| One must never let their heart be known to an enemy because the enemy will always take advantage of it. -Carved on building in Treno Part 84 All eyes were on me as I sat there, looking down in surprise at the eighteen-year-old who was leaning on me while he stood on his knees with his hands clasped together against my neck. � Ple~ease?!� he all but whined. I looked around for escape, but there was none. Sighing, I replied, [All right.] He sat himself down right in front of me and listened intently as I sang one of the few songs I knew without having to have the notes right in front of me. Once Tiovex recognized it, which hardly took more than three notes, he joined in. Vanel joined as well and Gelgameth added his bit as well, though all three sang mostly the same notes while I did the main part, the highest part. There was clapping once we had finished and Zidane leaned far forward to say, � What�s it called?� Noticing the curious looks, I replied, � �The Place I�ll Return to Someday�.� � Cool.� � Why is it called that?� Garnet inquired. � It is based on a legend that is supposedly based on a true story,� I answered. � Swiftwings used to fight each other as ground dragons still do. One particular swiftwing had accidentally picked a fight with a grand while he had been intoxicated. He was not very strong and knew he would probably never make it out alive, so as he was flying to meet the grand, he sang a song to his beloved, who had stayed be- hind. He prayed it would reach her and it did. But by the time she got it, the grand had already finished him.� Garnet�s hand was over her mouth and she looked about ready to cry. � . . . That�s so sad.� The call for dinner finally came and everyone enjoyed themselves. As it got later, some headed off to bed. I stayed up as long as Zidane did and I learned one thing that night. He�s too energetic. For five hours after everyone else had gone to bed (midnight), he ran thoughout the castle, finding cubbyholes and secret passages all over the place. The dutiful mother that I am, I, of course, followed. I must have lost ten pounds that night. Finally, he quit running and turned to me. � Mother, I�m tired.� [Come on then,] I said, turning to the side. [Get on my back.] He did as I ordered and rode hunched over like a dead man. He was so worn out he couldn�t keep his feet up against my flanks and the toes of his boots drug on the stone. I got to his room and put him in bed and tucked the covers in around him (we hadn�t even gotten to the stairway to the chambers when he fell asleep), then turned to go. However, I only got to the foot of his bed before I decided that this room was just as sleepworthy as the one I was supposed to be sharing with Tiovex, Vanel, and Gelgameth and so I laid down to sleep. [Here you are!] I jumped in surprise and automatically shushed him, not noticing the bright sun outside. [Zidane�s sleeping!] [Not in here,] Tiovex returned. I looked at the rest of the bed, horrified to find it empty and all the available sheets folded carefully over me as though I needed them. I leapt off the bed and dashed from the room. [Have you seen him?!] [No. What�s your hurry? He won�t get into any trouble.] [Have you lost your mind?! Wherever Zidane goes, trouble follows like a trained chocobo!] [ . . . Point taken. But are you sure he�ll get into dangerous trouble? It�s not like him to do that.] [Not normally! But he�s not normal right now! He has the mentality of a five-year-old child! He has no idea what kind of trouble he may be getting into!] Gelgameth appeared. [Are you talking about Zidane?] [Yes! Have you seen him?!] [He invited Vanel to go catch mus.] [Mus? You mean you let him take Vanel down into the canyon?!] I rushed outside and took off through Alexandria. The people were quick to get out of my way, so I didn�t have to worry about traffic problems. When I got to the wall protecting the city from the edge of the canyon I quickly climbed it and dropped down the other side. It didn�t take long to find them; Vanel�s magic could be easily seen. Zidane was being held up in the air by a very unhappy ochu and his daggers had fallen to the ground, so Vanel was his only hope. However, she still didn�t know enough in the way of magic and the ochu to fight effectively. I dove that way, spinning tightly, my wings limp. Once I straightened out, I was close enough to the ochu for an attack. I stretched my head and neck out and felt the fire burn the back of my throat. Carefully, but quickly, I formed it into a ball of flame and spit it as the ochu swung a spiny arm at me. Dodging, I circled around and landed near where Vanel was helping Zidane stand. She gave him his daggers and he thanked her, then put them where they belonged and turned to me. � Mother . . .� I faced Alexandria. [Come, both of you. We�re going back right now.] Vanel slunk to my side, but Zidane wouldn�t. � No!� I looked at him, making sure my fangs were fully bared when I spoke. [. . . No? You dare say that word to me? After endangering not only yourself, but Vanel as well, you have the guts to refuse me?] � I don�t want to go back.� I lifted my head slightly to look along the length of my nose at him, then lowered my head to its normal level. [Why don�t you want to go back?] � It�s boring there.� I knew the perfect remedy for his problem. [Vanel, return to Alexandria. I�m going to teach my son a lesson.] [Yes, Kitiane.] Vanel took off and headed up toward the edge of the canyon. I went over to Zidane. [Get on my back. I will show you how fun the outside world is.] He did so and I went to a small island with a beach and chocobo tracks that was south of the Forgotten Continent. I let him off and glanced around. A grand dragon was already headed this way. <--Part 83 Part 85--> Author's Note: ' The Place I'll Return to Someday' is the intro music for the game and is not telling the story that I said it is. I don't think it's even telling a story at all. And it isn't mine. It's Square's. |