"OH YOUR MAJESTY THANK GOODNESS YOU ARE ALRIGHT!"
Gascon didn't even have any time what so ever to prepaire himself before he was basically attacked by an elder woman giving him a great embrace knocking all the air out of him.
"Vivian?!" Gascon blinked wide-eyed at the kind lady and wife of Alphonse's.
"I'm sorry to disturb, but I got so worried when we heard!" Vivi said letting go as she looked up at him. "I followed Alphonse, we came as quick as we could ones we got the message!" she said holding his shoulders. "You are alright aren't you? Anything broken? No burn marks no?" at that she laid a hand over his heart.
"My heart is just fine." Gascon assured amused. "Thanks to my trusty assistant." He then informed.
"Sir!" Finally Alphonse caught up. "Shadar! You really?! I mean." he fibbed.
"We managed to at least frighten him away for a bit." Gascon then assured.
"When did this happen?!" Alphonse asked. "A messenger came to my house! I came at ones!"
Gascon glanced at the window, it was dawn, morning, the sun had risen again. "Well erh, no need to hurry it happened last night." Gascon admitted rubbing his neck. "Around eight hours ago I think, a little less maybe."
"EIGHT HOURS?!" Alphonse shouted. "You could have send for me! Or the knights!" he exclaimed. "Your Majesty!"
"What would the point be?" Gascon asked in a lifted eyebrow. "Shadar would have been long gone by then, the man can teleport." He reminded the old man. "And even if you caught up to him, what would you do?" he asked.
"Sir that's not the point, that's." But Alphonse had to stop by then, even he had to admit there was very little arguing that.
Vivi shook her head. "This is indeed troublesome. Now young prince, please let me look at you, it's been far to long." She commented looking at Gascon.
"Sorry." Gascon blushed slightly. "I've been kind of busy." He admitted. "I did want to come visit you, but I just didn't have the time."
"I know, no need to apologise young sir." Vivi said. "All though, one should think you would have gained just a little weight by now." She then commented looking him over. "Thin as a rag, you must take better care of yourself." She lectured in a headshake.
Honestly Gascon was ready to swear he was way to stressed to gain any weight what so ever at the moment, but he did not want to say that to the kind woman.
"Where is Marisa then?" Alphonse asked wondering looking behind Gascon, as if he exspected her to be there. A pretty fair assumption actually, just not the case right now.
"I gave her the day off." Gascon said. "She refused, but when we found out some of her ribs were actually cracked I threatened to order her. Can you believe it she met up anyway?" He said in a slight eyeroll.
"Then where is she?" Alphonse asked.
"Seeing Marcassin." Gascon admitted. "We told him about what we found out together, but it didn't seem like he would listen as long as I was there so I left."
"You think it's safe to leave her alone with him?" Alphonse asked. "I mean."
"Oh I wouldn't be worried, she has a pretty big book with her." Gascon rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't get anywhere near that woman as long as she's carrying around a book! Those things are flipping dangerous!"
"Books?" Vivi asked in a blink. "Well I suppose knowledge is its own weapon."
"That's one way looking at it." Gascon snorted.
"How is the young prince." Alphonse then asked. "You found something out?"
"Yes, I know everything now." Gascon whispered involuntarily grabbing the shirt right above his heart. "I know what Shadar is doing."
Wide eyed Alphonse and Vivi looked at him.
"He…" Gascon swallowed. "He is stealing pieces of heart." He said. "He did it to Marcassin and he tried to do it to me, reached right into my chest, grabbed my heart and tore out a piece." He shivered. "I… I couldn't even control myself, it felt like having a vivid dream. It was so painful, my heart felt so heavy and so cold. Then Marisa came and somehow got the piece away from Shadar, it returned to me at ones and I regained my senses."
Vivi gaped. "You mean it actually happened to you?" she asked.
At that Gascon lowered his head. "Briefly." He said.
"Oh dearest." Vive gasped. "Oh thank god you're okay now." She said embracing him a second time.
"Yes I am." Gascon assured padding the elder lady on the back. "And better than that, now we know for sure that this condition can be cured." He smiled lowering his knees a bit so he was in eye height with Vivi, catching her eyes. "It can be reversed." He empathised.
"Oh my goodness." Vivi gasped holding two hands towards her mouth. "But that means."
"It's possible to get our sage back." Alphonse realised.
"And everybody else." Gascon said turning towards the window resting his hands on the window still. "I have no idea how. But it's all connected to magic." He gritted as his hands folded together into fists. "We need a wizard." He said turning to Alphonse his mouth in a stern frown. "Any wizard! Anyone with magical abilities. There must be someone. There has to be!"
"You have already send people out searching." Alphonse reminded the Prince. "Let them continue, your responsibility is right here with the empire, you can't be distracted."
"I don't want to lead, I want to help my brother!" Gascon hissed. "I returned just to help him! I revealed myself for his sake. I'm here now to help him, that's all I said I would do!" He hissed.
Vivi blinked, this was the first time she had been witness to Gascons fits, Alphonse though took it in stride steps.
"You are being selfish again sir." Alphonse had to say.
"I don't see how, thus far I've done everything you asked me to." Gascon stated sourly. "And it nearly got me heart broken! Shadar knows exactly where to find me now, I'm putting myself on the line for this empire, you realise that?" he asked.
Alphonse swallowed, careful not to make the prince even more angry.
Gascon sighed deeply. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep this night." He then admitted rubbing his eyes.
That more than anything made Alphonse eyes widen, wait did the young man just apologies to him?!
Alphonse couldn't recall Gascon having ever apologised to him, that more than anything proved that last nights ordeal had been rough and a lot harder on the young man than he admitted.
"I'm exhausted." The young prince admitted yawning deeply. He did look exhausted, and over used. Somehow his skin tone looked downright ash gray, and those deep circle under his eyes did not look good!
"Of course young sir, all is forgiven." Vivi said in a warm encouraging smile. "Lets not mention it again, you really do look like you need sleep." She then commented.
"I can't, I got duties I need to… shoot I forgot." Gascon grumbled. "Marisa always reminds me." He muttered scratching his hair. "Ah wait, yes! The trap, I must work on the trap."
"Sir?" Alphonse asked confused. "I don't follow."
"The trap for Shadar of course." Gascon yawned. "He'll be back, but if we just set up a trap. A brilliant trap then maybe. Admittedly it's kind of stupid to think you could defeat Shadar with a mere trap, but it's the best I got right now." He muttered annoyed. "There were some meetings to or whatever, I don't care." He flat out stated.
"Well obviously you need to sleep." Vivi then cut in.
"Huh?" Gascon looked drowsily at her.
"No one is able to make decisions and build traps when they are that exhausted!" Vivi lectured in a stern voice. "You need to get to bed young man, and then you need a good meal! Look at you, I didn't think you could get any thinner, if you loose a gram more of weight you'll disappear into nothing!"
"I don't think that's how it works." Gascon commented halfly amused.
However, Vivi was fully into her mother mode and there was no stopping it. "Did you have any breakfast yet?" she asked.
Slowly Gascon shook his head looking wide eyed at her.
"Then that is the first order of business!" Vivi stated sternly pointing down the hallway. "And one piece of bread is not enough young man! You need a prober meal, then go to bed!"
Gascon blinked, astounded looking at her. "Vivian." He then breathed. "I don't think anyone has talked to me like that since I first left this place." .
"Oh no! Not again!" Vivi exclaimed. "I did it again!" she realised.
"Yes, but it's kind of nice." Gascon smirked. "I just think I want to check on Marcassin first." He then said. "He was pretty upset the last time I saw him, I want to see if he has calmed down."
"I'll go with you." Alphonse then said.
"Oh dear, I suppose I'm in the way." Vivi blinked.
"Njaah." Gascon smiled putting a hand behind her back, pushing Vivi in the right direction with him. "I like having you around, and there's someone I would like you to meet too." He said leading Vivi in the direction towards Marcassins chambers. "I sincerely hope there'll never be an actual use for it, but better safe then sorry I guess."
As they entered Marcassin chambers the first thing they heard were light snores, stepping closer it was only to obvious where it came from.
Marisa was sitting on a chair next to Marcassins bed, a giant book opened up on her lap and she had her head resting on it as she slept, her spare pair of glasses had already fallen half off so they laid askew across her face, and a little stream of drool had escaped the left corner of her mouth threatening to spill down on the book in her lap.
Marcassin was sitting up in bed, looking at the young woman with empty eyes, it didn't look like there was to much activity going on in the young mans head at the moment. Which was actually kind of good, it meant he wasn't screaming or was yelling about demons, beasts and ghosts or what ever.
"Oh boy, I knew it." Gascon exhaled as he moved closed.
By the sight of him Marcassin gasped and retrieved slightly backwards.
Gascon glanced up at him, then sighed as he bowed down and picked up Marisas book. "Don't worry, I'm not coming any closer." He said then looked at the book. "Wow that's a tiny text." He squinted his eyes.
"She was reading to me." Marcassin spoke quietly grabbing his blanket holding it up to his face right above his nose and under his eyes. "Then she stopped. Is she okay?" he asked deeply concerned.
Gascon looked up. "She's fine." He promised. "She just need a bit of rest. I doubt she has had as much as a minutes sleep all night." He said reaching a hand towards Marcassin, but the young man backed away which made Gascon retrieve his hand, then sat down on the bed ledge instead, sighing with the book on his lap. It was so rare Marcassin wouldn't scream at him, so rare Gascon could ever come this close to him. He was not going to complain about it now.
Marcassin had probably worn himself out again, that was usually how Gascon could get anywhere close to him, the elder couple stood in the door, not really wanting to move any closer.
"You look bad." Marcassin then whispered in a frightened voice. "I don't like it."
Gascon blinked, was Marcassin addressing him? Directly? Without screaming. "Yeah." He said. "Seems I lost some weight, well at least I'm not fat. That would be terrible." He tried to send Marcassin a smile, but Marcassin looked away avoiding his eyes. "Marcassin look, I know you don't understand much right now. But I know what's making you sick." Gascon said. "Something was stolen from you, something very precious. But i'm going to get it back." He promised. "Whatever you need, whenever you need it. Remember?" he asked.
Marcassin didn't answer just looked away, refusing to acknowledge Gascon.
And Gascon sighed deeply before he took Marisas shoulder shaking her lightly. "Hey, sunshine, wake up."
"Hah-huh?" Marisa blinked looking up at him with dazed eyes as the glasses hang askew on her face and that drool finally fell all the way down on her lap, then her eyes widened as she seemed to realise. "Oh nooo, I fell a sleep didn't I?" she asked, wiping her the drool of her cheek with the back of her hand, then looked up as she realised. "Marcassin." She breathed fixing her glasses as she looked at the young prince.
The young man frightfully looked back at her, his eyes wide and scared.
"Did you like her reading for you?" Gascon then tried to ask in a more calm voice.
Marcassin did not answer, just looked at them with those wide frightfull eyes.
"Why don't I just leave it here?" Marisa asked taking the book from Gascon. "Look I'll just book mark it." She said pulling out a book mark from one of her many pockets and placed it in the book before closing it. "Then if you want to read by yourself, you can just move the book mark to where you got to, and if it isn't moved, I can just begin from where I fell a sleep." She smiled then hissed bowing down.
"Are you okay?!" Marcassin asked frightened.
"Yes, my chest just hurts a bit, something about ribs." Marisa hissed finally putting the book away on the night stand.
"You don't look okay, neither of you do!" Marcassin told looking at each of them. "You look bad! Really really bad." He whispered looking directly at Gascon. "Like a ghost." he whispered in a shivering voice.
"Not quite there yet, sorry, not dead." Gascon smirked amused. "I just got a few bumps here and there." he said. "That's what happens when you take a one oh one against a dark djinn of pure evil, but I made him crap his pants, Gascon style." he told crossing his arms in a kind of show off way, clearly meant to amuse Marcassin.
"I don't believe you." Marcassin simply stated looking away.
And Gascon exhaled deeply. "Okay I guess that was kind of far fetched." he admitted.
"The evil... It's already here." Marcassin whispered in a shivering voice. "I can feel it, all around the place. Outside, in the dining hall, in this room!" he exclaimed throwing the blanket over himself to hide. "It's watching. Always watching! We are doomed!"
Gascon blinked by the sudden change in demeanor. "Marcassin?" He asked.
"You're seeing me!" Marcassin sqeaucked from beneath the blanket. "The hidous beast! I don't want you to see! Look away!"
"Marcassin." Gascon rolled his eyes. "Even if you were a hideous beast, you really think I would care?" he asked.
Under the duvet there was silence. "I don't know." A quiet pathetic voice then sounded.
"Stupid little sir holiness." Gascon shook his head though his tone didn't sound mocking at all, more caring. "I'm your brother, and you're my brother, you're all I have." He said a little sadly. "If you think you're going to get rid of me that easily you are sadly mistaking."
Marcassin didn't answer, he was merely a little bulk under the blanket.
Gascon shook his head. "I'll come back later." He then said holding a light hand over the bulk under the blanket, which only made him feel how the person underneath was shaking. Then he sighed as he took his hand back and turned to Marisa. "Come on then, there's someone I want to introduce you too." He said leading her towards the door and the elder couple.
Gently pushing her out, before Gascon himself closed the doors to Marcassin chambers and turned to key, ones again locking in his own brother. It never stopped feeling so wrong.
Even if it was for Marcassins own good, that never stopped being hard, then he sighed deeply turning around.
"Ah, Vivian." He addressed the older woman. "This is Marisa, Marisa Vivian, Vivian Marisa." He quickly introduced them.
"Oh I heard about you." Vivi smiled warmly.
"You have?" Marisa asked surprised.
"You're the assistant aren't you?" Vivi asked in a varm smile. "Yes Alphonse told me so much about you. Seems like we all owe you a great debt already." She said in a warm encouraging smile.
"Huh?" Marisa blinked.
"She's my wife." Alphonse then informed.
"Ooooooh!" Marisa realised. "I didn't know you were married." She blinked at Alphonse.
"Happily and for a long time." Vivi smiled warmly.
"Vivian has been a great help to me upon my return." Gascon informed Marisa. "I know it's not much, but I thought the two of you should at least know what the other looks like."
"I'm very pleased to meet you." Marisa said offering Vivi a hand.
"The pleasure is all mine young lady." Vivi said returning the hand shake. "Oh my, that's two young people on our hands that definitely needs a few hours." She commented shaking her head. "How about you young woman, have you eaten your breakfast?"
"I didn't have the time yet." Marisa said in a big yawn.
"That is no excuse! How would you people be able to run an entire empire when you can't even stand on your feet's?" Vivi asked. "No more excuses, you got to see Marcassin, now take care of yourself!"
"Yes Mam." Gascon smirked a little bit amused.
"Vivi.." Alphonse breathed a little astounded. "How would you like being brought to the palace a little more often?" he then asked.
"Alphonse dear don't tease." Vivi shook her head walking with the two younger people out.
"I wasn't teasing." Alphonse blinked, and then stepped after them.
After having been filled up with food, it was quite obvious neither young person could stay on his or hers own feet for very long and thusly Marisa took the young prince up on his offer and went home to bed where she collapsed.
Nightmares for the most part keeping away for now. Nightmares of a black clouded figure, reaching a hand into her chest stealing her heart.
Sucking the life force out of the two young princes turning them into withered zombies while there was nothing Marisa could do. For now she was released from that and had fallen into blissfull deep sleep.
Her dreams though were very little in comparison to Gascons, he never got to have any undisturbed sleep.
All those voices always returned to him when the room became silent, reminding him he wasn't any real prince, he wasn't good enough for this.
Because of him it would all fall apart, he was a failure waiting to happening.
That cloaked figure with his crimson red hair would come. Come for him, and there would be nothing he could do.
He was pathetic, to pathetic of a man.
That voice that more sounded like wind rushing over the mountains echoed. "You don't have much of anything do you?" that voice asked. "Courage, enthusiasm, confidence, ambition…. Pathetic, your belief is as withered as a dead desert tree."
Gascon squinted his eyes as he pressed his hands against his ears. The man was right, he had no courage, no confidence, no ambition… no belief.
"Why didn't you save me?!" A small child voice asked and Gascon looked up to be faced with his tiny little brother, no older than eight.
"Marcassin." Gascon breathed reaching for him.
"You promised to be there!" Marcassin yelled tears falling down his cheeks. "You promised! And you let me fall! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" he shouted holding his hands above own heart where a black hole had formed, and some kind of dark nightmarish thing was floating out. "It hurts!" Marcassin cried. "IT HURTS!" he yelled falling to his knees. "At least make it stop you pathetic coward!" he cried in pain. "MAKE IT STOP!"
"He can't." a voice of a stoic man commented as he appeared behind Marcassin, tall and proud, long brown hair falling down his shoulders.
Gascon swallowed. "Father." He breathed.
"What a pathetic man, you have no pride." Elscon grand emperor sneered at him. "You're no son of mine."
And that hit Gascon as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Father. I just wanted. All i wanted to do was to. To be a son you could be proud off. And now. Father, please! Help me." He asked. "I don't know what to do! I can't fight against Shadar alone! HELP ME!" he asked."I beg of you!"
"You are beyond help Gascon." Elscon told as the shadows slowly crawled around him letting him disappear. "Go back to being Swaine, it'll be better for everyone." He said and vanished with little Marcassin.
"FATHER!" Gascon shouted running after them. "NO! DON'T GO! I NEED YOU! STAY!" he shouted."PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT! ANYTHING!"
But they both had their backs to him and they were further and further away, going out of Gascons reach, way to far away and soon they were all gone.
"Oh there you are, I couldn't find you sir." Marisa spoke as she had opened the door to one of the many palace rooms, this one being a little workshop near Gascons chambers. "Sir?" she asked.
In front of her by a big wooden table did he indeed sit, the young Prince Gascon, bowed over some sort of project, in his hand he was holding a small screwdriver and in his other hand some odd device.
His favourite blue coat was casually thrown over the back of the chair and spread all across the table were a ton of different items.
Looking at the different stones and metals Marisa recognised them form her books and put name on each of them in her mind. Black opal, fireweeds, combustion powder, copper, steel. And it just went on and on.
Slowly she moved closer curiously looking at the collection, she knew what all of the things were and she knew several uses for them, but to actually put them together and create something new from them was beyond her.
"Woah is that an icy crystal?" Marisa blinked looking at a crystal that almost kind of looked like ice, except it was shining on its own, glowing, and it wasn't melting in the heat. "You can only get them at the Yule islands, isn't that how it is? I've never seen one before, it's beautiful!" she gaped.
Gascon shrugged. "Take it, I got a few extras." He invited.
"Oh no sir I can't!" Marisa exclaimed.
"It could make a nice necklace." Gascon then admitted. "They do have some fantastic jewellery at the Yule islands, I don't care much for that kind of things myself, but even I had to admire them. Or wait I know! I a hairclip. That'll really suite you." he smiled lightly as if he were talking more to himself than to Marisa.
"Urh, that's okay." Marisa swallowed. "You don't have to bother on my account." she whispered then her eyes returning to the great collection on the table. Wait?! He liked the jewlery at the Yule islands?! Had Gascon just spoken about his time away from the Palace?! He never spoke about his time away! It was a huge mystery where he had been. He had been silent as the grave about it.
"That should do it." Gascon then commented slamming the thing together now sitting with a little round metal ball in his hand.
"What's that?" Marisa asked looking curiously at it.
"A flash grenade." Gascon told throwing it at her. "Here catch."
"WOAH!" Marisa screamed barely managing to catch the thing and tripped a bit around with it. "Ah-ah-AH!" she screamed as she finally caught it probably and held it into her chest. "DID YOU JUST THROW A GRENADE AT ME?!" she shouted.
"Don't worry, you need to twist it to even turn it on." Gascon rolled his eyes. "Half a turn clock-wise."
"Oh." Marisa blinked looking at the ball in her hands, which indeed had a line going all the way through the middle where it could be twisted.
"So if you want to see a blinding flash, just twist it and count to five. But perhaps you want to cover your eyes first." Gascon adviced as he pulled up what looked like some sort of elaborate plan for a machine looking casually over it with a frown.
"What's that sir?" Marisa asked looking at the plan.
"The design of the newest hogtanks." Gascon informed. "Hmm, the engine looks like it's kind of heavy. I guess they went for sturdyness not speed."
Marisa read all of the words on the plan very quickly, instantly they were memorized but she had no idea what so ever how all of it worked. "You understand that sir?" she asked
"It's surprisingly faithfull to my old designs." Gascon admitted in a frown.
Marisa spluttered. "YOUR designs?!" She asked wide-eyed.
"Yes, before I left, Marcassin and I made the first hogtank, apparently after I left Marcassin got it into his head to commission even more, ridicoules isn't it?"
"You-You designed those?" Marisa asked in a stammer. "Before you left? But that's over ten years ago, you can't have been more than.."
"Fifteen." Gascon informed.
Marisa gaped. "That's incredible!" she told.
"Njah." Gascon shrugged. "I couldn't make it work on my own back then, they have made some very necessary basic changes before building more." He commented tapping his pen on the plan. "All though, this ankle here, if we got it down to 30 degrees, it would cut off the wind resistance and resistance from blasts, reroute this to give it more power to the electrical charges instead of the firearms and you can use the surplus energy for more precise attacks."
Marisa tried not to zone out as Gascon spoke, his eyes looking kind of excited as he talked and his movements growing quicker, his hand with the pen going excitedly over the plans making notes before he turned to Marisa. "What do you think?" he asked in a wide grin.
"Huh?" Marisa blinked. "Erh, it sounds good sir. Especially the rerouting of energy, more precise firing would mean fewer casualties." Phew! Thank you photographic memory!
"And actually saving energy would make it run longer, I think that's one tactical advantage worth taking into consideration." Gascon slightly shook his head.
"That's possible to change the hogtanks like that? Wow, it's like you're doing magic!" Marisa gaped.
"Pff, not nearly." Gascon snorted. "If I could do magic, I wouldn't need to do any of this."
"But it's incredible!" Marisa exclaimed then looked at the ball in her hands. "You just made this?" she asked.
"Got the idea from Shadars attack." Gascon said in a slight nod. "The thing that seemed to annoy him the most was the flash pallet for my trick gun, it's not much, but it's a distraction giving a little time for other actions. Hopefully you'll never need it, but you never know."
"What? Me?" Marisa asked. "It's for me?"
Gascon looked up at her. "You are in the centre of a lot of conflicts now, do you know how to handle a sword?" he asked.
"No." Marisa said.
"Any kind of shooting weapons?" Gascon asked.
"No." Marisa repeated.
"Do you have a familiar?" Gascon then asked.
"No." Marisa had to tell for a third time.
"Is there any sort of weapon or any sort of defence you can do that isn't throwing a book at people?" Gascon asked.
"Erhh." Marisa held up a hand, then lowered it. "But I am really good at throwing books at people!" she then smirked amused in a tease.
"That I don't doubt." Gascon smirked back, a glint showing in his eyes. "You should get yourself a familiar." He then commented.
"Where on earth would I get something like that from?" Marisa asked. "I'm not a wizard either, I can't call forward my true familiar. Where did you get yours sir?" she asked.
"He followed me." Gascon said. "At the big volcano close to Al Mamoon, turned out he was attracted to the chocolate in my pocket, I gave him some and he stuck to me ever since." Then he sighed. "And creature tamers are by definition magicians as well, so they are all gone too, you can't just purchase familiars any more." he muttered sounding pretty annoyed.
Wow there it was again, twice in a day Gascon had referred to his life away. Yule Islands and Al Mamoon, that was more than Marisa had heard in all of her time working for him. Wow that was two places FAR away from each other.
How far around had the young prince been?!
And the Vulcano. "So you've seen actual lava?" she questioned Gascon.
"Yes, though I wouldn't advise to get to close." Gascon amused shook his head.
"Wow that's amazing!" Marisa breathed. "Did you find any volcanic rocks? I've read some of them contain the power of fire itself! Wait I know, that's how you could make those fire palets! THAT'S AMAZING! Wow you had to cross the dessert to even get there! According the 'secrets of the desert' that desert is twice the seize as all of Hamelin! And the grant sages hall should be hidden somewhere there, that's something huh sir?" she asked. "I've read that the golden groove boarding right up to it should be filled with magic, and the golden trees which only grows there having actual gold leafs! It's… " She halted as she stopped, blushing deeply as she looked down. "Heh. Sorry I'm rambling." She mumbled embarrased.
"You're sure you've never been outside of this city?" Gascon asked amused.
"Positive." Marisa nodded. "I think I would know if I had."
"You got to get your head out of those books and get out there sometime." Gascon then commented. "Books for a brain will only get you that far you know." He slightly rolled his eyes.
"Well honestly, I think I got enough excitement as it is being right here." Marisa exhaled. "I never even had the need for any weapon before!"
"Hopefully it wont come that far." Gascon then sighed. "I must admit I noticed, I've become rusty." He commented flexing his fingers. "My reactions to danger were definitely a lot slower than before I came here."
"Really?" Marisa asked, in her eyes Gascon had been stealthy as a cat against Shadar, throwing himself down on the floor like that getting his gun.
"Must be all this bloody sitting around." Gascon grumbled. "How do you people stand it? I just want to walk it off, or do something or. Well something!" he exclaimed. "I never got how Marcassin could just sit for hours with the same book!"
"Oh that's easy, the clock just ticks by and suddenly the hours are just gone." Marisa said. "It's pretty annoying, I used to loose whole days like that on accident!"
"And now?" Gascon asked.
"I would if I could, but I swore to be the best assistant in the world, it just wouldn't do if I got lost in a book!" Marisa exclaimed. "How would that look? How would that help you?" She asked.
"Help me?" Gascon asked in a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, you!" Marisa exclaimed pointing at him. "You need my help! Like you need Alphonse and Vivi, I saw you with them, it made you smile! Honestly smile not just faking it. You are not alone your majesty, so stop acting like you are already. We are here and we'll stay by your side to the last! The entire empire is with you, they are so greateful for what you've done, there is not a single person in the palace whom would not proudly call you their emperor. You are far from alone, you don't need to act like you are!"
Amused Gascon smirked at her. "Indeed so." He commented. "I'm sorry." He then said. "I'm pretty used to be alone." He admitted. "I don't like relying on others."
"Sir, you are taking care of an entire empire, please do rely." Marisa asked. "Let us help you, so you can help us. Believe in us, please." She asked. "I've seen you do miracles, I know you can do it again!"
Slowly Gascon shook his head turning away.
"Oh no don't do that again!" Marisa exclaimed then suddenly walked up infront of him. "Why on earth are you always acting like everything is hopeless?!" she asked.
"Marisa, be realistic." Gascon tried to reason. "Listen."
"No, now you listen!" Marisa exclaimed slamming a hand in the table making several of the items on it shake. "I took on the Dark Djin for you, and I would do it again! So listen up!" she exclaimed. "I got no idea what you've been through, or what gave you such a darn low opinion of yourself! But just look at what you've done!" she exclaimed. "Before you came, no one had any idea what was going on or what to do, but you figured it out, you, at least now we know for sure what is going on! Maybe we are just stepping waters for the moment as you say, but you are still giving the people hope, strength to go on another day! I've seen people barely lifting their heads in the streets before, because they were always scared and devastated, now they are happy! And every single happy day they can have is a huge victory, every day you win for the empire is its own victory, you are buying time, time we so desperately need! Don't you realise that?" she asked. "Hell, you are the one person whom managed to send Shadar out, if only for a little while and now you are building a trap! Nobody else could do that, not even Marcassin! He was unprepared, he didn't realise what was happening to the world, he didn't have that kind of insight unlike you, he was never the person whom could protect the empire, you are!" she exclaimed. "I know you are! Marcassin knew it to! Alphonse knows it, Vivi knows it, ask anyone in the palace or on the street! The only one whom doesn't know it is you!" she stated in a hiss. "So stop mourning and get over yourself! You are not a child, you are an emperor! You are not unwanted, far from it, and you are doing great running things your own way! Get the flip over yourself!" she hissed.
Astounded Gascon looked at her, his eyes wide his mouth open in shock.
Marisa squinted her eyes at him, then she blinked. "Huh?"
"You erh… You've been sitting in with that for quite a while havn't you?" Gascon asked.
"Erhm." Then Marisa swallowed as she gathered courage and crossed her arms. "Yes!" she said, trying to appear brave though she didn't feel it anymore, the previous anger having vanished as quick as it had come. "And I'm not going to apologise I mean it! I just.. erh. What I mean is, before you get to angry just remember I saved your ass… sir." She added that bit as her last bit of courage also was quickly being dashed away.
"Marisa, I hate people whom can't think for themselves. More than that, I hate fakes. Fakes are the worst in the entire world." Gascon informed her. "If I didn't think you could think for yourself I wouldn't have you around, if I thought you were the type to pretend I would have gotten rid of you long ago. I got enough of that from myself. I'm erh. Thank you." He then said.
"What?" Marisa blinked.
"Those were very kind words." Gascon said. "Gave me something to think about too. I'm still not sure I'm the person you people think I am. I can see you are all thinking I can somehow fix it all. But I don't know if I can. I don't know how I would even begin." He said. "You all think so highly of me, I have no idea why, I don't think I'm that person." he then concluded.
"Well how would you even know that if you didn't even try?" Marisa asked sourly crossing her arms. "I'm doing all that I can for you! Look I got bags under my eyes!" she said taking off her glasses so her eyes were more visible, true enough showing slight dark circles under her eyes. "I want to help you, I'm glad to give it all that I got but I need to know you wont just quit mid way through! That you'll stay and continue." she stated. "I mean, what the flip would all my work look like if you just vanished and it all fell to the ground?! I would be the biggest fool in the world wouldn't?" he asked. "Sir, I need you to commit." she finally admitted. "I need to know you are with me on this."
"Fair enough." Gascon nodded. "I'll be honest, it has crossed my mind now and again to leave." He then admitted. "To just, leave all of this behind. Sometimes it seems so easy and. Really tempting. I never asked for this position you know."
"You don't want to be an emperor sir?" Marisa asked.
"Actually." Gascon hesitated. "I.. Well, it's not that I don't want to be an emperor." He then admitted surprising Marisa deeply. "I just don't think I have the chops for it, not for to long, I'm not the person people want me to be, I never was." He slightly shook his head. "I don't have those abilities or personality traits or well. I'm just not that person." He sighed. "I know you all want me to be, I even get why. I get it, and I really wish I was that person!" he said in a almost desperate voice. "You got no idea! I wish... I wish I was that person! I wish I could be. But I am not that person Marisa. I never was. And i'm never going to be." he squinted his eyes as he shook his head. "I tried, please believe me I tried! But by the end of the day. It just wasn't me."
Slowly Marisa sat down in front of him, biting her lip as she put her glasses back on her nose. "Then who is?" she asked. "Marcassin?"
"He is better suited isn't it?" Gascon asked slightly joking.
"Well." Marisa tapped her chin. "He did get pushed around an awful lot." She then said. "And he took a really long time making any decisions so people influenced him a lot more. And his voice was really quiet so sometimes people didn't even notice he was speaking. In fact, sometimes he was just too nice for his own good. I like that about him of course, how nice he is. But It wasn't always that handy when he needed to give orders." She sighed deeply."The way you could set those dukes in their place. With Marcassin, there's just no chance that would have happened." she smiled amused. "Why on earth didn't you two just rule together?" she asked.
"I'm not sure I follow." Gascon frowned.
"Him as a sage and you as the emperor!" Marisa exclaimed. "I mean seriously, everything he's bad at you got, you could push him into speaking up, and well, he got all the magic and book knowledge, so you don't even need it! You're the perfect duo!" she said. "To heck with all that magic stuff, let Marcassin handle it, you just have to concentrate on leading! Being both a sage and emperor is way to much for just one person anyway. It's way to unfair, it's s stupid rule." Marisa snorted then silenced. "Marcassin didn't really want to be an emperor either, he just wanted to study his magic." she sighed deeply. "The only reason he did it was because of you."
"Me?" Gascon asked.
"Yeah, he always talked about you." Marisa sighed. "How he would hate to let you down, how he wanted to make you proud. Make a Hamelin you could be proud to return to. You're his hero. Do you know that?" she asked.
"Me a hero?" Gascon asked wryly. "Now there's a thought, and a laugh."
"Hey don't make fun of Marcassin!" Marisa pouted. "It's true, it really is! When he talked about whom he wanted to make proud it wasn't his father he talked about, it was you! He adores you to the last!" she said and Gascon silenced while Marisa sighed. "Why did you two miss each other like that? It's like you walked right past each other." she sighed deeply. "You really could help each other you know. With him as a sage, nothing could stop you as an emperor. It's so stupidly logical." she smuttered.
"You do realise I'm only acting emperor right now don't you?" Gascon asked.
"Yeah, that stupid law." Marisa muttered. "Excuse me for vulgar languet, but it really is flipping stupid."
Gascon smirked amused. "Oh?" he asked.
"How is it your fault you don't have magic?" Marisa asked. "And if you did, we wouldn't even have you right now, you not having any magic happened to be exactly what we needed! We need a leader, and right now that's you. With or without magic. Also it would be like accusing me for being near sighted on purpose! Or blond! Or having this head!" she poked at her head. "Or you having that head!" she exclaimed pointing at Gascons head. "Beside if you did have magic and somehow still avoided Shadar. You would still be as well off as Marcassin is, you said so yourself! People can't accuse you for that, that's just stupid!"
Gascon smirked. "Yeah, they are definetely singing a different tune now than they did back then." he said grimly leaning back. "Shows how people change when they are desperate and don't know how to think for themselves, hah, the old rules stop working so they just panick." he snorted bitterly. "Back then people would have laughed at what you just said. They did blame me, for not being the son my father wanted or the crown prince the empire needed. Every freaking day! I was born by the wrong persons at the wrong place. Obviously." he rolled his eyes. "If you had just seen it Marisa! The way they would all look at me, all of them!" he exclaimed grabbing his head. "I.. I'm trying, i'm doing my best." he said as his entire body starting to shiver and he squinted his eyes together. "Stop looking at me that way. Stop talking like i'm not even there I.. I.." and exhausted he fell back in his chair gasping deeply for air as if he had just taken a run around the palace.
Marisa swallowed deeply as she looked at him, a bit afraid of what to do next. "You can't blame yourself for that, beside it's not true." she said as she bit her lip. "And blame yourself for not having magic?!" Marisa asked. "Are you even listening to yourself? You are a clever guy, I know that. But that's stupid." she told. "Is that really all it was ever about for you two back then?" she then asked. "Magic abilities, being the right kind of Porcine Prince and more magic? No wonder Marcassin gets so upset when he thinks he lost his magic."
Gascon closed his eyes looking down, squinting them together. "That's exactly how it was. Nothing else was good enough, I had to listen to that, day and and day out. I was never good enough at anything, it couldn't do what I was supposed to do, and what I did do was always wrong. I was wrong. A mistake." He swallowed. "Sorry, I don't know where that came from, you shouldn't have to listen to that. Any of it."
Then he felt a pair of arms being laid around his shoulders as Marisa hugged him lightly. "I get it." She then admitted. "That would break anyone down, though honestly, a mistake is the last thing I would call you, as it happened, you're exactly what we need." she breathed. "I'm not really good at… comforting." She then admitted just having her arms like that. "Is this okay? I never had a lot of friends to comfort." she informed. "I suppose you're right, i've been living inside of the books, then I didn't have to talk to to many people, easy escape I guess."
"That's a shame." Gascon spoke quietly. "You are a good friend, people don't know what they are missing."
"Thanks." Marisa smiled quietly. "You are not to bad a friend either." She then said. "You are a horrible employer though."
"Well that came out of nowhere." Gascon pouted as Marisa let go smirking amused.
"You asked me to be honest, and say what I thought!" Marisa said back amused.
"Not that honest!" Gascon retorted, though they both smiled amused, the pressure had been relieved, if only for a little while.
For that very night, did a scream sound over the palace. "WHERE IS HE?!" the scream of Shadar sounded, sounding more like a angry predator bird than a human as he floated over the palace, commanding the sky to form an grant tornado. "WHERE IS THAT WRETCHED LITTLE PRINCE WHOM DARES TO DEFY TO DARK DJIN!" he roared sending a thunder clasp down into the building, making builders break apart and people scream.
Inside of the knight trainees barrack Gascon was laying on the top bunk on one of the many bunk beds looking up in the ceiling.
As much as he wanted to go out there and make sure everyone was alright, he better than anyone knew that stepping outside would be asking for doom.
Yet he could hear that yell outside, the sounds of wind and thunder.
And then even Alphonses voice. "WE WILL NEVER BETRAY OUR EMPEROR TO YOU! LEAVE US BE DARK DJIN!"
"YOU WILL ALL KNOW DESPAIR IF YOU DO NOT BRING ME THE PORCINE PRINCE!" The Shadar threatened. "THIS EMPIRE SHALL BOW TO ME! AND YOU SHALL ALL LEARN THE TRUE MEANING OF DESPAIR!" and that scream sounded, making all of the windows in the barrack and presumable everywhere else break, Gascon had to cover his ears as he squinted his eyes.
"YOU MAY PLAY HIDE AND SEEK OH ROYAL PRINCE! BUT I WILL FIND YOU! I WILL FIND YOU!" he screamed out in the night for everyone to hear. "AND FOR YOUR ANNOYANCE YOUR TREATMENT WILL BE SPECIAL! YOUR HEART WILL BE SO BROKEN THAT NOT ALL THE WORLDS WIZARDS OR SAGES WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP YOU! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR FAITH! AND YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME!"
Gascon bit his lip as he swallowed. "Well so far so good right?" he asked quietly. But even he had to doubt that statement, this was a problem that was not going to go away any time soon and it chilled Gascon to his bones.