Alrighty then! Hi there, everyone! For those who might have clicked this because they have me on author alert, I swear I am working on my other things. My computer got a virus and crashed in August of 2008, and I am very sorry for that, believe me. Anyway, the point is, sometime (hopefully) in the near future, I will be able to update some of my old fics; I haven't forgotten them, scout's honor. (And I'm actually a Girl Scout, so you know that counts. ^^) Now then... To those who've clicked simply because they're intrigued, welcome to a product of the slightly dissarranged mind of destinykeyblade! And I hope I'm welcome here in the Fire Emblem division of . I'm a rather new but devoted fan, as evidenced by the puffy-painted "I heart Laguz" hoodie I'm wearing right now. And so, without much further ado, I invite you to read my Zelgius fic, Child of Wonder, the title of which will be at least partially explained to you by the end of the prologue. Please keep in mind that while Zelgius is essential to this story, it is not neccessarily about him. It is about my OC, whom I deem my greatest creative triumph and love with all my little heart. I hope that over the course of this story you'll come to love her, too. Please read, enjoy, and if you're feeling froggy you could go ahead and review. I'd LOVE some feedback on this, because so far only one of my BFFs has read it. She deems it cute, sweet, and well-written, and I'd like to know if anyone else agrees. Anyway, I'm done talking now, and so with this final note, I leave you to it, dear readers!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Zelgius, or any other FE characters that may appear. I own only my two OCs, and any that I may add in later chapters.
"...I have to go now."
"I assumed as much."
"...I don't want to."
"I don't want you to."
"...I must."
"I know."
He turned, unthinking, and reached for his shirt. She gasped, and he cringed.
"...You... You bear the mark..." she said faintly.
Reluctantly, he turned to face the burning hatred in her eyes - and gasped. Her back was turned to him, and her hair swept aside, revealing a similar pattern at the base of her neck. Stunned, he could think of nothing to say. Slowly, she turned to look at him. There was no trace of the hatred he had expected. And how could there be? They were the same.
They watched eachother for a moment, neither sure of what to do. Finally, he asked in a whisper, "What... does that mean? What will it mean? Will..." He trailed off.
And she whispered back, "I... I don't know."
Minutes passed with both of them sitting silent, wondering. "You have to go," she reminded him at last, looking sad.
"How can I?" he returned, raising his voice. "I-"
"You have to!" she snapped. Then her eyes softened, as did her tone. "You've got to leave or they'll suspect you."
She spoke truth, he knew. Somehow, though, that didn't make it easier. "And what about you?" he asked weakly as he pulled on his clothes.
"What about me?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing changes for me."
"And if... if it does?"
She shrugged. "I will simply withdraw from the court."
"And go where?" he demanded, close to shouting again.
She looked at him evenly. "I'll stay right here."
"...No."
"No?"
"Come with me," he begged suddenly, taking her hands. "Come with me, and-"
"And what?" she interrupted. "That wouldn't work and you know it. My accent isn't something I can hide. And wouldn't everyone be a bit suspicious as to how you knew a woman from Daein?"
He heaved a sigh, defeated. "You must send word," he said. "That is all it will take. Send for me, and I will be here in an instant."
She acknowledged his request with a nod, a far-away look in her eyes.
"I WILL come back for you," he burst out then, and she snorted.
"As if I were worried about that," she chuckled. "With all your carrying on, I'll be surprised if you ever make it out the door."
He frowned, then stared as she brushed her fingers against his face.
"When grief threatens to take one over, one must laugh," she said quietly, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.
Without warning, he grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers. Needless to say she was surprised, but she recovered quickly. When at last he pulled away, she gripped him tight in a last embrace. "Goodbye," she whispered.
"Know that I love you," he replied. "More than I can say." Slowly, they disentangled themselves, and, after a last look at her, he turned and strode away...
~Zelgius~
With a sigh, Zelgius shook his head, as though to shake off his thoughts. The events of nine years past had nothing to do with today. Memories such as those were better off discarded... Especially when there was work to do. And there was plenty of that; the sounds of the Begnion soldiers' voices outside were proof.
Marching against the Laguz Alliance... The senate MIGHT be right, yet the apostle does not wish this war. Perhaps, if the Alliance would listen to a peace talk... But the senators would not. If there is a peaceful solution to this problem, they will refuse to see it.
Shaking his head again, this time at the foolishness of the senators, Zelgius slid his sword into its sheath and pushed aside the canvas flap of his tent. No sooner had he stepped outside than a soldier came running up to him.
"General," he said, panting slightly as he saluted. "General, there's... Well, there's a child at the edge of camp demanding to speak with you," he said, confusion etched in every line of his face.
"What?" Zelgius asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir. She says she bears a message for you, though she won't say from who, and she insists that if she must, she'll fight us all to get to you, sir."
"When you say 'child'-" Zelgius began.
"I mean her head hardly reaches past my middle," the soldier interrupted. "She can't be more than ten, sir. Honestly, I'd say she's about eight."
Zelgius nodded slowly. "Let her come," he commanded.
"Yes, sir." The soldier darted off, and Zelgius was left alone to ponder.
A child? Approaching the army? With a message for him? What was the meaning of this?
"Who would be giving me a message?" Zelgius wondered under his breath. "And what fool would send a child to deliver it? I suppose I'll know shortly..."
"Where?" a little voice shrilled demandingly.
"He's right over the-"
"Get out of my way!"
Zelgius looked up in time to see a small girl with dark hair storming toward him, shoving aside men twice her height as she went.
"General Zelgius?" she asked imperiously upon reaching him.
"Yes," he said, gazing at her curiously.
"I have matters which I must discuss with you," she said severely, unlike any child he had ever seen. "Immediately. And alone!" she added, shooting glares at the soldiers around them. "Will you grant me thirty minutes of your time, General?"
Intrigued by her peculiar manner, Zelgius nodded. "Yes. Come," he said, gesturing her into his tent. She strode past him, but not before glaring at his men again.
"Alone, General," she stressed. "No one listening outside."
"As you wish," Zelgius replied, motioning for the soldiers to leave. They did so reluctantly, mumbling amongst themselves.
The general let the tent flap fall closed and walked calmly toward the little girl, his expression perfectly composed. The same could not be said for his mind, which was whirling madly.
Who IS this child? What is her true purpose here? Who could have sent-
"Shall we get down to business, then?" she inquired, breaking into his thoughts.
"Of course," he said smoothly. "Please, sit down." He gestured toward a chair, but the girl shook her head.
"No thank you, General."
He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He walked past her toward another chair, in case she changed her mind. "I, for one, am not going to stand for thirty minutes."
The girl growled at the mention of her time limit, and Zelgius heard the sound of fabric rubbing together. The child was behind him. Unable to quell a curiosity as to what she was doing, Zelgius glanced back over his shoulder - and whirled around, staring.
The little girl's shirt sleeve was rolled up to her shoulder, thus the source of the sound. And there, just below her shoulder, was a mark that Zelgius recognized instantly. A Brand.
She gazed at him calmly as he stared.
"Who are you?" Zelgius asked quietly.
"Patience, General," she said, smirking at him. The smirk vanished. "You will recall an event roughly nine and a half years ago. A meeting. Between yourself and a woman from Dae-"
"Who are you?" Zelgius asked again, louder and a bit shakily this time. And why shouldn't he be shaken? No one knew of that tryst save Aeravi and himself! Yet this child... This child was somehow aware. And that meant she knew he was the Black Knight! That was NOT knowledge he could have circulating through the camp!
"General, I have come here at that woman's request. She wished for me to give you this." The girl held up a small envelope, showing it to him. Then she tossed it in his direction, and he fumbled to catch it. Upon breaking the seal and pulling out the parchment inside, Zelgius saw only a handful of words.
My Zelgius...
I love you.
I'm sorry I didn't listen.
I hope you'll forgive me once you know my reasons.
Zelgius.
My love.
Goodbye.
~Aeravi
Zelgius looked at the page blankly. What reasons? Reasons for what? Had he missed something? The child made an impatient noise, and he brought his eyes up to meet hers.
"She gave me something as well," she said. Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled as she drew another envelope, already opened, out of its hiding place in her coat. "Aeravi-"
"Where is she?" Zelgius interrupted quietly.
The child made a fist. "She's... she's dead."
Zelgius felt as though he'd been kicked by a warhorse. "No!" he exclaimed. "She can't be!"
The girl's entire body was trembling now. "That's what I thought," she said bitterly. "But I watched her die. She got sick, and no one could make her better..."
As she spoke, her bitterness, as well as her toughness, seemed to dissipate into nothing. She became - for the first time since Zelgius had met her - a child. "They said they tried, but... Wouldn't she be better if they had? Wouldn't she still... be here?"
She fingered the envelope she held. "She gave me this. It's a drawing. A sketch. She... she sent me off with this and a name. Nothing else to go on. But..."
"Whose name?" Zelgius heard himself ask, his voice soft.
"...My father's," the little girl whispered.
"...What is it?"
She looked into his eyes, and he looked back. The girl took a deep breath.
"Zelgius," she said.
The warhorse kicked Zelgius again. He looked into her eyes once more and saw that they were his own, copied directly into her little face, which looked so much like Aeravi's he wondered how he hadn't seen it before.
"...And... what is your name?"
"Mirari," she answered.
"Mirari," Zelgius repeated. "...It's beautiful."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Hi, Daddy," she murmured, waving.
Zelgius knelt down, placing Aeravi's letter in the seat of the chair he hadn't sat in. "Hello, Mirari," he said softly. Both mind and body slightly numb, he opened his arms slowly. Mirari fell into them, and Zelgius embraced his daughter for the first time.
...Well, there it is. Feedback would be lovely - wondermous, even. Thank you for taking the time to read this story. If anyone likes it (and quite possibly even if they don't) I shall continue to update this fic. Anywho, farewell 'til next time! ~destinykeyblade