CHAPTER 11:
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
One night, while in the middle of sailing to Madain Sari, Amethyst walked up to the deck of the ship. No, not Amethyst anymore. In fleeing the Mist Continent, Rose and her sister had decided to revert to their birth names, leaving the gaudy names King Addis and Queen Brahne had inflicted on them behind. As Brahne no longer seemed to view them as her children, they decided this was the case.
Rose Potter walked up to the deck, and found Zidane gazing at the stars. The tailed thief looked at her when she emerged. "Can't sleep?"
"Nightmares," Rose said. Although the nightmare she had had was an old one, one she had had before fleeing Madain Sari. The one with the green flash of light and the high laugh. The one that could very well be a memory of the night Voldemort murdered her parents.
Zidane nodded sagely, before looking up at the stars, and the moons up in the sky. The cheerful young thief had an unusually pensive look on his face. "Been a while since I've travelled away from the Mist Continent."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I told you I went travelling a few years back, to try and find my birthplace. All I had to go on was a distinctive blue light." Zidane folded his arms, shaking his head, and his gaze turning to Rose. "I mean, Tantalus is home for me, but one day, I wanna know where I came from."
Rose sighed, leaning against a railing. The young thief's story spoke to her. "I know where I came from. I actually had a pretty weird trip for a life. You know how I said I was born in Madain Sari, but was given to another family to adopt?"
"Yeah, and that evil wizard killed your family."
Rose nodded. "I did leave out one detail. Sarah and I were twins. The reason why I look younger than her is that I spent time in another world. Uncle Severus comes from that world as well."
Zidane goggled at her. "You're kidding! Another world?"
"Yeah. I don't remember it really, because I came back here before I was two, but Uncle Severus, along with Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony, told me about it. It's called Earth, not Gaia. And magic is hidden there, though there's a lot of technology. The steam engine, for example, has gone in favour of petrol-based engines, and they have electricity there."
Zidane chuckled. "Really? You're not telling fibs?"
"It'd be my uncles who'd be telling the fibs, and I don't think they would," Rose said. "Anyway, it's not like we can go back…or even if we'd want to. I've had a pretty decent life. Well, apart from my birth parents and first adoptive set of parents dying, and my second adoptive mother turning into a greedy bitch after my second adoptive father died."
Zidane shook his head. "Another world…huh." He seemed to get pensive again, leaning against the railing next to Rose.
After a moment, Rose asked, "Zidane, why did you come with us?"
There was a pause, before Zidane chuckled. "That's Ipsen's line. Well, almost."
"Ipsen's line?" After a moment, Rose remembered. "Oh, you mean from Ipsen's Journey, right? That old play by Ben Marlo(1)?"
Zidane nodded, grinning. "Not many people know that play nowadays. Tantalus sometimes plays it."
"Actually, it was Dr Tot who introduced me to it. I didn't really like I Want to Be Your Canary as much as Sarah did."
"I'm still getting used to you calling yourself Rose, and Garnet Sarah. Why did Dr Tot get you onto that play?"
"Because it had a bit more action and less romance," Rose said blithely. "Anyway, you're talking about that line where Ipsen asks his mate Colin 'why did you come with me?' And his answer was…"
"Only because I wanted to go with you," Rose and Zidane chorused.
Zidane chuckled. "Wow. Few people even know enough of that play to quote it. Most people quote from Lord Avon's stuff. Baku had me playing Colin, while Blank played Ipsen."
"So…you came with us because you wanted to?" Rose asked sceptically.
Zidane shrugged. "Sort of. Besides, I still want to travel, and Madain Sari sounds interesting. I haven't been to the Outer Continent, so it'll be a new experience for me." He looked up at the stars again, his face falling as it did so. "Another reason is, well, when those Black Waltz things attacked during the Hunt, well, I didn't know about it until later. I heard the explosions and everything, but I couldn't get to you guys because there were too many monsters in the way."
"You don't have to feel responsible for us, Zidane. Or are you just trying to save us because you're attracted to us?"
"Guilty as charged, but the thing is, in Alexandria, I saw your eyes, and those of Garnet's…I mean, Sarah. You were afraid. Why do you think Blank and I didn't try to snatch you right away?" Zidane sighed gently. "Like I said, do you need a reason to help people?"
"Most people do have a reason," Rose said.
For a time, they remained in silence, though Rose felt his tail snaking near her leg. She reached out and gently tickled the tip, causing Zidane to giggle slightly. She then put her palm out, and it gently writhed into it. So warm, and so fuzzy, though the fur was stiff and bristly. But there was still something vaguely comforting about it. It certainly felt alive.
She gently closed her hand around the tail, and held it like that for a moment, feeling it gently flex in the palm of her hand, before letting go. As it retreated, Rose gently touched her horn. You with your tail, and me with my horn, she thought.
"What's Madain Sari like?" Zidane asked, all of a sudden.
"Fairly quiet. It'll be a lot quieter," Rose said, solemnly. "Besides Eiko and Uncle Moony, there's apparently only Moogles left. But there's some great places to look at, like the Eidolon Wall. Sarah and I used to pray there every day. If I remember correctly, there's a Dwarf village a few hours' walk from Madain Sari called Conde Petie. And there's the Iifa Tree."
"The Iifa Tree?"
"A massive tree. Pretty weird-looking too. I've only seen it from a distance." Rose shook her head. "But I'm really looking forward to home, even if it's in ruins. Alexandria Castle ceased being a home when Brahne ceased being a mother. I think Sarah is too, even if she only remembers a little of her time in Madain Sari."
"Why? What happened?"
"She got a fever after nearly drowning during our escape from Madain Sari," Rose explained. "That, plus the trauma of seeing Madain Sari being destroyed and Uncle Padfoot getting killed, gave her some amnesia. That's what Uncle Severus told me. I think he doesn't know exactly what caused it. But I remember that day. A stranger came to the village, actually, a guy in armour called Garland."
"Garland?" Zidane asked, something in his tone suggesting that he found the name familiar.
"You know the name?"
"I shouldn't, but…there's something about it that's vaguely familiar. Do you remember what he looks like?"
"He looked like an old man with a beard dressed in armour, and he had a glowing red light where his heart should be. I remember he called himself a scholar. He acted nice…but I don't think it's a coincidence that Madain Sari was attacked shortly afterwards."
Zidane shook his head, his tail flicking irritably. "It's almost like I should know that name, but I forgot it long ago. It's like that whole thing with the blue light."
Rose shrugged. "Maybe you come from another world, like my uncles," she opined.
Zidane looked at her, before he looked at the moons again. "Y'know…that'd explain a lot. I've never found another person like me in the world, and not for want of trying. Never even read about it. Plenty of people with tails, like the Burmecians and stuff, but any like me? You're lucky you have your sister and this Eiko girl. I seem to be the only one of my kind here, though I haven't looked everywhere. But you'd think there'd be more like me running around. I can't be the only one who left my birthplace."
Rose, once more, shrugged. "Who knows? Actually, I think Uncle Severus once told me about something called a Heritage Potion. Mix it up with a few drops of your blood, use the right spell, and it will write out your family on paper or parchment. He said the Goblins back home, who are bankers rather than bandits, use it to confirm whether someone is of a particular bloodline. It even shows adopted parents and relatives."
Zidane raised an eyebrow, and seemed to ponder it, before he nodded. "Well, once we get to Madain Sari, I'll see whether he can whip me up a batch."
"Ask him nicely, and he should," Rose said. Yawning, she went to go back below decks. She turned to look at Zidane, and smiled. "Thanks for talking to me, Zidane."
"No problem," Zidane said, smiling gently, his blue, almost feline eyes glittering with kindness.
A couple of days later, they arrived at Madain Sari, or at least a beach only a few minutes' walk from the village. Rose had spent much of the time travelling either catching up with Dr Tot (as did Sarah), and comforting Vivi. The poor young Black Mage had been through a lot, though he actually enjoyed the chance to travel. Virtually everyone on the ship, with the exception of Lani, made an effort to try and make Vivi feel comfortable and welcome. Steiner even went so far as to call him 'Master Vivi'.
Rose felt guilty at having brought Vivi along, and revealing his origins in what was a somewhat heavyhanded (if well-meant) way. Finding out you were a created being was a pretty heavy blow. Thankfully, Vivi didn't seem to hold a grudge, and he seemed excited at the prospect of travel. Apparently his adoptive grandfather Quan, a Qu who lived in a cave near Treno, had educated him about the world, and had even asked Vivi to travel as he died.
When the group of travellers made it into Madain Sari, Morrison was there, albeit by coincidence. They hadn't sent word, just in case any Moogle mail got intercepted. Unlikely, but possible, despite Mognet's neutrality. "Rose? Sarah? Snape? Is that you, kupo?"
"Yes, we have returned," Sarah said.
"Just wait! I'll go and fetch the others, kupo!" Morrison scurried off, and within a minute, came back, with the surviving Moogles in tow, along with an older-looking and more ragged Remus Lupin, and a girl of about six or seven with blue hair and a horn.
Remus laughed, a cracked braying thing. "Rose! Sarah! Severus! You're all right!" He hugged the two girls, and then, Severus Snape, of all people.
The blue-haired girl walked right up to her two fellow summoners, and then said, "I'm Eiko Carol! Who're you two?"
"I'm Sarah," Sarah said.
"And I'm Rose! Pleased to meetcha!" Rose said with a smile.
There were introductions all-round, with Eiko in particular latching onto not only her fellow summoners, but Vivi and, surprisingly, Dr Tot, whose questions about summoners intrigued the precocious girl. She also began babbling questions at Zidane, and Rose felt a slight pang of what she thought might be jealousy at the thought that the young girl might have a crush on Zidane. Lupin, despite his ragged appearance, was soon speaking to Steiner, Freya, and Beatrix, along with Dr Tot, who was curious about werewolves.
Not long afterwards, while Severus brewed a Heritage Potion for Zidane (as it turned out, his potion stocks had been carefully preserved by the Moogles in the aftermath of the destruction of Madain Sari, and had been replenished as well), Dr Tot peered myopically at the ancient books on the shelves. "This is incredible," he murmured. "These books are ancient, and many of them are from Alexandria. It seems the old legends about the summoner tribe are true."
Lupin nodded. He was grateful Severus was back, as it meant Severus could brew the Wolfsbane Potion. "It's a small collection, but a boon to a scholar. A few of those, we took from our own home. Well, Severus and I did. Eiko devoured every last text in here. She's young, but she's very intelligent, especially for her age. Tries to act older than she really is. But she's got a good heart. Why else would she take pity on a monster like me?"
Steiner glared at Lupin from where he was seated, having removed his helmet and was mopping his brow. "Severus Snape, while he held some rancour for you, did not seem to think of you as a monster. Indeed, the way he described your lycanthropy seemed to be more along the lines of an ailment. What I see before me is a man haunted by that ailment, not a monster."
"Many of the surviving summoners thought otherwise," Lupin chuckled bitterly.
"Then they were fools," Freya declared as she looked over a book she had plucked from the shelf. "A werewolf transformed is doubtlessly a vicious, feral beast…but the character of the man is another matter. I have known many who have hidden worse than an uncontrollable animal behind more polished facades. To raise a child like Eiko well means that there is something else besides the beast inside you."
Lupin smiled a little shakily at the rat woman. "True. I try to make sure I lock myself away during…well, Eiko calls them my Bad Nights. Actually, Eiko uses Fenrir to keep me under control. He's an Eidolon who takes the form of a wolf. Moony, my werewolf self, acknowledges him as an alpha."
"How fascinating," Tot said. "An Eidolon being able to control a werewolf. I am learning far more here than I ever did at Treno…"
While Eiko showed Vivi around Madain Sari, Zidane, Rose and Sarah (with Beatrix and Lani, as their bodyguards, in tow) waited for Snape to finish brewing the Heritage Potion. Rose was amused to note that Zidane stood closer to her. Indeed, his tail sometimes gently touched her on the back, as if it was seeking reassurance. Judging by the way Beatrix looked at Zidane, she could see that the two were getting a little closer.
Eventually, Snape emerged from his workshop into the room they were gathered in, bringing a bowl with him. He poured the potion into the bowl, set out a parchment and quill next to the bowl, and then said, "You will need to drip some of your blood into the potion." He handed a knife over.
"Hey, I have one already," Zidane said.
"This one has been sterilised, or would you like the wound to get infected, Mr Tribal? Use the tip, we only need a few drops."
Zidane shrugged, before gently pricking his finger, emitting a completely deadpan "Ow" in the process. He then allowed the wound to drip a few drops of blood into the potion. As it began to change colour, the parchment and quill, which Snape had enchanted previously, sprang into life. It began to write.
NAME: Zidane Tribal
BIRTHPLACE: Bran Bal, Terra
When she saw that, Beatrix frowned. "I have never heard of a place called Bran Bal, or Terra for that matter."
"Neither have I," Zidane admitted. "Though 'Terra' sounds familiar…wait, what?"
FATHER: Garland (creator), Baku (adopted)
"Did it just say Garland created you?" Rose demanded. That was more shocking than seeing 'creator' next to Garland's name. And then, she saw what came up next, a single name that started a list of siblings. For a moment, she didn't want to believe it. Her eyes slid over that name treacherously, listed as Zidane's brother, before moving onto a list of other siblings…
Mikoto (sister), Genomes (siblings), Blank (brother, adopted), Marcus (brother, adopted), Cinna (brother, adopted), Ruby (sister, adopted), Zenero (brother, adopted), Genero (brother, adopted)…
"This can't be right," Sarah hissed in dismay.
"I brewed the potion perfectly, and used the right spells, Sarah. This spell, combined with the potion, seeks out familial links, blood or not. Like it or not, Zidane is related to that vile man, by blood."
Zidane stared at the piece of parchment, as if the very foundation of his life had been knocked away from underneath him. And Rose knew, looking at the name that had shocked them all, that this was indeed the case. Not that Zidane had met this man, but he had heard about him from Rose and Sarah and the others. And it was all there, in damning black and white.
SIBLINGS: Kuja (brother)
CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:
Dun, dun, DUNNNN! So, there you have it. The party's headed to Madain Sari, we've had a bit more of Rose/Zidane, and we've had a revelation that is surprising to the characters (but not to anyone who's actually played the game). The next chapter will be dealing with the fallout, with Rose comforting Zidane.
1. 'Ben Marlo' is an altered portmanteau of two of Shakespeare's contemporaries, Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe. Given that Lord Avon is meant to be a reference to Shakespeare, well…
