Disclaimer: All FF8 characters are courtesy of Squaresoft Enix
Advent of the Necromancer: Book II
Hidden Cities – Open Cities
When the child was a child,
It didn't know that it was a child,
Everything was soulful,
And all souls were one.
–Peter
Handke–
Chapter 6: Liberi Hortum
"Matwyn! Matwyn!"
"We wanna hear a stowry!"
"Stowry! Yaay!"
"I wanna hear the stowry 'bout the dragon-n'-the-lady–n'–the–knight!"
"No! The stowry of the ginger-bwread-houthe!"
"Children! Children! Alright, if you want to hear a story everybody must be in bed…"
"Matwyn! I wanna sleep with Sis too!"
"Nooo!"
"Squall, –Whisper– It's okay, we'll make cookies together tomorrow –Whisper– Go to your bed… Come Sefy!"
" –Sniff– …"
"Yaay!"
"No fair! Me too!"
"Me too!"
"No! Me!"
"EVERYONE should be in bed by the time I count to ten… … One…"
"Eeek! Hurry!"
"I tol' yooo!"
"…Two…"
"SHUT-UP! CRY-BABY!"
"…Seifer! Zell! –Sigh – …Three…"
"Don't tease him! He's little!"
"Yoooo! Quisty! I'm not!"
"… FOUR…"
"MATWYN! Seify's makin' faces at me!"
"Zell-Tattle-Tale!"
"… FIVE… SIX…"
"EEeek! C'mon! Hurry up!"
"I'm already in bed, Sefy!"
"… … Seven… Irvine, under the covers, please… …"
"Eeek! Hurry, Irvy! Hurry!"
"… Eight… … Seifer!… Irvine! No peeking!"
"Awww!… But Matwyn!"
"… NINE… … Squall, don't place the covers over your head, dear, you'll suffocate… …Ten! Good! Now close your eyes, and I will begin the story…"
"We're all sleeping now, Matwyn!"
"Thank you, Quistis… Alright, my darlings!… … … Once upon a time, in a very faraway country, there was a garden that had no flowers, only grass and one small fruit tree. People did not want to visit such a tiny garden with no flowers. The garden did not understand why people would not want to sit under the cool shade of it tree, or eat the sweet ripe fruit that fell to the ground, or lay on its green grass to gaze at the blue sky. It made the garden feel sad and lonely…"
"Matwyn… I'd go…"
"Yaay! Me too!"
"Me!"
"–SHSSSS– SHUUUUSSH! You guys! I wanna hear the stowry!"
"… … 'I wish I could even have one flower!' The garden said sighing to itself, 'This way people from all over would come visit to see the flower!… Then they would also notice the beauty of the fruit tree, taste the sweetness of its fruit, and enjoy the greenness of my grass…' The East Wind heard the garden's wish, and decided to ask all the tiny flowers seeds it carried for one to volunteer to land in that garden. But they said no…"
"–Sniff– Sniff–"
"–Whisper– It's okay Sefy… –Whisper–I'm sure Matron won't allow anything bad…"
"… The North Wind heard the same wish, and felt pity for the small garden. It also asked the flower seeds it carried in its airstream, the same question, but it got the same reply, 'No'. And so did the West Wind. And so did the South Wind. Every seed they asked, said 'No', until one very tiny flower seed out of all seeds asked, volunteered to go. It said, 'It pains me to leave my siblings, but for the sake of the lonely garden I will go…' Ah! There was such joy in that tiny garden when the flower seed landed!"
"Matwyn, can we go there? Pleathe?"
"Maybe someday, Selphie… The fruit tree extended its branches to shelter the small flower seed from the strong rays of the sun, the grass made a space for it to root. Everyone was very happy. For this one unselfish act of kindness, the little seed grew, and grew. Soon it became a beautiful flower. The only flower in the little garden. But it was more beautiful and more fragrant than any other flower…"
"Awww! Flowers are for girls, Matwyn!"
"Shut-up, Seify! I thaw you pickin' some yethterday!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
" –Sigh– Flowers are for everyone my darlings …As I was saying, this one singular flower was so beautiful that people came to visit the garden from everywhere…"
"Matwyn! Matwyn!"
"Yes, Irvine?"
"May I go to the bathroom?"
"I'll take him Matron."
"Thank you, Ellone…"
"Matwyn…"
"Hmm, Quistis?"
"I'd like to be in that Garden too… D'you…d'you think I'd be allowed to touch the pretty flower?"
"What kind of sissy question is that? You're such a girl"
"I am a girl! –Giggle– Silly!"
"Quistis, Seifer… Such language!"
"Sorry, Matwyn! … … … Psst! Seify! Is your turn!"
"For what?"
"To say you're sorry!"
"Why?"
"'Cause you're supposed to!"
"But I'm not sorry!"
" …Oh, Ellone and Irvine are back! So I'll continue with the story… To the people's surprise they found out indeed, that the fruit from the one fruit tree was sweeter and juicier than any other fruit they had ever tasted, and that the grass in that garden was so green even the blue sky was envious of its greenness…
§ § §
To be continued…