| The truth is always carved in stone, whether the stone is real or otherwise. -Dragon�s Words; vol. 8, pg. 78 Part 63 [Would you have stopped otherwise?] � . . . I guess not.� [Then why ask such a silly question? Obviously, I did it to keep you two from murder. Kuja�s still alive, remember.] He let me nose his hand aside and clean up his cheek. � My beautiful face has been marred by all these fights. I�ll never be the same . . .� I let a chuckle escape me. Not only did he heal quickly, but he had absolutely no scars anywhere on him. Even that huge gash he got from Tiovex�s clone was totally gone. After I finished with Zidane, I went over to Tiovex and began to care for his neck. [Fool,] I said quietly. [I told you not to worry about the genomes, yet you had to ignore me.] [I�m sorry I don�t forgive as easily as you do.] [You think I forgive them? Tiovex, they never did anything. They were only Garland�s slaves. How can I forgive them for not doing anything wrong?] [But the girl---] I felt Zidane stiffen and the general atmosphere in the room tensed. [Shut up about her already. She didn�t do anything either.] [She drug us into this! She told Zidane where Garland was--practically forced him to go by spinning all those tales!] [They weren�t tales, Tiovex. I was there. I heard everything. It was all truth.] [That�s so cruel!] Zidane came over, finally understanding Tiovex�s behavior. � It�s okay, Tio. It was a huge shock at first, but now . . . now it�s not such a big deal.� [I still don�t like it.] � I don�t like it either, but we can�t change the past. You said so yourself.� [I did. But I am quite sure I meant the trivial matters, not the origins of one�s birth.] With a soft snort, Zidane grabbed Tiovex�s horns and shook the other emperor�s head gently. � You think too much.� [You can never think too much.] Zidane turned to me, a slight smile on his lips. � Tell him what thinking too much does.� I looked at Tiovex and said flatly, [It kills brain cells.] Tiovex paused, then burst out laughing. [Oh, Kitiane! You have such a wild sense of humor!] [I don�t know about wild, but definitely cynical.] � Oh, come on, Kiti. You�re not a cynic.� [What do you know?] � I know you�re not a cynic.� [Not on good days.] � I know that you�re a devil�s advocate, too.� There was a kind intrusion into my head and I heard the voice of the Dragon King as though he were far away. [There is an answer in Madain Sari. An answer to an unasked question.] Oh really? [Can we go to Madain Sari?] � No way. You�re not getting out of this that easily.� [No, we have to go there.] � Why?� [Something�s there. An answer.] � And how did you come up with that?� [Bahamut told me.] At the name of the Eidolon, Garnet turned, curious. � Oh, so the King of Dragons picked you, of all the dragons in the world, to tell that there was an �answer� in Madain Sari?� [Yes.] � Why?� [How should I know?! I�m not him!] � I hope not.� [What�s that supposed to mean?!] He shrugged. � Don�t know. It was the first thing that came to mind.� � What about Bahamut?� Garnet asked, stepping closer. She was hesitant, as if afraid that I would yell as her for eavesdropping. � He spoke to me,� I explained, tapping my head with a talon. � He said there was an answer to an unasked question in Madain Sari.� � . . . Unasked question?� Zidane sighed. � Okay, now I�m curious too. We�ll go to Madain Sari.� As soon as we arrived, I went straight to the Eidolon Wall. Garnet rode on my back since I was running and Zidane was barely staying with me. Once at the wall, I peered around at all the paintings of the Eidolons. I could name them all, or at least the majority of them. � Kiti!� I ran over to where Garnet was squinting at the wall. � There�s some writing here. It looks faded or something and I can�t read it. Can you?� I focused on the lines that could have been cracks in the wall, had one not looked at them correctly. � I think I can make it out.� Eiko, you are a treasure born to a dying village. We are dying, and there is little we can do for you. We shall return to the stars with one wish in mind. If legends are not born of Eidolons, and Eidolons but born of legends, let us leave this place with one wish: If we can give birth to a legend, it shall create an Eidolon that is a friend and protector of humans. � How . . . odd,� was Garnet�s comment. I nodded. There was some writing farther down, so I lowered my head and read that as well. Eiko, my lovely child. Until you turn sixteen and have your own Eidolon to your control, stay in this village. Then build strong friendships with others. I wish for your happiness from far away. <--Part 62 Part 64--> |