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Night fell on Merry Hills, and once the celebrations had ended, Agnea returned alone to the Shine of Ul'sterra to stand upon the Stage of the Moon and Sun again. Beneath the stars like this and no one in the audience, it was a rather different feeling. How long this place had stood, weathered and worn down by the elements, Agnea didn't know, but still it was beautiful.
Humming softly to herself, she fell into the familiar steps of her dance. She did so more slowly than usual, savoring the feel of each and every movement she made. She could not remember a time she didn't want to dance; her earliest memory was of watching her mother dance, smiling brightly as she shined so beautifully. Her mother had only wanted to bring joy to others, even in her last days.
Tears stung at the corners of Agnea's eyes, but still she danced, her movements slow and deliberate. Her mother had brought so much joy, touched so many hearts, and standing here on this stage to continue her mother's legacy of hope, Agnea had never felt prouder to be Cuani Bristarni's daughter.
Her movements slowed, and soon she came to a stop. She rubbed her eyes with her arm and tried to smile. "Mama, I miss you…" she whispered into the chill night air.
"That was wonderful," came a familiar sultry voice from behind Agnea.
She turned her head, seeing Throné approaching her. "Oh, Throné!" she exclaimed. "How long have you been there?"
Yet Throné hesitated. "What's wrong, Agnea? You're crying."
"Oh, this? It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about my mother."
"She would be proud of you. I'm sure of it."
Agnea smiled. Throné appeared especially beautiful in the moonlight, and again Agnea's gaze fell upon Throné's bare throat, now free of that poisoned collar. Lostseed had been a terrifying place, beyond anything Agnea could have ever imagined, but since reaching Merry Hills, Throné's smile had grown more sincere. Agnea laid her hand over her heart; she was glad to see that. "I wish she could've seen how everyone was smiling," she said. "I really did it, didn't I…?"
"You were beautiful, Agnea." Throné touched the base of her throat, a soft smile crossing her lips. "I'm glad I was able to see you dance here."
Agnea's heart skipped a beat; that Throné thought her beautiful was like a dream come true. "Aw, you're makin' me blush!"
Throné only chuckled as she stepped closer to the edge of the stage. "What do you plan to do now?"
"Our journeys are at an end, aren't they?" Agnea came beside Throné, and the stadium really did appear so much smaller without all the people cheering for her and Dolcinaea and the other dancers. "I think I'd like to return home for a bit. I want to keep traveling and dancing, but I know it's important to rest too."
"Every town will be inviting you to dance, so you'll have to make sure you don't exhaust yourself, or…" Throné didn't need to say the rest out loud.
Agnea understood. She had told Throné what happened to her mother and why her father had been reluctant to allow his daughter to follow in her footsteps. "What about you, Throné? What do you want to do now that your journey is over?"
Throné was silent, again touching her throat. Agnea tensed; had she overstepped with that question? She opened her mouth to apologize, but then Throné turned to face her and held out her hand. "Would you like to dance with me?" she asked, her dark eyes reflecting the moonlight.
Stunned, Agnea simply stared at Throné's outstretched hand for a tense moment. It was just the two of them under the stars, their journeys drawing to an end for now. Another moment passed, and worry began to creep into Throné's gaze, so Agnea clasped that outstretched hand between hers, perhaps a touch too eagerly. "Yes, I'd love to!" she exclaimed. "More than anything!"
With a gentle smile, Throné put her other arm around Agnea's back, and Agnea giggled as she laid her free hand on Throné's shoulder; she rather enjoyed Throné taking the lead like this. The hand that held hers was warm, and she let their fingers lace as they began to move. There was no music, but Throné needed none as she led Agnea through a simple three-step dance. Unsurprisingly, Throné was light and confident on her feet, and Agnea was glad to see her find new purpose for her skills.
The night air was cool against Agnea's skin as she and Throné continued to dance together. She kept her gaze locked on Throné's, too mesmerized to think of looking away. Throné smiled so softly at her, a smile she had never seen before on Throné's lips. Throné's eyes held a new kind of longing, different from her longing for freedom, and one that made Agnea's heart race.
Throné had endured so much in her pursuit of freedom, the cost of it nearly unbearable. Often Agnea saw the uncertainty in her face whenever she touched her bare throat. Throné turned swiftly, her foot grazing across the outline of the moon carved upon the stage, and Agnea kept pace with her. Dancing for her in Winterbloom, singing for her in Montwise - Agnea wanted to do whatever she could to make Throné smile. Yet as they had left Lostseed, all Agnea had been able to do was take Throné's hand into hers and not look back at the discarded collar on the ground.
Their dancing began to slow, and they came closer to the relief of the sun beneath their feet. Throné's warmth was almost intoxicating, and Agnea could no longer tell their heartbeats apart. Their journey together was nearly at an end, and thus a bittersweet feeling began to fill her. She was glad Throné obtained her freedom from the Blacksnakes. She was glad to have stood on this stage and shined brightest at the Festival of Grace. But what would happen when the sun set on this journey?
Soon they came to a stop, unspoken words still hanging between them. Carefully Throné cupped Agnea's face, her hands warm and calloused, and Agnea raised her own hand to Throné's cheek, tracing her thumb over soft lips. Throné chuckled quietly, and she bent to kiss Agnea.
When she had first fallen in love with Throné, Agnea didn't know. What she did know was the warmth that bloomed in her chest whenever she was near Throné, and the kind heart within Throné that she had longed for the more they traveled together.
They soon sat together on the edge of the stage, and Agnea held Throné's arm and rested her head against Throné's shoulder. Again a soft smile came upon Throné's lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind Agnea's ear, and the touch of her fingers was tender. "Maybe I'll rest a while too, once our journeys are over," she said in a quiet voice. "And then it might be nice to travel again, this time with no collar weighing me down."
"If you need a place to rest, you're always welcomed in Cropdale," Agnea said with a giggle.
"That's right, you did promise me raspberries."
"I'll give you all the raspberries you can eat! That's a promise!"
Again the two of them laughed, and then a gentle silence fell over them. Agnea's hands tightened around Throné's arm; parting didn't always mean goodbye. Even if they went their separate ways a while, they would someday see each other again. She looked up at Throné, brushing her fingers over Throné's cheek.
Throné took that hand into hers and pressed it to the base of her throat. "I can still smell all the blood I spilled on this journey," she said in a whisper. "And I know that stench will never go away. That is the price I paid for this freedom." She shut her eyes for a moment. "But this is the freedom I wanted. I can't change that." Her fingers tightened around Agnea's. "Even so, I'm glad… and I'm glad that I met you, Agnea."
"I'm glad too," Agnea replied, her voice just as quiet. "I'm so, so grateful we met…"
"What I want most now is to watch you dance." Throné brushed her lips against the back of Agnea's hand. "I've put you through so much, haven't I?"
Agnea stood and pulled Throné to her feet. On this journey, she had seen some of humanity's worst and such suffering could not be easily erased, but if she could inspire hope in one person, the journey for hope would never end. Thus her mother had often told her. "You are a kind woman, Throné. Never forget that." She smiled and let her fingers intertwine with Throné's. "Now, watch me shine!"
With Throné, even the night was beautiful, and when their journey together came to an end, Agnea would share the dawn with her.