This man speaks the truth! Behold:
---
It was raining again, Ulyssian noted. With his hearing augmented by recent training, he could perceive the sound made by the individual droplets of rain as they spent themselves in vain against the Academy's walls. In time and with greater mastery of essence, he would be able to count them, to flawlessly predict the trajectory of each raindrop and the result of it striking the stone, just as he had done with the wind-blown sands of a long-forgotten ancient battlefield.
A more suspicious man might have drawn a connection between his current activities and the ongoing storm; the skies did always seem to seize the opportunity to vent their displeasure whenever he spent time with Moon. The Headmaster had been strangely reluctant to allow their meetings at first, but surely Lung Feng Zao was not petty enough to use his absolute mastery of the wind and weather within his domain to literally rain on their metaphorical parade?
It hardly mattered, in any case; they were safely ensconced within the walls of the Academy, with the scroll-laden shelves of the grand library rising high around them. A lantern burned atop a precarious pile of books, the contents of which they'd already exhausted, its light dispelling the gathering darkness.
Getting the library to themselves to meet Zao's demand for secrecy had required some creativity. The few intrepid students who had resisted Ulyssian's glare had been subjected to the same talents that had been the bane of the Opaline Palace, now turned towards harassment. Papers were misplaced, scrolls detailing the ebb and flow of the tides were replaced with outdated versions, and reference texts developed an irritating tendency to simply vanish the instant they weren't being watched. Moon had taken to causing mischief with surprising ease, and soon after indoor breezes began disrupting peoples' concentration, even the most stubbornly studious of their classmates got the hint and took their leave.
Now they were alone, and Ulyssian was content.
They had just finished finalizing hypothetical lesson plans for the next month that they could present to Pearl as a gift, only the latest in a series of increasingly taxing exercises that had followed Moon's summary of the material he had missed while away at the tournament. She had suggested the task when she'd heard that Pearl - Professor Ivory, to her - would be occupied by her convalescence, reasoning that the best test of knowing the material was knowing how to teach it. That was just like Moon, always pairing brilliant insight with meticulousness and compassion; he'd retrieved the herb that would lead to Pearl's eventual recovery, but would never have thought to do something like this. Ulyssian had told Moon as much, matter of factly, and had been surprised to receive a blush in response. When Nilul had said he should pay closer attention to Moon when they were alone, had she possibly meant...?
Moon herself derailed that train of thought with a muffled yawn.
"It's nice, working with Uly," she said, "even if we are conspiring to inflict new ways of deriving insights from the sixty-four Hexagrams on our poor, unsuspecting classmates. And that on top of what we did earlier! I could have sworn Ragara Demilo was going to burst into flames, and she's not even a Fire Aspect. You're a bad influence!"
"Must be my Anathema wiles," he joked. "But if they stand between you and I spending time together, even unknowingly, then they should prepare to reap the whirlwind."
She ducked her head, seeming at once both flattered and embarrassed, before gesturing gracefully at the stack of tomes that had accumulated of the course of the evening. Even tired, she retained her instinctive elegance.
"I really do enjoy this, though. It's selfish, but despite what happened with Polemgaos... I can't help but be thankful that you returned early." Moon abruptly pouted. "Since you're also graduating early. Even earlier than planned, I mean! I have to make the most of the time we have."
"It's unfortunate, but Zao thinks my abilities would be better spent elsewhere, and you'll follow soon afterwards in any case," Ulyssian replied. It was true, he had largely transcended the benefits of staying at the Academy, but was reluctant to leave nevertheless. It was a strange sensation, to see the optimal course of action but be unwilling to take it.
"He's right," she nodded emphatically. "There are opportunity costs to staying here. If Creation slips further into chaos by the day, and by leaving you can avert that fate, then of course you should go."
He'd known she would understand, of course, but hearing it spoken aloud still sent a surge of relief and bone-deep appreciation for her thoughtfulness surging through him. He truly didn't deserve someone like her; for once, the unfairness of the world worked in his favor.
"Don't think for a second I'll let you leave me behind so easily, though," she continued, tone light but determined. "Not after I promised to protect you; I'm not content to follow. If all that stands between us is coursework, well, then that too will reap the whirlwind. A literal one, at that!"
"Naturally," he replied, smiling. "After all, the genius, Empty Moon, would never be stopped by anything so simple."
Moon nodded again, stifling a second yawn as she slumped against him. "She does occasionally take naps, though. Especially after marathon study sessions."
And so they sat together like that for a time, Ulyssian cradling her against him, until eventually the cadence of Moon's breathing assumed the rhythmic patterns of sleep.
Abruptly, the feeling of contentment swelled within Ulyssian, metamorphosing into something more. Happiness. He paused, and took a moment to bask in the sensation, waiting for the surge of suspicion that inevitably accompanied such sentiments. It failed to materialize; even his desire to train seemed muted, distant. Instead, as he watched the lantern-light illuminate Moon, her pale form almost radiant against the backdrop of the darkened library and listened to the storm outside, all he could think of was how fortunate he was.
It was still raining, but all was right with the world.
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@meianmaru 1018 words. I'm not sure I got the tone right, but I've been distracted and I figured I ought to get this up.
