Chapter 8: If You Won't Listen To Reason Will You Accept A Lame Excuse?


By the time the group reached Oeilvert, Zidane had explained everything about Terra. He told them that he was a Genome, created on Terra, but born with a soul; that Kuja was the same and that they were brothers, in a sense.

He explained all about Mikoto, though they knew her a bit already, and the other Genomes living in the Black Mage Village as well as about the capsules that held the souls of the Terran people.

Inside, Oeilvert itself explained everything he hadn't. Zidane was pleased to find that the stone faces still worked. He even found that when he asked them questions, they responded. Nothing worked for anyone else but him, though.

The group spread out and found a hidden library, they explored it while Zidane sat on the floating platform in front of the stone faces getting to know 'himself' and his heritage better.

Baku watched him for a while. It was weird, seeing the kid he had raised change so much. It was like Zidane was growing up right in front of him as he learned what the stone faces were willing to teach him. Baku had always assumed that Zidane's parents had discarded him because he was deformed or… something. Kid had always been a mystery. He healed the same way everyone else did, but there were never, ever any scars of any kind left behind. He was faster than the other boys, and much more agile. He managed to remain unscathed where the rest of the group all had scars and markings... It was like his body re-constructed itself flawlessly, but it sure did take its time doing so. He could bleed to death, that was always a fear. He could suffocate, he could break bones, he felt pain, he felt everything the same as everyone else... but eventually the wounds healed flawlessly.

Baku had gone over scenario after scenario trying to think of what the kid was and why he had been deserted, left in such a horrible place… Baku was sure that if he hadn't found him, Zidane would have been killed as a monster. For the first few years, he treated Zidane more like a friend or an obligation than a son… Baku kept expecting his parents or some relatives, or even just someone who knew him or were the same species to come looking… but they never did. After a while… he didn't want them to.

Zidane became his son and that was that; the rest stopped mattering.

Baku never imagined, really, that there was a race of people with tails, besides the Burmecians, but every time Zidane stormed off to go find his real parents… Baku got worried that he would. Even though Zidane always came back alone, Baku always got angry about him running off.

Eventually, though… Zidane had stopped running away to go find people. The last time he had, well… Baku had tried to stop him the first time, encouraged it the second and… helped the third.

Now, Zidane sat with his legs crossed, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, watching the stone faces in front of him with nothing to fear, as if he were listening to a story some relative was telling.

Baku was happy that Zidane had found everything out, but he still worried about him… the kid was his favorite, after all… Zidane was the only member of Tantalus Baku saw as a son, saw as real family. He didn't want to see him hurt and Baku had a bad feeling about all the Royals who knew about Terra. Something about the events that had happened since they had found Zidane in the Iifa Tree didn't sit right with him.

"BOSS! We found something!"

Baku walked over to Blank and Marcus who were pulling book after book out off an odd shelf. It shrank as they took books out…

"What ya find? More bric-à-brac?"

"All these books are on shipbuilding," Marcus said.

"And these three show… well…"

Blank looked over to see Zidane walk in.

"Show what?" Zidane asked.

He took the book from Blank. The book told how to make armor. Armor like nothing Gaia had ever seen, and it even showed the adjustments for the tails.

"Hey, this is perfect!" He exclaimed with his tail waved excitedly behind him.

"Kind of weird though… why would the Genomes need armor?"

"Same reason the people on Gaia do, I guess…" Zidane said.

"Oh. Okay."

"Cool," Zidane looked around. "What about the rest of these books?"

"They explain Terra. Nothing else here we really need, but should we pack them up?" Marcus asked.

Zidane thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Nah, I think it would be better if we left them here for now. Terra is dead, no reason to take anything we don't need from it."

"Sure thing." The three thieves picked up the few books they were taking and followed their Boss, who wasn't carrying anything, back to the Theater Ship.

"Ruby will be thrilled to see these." Blank stated.

That started the usual comments from Zidane and the two spent the three-day trip home bothering each other about Ruby and Garnet.

"There! I see a ship!" One of Beatrix's guards called. Or, rather, one of the Lady Knights called, as there was no longer an actual separation between Beatrix's soldiers and Steiner's Knights.

"Is it them?" Garnet asked.

"I think… Yes! It's them!" The knight reported.

Zidane lit a firework from the theater ship, signaling their return, as they landed.

"Always have to make a big entrance?" Marcus sighed.

"Hell yeah! Hi Dagger!" Zidane sauntered over to Garnet who hugged him.

"Welcome back."

"So much better to hear then 'DAMN! It's you'!" Zidane chuckled.

"Howdy, y'all!" Ruby greeted.

"R- Ruby! What are you doing here?" Blank chocked.

"I'm helpin' Beatrix design Zidane's armor, ain't I?

"Yeah… I just…"

"He loves you sooooo much!" Zidane sang.

Garnet giggled as Blank glared. "Shut up, man."

"Nah."

Once back inside the castle,

Marcus laid out the books they had found on Terran Armor. The ones on the ship he had hidden, Baku had ordered they do so. He didn't think it would be a good idea to let Alexandria know about Zidane's ship just yet.

"T-this is amazing!" Steiner exclaimed.

Beatrix, Ruby and him were looking over the books.

"We could upgrade all the armor we have!" Steiner said.

"Let's concentrate on Zidane first." Garnet suggested, "If it's Terran technology it belongs to him first, us second." She stated, standing behind the chair Zidane was in.

He looked up and smiled at her.

"Well, what do you think Ruby?" He asked.

"Princess Garnet, I'm gonna need to borrow Zidane tomorrow. I got a design in my head." Ruby smiled evilly, looking at Garnet.

"Bring him back as soon as you can," Garnet laughed.

Blank threw a mocking smile at Zidane who flipped him off.

"Beatrix… Ya think ya can work with me on this?"

"Ms. Ruby, if you can design it, I assure you we can create it."

"Done deal, then!"

Ruby, Blank, Marcus, and their Boss all walked back to Ruby's mini theater.

"So, been a while, toots, how've ya been?" Zidane asked, jumped onto the couch Garnet was now sitting on.

"Dull," she sighed.

"Nothing interesting happen while I was gone?"

"No. Well… We learned that we have about a week to get you acting and looking like a Knight before the Royal Leaders come to visit. It is a new practice we've developed as a security measure to prevent any future wars, and to help each other progress. They come here, check out the re-building of the Palace, make sure we are obeying the laws, everyone gives updates to what everyone else has been doing, and then they leave to inspect some other country. A month after that they come back here and we hold a little party announcing anything we need to announce to the citizens. People come from all over since Alexandria has been picked as the location for the coming up World Convention... Which is an event where all the leaders have a meeting out in the open, where the citizens are allowed to watch and listen in."

"A week?"

"Yes."

"Ugh… So that means?"

"Steiner and Beatrix are waiting for you in the Practice Room."

"Goody," Zidane groaned and then got up.

Garnet smiled. "At least tonight you get to meet the other Knights."


Reviewers Review!