Title: afterwards, the sunset
Rating: G
Fandom: Ys, specifically Ys 8
Relationship: Dana Iclucia/Olga
Wordcount: 656
Short summary: Instead of coming for dinner, Laxia finds Dana out on the cliff alone.
“There you are.”
Laxia and Ricotta had made food for everyone and everyone had shown up to eat except for one person. It wasn’t like Dana to not join everyone for a meal, so Laxia figured Dana was probably in one of two places, and her first guess was correct. Standing at the edge of the cliff facing the ocean, the rays of the setting sun highlighted Dana’s blue locks, giving them an orangish glow.
Dana turned around and look at Laxia with a sad smile. She was holding the pendant that they had found earlier in her right hand, the one from her long-departed friend, rubbing its jade stone over and over.
“When we last parted there wasn’t a sun to see in the sky at all. And before that, the sky was all red.”
“Dana...” Dana’s voice had been quiet and strained. She seemed to be holding back her emotions but also unable to let them out. It wasn’t surprising that her words were a sentence seemingly from the middle of a thought instead of the beginning or the end. Still, considering the events that just took place hours earlier, it was obvious who Dana was talking about, what she was talking about. Laxia took a step closer and reached out to touch Dana’s left shoulder.
Dana laughed dryly. “It’s silly isn’t it?” she commented, chastising herself. “She’s long gone.”
Laxia’s grip on Dana’s shoulder tightened for a moment. Shaking her head, she countered, “But you never got to tell her everything.”
Dana blinked in surprise. “How do you know?”
Laxia blushed. “Well I just had this feeling...” She didn’t know why she had said that, honestly. She hadn’t been thinking; it had just come out and she found herself trying to explain both to Dana and herself.
“With my father and stuff... although I believe I’ll see him again at least…” Laxia stepped back, dropping her hand. The feeling of awkwardness had exploded in her chest. Why was she going on about herself when Dana was the one suffering right now? The one suffering more, because Laxia’s situation wasn’t bad at all in comparison…
“I’m sorry, Dana. I should have been more sensitive.”
Dana shook her head, her smile a little wider now. “It’s alright. I still have her last message at least.” She looked down at the pendant. “I think I just need some time.”
Laxia nodded. She would let Ricotta know to keep a portion of the food safely away from Sahad or whomever might gain a renewed appetite over the next few hours. She opened her mouth to let Dana know she was leaving but then, seeing Dana still focused on the pendant, something else came out instead.
“She loved you too.”
Silence passed; not even the wind was blowing. Laxia wondered if this was nature telling her that she had erred once more, yet Laxia believed her words to be the truth, even if they had been spoken at the wrong time. Even though she barely knew anything about Olga, just from hearing that one message, Laxia knew there was a strong and caring woman behind that voice, one that wanted to see Dana always smiling and not crying like she was now? Yet Laxia felt like this was better, to see Dana actually let her emotions out.
“I know...” Dana whispered, smiling through her tears. “Thank you, Laxia.”
Laxia smiled back. “Don’t worry about it.” But now that Dana was finally able to let her emotions flow, Laxia should probably leave. “We have leftovers for you whenever you’re ready.”
Dana laughed. “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
With a wave, Laxia made her way back down to the central area of their main camp. She’d make sure the others avoided the cliff area for a bit longer. But also… When she saw her father next, she would say… Maybe she would write it out first, just to be safe…