When We're Reborn…
A Terranigma What-if Short
Story by Cybaster
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Author's
Note: Nothin' to read here, scroll down,
scroll down! Don't ask me why. And save your questions and criticisms until the
end, okay?
Disclaimer: Terranigma and all related names are created by Enix and Quintet.
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The sky passed before them in blurs of blue and white.
Without the
guidance of the computer minds that guided it, Beruga's airship continued its
mad, powerless descent onto the Earth below it. None had remained behind on it
to witness its fall and destruction; Beruga, the Hell-bent genius who built it,
had died by a quirk of fate from his own creation only moments ago, and his
minions who guarded it had either been shut down permanently without the
computers to guide them, or had mysteriously disappeared along with their
genius. And the sole hero who was partly responsible for Beruga's fall and
would be responsible for saving the future of the world, the one known as Ark,
had left the airship to continue on their quest. And soon, Beruga's airship
would destroy itself completely.
But Fyda and Royd didn't remain on the airship to witness the destruction of the ship; they remained behind to die, so Ark could live. The choice had been made and now, together, they would live with the consequences. Although Fyda had convinced Ark to leave by assuring him that she would survive, even she was doubtful of the chances of her and Royd actually surviving the crash. Humans were resilient creatures, indeed, Fyda knew…but at the same time, they could be incredibly weak if it suited them.
At least, Fyda took comfort in, she wouldn't die alone. "Well…Ark's gone." With a wistful look in her eyes, she turned to the man who stood beside her to share her fate, the long, blue-haired former mercenary named Royd. Like Fyda, his hair shuffled quickly around in the brushing winds, and he seemingly bore the same, arrogant smile that had become him in the past. However, it bore a new sense of reliability with Royd which, in these times, was an impossibility but served to assure Fyda slightly, somehow. "What's going to happen to us now?"
"Humans are resilient creatures, remember? You said that." Royd answered, unfaltering and oddly without doubt, his eyes firmly trained onto Fyda's. Like her, Royd was even doubtful of Fyda's words, which even now lacked the sense of duty, righteousness and determination that had normally defined her. However, he knew that it didn't matter what happened to him now. Beruga was dead, his friend was avenged, and Ark --- the legendary hero --- would take care of the rest. Even if he was to die here, it would be without regret, and it wouldn't be alone. And for Fyda, he would keep his calm. "Believe in yourself, Fyda. Whatever happens, we'll be alright."
"I wish I could, but…Princess Elle." Fyda sighed, inevitably thinking of the one person she had dedicated most of her life protecting. Fyda knew where she was, and the fact, as well, that she was alone. When Fyda died, Elle would have nobody left other than Ark, and she couldn't help but feel that she still somehow needed her. "She's still all alone in this world…Ever since 'then'…I've sworn to protect her even if I die, but now…will she be alright all by herself now, after I'm gone? If she still needs me…will I be failing her by dying first?"
Royd shook his head in defiance, and gripped Fyda's shoulder tightly in reliability. "We aren't going to die, Fyda. Don't say that." Royd replied despite the skepticism he held within of his own words. "Even if we are going to die, there's Ark, remember? That kid'll save the world, and he'll take good care of Elle. And you…" There was just a slight hint of hesitation. "…Are the bravest woman I've ever known. Ever. Don't let even Ark tell you otherwise."
Fyda's eyes
wavered away from Royd and into the passing skies, and she seemed to blush only
slightly. Fyda had been told this before countless times, in Loire, during the
time when the old King was still alive, and to her back then it bore little
meaning. Coming from Royd now, though, Fyda seemed suddenly wanting and willing
to believe in his words, as if she felt that there was no other person
more…qualified…to say that of her. In reply, Fyda turned her head back towards
him with a rare, wry smile. "…Thank you, Royd. I needed to hear that. I
wouldn't have believed anybody else if they told me the same thing but now,
coming from you…I wouldn't have believed you before, but now I gladly do that."
When the view of
the blurring skies and the mad winds became too tiring for them both, Fyda,
holding Royd's hand for support, retreated into the halls of the now-empty
airship. The red lights that had been so prevalent within the ship had died
down along with the computers, giving way to stray rays of sunlight from holes
and windows on the hull, and the absence of Beruga's minions had brought about
a deathly silence within the ship, broken only by the distant howling of the
winds outside and the sounds of their own footsteps on hollow metal.
As they moved
deeper into the lifeless ship to await their fates, Fyda turned to look at Royd
again. The arrogance that normally made him had faded away, giving way to a
more gentle, yet no less assuring look in his eyes, and his movements bore the
steadiness of one who was not afraid of anything, even death. Looking intently
at him, however, Fyda seemed completely certain now that she was right;
earlier, in Dragoon Castle, she had felt that she had met Royd before, long
before Loire, and Ark. Until now, however, having met the hero that was Ark and
seeing Royd as the assuring, firm self now did Fyda fully understand the
significance of it. Perhaps only Ark could understand fully, but she had indeed
known Royd for what he was before, in previous years, and perhaps in previous
lives, and her feelings told her that she had once admired, and perhaps loved
him, for what he was. Despite her past, Fyda's feelings were rarely wrong, and
even now it made them all the more believable.
The winds
outside had suddenly taken on a sharp pitch with the howling as Beruga's airship
plummeted lower and as Fyda and Royd neared their absolution. The airship felt
cold, devoid of any energy, and the chill served to amplify the inevitable
prospect of facing death, and even Fyda couldn't help but feel both cold and
fear inside her. Royd felt the shudder that came from her and he instinctively
stopped his stride, looking at her with inquiring eyes.
"Royd?" Fyda
began. Her voice was slightly broken and low-pitched, the words reluctant and
almost all courage having left her.
"What is it,
Fyda?" Royd simply asked, concerned and equally low-pitched in contrast to the
reliability he had shown before. It had occurred to him now, albeit a little
suddenly, that any fears of his own demise was nothing compared to that of
seeing Fyda fear her own, that she shouldn't, by any means. Looking at her
intently with gentle eyes, he didn't see a warrior woman he had met by chance,
but saw, true to what he had felt before, a woman whom Royd could easily say he
had known for ages, and even lives.
"I'm…" Fyda
paused, finding strength to continue. "…I'm scared."
The words came
as a surprise to him, but he understood perfectly. "Don't be, Fyda." Royd
replied in the same assuring voice, a bit forced this time. "Nothing else can
go wrong now."
Fyda could feel
Royd's arms circle around her waist, and as his arms met each other on her back
she felt an urge to embrace him back, slowly slipping her arms around him as
well, uncertain at first but slowly gaining strength. For a moment as Beruga's
airship saw in sight the Earth which it was doomed to shatter in they held each
other tight, giving each other whatever support they could and whatever they
had left, and under the embrace their hearts seemed to melt to each other.
Under the embrace, both Fyda and Royd seemed to gain sudden insight, fleeting
memories and emotions of past lives and days, those which they thought they had
forgotten or had never thought existed, and both were then sure of their
feelings completely, with the determination to not let each other go given how
little time they had left until absolution.
"Royd, only now
I'm beginning to understand why I'm feeling I've met you before, and what I'm
feeling about you with them." Fyda whispered lightly. "Maybe because of Ark's
influence on us all, yes, but now I know that feeling to be true. If one of us
doesn't survive this…somehow, I'm sure, we'll meet again, even if it's in
another life. Miracles brought Ark to us…perhaps the same may bring us together
again."
The airship
continued to plummet, and brought with it a higher pitch of wind that signalled
its doom. Their time was near, and soon all will be as it will be. Royd leaned
forward and, treasuring every last moment, he kissed her forehead and held her
even tighter, as if willing to battle death himself, or even the entity called
Dark Gaia whom Ark would fight, to keep Fyda away from them. "Count on it.
Always." He whispered back.
"…If one of us
don't make it, I'll be waiting for that day. I'll be waiting for you." Fyda
answered, and said nothing more, waiting where she belonged for fate. The
airship fell.
"Fyda…" Royd
whispered back.
The airship
fell.
"I love you…"
And it fell.
"When we're
reborn…"
The airship
neared its doom.
"We'll be joined
again."
Earth and
airship met.
"…I promise."
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