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Legends: What: Eclipse narrating.

What: Thoughts.

What: Eclipse point of view.

EIGHT

I had spent the rest of the day with her telling her about everything that had happened to me ever since I've ever entered in Spira. She listened and laughed at some parts, especially with my encounter with the Chocobo. I was happy for the first time in my life having someone whom is as close to I as the next person, but the cruel reality was what drew tears to my eyes.

It was nighttime when I left her bedside.

"You have to go to sleep Eclipse," Evangeline said.

"I don't want to," I said even thought I was dead tired.

"Eclipse, don't worry about me, just go to sleep," she sighed.

I looked toward her and I could see that she was tired also, so I seated up from my position on her bed and stood up stretching to feed some feeling into my sleeping legs. Then, I turned toward her to see that she was slowly falling asleep and I leaned over to her,

"Mom,"

"Yes, Eclipse," she murmured.

"I love you," I whispered into her hear.

A smile stretched unto her lips as she answered, "And I love you to my little angel with all my heart,"

I kissed her good night and walked out of the room, feeling as if I left part of myself behind. Outside was deserted and I walked through the dark hallway until I bump into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the person said.

I looked up at him.

He was well dressed with a bandanna around his head with his white like hair flowing around his face, with his dark skin. He was dressed in street clothes.

"Oh, you must be Mistress Evangeline's child," he said looking at me with kind eyes.

"Yes," I said, "Who are you?"

"My name is Baralai," he said with a slight bow, "I was covering for Cedric, and he had to go to the restroom."

"I'm Eclipse," I said.

"Well Eclipse," he said with a grin, "It was nice meeting you."

"You too Baralai," I answered.

With that, he around me and walked away disappearing quietly around the corner. I continued my trek back to my room until I found the place and lied on the bed, looking at the dark sky outside.

I was afraid for my mother, knowing that she was so close to death.

Please by the Gods spare her life, I thought clutching the small silver ring within my hand.

That was my last thought before falling asleep.

When I woke up, it was already light around the room and I looked at my hand to see the small silver ring still there. Changing into my ordinary clothes I was about to get out of the room when someone knocked.

"Come in,"

It was Cedric dressed differently again with boots now and coat was on him. I quickly sensed that something was wrong with him as I approached him, seeing the sadness in his eyes.

"Cedric…"

He looked up at me, his eyes red probably from crying, and the expression was all I needed to know what had happened.

"No…," I croaked.

He opened his mouth but he couldn't form any words and tears were coming back to his eyes from the pain.

"NO," I screamed, "No, she can't be. She can't be."

I ran from the room and from him, refusing to believe it, running toward the only place I knew that I could see it for myself. Maids moved out of my way, afraid of being run over even thought the house had a slight feeling of emptiness around it unlike the day before, as if someone had just…

She can't just leave me like that…she can't leave me again…

I arrived at the room to see a group of men in large cloaks and some of them looked shocked seeing my features but I didn't see any of that, my eyes fixed on the lifeless form of Evangeline at the bed.

I was breathing heavily as the men parted a way for me straight toward the bed, and I took it, tears falling from my eyes seeing her not moving an inch, her skin white as death.

"Mom," I breathed, falling on my knees by the bed touching her skin which felt deathly cold, unlike the day before…

More tears continued to fall as I lowered my head toward the bed, crying out holding tightly on her hand, ignoring everyone that were around me, watching the scene in a silent vigil. I was heartbroken and even if I already knew that she was about to die, it still didn't help the situation.

I didn't know how long I was there crying, but a pair of hands took hold of my shoulders,

"Eclipse," a familiar voice said, "Let go."

"No,"

"Eclipse for Yevon's sake," the familiar voice said as the hands pulled me up and I leaned into the person who half carried half dragged me toward the hallway.

I could hear conversations around me as more sounds of people crying ran around the room. I couldn't think of nothing except a never ending mantra of 'she's gone and she is not coming back' in my head as tears continued to falls.

I was placed on a chair and I looked up toward the person whom turned to be Cedric who was swallowing heavily and breathing deeply.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I know it's not going to help but I'm so so sorry,"

I sniffed, "at least I got to spend a day with her rather than none."

Cedric pounded a nearby desk in anger, "This isn't fair. She is your mother, you're supposed to spend your entire life with her…just one day is too cruel."

"It isn't your fault Cedric," I said my voice breaking; "It's not your fault."

He turned to look toward me, suddenly looking ashamed at his actions, and he leaned against the wall, "I'll leave you alone for a while."

With that he left the room and closed the door. I walked off the chair toward my bed and lied there, but thinking about my mother made the tears come again and this time I hear a whining sound and I looked up to see Fang, the large wolf that had helped me battle with his muzzle and nose sneaking into my face.

"I miss her Fang," I said, "I miss her."

A string of image went into my head and I looked at him, "I didn't know her that well, but I felt as if I knew her forever…and it hurt so much."

I curved into a ball on my bed and I felt a weight beside me and I looked up to see the beautiful fur of the wolf lying down beside me and I took him into a hug, crying into his fur.


Cedric was standing on one of the railing of the Palace looking down at the city of Bevelle with sad eyes lost in his thoughts and memories…

Flashback

He was hungry and he knew he needed food so the only way is to steal some and he wasn't skilled in that particular area. He had stolen a bread from the merchant and almost died when a voice said, "I believe this is enough Gils to covert the bread."

A blonde woman pushed the gil toward the merchant.

"Hope you enjoyed it," she said smiling at him.

"Thank you miss," he said.

"Don't mention it," she said, looking at him with cat-like eyes and he saw a flash of sadness in her eyes, which make him concerned.

"Miss is everything alright?"

"How old are you…"

"Cedric," the boy answered.

"and how old are you Cedric?"

"Nine," Cedric answered.

"How about you come with me eh," the woman said pulling out her arm at him.

"C…come with you?"

"Sure, my place will be empty and I could use the company," she said.

"Sure Miss," Cedric said standing up.

"Call me Evangeline," the woman said with a large grin.

End of Flashback

Cedric sighed running a hand through his head.

"Ced?"

He turned toward the voice and noticed Baralai.

"Hey,"

"I'm sorry," Baralai said, "I knew you were close to Mistress Evangeline."

"Thanks," Cedric said, "Eclipse is in turmoil right now, only got to spend a day with her."

"That's cruel," Baralai said, "But where was she thought?"

"Eclipse is a boy Baralai," Cedric said, "a boy who never knew a mother's love in his life."

"Oh," Baralai said, glancing downward.

Silence followed before Baralai said, "I know the High Summoner Yuna, she could perform the Sending during the funeral if you like, and I could contact her."

"That'll be an honor to have her does it," Cedric said.

Baralai nodded, "I'll take a ship today, might be back by the end of the week,"

"Have a safe trip my old friend,"

The white haired man nodded and left the railing, leaving Cedric standing alone and once again lost in his memory.


I had stayed in my room the entire day, curled up to Fang's fur, crying slightly at the sudden death. It was as if I was truly living my life for the first time in years, as nothing seemed to have gone my way this time.

I was so used of having everything handed to me, of all of my actions go unpunished, that I had hoped this one time…that only time…that I could spend another day with her. There was so much I wanted to ask her…about how she met dad…how was life in Spira and also…what job this Crystal had given her…

Now that she was dead, those answers will go unanswered?

Her ring was the only thing that I had gotten from her.

The metallic band in my hand felt cold to my flesh thought, like a cold reminder of what I had just lost…

Knock-Knock.

I turned toward the door wondering whom it could be right now and I sensed Fang disappearing in twinkling lights beside me.

"C'mon in,"

Cedric entered the room with a tray of food with him.

"Thought you might want something to eat," he said, as he approached the bed.

He settled the food right by my bed and looked toward me, "How are you feeling?"

"I'll be alright," I answered softly.

Cedric sighed and seated beside me as I simply seated up and didn't even touch the food, feeling as if I will just hurl it right back up. We seated in silence, only listening to the noise that were coming outside.

"Cedric,"

"Yes."

"Tell me about her," I asked, turning the ring in between my fingers.

I can hear him sigh beside me, "She…she was a kind woman Eclipse. Someone who cares and was always helpful to others which was what makes her well-liked around Bevelle. Sometimes thought, I will find her crying about you when she thought she had lost you, and everyone she loved."

"She sound like I remembered her," I said softly, the old memories of her that, before I wanted to forget, now were the most treasured things in my life, "Caring, loving…"

A single tear falls from my eyes.

The pain was still raw in my chest.

I feel Cedric's arm circle around my shoulders and I leaned into him, crying now again, against his clothing.

"You know, you don't really sound like the Eclipse I've met."

"Really?"

"Yes," Cedric said, "The Eclipse I know would have punched my jaw."

I chuckled a little, knowing what he was trying to do and I was grateful.

"Thanks Ced, I needed that."

"I'm your brother, that's what we do," he said.

"I think…I think I'll go to sleep now," I said, seating back up.

"But…But you haven't eat…"

"I'll eat it tomorrow," I said.

Cedric stood up and said, "All right, good night Eclipse."

With that, he left the room.

I got on to my bed and, slipped the ring in my ring finger on my left hand before I had fallen asleep.

My mother's funeral was held the following week. All, if not, of Bevelle had showed up to give their last respect to someone they had loved and protected. High Summoner Yuna, whom to my surprise, was a beautiful young woman, I had expected her to be older by her title, had did a mesmeric dance at the funeral something Cedric had called "The Sending." As she was doing that, I saw the Pyreflies started to rise from within her body and into the sky, at that time, tears was flowing from my eyes and most people's that were present. This was the last farewell to my mother, and also the last farewell that the city of Bevelle will be giving Evangeline of the Royal House of Crystalline, the last daughter of the people of the Crystal.

I was the last son of the Royal bloodline now as I simply watched the Pyreflies disappears, the last of the Crystalline, and now the Guardian of the Crystal, and during that day, I received the mark that every Guardian had gotten, something that was called The Blessing of the Crystal.

I hope you guys have enjoyed the brief appearance of the X and X-2 characters. i didn't have a lot to do with them since their stories is already over thought, i want to bring one of them on and i'm thinking Paine or Rikku. But we'll see