[FFXIV] Anabasis in Love /「アナバシス ― 愛の昇行 ― 」

You know? One thing my travels taught me is that the most beautiful things, you've got to work hard to find. Discovery doesn't come easy, and it's never in plain sight. Not in the conventional sense, at least—might be close to you, but unseen because you've not paused to look past the surface. In my experience, see, that which is most precious is always hidden where no one dares to look. And that's fair—wouldn't be worth so much if not because there's effort put in finding it, don't you think? Let me share with you a story... A long, long time ago, seeking answers that I couldn't find in the bright surface, I ventured into the depths—my reasoning was, if I can't find them where light shines, they surely must be where I hadn't looked before, yes? But here's the thing—everyone tried to discourage me. They said: "In the dark dwells a hideous monster. With heart of stone, clad in black iron. He will only lash out thorns at you, and bring you shade and sorrow." You know what's the amusing part? It only fueled my curiosity. I wanted to meet this 'monster' that people disliked so much. So there I went, into the depths—perhaps he'd offer me an inkling of the answers I sought. And there, in the dark, I found the monster, hiding amidst walls of thorns. Oh, but I braved them, I wasn't deterred—my curiosity was stronger. And... do you know what I found once I reached him? I didn't find any monster. No black iron, no heart of stone—I found a heart of gold, so full of love yet terrified of both being hurt and hurting others. I found a soul so full of light, that those around him would look at themselves and realized how dull theirs were—so they consigned him to darkness, as to never face their uncomfortable truth. I found the most beautiful rose amid the thorns. And when our eyes met, and I saw the awe and longing in his, I realized—he'd believed he would remain in the shadows forever. Because no one would bother to look beyond the surface. No one would even try to see the unseen. But I'd seen him, and in that moment, I found my answer—not the one I'd been chasing, but one that came to me without me even realizing this was what I was looking for all this time. Do you know what this answer was? I've got the feeling that you didn't think of it either when you decided to become a traveling adventurer... but it's the answer we all eventually seek—love. So, did you enjoy this little tale? Bet it's rather familiar to you... with good reason. The monster of the tale, the rose waiting unseen in the dark—it's your past and your future... and my eternal present, etched in my soul—our soul. History has a fun habit of rhyming with itself, he taught me. I wonder... How long it'll take you to descend to the very depths I did once, to find the answer you didn't realize you were seeking all along? FINAL FANTASY XIV © SQUARE-ENIX Lyrics & Art © ShadowMeowth (Agnus Dheir)