Chapter One: The Return
A man awoke in brilliant sunshine, opening his eyes to study the world around him.
Brushing some of his silvery hair out of the way of his eyes, he stared at the deserted ruins around him.
Why am I here? He thought
He sat up, his long silver hair falling down over his shoulder tickling his skin, he noticed he was completely naked, for some reason this bothered him.
Where is here? He thought
He slowly stood up, feeling the light wind brushing over his skin giving him goose bumps, behind him his silver like tail swished in agitation as he placed his hands on his hips and stared.
A thought occurred to him, one that shook him, made him scared…and being scared worried him, as if he’d never been scared before.
The thought was
Who am I?
He searched through the ruins for something to cover his nakedness, he come across a small house which had long ago been deserted, cobwebs covered every surface but inside a wooden chest he was able to find a grey cloak which he put on, treasuring the feel of the fabric against his skin, naked he felt vulnerable, and he hated being vulnerable.
He looked around for some clues as to who might have lived here, it looked like they had lived a solitary life as there was only one bed, for some reason the man identified with the thought of solitude. He walked outside into an open air kitchen of some kind, he found some small grapes inside an air tight jar, he opened the lid and sniffed the contents, they didn’t smell rotten so he cautiously popped one into his mouth.
The taste was indescribable, he nearly passed out with the sheer pleasure of it, but then he swallowed it and the violent tang of the taste disappeared, so he put another in his mouth and another, eating at the grapes until none remained then he put the jar on the side and walked over to the other side of the kitchen to see what was over the edge of the platform the kitchen was on. He looked down onto a river flowing rapidly past, he watched the water bubbling past some rocks, moving around and past the rocks as though nothing could stop it.
He stood there for a moment and then looked up and around himself.
This place looks so familiar he thought
Over on the far horizon a small black dot moved steadily through the sky, he couldn’t see if it was a bird or an airship or…
The word popped into his mind along with an image of a large flying vessel of some kind, he didn’t know why this image was in his mind or what it really meant but at least he knew something, if only he could remember who he was.
He stood watching the dot until it vanished on the far horizon and sighed, it was beginning to get dark, he didn’t like the thought of that…the dark held too many mysteries and right now the last thing he needed was more mysteries.
He turned back around and walked back into the bedroom of the deserted house, after shaking the sheets of the long disused bed, he carefully lowered himself into it and closed his eyes, hoping that when he next awoke he would remember everything.
But he knew that he wouldn’t…that his past was going to elude him for some time now.
Far away on the horizon, the dot that the man had seen was powering through the sky, it was the airship Hildagarde III, the pride and joy of the Lindblum air fleet. It’s triple fixed propellers contra turning urging the ship forward. The metal on the ship glinted keenly in the setting sun making the ship look like it was partially on fire.
The sun also shone off the armour of a tall man standing on the bow of the ship, the wind generated by the movement of the ship blew his long black cloak around him, it’s black back and red inside mixing together as it flapped behind him. His brown hair which was cut at neck height was also blown about in the wind, making him reach one gauntleted hand up to push a stray piece of hair out of the way, his dark brown eyes watched the setting sun in much the same way as the other mans blue eyes had, they shared a deep air of mystery around them…but this man didn’t have a tail he was to all eyes, human. He looks quite attractive but his appearance is marred by a scar running down across his right eye.
The Hildagarde reaches the open ocean, the surf from the pounding seas creating a slight mist through which the ship powers its way through, the light rain falling on the mans face, covering up one tear which falls from his left eye amidst the rain drops.
I wiped away the rain from my face, taking with it the stray tear which betrayed my emotions at this moment. Regaining my composure I turned and walked back down into the hold of the giant airship. Once inside I wiped my face again with the edge of my cloak.
My name is Thunderchild, and today of all days I have a reason to cry…for it was today one year ago that I slew my former girlfriend Jara Gedyen on a planet not far away from here called Terra.
I pushed opened the door to my quarters and closing it behind me walked over to my bed and laid down on it. Looking up on the ceiling I listened to the rumbling noise of the engines and the gentle swaying of the ship in the crosswind.
My mind strayed to my wife, probably waiting for me back in Lindblum, I would go and visit her as soon as I got back from this patrol.
There was a gentle knock at the door.
“Enter” I said
The door opened to reveal an Lindblum airman, I wasn’t sure of his name…it was the first time I’d been on this particular airship and it would probably be the last. For soon I was due to be transferred to Alexandria to take command of their latest airship which hadn’t been named yet.
“Sir, We’ve been ordered to return directly to Lindblum.”
“Directly?” I asked in surprise, the patrol wasn’t due to finish for another week.
“Yes sir, the orders have been signed by Regent Cid himself.”
I stood up and took the aforementioned orders from the airman nodding at him as he saluted me and left.
I looked down at the brown slip of paper in my hands, reading it slowly and carefully.
Commander Thunderchild
Please Return Directly To Lindblum Within The Next
Twenty-Four Hours. Your Current Mission Is Terminated.
Regent Cid
I raised my eyebrows in surprise, it was unusual for an order to be passed directly to us from Regent Cid, this must be an important task indeed for an order to come straight from Cid.
I walked through the door which the airman had left open and headed for the bridge.
An airman I recognised saluted me as I walked onto the bridge.
“At ease Crewman Eyran,” I said “There’s been a change in orders, bring us about to course one seven oh and increase speed to maximum.”
The crewman at the helm nodded and began swinging the ships wheel around gently, bringing the ship around until its bow was pointing directly towards the Mist Continent and Lindblum our destination.
“You getting an early transfer, sir?” asked Eyran
“I’m not sure, but our orders sound pretty urgent…I hope there hasn’t been trouble at home.”
Eryan nodded, a flicker of concern crossing her face
“Me too.”
Not for the first time I found myself facing a monster on the plains before Lindblum, this time, like most times in this area, it was an Ironite, a almost pink coloured dragon with large wings that ran the length of its large body. It roared in defiance at me…but I found it hard to take a monster that colour seriously, especially when it was as weak as an Ironite…well, I say weak, weak compared to me…new travellers on the Mist Continent might have issues with an Ironite but not me.
I gathered up a Blizzaga spell and flung it at the Ironite, shards of ice erupted from inside the Ironite and killed it there and then, its body evaporating back into the mist that surrounded me.
So, with that battle over I walked onwards to Lindblum, I had heard from the Moogle at Chocobos Forest that the Hildagarde III had been recalled from its patrol early and with it would come my husband. I hadn’t seen him in almost a month and although I’d been busy during the meantime it didn’t mean that I hadn’t missed him…I’d missed him a lot but such was our life now, he had his job and I had mine…being a travelling thief may not have the glamour of being an airship pilot but it suited me just fine.
I wondered how the rest of my friends in Tantalus were, I made a mental note to return to the hideout in Lindblum before the Hildagarde returned, looking ahead through the mist I could see Dragons Gate and with it the safety of the city of Lindblum.
As I walked up to the gate and passed through it the guard saluted me, this would confuse anyone standing by who didn’t know of my past that a Lindblum soldier would salute me a common thief…but then again Thunderchild and I were well known over Gaia for our exploits against Jara Gedyen, my previous form, only a year ago now and how we had both saved Gaia from being assimilated by Terra once again.
I stood on the platform waiting for the small subway train that would take me to the theatre district which had recently had the construction finished on it after one of Queen Brahnes eidolons had wiped it and the majority of Lindblum out.
A rumbling noise indicated that it was coming and so I stood back from the platform edge as the train swept around the corner and pulled into the platform, a few people got out one of them I recognised.
“Blank!” I called
Blank turned and peered at me from under his bandanna
“Domino?” he asked
I nodded and crossed my arms
“How’s things with Tantalus?” I asked
Blank pushed his bandanna up a bit more and adjusted his clothing
“Not so bad…Baku’s a bit upset though.”
“Why?”
“I think he misses Zidane…this your train?” he asked
I nodded
“Well…you’d better get on, it’s gonna leave soon, see you around Domino.”
I waved at Blank as I walked onto the train
“See ya Blank!”
The doors closed behind me and immediately the train began moving again, almost knocking me off my feet, I walked over to the right hand side of the train and found an empty seat next to the window and sat down in it as the train shot through the underground tunnels of Lindblum.
“Lindblum city approaching sir.” Came the report from Eryan
I stood up from my chair on the bridge of the Hildagarde and walked to the front, looking out of the windows at the city which had become my home for the past year.
“Signal our arrival to the towers.” I commanded as the Hildagarde slowed down for her approach to the city.
The forward main cannons fired one shot, but not with live ammunition, a signal flare arced above the city of Lindblum and exploded in a red burst the explosion from which echoed across the already noisy city.
BOOM!
The sound made me look up into the air, a red flare had exploded far above me…the Hildagarde had returned! I picked up my pace, running down the street towards the airship pen, other people around me were staring up into the air when a shadow fell across the street as something blocked out the sun.
Looking up again, making sure I didn’t trip over in the process I saw the Hildagarde pass overhead, the sun glinting from the metal armour plating on the ships hull. The propellers turning in unison as she manoeuvred towards my destination.
I ran faster, hoping to be able to get to the airship pen before Thunderchild came off the ship.
“The towers have replied, we are clear to dock at pen five.” Came the answer from the communications station at the bottom front of the bridge.
“Very well…ahead one third, take us in Helmsman.”
“Aye, sir.” He replied as he signalled the engine room to slow the ship down and began to skilfully move the Hildagarde into position.
I turned and began
slowly pacing at the back of the bridge, a million questions on my mind, would
Domino know I had returned? Why had we been ordered back so early? Why were the
orders signed by Cid himself?
The answer lay
ahead of me, I knew that much.
“Something troubles
you Captain?” asked Eyran
“Just the mystery
of this message from Cid…I dislike mysteries…they’re always trouble.”
Eyran smiled
“At least you’ll
get to see Domino soon, sir.”
I laughed and
smiled back at Eyran
“True…I just hope
she knows we’ve come back early.”
The bridge was
plunged into shadow as the ship entered the airship pen, around us were all
kinds of airships, some old Mist ships were being refitted with steam engines
to enable them to work in areas with no mist, ever since the Lifa tree had been
defeated, the Mist was beginning to thin out…many scientists reckoned that within
three years there would be no such thing as mist, well at least no the mist we
know of.
“I should imagine
she knows sir…it’s hard to keep news of the return of Lindblums flagship
secret.”
Once again I
laughed and nodded at Eryan
“True.” I replied
“Approaching pen
five sir.” Reported the Helmsman
“Ok, cut power to
the engines, lets drift in…be ready to engage reverse drive.”
I walked over to
the voice pipes and selected the one for the entire ship and shouted into it.
“All mooring teams
to their stations…we will be docking shortly…I repeat all mooring teams to
their stations…this is not a drill.”
Walking back to the
centre of the bridge I stood behind the Helmsman as we made our final approach.
He carefully swung as into our mooring place and turned the bow of the ship
straight. I checked the bridge mirrors, the distance between the side of the
ship and the dock was adequate.
“Ok Helm, all
stop!” I ordered
“All stop aye sir.”
He replied as he reached out and pulled back on the speed control dial, thus sending
the signal to the engine room to halt the engines.
The Hildagarde
drifted ahead slowly on her momentum. Once again I returned to the ship wide
voice pipe.
“Mooring teams,
moor the ship.”
I could just about
see from the bridge mirrors the ropes being thrown out to people waiting ready
on the dock side, the Dockers quickly wound the ropes around metal hoops
attached to the concrete dock and tied them tightly.
“Hold onto
something people.” I warned, although I knew many people on the bridge had
experienced a docking before. Sure enough, as the ropes attaching the
Hildagarde to the dock became taught, the ship suddenly came to a grinding halt
which knocked one bridge member off his feet.
As Eryan helped him
back onto his feet I asked him.
“First docking?”
He nodded deeply
embarrassed
“Don’t worry,” I
assured him “You’ll know to be ready next time.”
“Look…you know
me…I’m Thunderchilds wife for goodness sake!” I yelled at the guard stamping my
foot in frustration.
The guard folded
his arms and glared at me
“I don’t care who
you are…no card…no entry.” He replied
“I left my card in
the Chocobos forest!” I shouted back
“Well…then I
suggest you go and get it.”
I had had enough of
this stupid guard blocking my way, I placed my hand out palm forward towards
him and summoned a psychic blast which knocking him out, stepping over his
prostrate form I opened the door he was guarding and walked in. A long flight
of stairs greeted me.
Stairs…why did it have
to be stairs?! I thought to myself
and started climbing.
Thunderchilds POV
A small fanfare
announced the arrival of the Hildagarde as I appeared on deck. I had my full
dress uniform on with my peaked cap seating firmly on my head.
Even the Terran
Space Defence Force’s dress uniform wasn’t this bad I thought to myself as I
saluted the woman in charge of the mooring team who were lined up along the
deck, their chests swelled with pride.
I walked past them
saluting them as I went, then I turned and walked down the gangplank onto the
red carpet waiting for me at the bottom, I cringed at the red carpet, a fanfare
I could take but red carpet?!
There was another
fanfare as I approached Regent Cid who was waiting on the red carpet for me.
I saluted him.
“Captain
Thunderchild of the Hildagarde reporting a successful patrol sir.” I said
Cid saluted me back
“Welcome home
Thunderchild.” He said offering his hand
I took it and we
shook hands before walking together down the carpet.
“It’s good to be
back sir…but to be frank, we weren’t due back for another week…what’s with the
urgent message?”
The Regent nodded
gravely.
“Well…” he began
but was interrupted by a commotion at the doorway in front of us.
“Let me in you
idiots!” shouted a voice I recognised
“Domino!!?” I
shouted
“Thunderchild!” she
shouted back as she finally broke free of the guards grasp and ran over to me,
I took her in my arms and swung her round in an embrace.
“Oh my Domino!,” I
said “I have missed you so much!”
She flung her arms
around me
“I’ve missed you
too sweetheart.” She replied, reaching up and kissing me firmly on the lips.
I returned the
passionate kiss and then turned to the Regent
“Sorry sir.” I
apologised
Cid laughed and
waved his hand dismissively in our direction.
“You’ve been
separated for almost two months, I’d have expected nothing less!” he assured us
I nodded and turned
back to Domino, listening to the guards protests to Regent Cid
“But she knocked
out the door guard!”
“Well then the door
guard must have done something wrong.” Replied Cid
“He only asked for
her ID!”
“He should have
known it was Domino…She’s helped save Gaia for goodness sake, aside from
Thunderchild and Zidane she’s probably one of the most famous people on this
planet.”
The guards muttered
as they were dismissed by Regent Cid
“She still should
have had ID.” They murmured to themselves as they left the hall.
“Sounds like you
stirred up some fuss Dom.” I said to my wife
“They wouldn’t let
me see you…” she replied with a sly smile
I chuckled and held
her tight and she returned the embrace with such a ferocity I thought she might
break one of my ribs.
Suddenly I
remembered what I had been doing before Domino arrived.
“Oh…sir…the reason
for…” I began to the Regent but he held up a hand to silence me
“Don’t worry just
yet…I’ll send for you and have a formal briefing…Domino may wish to attend
too…it affects her as much as you.”
“Oh?” asked Domino,
her face suddenly extremely concerned “What’s happened.”
Cid indicated the
people around us and touched the side of his nose.
“In the briefing…”
he said before walking off with his advisors.
Domino watched him
go and turned back to me, the concern gone from her face.
“Well…what an odd
welcome home…” she said grinning
“Dom
sweetheart…nothing with you is normal.” I reminded her with a smile
“Hey!” she said
giving me a friendly smack on the arm
Laughing we walked
out of the entrance hall and back to our apartment in the theatre district of
Lindblum.