she said. "The rest of us will be waiting for you in New Delsta."
Tanzy glanced toward Agnea surrounded by her friends and family. "No dawn could compare to that magnificent performance," she said with a smile. "Take care too, Giselle. The goddess is always watching over us."
Giselle nodded, and she rejoined the crowds as Tanzy headed toward the inn. There were multiple goddesses Tanzy could've been invoking, but given that they were a traveling troupe of entertainers, their patron goddess was Sealticge, the Lady of Grace.
And tonight, no one was more loved by Sealticge than Agnea.
She later found Agnea near the inn, and most of the town had gone to sleep for the night. Agnea stared up at the stars, and Giselle approached her with a smile. "My dear dreamer is still awake, I see," she said with a chuckle.
Agnea also giggled. "I feel like I'm still dreaming right now. I really shined bright, just like Mama…"
Giselle sat upon the steps of the inn, finally feeling the exhaustion from all of the day's excitement. "Everyone in Solistia is going to know your name. This is only the beginning."
"I know." Agnea sat beside Giselle, closer than Giselle had expected. "But I think I'll head home first for a bit. I need to take some time to rest."
"After everything that's happened today, I can't say that I'm surprised!"
Yet Agnea's smile vanished as she drew her knees to her chest. "Do you know how my mother died?"
Giselle shook her head. "I only heard that she had passed away some years ago."
Agnea was silent a moment longer, and when she spoke again, her voice was quieter than Giselle had ever heard it. "She was so focused on making people smile that she didn't realize how ill she had gotten until it was too late."
"Oh, Agnea…" was all Giselle could say.
"That's why Papa was opposed to me leaving our village to become a dancer." A weak smile came upon Agnea's lips. "And I know I sometimes push myself too hard like Mama did, and my friends are always reminding me not to run myself ragged." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "So I tell myself I can't make people smile if I collapse from pain or exhaustion."
"Wise words," Giselle said with a nod.
Agnea rested her head against Giselle's shoulder, startling Giselle, and her eyes watered slightly. "What I really wanted was Mama to see how I shined today."
Gently, hesitantly, Giselle put her arm around Agnea's shoulders to draw her closer, that warmth comforting in this chill night. "I'm sure your mother would be proud of you," she said softly, and that familiar smile returned to Agnea's lips.
The two of them sat in silence a while, and Giselle felt Agnea's arm wrap around the back of her waist. Agnea was such a dazzling, lovely young woman, and since that day in Tropu'hopu, Giselle couldn't stop thinking about her. Agnea's smile was like the dawn itself, embodying the hope each new day brought. With her free hand she touched Agnea's cheek, and again her gaze was drawn to those bright and beautiful lips…
"You know how infatuated she is with Agnea!"
As Rico's words from earlier repeated themselves in Giselle's mind, her gaze fell to Agnea's slender throat and then that ample cleavage of hers, and not for the first time Giselle noticed how perfectly Agnea wore that dress and how tightly it hugged her curves, especially her breasts and hips. Agnea smiled, that sweet, lovely smile of hers, and pressed her hand to Giselle's, and Giselle swallowed dryly, lifting her gaze from Agnea's breasts and hoping she hadn't been obvious with her staring. She knew this feeling. She'd been infatuated with women before - and only women, despite her parents' insistence she marry a man of proper noble rank - but when Agnea smiled at her like that, those feelings of infatuation were both familiar and unfamiliar.
"Giselle?" Agnea said gently, and reflected in her eyes were the stars. She drew closer to Giselle, her soft breasts just barely brushing against Giselle's side.
And Giselle was thankful for the darkness of night to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks, and suddenly she could think of nothing but all the private fantasies of Agnea she had entertained late at night. "The… the stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" she exclaimed, blurting out the first safe thought that came to mind. She stood quickly and let out a sheepish laugh. "But it is getting late."
"You're right." Agnea also stood, and Giselle couldn't help but stare as she stretched her arms. "Where do you plan to go now?"
"Tanzy's going to visit family in Flamechurch, and Coda, Rico, and I will be staying in New Delsta to rest a bit."
"I don't know how easy it'll be to rest in a city like New Delsta!" Agnea giggled. "If you're ever on the western continent again, come visit me in Cropdale!"
Giselle nodded. "I will, I promise."
The two of them returned to the inn, and Giselle escorted Agnea to her room, trying to ignore how her own heart still fluttered, and then headed toward the room she shared with Rico and Coda; Tanzy had already joined a carriage bound for Flamechurch. Giselle entered her room silently and saw that Coda and Rico were already fast asleep. She smiled; today really had been both exciting and exhausting.
She slumped against the door, and her white dove Weiss peeked out from beneath her cape. "What a day, huh?" she whispered, stroking Weiss' beak with her finger. "Even at my age, I'm still making a fool of myself in front of a beautiful woman, aren't I? And one who's ten years younger than me, no less…"
Weiss simply tilted his head, cooing softly.
Giselle laughed weakly. "That Agnea sure is something else. Watching her dance is just… magical. Maybe I really am infatuated with her."
As she prepared for bed, Weiss found a safe shelf to perch on, and she fell asleep as soon as her body lay upon the bed. She dreamed of dancing with Agnea, and above them the stars sparkled.
When she awoke the next morning, all she could think about was what she would give to make that dream a reality.
Tanzy still hadn't returned when that unnatural night fell, bringing creatures made of shadows and darkness.
Giselle swung her sword at one such monster that lunged for her. Coda and Rico cowered behind her, and she couldn't blame them. Unlike her, they had no skills in fighting, and even her own sword skills were rusty, as eventually her parents had deemed swordplay lessons unnecessary for a nobleman's wife. The creature shrieked as she struck it with her sword, and its unstable form faded away into a strange purple mist.
How long ago this night fell, Giselle couldn't tell. All the clocks and watches in New Delsta said the dawn should've risen at least once by now, but even as they ticked away, the night lingered.
Giselle swore under her breath, trying to shield Rico and Coda as the wolf-like monsters surrounded them. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, sweat beading on her forehead. If she could clear a path, then it was a straight shot from here back to New Delsta. But what if New Delsta was also now under siege from these strange monsters? And what about other towns? Was Tanzy safe in Flamechurch? What about Agnea and her companions?
But she had no time to worry when another wolf monster lunged for her. She slashed it, and then another, and then another. Individually, these monsters were quite weak, their bodies about as solid as fog, but there seemed to be no end to them, and Giselle soon grew exhausted.
When the dawn never came, as what felt like days or even weeks passed, Giselle grew increasingly worried about Tanzy, and she had convinced Rico and Coda to travel with her to Flamechurch; even at night, the path there was familiar. Instead, halfway to the border of the Brightlands and the Crestlands, the stars vanished beneath a blemished purple fog and those strange monsters appeared.
The monsters edged closer, and Giselle's sword arm trembled, her breathing ragged. Because of her recklessness, she had doomed not only herself but also Coda and Rico to an unknown fate. She clenched her teeth; but she couldn't give up now, not as long as she still drew breath…!
"Whirlwind blow!"
A gust of wind magic blew part the shadow monsters, and Giselle spotted Agnea and her traveling companions with their weapons drawn. The eight of them made quick work of the monsters - Agnea certainly traveled with a strange group, Giselle found herself thinking - and soon enough there was no longer any trace of that mysterious purple fog.
"Giselle!" Agnea exclaimed as she rushed over to Giselle and clutched her hands, and never had she seen Agnea so frightened. "What are you doing here?"
"Is anyone hurt?" asked the apothecary in blue - Castti was her name, Giselle remembered.
"No, I'm fine," Giselle replied, and Coda and Rico also shook their heads.
Agnea let out a sigh of relief and released Giselle's hands. "That's good to hear, at least."
"We shouldn't stand around here," Throné said, sheathing her dagger at her thigh. "We can rest a bit in New Delsta."
The others agreed. Giselle returned her sword to its scabbard, and Rico and Coda clung to each other as they walked flanked by Agnea's companions. Giselle had so many questions for Agnea, but opted to remain silent as the group made their way to New Delsta. Hikari and Ochette still had their weapons drawn, standing guard for the group, but fortunately, no further monsters attacked them.
How long it took them to reach New Delsta, Giselle couldn't tell, not with the night sky frozen as it was. She couldn't even tell how long it had been since this night had fallen. The group stopped only briefly when water was needed, and the tension among them was thick enough to cut with a blade. Giselle glanced at Agnea out of the corner of her eye, and saw how Agnea's lip quivered. She reached out to touch Agnea's hand, and Agnea squeezed gently with trembling fingers.
Eventually they reached New Delsta, and Giselle felt as if she had walked an entire day. The brightly glowing streetlamps were a welcomed sight, and Temenos said, "These lights should keep the monsters at bay."
Throné let out a dark laugh. "So the city that never sleeps has a useful purpose after all."
The group headed toward the tavern in the backstreets, and while Gil seemed surprised to see all of them, he welcomed Agnea and her friends all the same. "Whatever's going on, I'll do what I can to help," he said.
He didn't have much in the way of food and drink at this time, but the group was thankful for what little he could offer them. Coda and Rico had begun to calm, although they still kept close to another, and Giselle wasn't surprised. In all the time she had known them, they always found comfort with each other in their darkest moments.
Weiss came out from beneath Giselle's red cape and perched on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. "We're safe now, don't worry," she whispered to him.
"Giselle?"
She looked up at the sound of that voice, and Agnea stood before her, and Agnea's fingers were twisted tightly in her skirt. Giselle tried to smile and said, "Thank you for saving us."
Agnea chewed her lip. "What were you doing out there? If we hadn't stumbled upon you just in time…"
Giselle lowered her gaze. "I know it was dangerous, but I suddenly had a bad feeling about Tanzy, so I thought we could at least make it to Flamechurch to check on her."
Much to Giselle's bewilderment, Agnea flinched as if she had been struck. "Tanzy?"
"That was foolish of me, wasn't it?" Giselle let out a feeble laugh. "Flamechurch is the home of the Sacred Flame, so she's probably the safest of all of us."
"Giselle…" Agnea fell silent, and she laid her hand on Giselle's arm. She hesitated a moment longer, inhaling a deep breath before speaking again. "There's something important I need to tell you."
Based on Agnea's expression, Giselle could tell she wanted to talk privately. "We could head outside," she said carefully. "Your friend said that thanks to the streetlamps, we don't have to worry about monsters."
Agnea only nodded, and Weiss flew from Giselle's shoulder to perch on one of the ceiling beams. Giselle took Agnea's hand, and the two of them headed outside, and she was relieved to be greeted by the sight of the promised streetlamps. These backstreets weren't as brightly lit as the heart of the city was, but even this was preferred to that unnatural, shadowy darkness.
As they stood outside the tavern, silence fell over them. Agnea fidgeted, her hands shaking, and several times she opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again without saying anything. She avoided Giselle's gaze, and Giselle wanted to pull Agnea into her arms, to offer words of comfort, but instead remained still.
Finally Agnea spoke again, her voice unusually small. "Tanzy, she… she died."
Giselle almost felt her heart stop. "What?"
"This endless night, it was caused by a cult that put out the Sacred Flames," Agnea said quickly, traces of her natural accent slipping into her shaking voice. "And Tanzy was involved with one of its members, and that woman manipulated her to put out the flame in Flamechurch…"
"I… I don't understand…" Giselle muttered, trembling. Tanzy, part of a cult? Sacred Flames, plural? And those flames could be quenched? But how? Such questions filled her mind, and she grew dizzy.
Agnea held out a worn journal to Giselle. "We found this after… after we saw what happened to Tanzy."
Giselle wordlessly accepted the journal and opened it, immediately recognizing Tanzy's careful handwriting. She wrote of her lover, of her grief and guilt over losing him, of finding comfort with a cleric named Mindt and falling in love again, and… As she read, tears began to roll down Giselle's cheeks.
"…and seeing Sister Mindt's smile. In my mind, no brighter dawn awaited. Yes… I have no need for the dawn. It can all end here and now…"
Giselle let the journal fall to the ground. How could Tanzy say such a thing? The dream of their troupe was to bring smiles to all corners of the realm. Giselle's fingers balled into fists; why hadn't she noticed how much pain Tanzy was in? With a wail she fell to her knees, and Agnea knelt beside her and held her as she sobbed, and Agnea cried as well.
Eventually their tears dried, and they sat against the wall of the tavern as Agnea held Giselle's arm and rested her head against Giselle's shoulder. Giselle glanced down at Agnea, and even in this darkness saw how puffy and bloodshot Agnea's eyes were, and her chest tightened at the sight. They sat in silence a while, as if time itself had frozen. Maybe it had, if the dawn wouldn't come.
Giselle let out a heavy sigh, and Agnea's hands holding her arm tensed. "I should've noticed. Tanzy and I spent so much time together, and I never asked anything…"
"Oh, no, you shouldn't blame yourself," Agnea said softly.
"All this time she spoke of a goddess, I thought she meant Sealticge." Giselle rubbed her eyes with her free arm, and she wondered how she had any tears left to shed. "But she worshipped this woman named Mindt and never told us about her…"
"I met Sister Mindt once, when Temenos joined our group." Agnea hesitated a moment, chewing her lip. "She asked me to take care of him. I thought she was very kind."
"I still don't understand - you said she sacrificed Tanzy to snuff the Sacred Flame and bring about this endless night. But why?"
Agnea lowered her gaze, drawing closer to Giselle. "She was part of the Moonshade Order. Because they have no hope for the world, they want to blanket it in eternal night."
A dark laugh fell from Giselle's lips. "My dream is to bring hopes and smiles, and I couldn't even do that for one of my closest friends…"
"I know there's a lot of suffering in the world," Agnea said, and Giselle felt her body trembling. "And I've seen some of that suffering with my own eyes. But even if they've lost hope, that doesn't give them the right to take away everyone else's hope!"
"It's selfish," Giselle spat.
"Selfish?"
"For most of my life, other people have been trying to dictate my future, and I'm tired of it!" Giselle exclaimed as she shot to her feet. "That's why I set out and formed this traveling troupe, to create my own future! So I don't want some cult that murdered my friend because they fancy themselves judge, jury, and executioner of the world to take that future away from me!"
Agnea also stood and carefully touched Giselle's hand. "Me and my friends have been relighting the Sacred Flames. We'll be heading to Toto'haha next, and hopefully we'll see the dawn again."
"Toto'haha…" Giselle's troupe had traveled there on Tanzy's suggestion. Giselle had readily agreed, wanting to see Tropu'hopu's famous floating stage for herself, but now, knowing from Tanzy's journal that it had been a ploy for Mindt left a sour taste in her mouth. Yet it was also on Toto'haha that she had met Agnea and was reminded of how dazzling and beautiful hope could be.
However, that bright and hopeful young lady now trembled under this dark night. "But I'm scared too," Agnea whispered, almost too softly for Giselle to hear.
"Agnea?" Giselle spoke cautiously.
"What if relighting the flames isn't enough? What if we're too late?" Tears welled at the corners of Agnea's eyes. "And… what can I even do? I'm just a simple country girl who wants to dance…"
Without thinking Giselle gripped Agnea's shoulders; her own heart felt as if it were being torn apart seeing Agnea in such a state. "This isn't like you at all!" she cried. "Where's that spirited young lady who helped me believe in myself! Where's that star who shined brighter than anyone else at the Grand Gala?"
Agnea's eyes went wide. "G-Giselle?"
"You told me your dream is to bring hope and joy, and that is an important dream." Giselle paused a moment, her heart hammering within her chest. "And I want to travel the world and entertain people. In that way, we're not so different, and like me, you've probably been told your pursuits aren't 'important' or 'proper,' or that they're worthless. But that's wrong! Imagination and creativity are what make us human, after all! That's why our dreams are important too!"
As Giselle finished speaking, both she and Agnea simply stared at each other for a tense moment. Giselle felt her cheeks grow warm, and Agnea broke the silence with a soft laugh. "You've been holding that in for a while, huh…?" she said to Giselle.
Giselle released Agnea's shoulders and cleared her throat. "Y-Yes, I suppose I have…"
Agnea folded her hands over her heart. "Did you family oppose your dreams?"
"My parents are nobility of some rank," Giselle said after a moment's pause. "And very traditional. They had my whole future planned out, including the man they wanted me to marry. The only art they cared about were paintings made by men long dead and their expensive clothes. Every time I tried to create something, they said it was a waste of time. Eventually enough was enough and I finally worked up the courage to just leave."
"Oh, Giselle…" Agnea said, and again her eyes watered.
Giselle smiled grimly. "I wandered aimlessly for a while, and then I met Coda and Rico. They told me that my dream of wanting to bring smiles to all corners of the realm was beautiful, and thus Giselle's Traveling Troupe was born."
Agnea also smiled, but it was a far more sincere smile, and the admiration in her gaze planted a dangerous hope in Giselle's heart. "You really are brave!" she exclaimed.
"So are you." Her cheeks flushing, Giselle stole another glance at the stars above. "And you're strong too. I may not understand everything that's happening now, but I know you and your companions can bring back the dawn. For Tanzy. For all of us."
Again Agnea laughed, a sweet sound. "When we first met, I was encouraging you, but now look at you! Thank you, Giselle, thank you…"
The night didn't seem so dark now, Giselle thought to herself. "You inspire hope, Agnea," she said, and those words were out of her mouth before she could think about them. "And it's in darkness like this when we need your light the most."
Agnea was still a moment longer, and without warning threw her arms around Giselle. "Castti told me something once," she said quietly, "that while she can heal a wounded body, I can heal a wounded heart."
As if moving of their own accord, Giselle's arms came around Agnea's slender back. "Your friend is very wise indeed," she replied, her voice equally quiet.
How long they held each other, Giselle couldn't tell. Agnea's warmth was comforting, and her body so soft against Giselle's. A part of her was afraid of releasing Agnea, fearing losing her to the same darkness as Tanzy, but Giselle feared never seeing a new dawn with Agnea even more. Thus carefully she released Agnea, and as Agnea stared up at her with hose lovely blue eyes of hers, Giselle raised a shaking hand to touch her cheek, and when Agnea smiled so sweetly, so adoringly, at her, she bent to press her lips against Agnea's.
When her thoughts finally caught up to her, she could only realize that she had made a fool of herself for a beautiful woman yet again.
Quickly Giselle stepped back and stammered, "O-Oh, Agnea, I'm so—" but she was silenced when Agnea cupped her face and kissed her.
The dawn might've risen in that moment, and Giselle wouldn't have noticed. She'd kissed women before, but none of her previous relationships had ever worked out. Yet kissing Agnea sparked a different kind of flame within her, one much like when she had watched Agnea perform at the Grand Gala but stronger. They kissed each other, over and over; Agnea's lips were clumsy yet earnest, and Giselle returned that fervent passion with her own experience. Soon they parted for breath, and Giselle drew Agnea into her arms.
Agnea tucked her head underneath Giselle's chin, and too soon Giselle was reminded again of the darkness all around them. With Tanzy gone and the dawn uncertain, was it right for her to kiss Agnea now of all times? But if she had let Agnea go without being honest about her feelings, regret would fill her instead.
"We will bring back the dawn," Agnea said as she wrapped her arms around Giselle. "I promise."
A smile tugged at Giselle's lips; what was done was done, so all she could do now was look toward the future. "Remember, you're not alone. I'll be waiting for you, so come back to me, please."
Agnea took a step back to lift her hands to Giselle's face. She smiled, that hopeful, beautiful smile Giselle loved so much. "We can do whatever we set our minds to."
The two of them soon returned to Gil's tavern, and Giselle had retrieved Tanzy's journal from where she had dropped it. Most of the group had already retired to sleep, with Gil having set up makeshift beds. It was an unusual sight, treating a tavern like an inn, but because Gil was Agnea's friend, Giselle did feel a little more at ease here.
Coda and Rico shared a bedroll, and Giselle quietly sat beside them, being careful not to wake them. When they awoke, Giselle would share with them Tanzy's journal and tell them what happened to her, and the three of them would grieve for her together.
Giselle clutched Tanzy's journal tighter to her chest. The world could be cruel and both Coda and Rico knew that all too well. One abused by her parents, the other abandoned by her family, but they had found each other and rediscovered joy. Tanzy only had a manipulative cultist pretending to be a cleric, and that Giselle hadn't noticed Tanzy's grief and anguish still hurt like a dagger to the chest.
She would never stop missing Tanzy. She would never not regret being unable to save Tanzy. But neither would she turn her back on the dawn. She believed in Agnea and the hope that Agnea promised.
Cropdale was a quaint, beautiful village, just as Agnea had promised. After the dawn had returned to the world, Agnea and her companions had gone on ahead to the western continent, while Giselle and her troupe had gone to Flamechurch. She visited Tanzy's parents in their candle shop, but all she could tell them was that their daughter had perished during the long night. She also gave them Tanzy's journal, and while she still didn't know if that had been the right decision, they deserved the truth. They had all cried until they were numb, and Giselle's troupe had eventually left Flamechurch with heavy hearts.
"Smells like raspberries," Coda said, glancing around the verdant village.
"Well, Agnea did say her village was famous for its raspberries and peaches," Rico replied.
Giselle smiled as she listened to Coda and Rico. Although Tanzy's death still weighed heavily on all of them, they were beginning to act more like their old selves, and both had been receptive to Giselle's idea of adding new members to their troupe.
(They had also teased Giselle by suggesting she invite Agnea, and that they could tease her at all after everything that had happened was a good sign, despite Giselle's embarrassment.)
"Giselle!"
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her name, and Agnea rushed toward her. She held open her arms and caught Agnea in a tight embrace, and both Rico and Coda whistled as Giselle spun Agnea around. But Giselle was in a forgiving mood today as Agnea's arms came around her back. "It's good to see you again," she whispered into Agnea's hair.
Agnea beamed as she gave Giselle a light kiss on the cheek. Her blue eyes sparkled, and Giselle's breath caught in her throat. She knew she was weak around beautiful women, but she wondered if there would ever come a day when she wasn't awestruck by Agnea's radiance. "Let me show you around the village!" Agnea exclaimed with a giggle as she clutched Giselle's arm.
Fortunately, Giselle remembered most of the villagers' names from the celebrations during the Grand Gala, and she was especially excited to see Pala and Garud again. At some point during the tour, Coda and Rico snuck away, leaving Giselle alone with Agnea, and eventually the two of them found themselves at the festival grounds, standing before a wooden stage.
"It's quiet now, but during festivals these grounds get very lively!" Agnea said as she led Giselle onto the stage, and some of her natural accent slipped into her voice. "According to Papa, dancing really wasn't much of a thing here until Mama came."
"How did your parents meet?" Giselle asked. "Cuani Bristarni used to be the biggest star on the eastern continent, but twenty years ago, she settled in the west and never danced again in the east."
Agnea giggled as she sat on the edge of the stage, and Giselle sat beside her. "Papa was well-known even on the eastern continent for his dresses, so Mama sailed west to order one and see what the fuss was all about, and when she tried it on, she fell in love and soon married him."
"That's a romantic story."
"It is, isn't it? After me and Pala were born, she took a break from dancing, but as we got older, we traveled with her to towns all over the west as she danced. She always said she wanted to take us across the sea to New Delsta, but she passed away before that could happen…"
Giselle bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up the subject."
"No, it's fine." Agnea slipped her arm into Giselle's and rested her head against Giselle's shoulder. "I want to tell you more about Mama. I was so happy you told me about her dancing in Sai. When she was alive, we could never go that far south because of all the conflict."
"The people of Sai love your mother. Dancing may not seem significant at first glance, especially in the face of conflict, but it brings smiles to people's faces and reminds them of joy." Giselle's voice fell to a whisper. "And if you can't remember joy, it's hard to have hope for the future."
Agnea's hand tightened around Giselle's arm. "You're thinking of Tanzy, aren't you?"
"It still hurts. For all my talk of bringing smiles to all corners of the realm, I didn't notice her hurting beside me."
"We can't save everyone." Agnea's eyes watered, but a weak smile came upon her lips. "But we have to keep trying our best for those we can."
Giselle raised a hand to Agnea's cheek. "Because the journey for hope is never-ending."
Weiss peeked out from beneath Giselle's cape and then hopped over to Agnea's shoulder, and she laughed as she stroked his feathers. "Well, hello to you too," she cooed, her smile brightening.
Giselle smiled too; Agnea's smile was always radiant, much like the dawn itself. "See, Weiss believes in you too."
Soon Weiss flew to perch on a nearby post, and for a bit Giselle and Agnea simply sat together in a gentle silence, and Agnea's warmth was comforting. Giselle, Coda, and Rico had met Tanzy on the way to New Delsta, and Tanzy had reminded Giselle much of herself when she had first left home. Giselle had wandered aimlessly a while, eventually adopting Weiss, clearly no ordinary dove, and then meeting Coda and Rico to form their traveling troupe. In their early days together, they had been rather disorganized, so Tanzy's levelheaded management had been a blessing. That Tanzy was only using the troupe to search for the Sacred Flames in Hinoeuma and Toto'haha was still a painful realization, but Giselle wanted to believe that some of the joy they shared had been sincere. Even if she still regretted being unable to save Tanzy, Giselle would never regret meeting and traveling with her.
The sky began to darken as evening fell, and Giselle jolted, startling Agnea. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said with an awkward laugh. "I'm… still a little uneasy around nightfall, I suppose."
"I am too," Agnea said softly. "Sometimes I can't sleep because I'm afraid the sun won't rise."
Giselle let out a heavy sigh. "It feels like an endless nightmare."
"But nightmares do eventually end." Agnea stood and held out her hand. "What helps me is remembering my friends and the 'Song of Hope' we composed together. When I imagine everyone's smiles, I know there will always be another dawn."
"Agnea…" was all Giselle could say as she accepted that outstretched hand and also got to her feet. Her heart began to race, as it often did whenever Agnea looked at her with that radiant gaze of hers.
Their fingers laced as Agnea laid her other hand on Giselle's shoulder. "So how about a dance?" she said with a wink.
"It would be my honor," Giselle replied, putting her arm around the back of Agnea's waist.
The two of them fell into a slow, three-step dance. Agnea clearly wasn't used to dancing with another person like this and Giselle only half-remembered her dance lessons from her education to be a nobleman's wife, but neither of them could stop smiling. Even when they stumbled, they kept moving to the beat of an imaginary song and held each other close. Agnea stared up at Giselle with such yearning and adoration in her eyes, and for once Giselle was glad she was taller than most other women. Agnea's body fit perfectly in her arms, and soon enough Agnea rested her forehead against Giselle's shoulder as they began to slow.
They sky continued to darken, but the sight of the stars above came as a relief to Giselle. She had always found comfort in the stars during her travels, and never again would she take them for granted.
The two of them came to a stop, and Giselle cupped Agnea's face between her hands. "I love you, Agnea," she said before she lost her nerve. "I am so, so grateful I was able to meet you, and I cannot thank you enough for bringing back the dawn."
"We couldn't have done it without everyone's support." Agnea touched Giselle's cheek, brushing her thumb over Giselle's lips. "The dawn belongs to all of us."
Tears stung at the corners of Giselle's eyes. "My sweet dreamer, you really are the hope this world needs." She bent to kiss Agnea's lips, still just as soft and sweet as she remembered. That night in New Delsta when they first kissed had felt much like a dream. Maybe it had been, and when she awoke, she saw Agnea standing in the blush of the dawn.
Their lips parted, and Agnea threw her around Giselle and buried her face in Giselle's chest. "No matter where you go, no matter how far you travel, you're always welcomed here in Cropdale."
Giselle brushed her lips against Agnea's hair. "Thank you, my dear," she murmured.
Agnea smiled at Giselle, the stars reflected in her blue eyes, and she took Giselle's hand into hers to lead Giselle to her house, where Coda and Rico awaited with Pala and Garud, and Weiss flew behind them, following.
Sometimes they would travel together. Sometimes they would follow their separate paths. But even as Agnea's stardom grew and Giselle expanded her troupe, they would always return to each other eventually.