Notes: A short for Edgar on his birthday. What happens when he has everything that could be bought? Edgar realizes why his friends are so important to him and the care he has for each.
I have it all?
I could buy all of it...any of it...Edgar thought as his friends and brother filled into the room, laughing and smiling. It wasn't a snarky or angry through, or even bitter. Just...sad.
His brother swarmed him early that morning, telling him he got him something no one else would think of. Something so personal to him, that it was as if Edgar bought it for himself. Of course Edgar was doubtful, his brother was a caring young man with a big heart and tended to buy whatever he saw...something the Priestess said his mother loved to do. This didn't mean Edgar didn't appreciate or love whatever his brother bought him, he just made sure that whatever he bought, he didn't already own. And if that meant throwing the old away, that's what he did. Sabin was never the wiser to it, and just grinned ear to ear as his brother thanked him and 'manly' hugged him.
Celes' presents were a little more to home. She too shared a common care for flowers. He had taken up decorating and arranging flowers around his room for his father and Celes has taken into her love for flowers for her parents and Cid. They both had connections to it, and he guessed it was why she knew that flowers as a present was a good thing...for him. She had bought carts of flowers, ranging from common to rare and helped him dig and plant them. It was a great time for bonding as well, though he often felt she held much back.
Locke's gifts were...pricey. Or rather, were before he stole them. Edgar would be holding flowers one moment and then stolen, golden necklaces from Jidoor and then the next day, paying the Jidooran merchants double the price to keep Locke out of trouble. As much as it bugged him, he appreciated it. Locke was never going to change, and that made Edgar smile with warmth. He was a great friend...there for him since a little before Sabin left him and still there after he returned. Locke was trustworthy and a welcomed laugh.
Cyan and Sezter, they were a lot more reasonable. Cyan's gifts had been consider of his situation and his wallet. He brought workers over from Doma to work on Narshe. Cyan had told him, "Under Figaro's strong rule, Narshe will flourish once more." Edgar loved the idea of getting Narshe back to its better state. It had been abandoned since their defeat on the Floating Continent. Setzer did much the same. He invested in Edgar's newer power source. It was friendly to the world, easy to use and would be able to power working machines, tools, lights and more. Improving his nation and his people's life was a wondrous gift for him, and he thanked them with hard handshakes and laughs and wine.
Now Mog and Umaro's gifts were home made. Mog had made a beautiful spear for him. The point was carved out of a rare mineral in the mines of Narshe and the shaft was a thick wood found in the woods in the mountains of Narshe. It was flexible and strong, and Mog promised it would only break if you threw it into fire. Though he hoped he would have no more need of weapons, he took the spear with joy and hung it above the fireplace in his room and found it even more pleasant than before. Umaro's was a little more...homemade than Edgar would have wanted. It was a cleaned skull of a mountain goat of Narshe. Its skull was nearly as big as Mog and nearly as wide. It took Sabin and Edgar to move it to a shelf, which they then had to reinforce with more wood and metals. The beauty of it was incredibly. In its eye sockets, he had somehow melded dark rubies that shimmered even when light wasn't present. The mouth was lined with liquid sapphire, or it looked liquid until Edgar touched it. He had painted the skull with a clear gel he said he extracted from a plant in the caves that would harden whatever it touched and keep it strong forever. The horns of the beast twisted around and then up, and they too glistened with the gel and had little sapphires etched into it. At the tips of the horns, they were sharpened and then liquid gold was poured over it, to form a point. With Mog's help to understand Umaro, the little fur ball explained that this is given among Yetis in Narshe who make the most honorable and caring Kings and that only three Yetis have ever received it. Edgar laughed, but smiled and thanked him.
"I'm no Yeti, but this honors me beyond any Umaro," he bowed. "Thank you my friend." and then the huge white giant wrapped his huge arms around Edgar and nearly crushed the life out of him.
And then the little kids poured out of the next room, their laughter and shouting echoing around and causing some of the more sensitive ears to grimace and cover their ears. Relm hugged Edgar around the start of his hig and then pulled away. "I made you something special! Something great! Something awesome! Something lovely! Something perfect! Something-"
"Enough Relm," an old voiced called out, entering. It was Strago, his face even older than it was two years ago. "Just give him the gift." Relm stuck her tongue out at the elderly man and then turned back to Edgar. "I went through your libraries," Edgar's face paled. There were books that were so old, they crumpled away with touch. Before he could ask her what she destroyed, she stomped her foot to demand his attention and then continued. "and found all these old books about the kings before you, and even Figaro history. I made exactly duplicates of the books and larger versions of the paintings of the past kings, queens and those related to them. A few of them I couldn't see, they were too faded, but I saved most of them." she smiled. "I also made larger pictures of your parents for your room, Sabin's, the throne room and the main halls and then the main kitchen and even your workspace - oh, and in your training room too Sabin - but that isn't all!" she turned and ran outside. A few moments later, she arrived ahead, carrying a smaller box. When she handed it to him, she stopped him from opening it. "Wait until you are alone," she whispered and he smiled, pocketing it.
"Thank you, young lady. Your gifts are wonderful. I appreciate all you have done for me and my brother," he hugged her gently and whispered. "Rebuilding my history...you are a brilliant little one." and then he stood, ruffled her hair and then turned to young Gau, missing the annoyed expression on Relm's face. "Now young sir, I believe you are the last?" the green haired boy grinned and nodded nodded. In the past two years, Sabin had taught the young lad so much. He was training to be a monk and his chest and arms were already getting thick and his speak? It was far better, though he still needed practice.
"I give you present, Doma present!" he chirped, digging into the sashes around his waist. When he held his gift out to Edgar, the kind king smiled. It was a gem found in the ocean north of Doma. A rare, yellow gem that grew inside the caves where monstrous enemies lurked. It was as large as the boy's hand opened and was naturally formed into a oval shape. Inside was a little speck of red that shined as if it was a fire. "Doman star." he explained, eager for praise.
Edgar smiled and held the gem tightly as he leaned down to face the young lad. Since his brother adopted the boy, Edgar has grown very fond of him. Sabin didn't like that Gau had started chasing after girls so early, but his annoyance faded when he saw Gau's attentions shift only to Relm. It was a sweet adoration, one that Sabin and Edgar knew would blossom into something more. The poor boy was whipped and he didn't even know it. "Thank you Gau," he smiled and leaned closer. "That Relm...I bet you she would love something like this." The boy's face turned red and his breath caught, as if he was already thinking of going back to the ocean, fighting a sea beast and winning his lovely Relm a Doman star. Edgar winked at him before he stood, patted the boy's head and turned to his friends. "Today has been...wonderful, thank you guys. Everyone's gifts were amazing and I promise they will be taken care of." they all smiled and with that, they moved into the dining room for food, mead and dances.
Edgar stopped Locke before he could grab Celes for a dance and took him off to the side of the dance circles. "Have you seen Terra...?"
"She's probably running late Edgar," he whispered. "She doesn't have a ship or boat, only chocobos. I'm sure she'll be here soon." and then he gripped Edgar's shoulder reassuringly and then headed off to grab Celes for a dance, finally.
After the party cleared up, everyone went back to their rooms. It was nearly sunset and the kids were dog tired. They had snuck into the Figorian wine and grew drowsy. Umaro and Mog had exhausted themselves wrestling and what they called 'dancing'. Setzer had a date with Maria and Cyan needed to head back to Doma early. Locke and Celes lingered for a few more minutes before they took off for their rooms, or room. Sabin had stayed behind until he had to go find Gau and drag him away from Relm for the night and left Edgar alone in the dining room, at the table. He had a cup of wine, lightly sipped and heavy in his hands. He sat staring out the window at the lowering sun, wondering what had happened to his friend or if she couldn't make it.
Just when he rose to head for his room, the doors burst opened and he turned to see Terra, exhausted and covered in sand. Her face was bright red and he frowned, running over. "M'dear, what happened to you?"
"I'm so sorry I'm late," she muttered, dusting the sand off her overcloak. "My chocobo kicked me off in the desert...I would have been here early, only-"
"-No need, Terra." he smiled and touched her face, checking to see if she was suffering from heat stroke. When he felt she was fine, he pulled his hand away. "It griefs me to know that you coming for my name day caused you harm." a frown appeared on his face. "I am glad you are fine."
She gasped then, digging through her little pouch. With a sadden sigh, she pulled a crushed gift box out of the pouch. Disappoint and grief struck her. "Your...your gift," she whispered, light tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry." he took the box from her hands and opened it. It was a home-made music box, or was before something -that he assumed was the Chocobo - stomped on it and crushed it nearly flat. He touched the snapped figure in the center of a woman and man dancing and grimaced when it fell apart. "I ruined it..." he heard her muttered, angry with herself. "I ruined it and your birthday."
"No no," he protested, smiling as he held it close against his heart. He took her hand in his. "I love it Terra...its the thought that counts anyway. Thank you so much, m'dear." she smiled then and it filled him with great warmth.
That smile...that's something I cannot buy. He thought happily as he pulled her into a light hug. "Thank you Terra...it is wonderful."
A short fic, but something I wrote this morning. I hope its at least good. xD Thanks for reading and if you see this on the 17th and not the 16th, its because of the stupid servers don't update fast enough. .
Looking forward to reviews! :3