Chapter 2 - Frozen
"Zidane, I need you to sleep now. Can you do that?"
The boy didn't answer me, so I knew that he was under my command again. I looked over at him and his head had dropped on his knees. He looked so peaceful, but his blank face reminded me of what I was doing to him. He sat curled in the blanket trying to warm himself. I'm sure he remembered that I demanded he take care of himself and that is what his mind was telling him.
I sat and watched as he moved closer to me, but also gripped the blanket tighter and went back to looking at the fire in silence. His blank expressionless face added to the calm of the moment. The boy was breathing in time with me again. I even held my breath to see if he would...and he did.
"Zidane?" I said softly.
The boy lifted his head from his knees and looked to me with a small smile on that overall blank face. "Yes? What can I do to serve you?"
"Are you even capable of doing anything for me? You are still half frozen."
Zidane puffed his chest and pounded his fist on it. "I am capable of doing anything you ask. However, I am currently following your previous instructions to take care of myself. I will continue doing that until my body is healed. Then I will await new instruction...that is unless you have new commands and I will follow them."
Zidane looked at me for a few seconds and when I said nothing he put his head back on his knees and stared into the fire.
"I have a question about my control over you."
Zidane didn't look back at me. "I have some knowledge and can share what I know."
"Well...can I...you know...break my control if I destroy the headband?"
Zidane shook his head. "No. The headband is useless now. I have already bonded with you. It is a worthless piece of cloth now."
I groaned. My one idea was a bad one. I took the headband and tossed it into the fire in frustration. Sure enough Zidane looked no different and showed no concern when I did it.
"I am sure you notice that I was correct in saying it was worthless. I cannot be changed back that way. I do not have any idea if there IS a way to do it. To be honest I am happier now. In this form and my woke self."
"Of course you'd say that Zidane, you are being controlled. You don't have your own will."
Zidane shrugged. "Makes life easier. I want to be with you and this allows it to happen."
"Anyway, my next question has to do with the words to bring you under my control. I have accidently done it more than once now. Can I change the words?"
Zidane nodded. "Just tell me and I will imprint the new words."
"Forget sleep and imprint the phrase 'fall under my power'."
"I have done it. Do you wish to change the words to bring me out of your command?"
"No, it makes sense and I won't say it accidently."
"As you wish." Zidane looked back at the fire. "I will continue to heal my body and await your other commands."
"No, I want you to wake up now."
Zidane gasped and looked over at me. "Did I fall asleep?"
"You did. I don't blame you...I was cold just looking at you."
Zidane shivered. "I still am. I can't get warm no matter how hard I try!"
"I feel you. I am pretty cold myself. It probably is at least five below out there."
I shivered and so did Zidane. If only our coats weren't soaked, we could put them back on.
I took another nip from the flask and passed it to Zidane. He turned it down.
"Bro I drank enough the first time! Thanks though. Save it incase we really need it later."
I laughed. "If things get much worse, we'll just be dead."
That caused an awkward silence.
"M'bad...that was suppos' to be a joke."
Zidane rolled his eyes.
"Can we just both get under this blanket and use our body warmth to keep from freezing? I mean...unless you think its odd or somthin'."
"We've done it before and nothing happened, so shouldn't be any different this time. Open the blanket and let me in. Move a little so I can get closer to the fire."
Zidane moved over and I got into the warm blanket. I sighed heavily and leaned back. The fire felt good, but I could feel the cold coming from Zidane's body. The kid was closer to passing out or catching hypothermia than I had thought before. Zidane closed the blanket around us and closed his eyes.
"Warmth..." He said with a sigh. "I had almost forgotten what it was like to be warm."
I put my arms around the frozen kid and rubbed his shoulders. "I know...and that's because you worried about me. Come on...you can get warm."
"N-No..I am so cold! Why can't I warm up! I'm afraid...what if I fall asleep and don't wake up."
I looked him in the eyes and promised him that would never happen. He smiled but his teeth clattered together as he did. He was still not healthy looking...his skin was greying and that worried me. He was not doing well with this at all.
"Blank, if I die...you can have my stash...use it to get away from Tantalus."
"Don't talk silly." I said with slight anger in my voice. "You aren't going anywhere."
I was certain this Zidane might not survive...but I knew which one would. This was something that had to be done. The boy could not control his emotion, but in his controlled state, he had no emotion or will to concern himself with.
Zidane put his head on my shoulder and began to cry.
"I'm sorry brother...I don't mean to be so emotional...I...I just don't know what is wrong. I can't get warm and I am afraid."
"Zidane, if you don't calm down you are going to make yourself ill. You need to rest. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen. I promise. You probably drank too much and that isn't helping."
The grunted. "If three chugs of cheap liquior gets me drunk then i'ma lightweight."
"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor."
The boy sniffled. "You are NOT helping me." Zidane then let a huge shiver go. "I mean you are...because you are warm...but...i dunno...I am having trouble thinking."
I had to do it. This was not wrong. He was struggling. He was a strong kid, but his mind was going to break.
"Zidane I want you to fall under my power. Listen to me...fall under my power...can you do that?"
The tail that had been frantically whipping back and forth suddenly stopped. Zidane's frantic breathing also stopped and he began to breathe with me.
"Have you calmed down?" I asked.
"If you allow me to have will during this time, I will be unable to control my emotion. My body is struggling to fight off hypothermia and right now I think your body warmth is the only thing keeping me from losing this battle."
"Can I command you to be calm?"
The boy shrugged. He hit against my arm and I could feel the goosebumps on his arms. "I do not think that would be a good idea."
"But...if I keep you under my command it effects your free self...I don't want to do that."
Zidane didn't move. I think he was too cold.
"Blank. Either you keep me like this where I can fight it without emotion, or I will die. You are too far away from town to help me. It isn't your fault. I would have helped you get warm first even if I had been acting on my own will. I love you and could not have let you die. You were really bad off you know."
I knew. I still was dizzy, but some of that was the booze.
"If you give me no more commands I will focus on survial. Allow me to stay near you so I can use your body heat. I would like you to keep rubbing my limbs to get warmth...you were doing that before. Keep doing it."
This calm and collected Zidane was pretty cool. Even if it wasn't the Zidane I wanted. But, he almost required right now.
"What is coldest? What do you want me to try and warm?"
Zidane looked down. "Legs."
I started rubbing his legs and the friction brought warmth. I hoped that I was helping. I had not dealt with this before. Normally there was an Inn and a hot spring that I stopped at.
That reminded me...there WOULD be an Inn to sleep at the next time. Thank god.
After what seemed like hours, Zidane spoke again. "Ok. Legs are good now. Move on to my back and shoulders...arms too."
I didn't say anything but kept rubbing his arms and back. He was so cold. His muscles were tight and I'm sure he was in a lot of pain...I felt terrible.
"Ok...chest...stomach...everything else seems to be improving."
That was what I didn't want to do. But, he was my baby brother and I'd do it if I had to. I rubbed his chest and stomach and it was so cold! My hands almost went numb trying to warm him up. The boy was strong, but he almost wasn't strong enough this time.
"Thank you Blank. My body seems to be functioning at a high enough level now that I can fight off the cold. I will remember what you did when you awaken me. You will not be able to make me forget this as it is important to our friendship."
I blushed. "We both have to survive this...we have other things to accomplish."
"You can allow me to have my will again if you choose. The threat is over and I will sleep when you awaken me from command."
"I will soon. You can go ahead and lie down on my lap and keep getting warm. I don't want you to switch back until I know you are going to be calm."
"As you wish."
Zidane obeyed and I kept rubbing his back trying to keep him warm. The boy breathed along with me and I sighed. I knew the threat had ended...so why was I keeping him under my control?
"Blank, if I stay under your control for much longer, things will be different in this form and my normal form. I have been under your power for many hours combined now and that is going to effect me as a whole."
"How? I mean what is going to change?"
The boy sat up and looked at me with that blank expression. "I will no longer call you Blank when under your power once I reach this new pinncle of control."
"What will you call me?"
"Master Blank. I will obey everything you say at that point immediatly. Also my normal self will be far more easy to influence by your words."
"A headband did all of that? You aren't even wearing it anymore! I destroyed it!"
Zidane looked at me with the blank expression I had grown to hate.
"It did not do everything. While I do not know exactly why, but my body accepted it quite easily. My normal self would not see it, but I know it has something to do with my life before Tantalus. Something deep inside me tells me this is how I was before...before I was Zidane."
I did not know how to answer him. This was something all of us had wondered. When he first came he didn't really show much emotion and even to this day he doesn't understand things as he should. The way he left and acted towards me was enough to prove it. The tail certainly shows he is different, but I have no idea where he could truly have come from.
"What do you mean before you were Zidane?"
The boy shrugged. "I was nothing, but I was alive. Then...I was Zidane. When I'm under your control, I am like I was before Zidane. You are my lord...my Master...I had one before you...long before you...but I do not remember anything about that time. I was far too young."
This had gotten interesting. So the headband didn't do this?
"So when I put that cultist headband on you it brought back your former self?"
"Yes. At least that is what I think. While you feel that you have harmed me...I know you do...you might have helped me. I know my normal self wants to know where he came from. Perhaps we can figure it out from discussion."
I sighed. "Not tonight. I've had an overload of information and I don't want you progressing to this new level tonight." I rubbed the boy on the head and looked up at the ceiling.
"When I bring you out of this, remember only what you must. Do not remember the information on your previous life. I have no way to explain or help you with it yet."
"I will remember all you did to save my life. Nothing else."
"Good, now wake up and return to normal."
The boy gasped and then collapsed back onto my lap. The normal Zidane would be worn down from the ordeal and would sleep. I would have no questions to answer. But I sure had plenty of questions. This boy certainly was not normal in any sense...but where did he come from and why was he here.
The boy's tail began to twitch and sway slowly, so at least he was feeling better. I leaned back and closed my eyes. No one would find us here and if they did, they had no where to take us.
I had a terrible dream about Zidane that night. That he wasn't human...but something that was not human...I couldn't explain it...but there was a lot of fire and death...his eyes...so red and his face was without emotion.
I jumped when I awoke and realized Zidane was still alseep on my lap. The boy went flying off of me and onto the floor. He woke with a series of swears tha would have made any mother blush.
"What the hell did ya do that for!" Zidane cried. "All ya had ta do was wake me up and move me!"
"Sorry bro...had a nightmare...felt so real. I didn't mean ta throw ya off...I swear!"
Zidane pouted for a minute and then stood up and brushed himself off.
"Obviously you are feeling better today." I said. "Full of piss and vinegar right off the bat!"
"Certainly full of piss. I'll be back!"
Zidane grabbed his dried coat and ran outside. It looked much warmer than the night before. At least over freezing as the cave was quite warm even with the fire out. The sun was shining as well.
"Brand new day". I thought to myself.
I began to pack our things as he had done the same for me the day before. I wasn't sure if he'd appreciate it, but I had appreciated him for doing when I was out of it. I took the chance to clean up myself a bit with the body wash I had brought. We had to not smell the greatest, but a shower was another day away.
Once I finished, I put on my traveling gear and sat down and took two travel rations from my pack. Zidane had finished up and was prepping for the day when I finished getting our food ready.
"Oh boy, travel rations." Zidane groaned. "At least they are sorta eatable."
We sat and ate our miserable breakfast and picked up our things. It was time to go.
"Blank, how long til we are off this mountain?"
"A few hours at least. I do know that we won't be sleeping outdoors tonight. We are taking a slight detour for an Inn I know of on the outskirts of Burmecia."
Zidane pepped up at the sound of an Inn.
"A real bed! Food! Awesome! Let's go!"
I zipped my coat and the two of us walked out into the brand new day...ready to take on whatever came our way.
When we reached the mouth of the cave Zidane and I looked at each other and smiled. We had saved each other countless times and last night was no exception. We were family and right now I think Zidane accepted that I might be the only family he'd ever have.
However, I knew more. He had been somewhere and controlled by them. If I ever found them...I'd kill them.
"Blank? Are you ok? We've been walking for over an hour and you haven't said a word."
I snapped out of my own thoughts and smiled. "Sorry bro, just thinking."
"About what?"
I shrugged. "Hopefully, sooner or later, I'll be able to tell you."
"Do you not trust me bro?" Zidane said with concern in his voice.
"More than anything...but I myself can't wrap my head around some things. When I can figure it all out, I will tell you. I promise."
"Thank you bro..." Zidane cleared his throat. "Ya know...this trip...I didn't want ta do it...because I was afraid ya hated me...but...now I am so glad we are a team again. I'd have died last night had I gone with anyone else. They wouldn't have done what you did for me."
I gave the boy a small hug and pointed to the end of the trail.
"We've got to climb again. Not that long. We should be fine."
We climbed down the mountainside and sure enough it was way easier going down than up. Plus, it was only a quarter of a mile down. However, the winter storm returned and the temperature dropped quickly. We had to get out of this or we'd freeze. Again.
It was around four in the evening when we reached the bottom of the mountain. In the distance you could see the Inn. Oh thank god.
Zidane saw it first and ran for it. I laughed as I kept on walking. The hardest part was over and rest and relaxation were coming our way.
Zidane waited at the door and opened it for me. Something else he'd have NEVER done before.
"Blank, let me pay this time! You never let me pay for anything."
I nodded. "That's fine, but don't use that mafia gold. Not here."
Zidane scoffed. "I am not stupid, Blank. I've got my own money with me."
I took off my coat and Zidane did the same. The Inn was full of warmth and the lobby was quite nice. It was rustic, but everything looked new. Couches and chairs lined the lobby and I saw a restraunt enterance and a hot spring location in the back. The man behind the counter looked happy to see customers. The bad weather must have kept people from traveling.
"Ahh sirs, welcome! I assume you would like a room for tonight!"
Zidane nodded. "We would indeed. I'll take whatever ya got available."
The innkeeper opened his book and found a room on the second floor that was available. He said that the storm had kept many folks from leaving and he only had three rooms ready.
"We will take whatever you've got!" Zidane said. "We've been on the road so long and a bed is a bed at this point."
The innkeeper laughed. "Well, we've got a room with two twin beds available. The room comes with a meal and usage of the hot springs."
"That sounds great."
Zidane paid the Innkeeper and he took us to our room. When he opened it I gasped. It was so wonderful. A personal fireplace...two warm beds...a shower...SHOWER was the thing that went through my mind.
I gave the Innkeeper a tip and he left us alone. Zidane started running for the bed and I stopped him.
"Dude, what are you doing. Look at us. We stink...we are filthy. Don't dirty the beds before we even have time to sit down!"
Zidane groaned.
"Don't groan at me. Go take a shower. I'll get our things taken care of."
The boy obeyed and put down his stuff. However, he also dropped his clothes right on the floor and stode into the bathroom giving me a goofy grin.
"Why...are you naked Zidane?"
"You know you like it." He said with a wink and closed the door to the bathroom.
"No..not really." I said as I began picking his crap off the floor. I wondered if they had cleaning services...because our clothes were nasty.
I heard the shower start and a long moan come from Zidane. I couldn't blame him. I'm sure it felt wonderful.
"You know ya wish it was you in here right now!" Zidane called. "There won't be any hot water left for ya when I'm done!"
I grunted but ignored that comment. I had gotten everything picked up and ready for the evening. I laid a towel over the corner chair and sat down. There was a small lamp on the table and I lit it. The room glowed with warmth and itt was quite relaxing. Soon, we would finish this mission and then I'd help Zidane find himself...even if we didn't want the answer.
The boy had to know...and to be honest; so did I.
