Crescendo in the Clouds Finale
Theme: SIGNALIS - Die Totensinsel (Emptiness)
Leleni and Zoronado didn't take their eyes off their surroundings after that ambush. They avoided flying too close to the bottom of the islands as well, lest they fly too close to another nest. Now it was just bright empty skies from here on out, circling back toward Camp Cloudtop to prevent getting lost out here. It wasn't until a bell or two later did Leleni realize her big hat was missing, lost during the evasive maneuvers Zoronado performed back there. Not that it mattered; the sun would set soon anyroad.
"What is that�" Zoronado muttered out loud. Leleni shifted to the other side of the ship to see what he was looking at. Instead of some new and dangerous cloudkin swooping down to attack them again, she saw twinkling lights on the side of a floating island; she pulled out her binoculars to get a better look, and her heart fluttered in her throat!
"WaoâŠ!" She yelped, tapping Zoronado on the shoulder excitedly. "That's it! The Amu Amu flower!!!" He didn't need to be toldâ he tapped the accelerator and steered the airship around, getting close enough to the island to scrape the paint off. Leleni pulled out her shears and snatched half a dozen flowers, dropping them onto the seat. "I get it nowâŠ" She whispered while they sped back to the safety of the open sky. "We couldn't find any yesterday because they only bloom at night⊠and way up here, no less!"
"Good thing I decided to surprise you with this ship thenâŠ!" Zoronado smiled, his chest swelling with pride. Leleni was elated, finding some seeds amongst her harvest that would prove handy with the special soil back at Heartwood. She placed her hands on his shoulder and leaned around him, planting a wet smooch on his perfectly round cheek.
"My heroâŠ!" She beamed, watching him turn as red as Dalamud again. His heart pounded against his chest from his reward, and he couldnât stop smiling. In just a summer and a half they went from respectable friends to inseparable partners, growing closer and closer to each other with every passing day. It was a far cry from when they first started exploring Eorzea togetherâ just two foreigners with an unquenchable thirst for adventure. Zoronado remembered those days well; he was polite, courteous and, most of all, he kept his distance and they respected each otherâs personal space. They may be close together now, even considered lovers, but the truth is Zoronado has always felt this way.
From the first time he laid eyes upon her maiden face during his coronation into becoming a fully recognized Bulwark Knight, he knew she was all he would ever yearn for: her soft, plump, and reddening cheeks, with golden locks cascading down the sides of her round face, and eyes shimmering brighter than polished jade. He was smitten instantlyâ an infatuation of the woman he was being sworn in to protect that only grew stronger and harder to contain. Zoronado was torn between his duty as her champion knight and his love only a man could harbor for a woman. Acting as her shadow and being her sword and shield back on Kolâdin was harder than he ever imagined, not because of the dangers beyond, but the struggles within. His heart would flutter every time she called his name, his knees would grow weak and weary whenever she gazed into his eyes, and when she would place his hand on his shoulder as they walked, he swore he would burst into flame.
Being hopelessly in love with Princess Leleni Nar Leni was agony. It was an acute misery that was difficult to describe, and even more difficult to ascertain. Deep in the depths of his soul he knew he couldnât live without seeing her smile, without her relying on him for protection. It didnât take long for him to decide to forgo retirement in forty summersâ that would mean an arranged marriage with a woman he didnât know and couldnât possibly treat right, for his heart already belonged to someone else. Walking Leleni down the aisle to an arranged marriage of her own was a special solemn sadness, especially with the knowledge of what would happen next. When Zoronado was guarding the bed chambers as the princess and her new husband consummated their marriage, he was enduring a desperate and helpless loneliness he wouldnât wish on his worst enemies.Â
That was then, and this is now. If Leleni could contact her mother and get her father, King Fafasasho, to void her wedding vows, perhaps Zoronado would have a chance at true happiness. He wanted nothing more to be there for her in her every hour of need, with a devotion to her safety that transcended the bounds of his training. He was a swirl of emotions most of the timeâ from guilt to greed, lust to shame, love to repulsion. Every fiber of his being told him not to pursue Leleni, for he was trained to close his heart to her, lest he succumb to his desires and bring dishonor to his name and position. However that was when he was a Bulwark Knight; now he was just a man.
âLove is the death of duty.âÂ
Truer words have never repeated in his head as many times as these. Yet even though he has been stripped of his titles and achievements, and Leleni stripped of her birthright and claim to the throne, he could not, would not, take her to bed. Every time his carnal urges came creeping up in the back of his mind, he felt only disgust and shame for it. He was a man with needs, that much is plain, but Leleni was more than that. She deserved better than that. He may no longer be a Bulwark Knight but he couldnât shake all of his conditioning; he couldnât allow himself to succumb to such weakness, not until they were married, not unless they were married. For now they would just⊠remain closeâ and that would be the end of it.
The ship was on its way back to Camp Cloudtop, taking the scenic route at the top of the world. The sun had vanished beneath the canopy of the clouds by now, plunging the sky into darkness until the moon revealed herself, with all of the stars to keep her company. âZoronadoâŠâ Leleni finally spoke after they flew in silence for so long. Zoronado blinked when she lifted up his arm from the steering lever and crawled into his lap. He was stunned and speechless, watching her with wide eyes and a pounding heart.
âI donât know where Iâd be if I hadnât chosen you as my champion.â Leleni settled into his lap and smiled warmly, staring deep into his eyes with a blushing face steeped in still moonlight. âThank you for always being there for me⊠you really are my closest and best friendâŠâ His heart split in half and he half-blinked a few times. In just a single day he went from being precious, to hero, back down to friend. Friend⊠thatâs all he was to her, in the end. Perhaps that was for the best. âAnd I know I can be really difficult to be around, especially when Iâm⊠well⊠angry and accusatory. But I wanted to let you know that⊠well⊠Iâm really glad you got to see my face first, before Nonobira⊠with one word I could have had you executed for breaking one of our most sacred traditions but⊠Iâm really, truly glad I didnât. Youâre a good man, Zoronado. The best man I could ever hope for.â
Zoronado couldnât breathe. He could feel the heat radiating from his face at her words, and once again he was getting blindsided by a mixture of emotions. He opened his mouth to speak but the words snagged in his throat. Fear of offense or ruining the moment constricted his neck and forced him to just stare awkwardly at her, but neither dared look away. Leleni didnât say anything else for what felt like ages, her face completely red from embarrassment, with her eyes occasionally dropping down to his lips. âZoronadoâŠâ She whispered, gently cradling his cheeks in her hands.Â
Then she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pressed her warm lips against his own. Zoronado felt like he was suddenly engulfed in fire as time slowed to a standstill. He felt his stomach rising up into his chest, adrift in this moment he so desperately wanted to last forever. It wasnât until the wind began to howl did both Leleni and Zoronado open their eyes to realize the airship was falling!Â
âOuuughâŠ!!!â She broke their tender kiss to cling to him helplessly, while he scrambled to grab the steering levers and pull them toward him, leveling out the airship once again. Both Lalafells exchanged shameful glances at each other amidst their laborious breathing, with Leleni eventually slipping from his lap to settle behind him once again.
They didnât say anything else for the rest of their journey home.
