Chapter Text
Everything felt cold. Her vision went black and her balance was gone.
Before she could fall, Jessaria leaned against the closest wall she could remember.
"I didn't expect that to happen," the Spectre mumbled in the hyur's mind, "are you alright?"
"Been through worse," Jessaria grimaced as her vision returned. She looked to Cid and gestured at the staircase.
"This... This is happening, isn't it?" Spectra asked, "I-I didn't really think-"
"It's okay," Jessaria attempted to soothe her. "I take it Spectra's in your head?" Cid asked. "Yep," Jessaria answered, "she says hi."
"No I didn't."
"He doesn't know that."
"He might now."
"Tell me something Jessaria would know," the engineer crossed his arms. "We both know I don't exactly have a good memory," Jessaria retorted, "and even if Spectra was at the wheel, it wouldn't be particularly hard to guess at whatever questions I could reliably answer."
The garlean relented as they passed through the first doorway and towards the second.
Danger.
"What is that feeling!?"
"Wait," Jessaria backed away from the cabin's exit as a familiar face broke it, and the accompanying walls down.
"Kweh!"
"What is-?"
"Alpha!" Cid grinned, "you're okay!"
"That's Alpha," Jessaria explained, "a chocobo Omega created to lure strong warriors into this interdimensional gauntlet nonsense. Cid would better explain it than me."
"Why is it covered in blood!?"
"Might've been some hostiles around here. The bird's more formidable than Omega gave him credit for."
"So now what?" Jessaria asked as she stepped outside the cabin, petting Alpha while Cid boarded the gigantic chocobo. "What do you mean?" Spectra asked.
"You're free like you wanted. Do we part ways or do you want to tag along or..?"
The spectre emerged from Jessaria, frowning.
"I... I don't know. When this all started, I just wanted to go home, wherever that is, but... Since meeting you, home's felt less and less real."
Jessaria nodded, not sure how to answer.