| There is a time when all truth comes out. In no point in history has anyone ever taken it well. -Dragon�s Words; vol. 6, pg. 51 Part 57 So, we meet again. I stepped right up to Zidane�s side and he absently stroked the side of my face as he looked around suspiciously. On a flight of stairs up ahead, a man in black appeared from thin air. He didn�t bother with introductions. � Twelve years ago I lost my prize genome. I had created it and had planned to send it to Gaia to disrupt the cycle of souls there.� He turned toward us, looking right at Zidane. � You are that genome. I am glad you have returned.� Zidane growled. � Shut up! Nobody tells me what to do and I didn�t come here to answer to you! Lemme guess . . . you must be Garland.� � And if I am?� � You�re gonna die! But first, you�re going to tell me everything. Like why I grew up on Gaia and why you want to destroy it!� � I have no intention of destroying Gaia. I only wish to make it Terra.� � What did you say?!� � Not everything went as planned. You growing up on Gaia, for example. There was another built as you were. He may have been the one who threw the wrench in my gears.� � He?! Who the heck are you talking about?!� � One you know well. Follow me . . . The time the aura of Gaia will turn to the crimson glow of Terra has not yet come.� He turned and headed back up the stairs. � I may need your help anyway.� Then he disappeared. � Stop!� Zidane growled and ran after him, entering a whole new room. I gave chase, afraid to let Zidane out of my sight. � Now, tell me everything!� � I constructed the genomes as vessels for the souls of the people of Terra when they awaken. Twenty-four years ago I gave life to a genome much like you. His will was too strong for him to be a proper vessel and I even considered discarding him. But then I thought to put his strength to use. I sent the genome as a servant to disrupt the cycle of souls on Gaia.� � Yeah, so who is he already?!� � Do you not yet know? You and he are so much alike.� � Alike? I�ve never met anyone like me.� � You judge only by appearances. I mean someone with a soul similar to yours. The one I sent to Gaia might also be called your brother . . . And his name is Kuja.� � Kuja?! He�s a genome?! But he doesn�t even have a tail!� � He only hides it. He denies his own identity. He rejects the meaning of his existence and tries to assert his own individuality. Don�t you see the resemblance?� I did, in a way, but Zidane didn�t. � Shut up! I�m not like him at all!� � He said the same thing when speaking of the other genomes: �I�m not like those guys.� His ambition was unbecoming of a genome, but perfect for the mission I gave him. Bring war and chaos to Gaia . . . What I sent him to do. Induce an unnaturally chaotic flow of souls.� � So then why . . .� � The disruption of souls is best brought by war. What he did exceeded my greatest expectations.� � What about me?! How did I end up on Gaia?� Oh no. The Question. The truth would be told now, whether or not he was prepared. � When you received the gift of life in Bran Bal, Kuja could not bear it. He could not bear to see a genome with more power than his own. He felt threatened. Kuja discarded you; dropped you on Gaia, the world he would destroy.� � So I was to be your slave, just like Kuja, to start a war on Gaia.� He was taking this pretty well, in my opinion. � Correct. I didn�t expect him to abandon you. I believe it was his nature. If he brought war to Gaia, it would prove his victory over you. Perhaps because of his desire to justify his existence, he let you live as well.� � But why did the blood of thousands have to be spilled?� � Are you refering to Kuja�s ambition or our plan to disrupt the cycle of the souls?� � Both! What do you gain from disrupting the cycle of souls, or whatever?� � We must sort the souls. We must disrupt the cycle of souls on Gaia and drain the souls, filling the void with the souls of Terra. Speeding the cycle of souls speeds the work as a whole. Thus, war . . . And in time, Gaia�s souls are gone and Gaia becomes Terra.� � But . . . how?!� � You saw the Iifa Tree and the Mist it emits. The Tree is the Soul Divider. The Mist compromises Gaia�s stagnant souls.� � Oh yeah? But we stopped the Mist! So much for that!� � All you saw was the back of the Tree . . . Even now it blocks the flow of Gaia�s souls, letting the Terra souls flow freely. See for yourself. See the true form of this planet.� He transported us to another room and started up a spiral flight of stairs. Zidane looked around. � What is this?� � Think of it as an observatory. A place to measure the radiance of Gaia and Terra.� � What are you talking about? What is this weird light?� � That is the center of the planet. The beginning and the end of the cycle of souls. The light is Gaia�s now, but when the blue turns crimson, all will belong to Terra and its restoration will be complete. That is why I wrapped the light up in the Tree, to prevent the cycle of soul judgement from inside the planet. That is the Tree�s true purpose, its true form. All you saw was its material form. The flow of Gaia�s souls has not been changed by stopping the Mist disposal.� � So Kuja is the angel of death who sends souls to the Tree of Iifa.� � Yes, my angel of death. But only until you came of age.� � What do you mean?!� Oh boy. More truths. I think Zidane would�ve been happier living a lie. � His soul is not eternal. I created you next, after all.� � You mean you won�t need Kuja�s soul once I get to be stronger than him.� � Precisely. Soon that time will come.� �. . .� Zidane quietly jumped down to a lower part of the room. I followed, of course. <--Part 56 Part 58--> |