A/N: Prompt selected by ariescelestial: Tiz/Agnès - "Wait right there, don't move!"
It felt as if life had only the most tenuous hold on him. Magnolia carried Tiz from the lab, the strain of reaching for her hand enough to render him unconcious. He remembered only fragmentary, confused memories of the maze of corridors and rooms. There were moments when the stranger would shout out 'Bravely Second' and the world would still around them. Enemies froze in their tracks and Magnolia would dart around them, hacking and slicing at their still forms. Were the moments she vanished from sight an instance of her skill or just another lapse in his consciousness? Why did her skill affect him some times rather than others? Even as he tried to martial his thoughts his head spun and darkness swallowed him again.
He awoke later in cool night air, Magnolia hissing something that lead to a door opening and warmth. There was a third presence with them as he was half carried, half dragged inside somewhere new. His head span as Magnolia lay him down and next thing he was aware of was streaming sunlight hurting his eyes. Curiosity gave way to alarm as his arm refused to move to cover his face; his body was incapable of movement. His leaden limbs refused to lift from the bed, his tongue felt like some strange object in his mouth he was unable to dislodge. And despite the warmth of the sunlight he felt frozen. He tried to call out for help but was only able to conjure an almost inaudible rasping breath. Muscles refused to comply as he tried to move and soon exhausted he lay still. He should be dead. The celestial had given him life enough to see the world saved and his friends happy; he could not have asked more of it. Yet it seemed life was not quite so easy to shed and something else now prolonged his life. What had that lab been? How had he wound up there? What had they been doing to him? Questions and no answers.
With a start he found Magnolia peering down at him, whether a result of another lapse in conciousness or her powers he could not be sure. Pain rushed through him as he reacted, aching muscles still not quite capable of movement. His mouth was already trying to form questions he could not voice.
"Hush," Magnolia said in an authoratative tone. "You are rescued, but not yet well. And that is going to take some time." Her own words seemed to amuse her, or did she always smirk like that? "I apologise. We shall start your recovery." There was a flicker and Magnolia now wore what looked like a variant of the white mage asterisk. Warmth spread through his aching body. He could almost feel it flowing into his chilled limbs as she held her hands above his chest. Inhaling he only now realizing how labored his breathing had been. The warmth diminished but did not fade away as Magnolia lowered her hands. "I can only do so much of this per day. It will not be quick to get you completely well. But for now; you have many questions. I shall try and put your mind at ease."
Magnolia wet her lips, eyes flicking to the window. "Let's brighten the place up first." Leaning over the bed, she tugged the curtains aside revealing a cloudless sky. Tiz wondered for a moment just where they were, but that seemed secondary to whatever Magnolia might tell him. "I apologize now if I omit something you wish to know. Once we get you talking you can ask me more. Firstly, and most importantly I urge you not to panic. Things are in hand."
Magnolia drew in a deep breath and crouched level with him. "Agnès is captured-" Tiz felt his eyes widen, his body desperate to move. Magnolia carried on. "I am working on her rescue. It will be soon and you, alas, are in no shape to help me." Tiz had to acknowledge her logic, though anxiety still ate away in the pit of his stomach. "You will see your other friends soon. Edea is due to visit tomorrow, and Ringabel may turn up at any time." Her gaze flicked away a moment and she looked back a little worried. "He may have another companion with him, but that is for him to explain her presence."
Why was she cryptic about this last point? Who was Ringabel with? Had something happened between him and Edea? "You have slept for the better part of two years," Magnolia said, rising to her feet. "If you do remember anything of your last actions in Caldisla, blink twice." Tiz complied, unable to forget the moment his body became an impossible weight. The moment everything vanished into darkness as tried to sever the thread tying him to life. The moment he welcomed death. Magnolia nodded. "You were taken back to Eternia at first. But certain factions became aware of just how your life had been extended after the destruction of Norende. They wished to know more. You were kidnapped."
A jingling bell rang in the distance and Magnolia sighed. "I am afraid that brings our conversation today to a close. Try to rest for now."
She stepped out of his field of vision and was gone. Tiz stared up at the ceiling, willing himself to move.
Tiz could not recall falling asleep, waking in darkness to the sounds of a muffled argument close by. Footsteps came closer and a door banged open. Edea peered down at him dressed in a modified version of the templar asterisk. "Tiz," she said, sinking to her knees beside him.
"Edea," he replied, amazed at the sound of his own voice. He sounded hoarse and croaky but he could talk. Magnolia stepped into view behind her, her voice low and accusatory.
"I asked you to wait another day. He would just about be capable of sitting up if you had only waited until tomorrow."
Edea rounded on Magnolia. "You expected me to wait knowing you'd gotten him out?"
"It would be more prudent. After-all you are due-"
"I know my arrangements very well, thank you Magnolia. There was no need to delay me."
"Then?" Magnolia asked with a significant tone.
"Yes." Edea's expression softened. "Everything is ready, and I need to head over there." She turned to Tiz and smiled again. "We'll speak again soon. Everything's just... Well. Complicated." She sighed. "See you soon, Tiz."
"See... you... Edea," breathed Tiz, the effort of speaking more exhausting than he expected. He drew in uncomfortable wheezing breaths as Edea walked away. Cursing, Magnolia cast another healing spell. A frantic moment of breathlessness gave way to his lungs flooding with air, his chest no longer rattling.
"If she had just waited... I apologize Tiz. Sleep and we will hopefully have you upright by morn."
A bleary-eyed Magnolia awoke him the next morning and after his healing helped him sit up in bed. He was not to try walking just yet, but even sitting up seemed a tremendous step forward. Now he was able to ask Magnolia specific questions about the last two years, the specific details he needed to know. She was patient as each question seemed to take a life-age to voice. Tiz learned much, but all too soon that jingling bell called Magnolia away. A pile of books left sometime in the night and the view were his only sources of entertainment.
The mansion gardens were magnificent. Vast banks of flowers spread out before him reminding him of the Florem region. Winding paths threaded across grass and through groves vanishing off out of sight. How long until he could venture down there to explore? How long until he could walk? Tiz tried to read but could not concentrate and resorted to staring out the window. His head filled with plans for everything that he would do once he was well again.
Next morning, Magnolia entered his room with a cane, presenting it to Tiz with a flourish as she healed him once more. He should, she said, be able to walk now. Tiz braced himself, worried that he might not be as healed as Magnolia thought. But he could not afford to waste any time and so with sore muscles protesting every step of the way, he forced himself up. His legs trembled and he leant hard against the cane, standing upright was almost beyond him. Magnolia took his arm as he wobbled. "One step at a time, as always." Smiling, and with her to support him, Tiz took his awkward first steps.
The mansion was huge and stairs proved awkward with his current ailments. Magnolia was patient though, helping him down the dark wooden steps, checking he was okay to continue. Tiz would not let himself give up. He had been asleep too long, was too useless like this. The need to help Agnès was uppermost in his mind, and to do that he needed to walk. Bright sunlight hurt his eyes as he stepped outside, the strain of walking exhausting. Magnolia guided him to a bench and the pair sat in silence, admiring the colourful garden as Tiz got his breathing under control. The sun warmed him, chasing away the chill still clinging to his chest. Each day Magnolia's ministrations diminished the cold a little more. With every casting he felt a little less hollow, the absence of the celestial less noticeable as his hold on life strengthened.
The next day, Tiz descended the stairs unaided, and after only a brief rest took a stroll through the garden. He traced the paths he had seen from his room now able to see the individual flowers and smell their fragrances. Exploration forced him to stop at each bench he came to, but it was still progress. His body was healing well; it just needed to be faster. The day after Magnolia did not come to wake him and with a groan he levered himself out of bed. Downstairs he found food laid out in the kitchen along with a note apologizing for her absence. Was she already making her move to rescue Agnès? He wanted to be there, to help Agnès as he had before. But if Magnolia could rescue her and bring her back sooner, well; he could not complain about that. He spent a few moment shuffling around the ground floor of the mansion, calling out to see if anyone else was there. Who had been the other person the night he arrived? The same person who rang the bell disrupting his conversation with Magnolia? He found no one and heard nothing to suggest the presence of anyone else in the mansion. With little else to do he limped to the garden.
Ringabel arrived in the afternoon, enveloping Tiz in a tight hug. The action surprised him but he hugged back, Ringabel unable to stop smiling. No one appeared to have accompanied his friend and their ensuing conversation made no hint of someone with him. Tiz wondered just what Magnolia had meant about another companion. The afternoon wore away as they talked; Ringabel offering his own personal takes on recent events. The problems of late were not the most pleasant of subjects and Ringabel soon switched topics. He chastised Tiz for providing a bleak epilogue to his adventures before his return to Caldisla. Despite that he did not even pause before launching into a chronicle of his activities after they parted ways. Tiz smiled to himself later as he recalled the fanciful sequences of events Ringabel described. He had recreated many of them, miming the daring escapes and unusual solutions to the problems he encountered.
Three more days passed, Tiz walking through the garden with greater ease, still needing to stop and catch his breath at times. He saw less and less of Magnolia; once a day now if that, though she was forever leaving notes and food for him. A week after his rescue he took his usual sojourn in the garden and noted the airship was gone from behind the mansion again. On most days if it was here then Magnolia was too. A distant roar grew in volume and with a whir of engines the airship swooped low overhead just as he braced himself to move. The craft settled into it's usual resting place behind the mansion and Tiz wondered what had lead to Magnolia's unusual arrival time; he had not seen her in over twenty-four hours. He was about to head back when the faint sound of objects over-turning and crashing glass came from the building. One of the windows on the ground floor slammed open. Agnès Oblige stared at him eyes wide and breathing hard, one hand darting to her mouth as it fell open.
Tiz lurched to his feet as Agnès berated Magnolia before turning back around to stare at him. "Tiz! Wait right there, don't move!" she called as she darted from the window. Tiz caught a glimpse of a smirking Magnolia, before he began walking towards the backdoor as fast he could. His muscles were still protesting from his walk before, his breath catching in his throat but he could not stay still. The door flew open and Agnès ran towards him. He quickened his pace, unable to look away from her. She skidded to a halt a few feet away staring at him.
"You moved," she said in a quiet voice.
"Sorry," murmured Tiz, staring at her, almost not believing she was there. Of everything he had given up in that graveyard he had not realized how much he would miss Agnès.
"Please don't go."
"I won't." Tiz breathed, almost wanting to protest the request; neither able or wanting to leave her again. Agnès sucked in a deep breath and darted forward. Her arms wrapped tight around him, the embrace crushing the breath out of him. "Gently," he gasped as she clung to him.
"Is that all you can say?" exclaimed Agnès as she slackened her grip. His legs gave way and gravity pulled Tiz down, all his strength gone, his lungs wheezing. "Oh no." Agnès caught him, easing him down onto the path.
"You need to take things a little slower Agnès." Magnolia had strolled up behind them at some unseen juncture. "He still has a long road of recovery ahead of him."
Agnès flinched back from Tiz, hands gathered in her lap. For a moment he could not speak again though wanted more of her touch even as he wheezed and gasped. It was okay, Agnès had to know it was still okay to touch him. Magnolia rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.
"You can still hug him you know. Just don't crush him completely."
Agnès choked out a laugh and Tiz smiled even as his lungs protested. The vestal crept a bit closer and sat beside him, reaching for his hand, sliding her fingers between his. Magnolia let out a long sigh and flicked a healing spell towards him with a lazy movement. Tiz's lungs settled and he mouthed a thank you to her. "Well, I suppose I should leave you two alone for a bit. Though after tomorrow I am taking a week off. You people are exhausting to handle." Her eyes narrowed, her smirk widening a fraction. "Just so you know, I won't be back until tomorrow - and I'll have Ringabel and Edea with me. Then we all celebrate."
With a bow, Magnolia walked towards the house, and Tiz felt Agnès's fingers tighten around his own, his face reddening.