| If someone is offering comfort, accept it. Even if it doesn�t console you then . . . maybe someday it will. -Rules of Life, pg. 39 Part 33 They had returned to attempt to cheer him up (again, from the way they were speaking) and I came in to a: � Come on, Zidane. Don�t let this get to you.� � Leave him alone,� I ordered. � Who�re you?� Marcus demanded. I ignored him and sat beside Zidane, laying my head on my hands to look at him more clearly. � Zidane, look at me.� He did so, sighing heavily. His tail brushed slowly over the floor, giving away his depression. � Why does it hurt, Mother?� he questioned quietly. I sensed the surprise at his addressing me as �Mother�, but didn�t pay it any attention. � Because you�re trying to deny the truth.� Suddenly angry, he sat up. � Denying the truth? About what? That she�s royalty and I�m a thief and I�m never going to see her again?� I shook my head. � Wrong denial. I�m talking about the other one.� � The . . . other one?� he asked, confused. � You don�t even know you�re denying it,� I continued. I placed my hand on his chest, where the human heart was. � Your heart has been actively denying this truth ever since the adventure began. I think everyone but you and she can see it and if you don�t stop suppressing what your heart is telling you, you�ll go mad.� He dropped his head onto the table with a bang. � I think I already am mad.� To prove his point he began beating his head on the table repeatedly, saying in a half-dead voice, � Boing, boing, boing . . .� I slid my wing under his head. He hit it and finally stopped, reaching out to feel what appeared to be empty tabletop. � Hmph. Where�d you get these?� � They came with the form, like I�ve been telling you will happen to you one day. Evidently, Tiovex had always hidden them before and this time I performed the spell on myself and almost walked out of the castle with them visible.� � That would�ve been a laugh . . . if I were in the mood.� I moved the wing around to comfort him. � Zidane, life is something that cannot be changed easily. You could have anything you want--anybody could--if you�d just try to get it.� � Hmph. Easy for you to say.� � I speak from experience, Zidane, not because I heard it. If I had not had the drive to live I would be dead. And so would you because I never would�ve found you and one of the forest monsters would�ve eaten you or you would�ve starved to death.� � How do you know I would�ve died? Maybe somebody else would�ve found me.� � Nobody in their right mind goes into that forest.� � What about me taking care of myself?� � You weren�t even old enough to crawl, Zidane.� He sighed. � Damn it. I can�t argue with you. I never win.� � When you�ve been arguing as long as I have,� I consoled, putting my hand on his shoulder, � you find ways to win.� With a soft humph he let his head rest on my shoulder. � Fine, I give.� I chuckled, frowning as my shoulders began to itch. � Oh my.� � What?� � I believe the spell is breaking.� � Whoopee.� There was the quiet sound of shattering glass and the others stepped back as my wings were exposed. � Ha ha. Now your secret is revealed. I will tell the whole world of your trickery,� Zidane threatened, though it was a soft tone and he made no move to get up. � Yo, Zidane,� Blank said, a full table away like the others. � Who is she?� � My mother.� I snorted. �And you told me not to do that to the others at the beginning of this mess.� �I told you not to do it.� � But Zidane,� Marcus put in, watching me warily, � you said you didn�t have a mother.� � I don�t.� � Then---� � I don�t have a birth mother. That I know of, at least.� � Are you tryin� to tell me you was raised by an angel?� Ruby demanded. Zidane shrugged. � I guess you could call her an angel if you wanted.� � Then what is she?� Blank growled. � Ask her.� There was some silence. I rolled my eyes. � I won�t bite.� The door opened and I turned. At first I thought he was a human, but then I saw his green eyes and the fuzzy tail. � Oh. Hello. I didn�t think you�d want to mingle with humans.� � I decided to make sure you hadn�t gotten into trouble.� He blinked. � Did the spell not work?� � It dissolved,� I replied. � Hey,� Zidane said without looking to see who it was. � Sit down and drop the spell.� Tiovex bowed exaggeratedly. � Of course, your royalness. Whatever you desire.� He sat on Zidane�s other side and his wings, as white as mine and half again as large, appeared. [So I guess it�s not a secret anymore?] [They�re still guessing,] I replied. [And if this isn�t a dead giveaway I don�t know what is.] [Going back to your true form,] Zidane put in helpfully. � You two are . . . dragons?� Marcus asked with an audible gulp. Tiovex and I only turned and grinned, showing off a mouthful of fangs. � Oh, give up already,� Zidane muttered. � Nobody�s going to attack you.� � But it�s nice to walk among humans without scaring the life out of them,� I countered. � Don�t worry about it, okay?� � Fine,� I grumbled, returning to my dragon form. I fidgetted. � These seats are very uncomfortable.� <--Part 32 Part 34--> |