Author's Note: Latest installment! Do I hear cheering? No? Damn. Oh well... Anyway, enjoy!
*Disclaimer*: Xenogears belongs to Squaresoft (I get so tired of admitting that...).
Chapter Six
Maria wasn't by the lake. She wasn't in her room, or in any of the other houses. She wasn't anywhere in the city, it seemed. Margie started getting worried. Could she have gotten her Seibzehn and left by herself? Not likely, but well... who knew?
"Margie!"
She turned and saw Emeralda running toward her. "Did you find her?"
"Yes. She's in the cathedral. Just standing there," Emeralda informed her, the nanomachine girl slightly worried.
"Come on, Em."
"Right."
They made their way towards the cathedral, which was just as visited as ever. People came in all the time and prayed to ease their hearts as they always had. As Margie stepped in, the image of the cathedral floor littered with the bodies of the wounded and suffering overcame her. Once again, she could almost smell the blood...
"Margie?"
She blinked and shook her head to get the images out. Then she looked up at Emeralda's concerned face.
"Uh, yeah, where is she?"
"She's up there by the library."
Margie nodded and both girls headed upstairs through the side door.
Maria was leaning forward on the railing of the catwalk and was staring at the statues of the single-winged angels. The other two approached her slowly.
"I'm really sorry, Margie," Maria suddenly said quietly, not even turning around. "I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to start fighting with them, really I didn't. It's just that everytime I saw them, I remembered what the Solarians did to Dad..."
Margie walked over and stood next to her, facing the statues, too. "It's okay, Maria. I understand," Margie reassured softly. Then her voice hardened. "If I ever saw that bastard Shakhan's worthless butt again, I'd probably go after him with my knife alone to disembowel him."
"I understand, too," Emeralda spoke up, coming closer to stand on Maria's other side. "I would crush whoever hurt Kim. Or Elly."
"Yeah," Maria nodded. "But the problem is that those girls weren't the ones that took my Dad away from me. They had nothing to do with it except for the fact that they're from Solaris. That wasn't fair."
Margie turned and smiled at her. "At least you realized that, right?"
"Yeah. I should apologize to them..."
"Good girl. Now come on, let's head back. The others were worried and we should go tell them you're okay."
"They were worried?" Maria turned and stared at her wide eyed.
"Yeah. Billy wanted to come along."
Maria's eyes widened even more (if that was possible) and she blushed a brilliant shade of crimson. "Wh-Wha- He?" She stopped and cleared her throat before trying again. "He wanted to come?" she finally squeaked.
Margie looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. He said he hoped you were okay."
Maria swallowed. Hard. "Billy said that?"
"Uh-huh. Now come on, let's go. I still have so much planning to do," Margie urged, pulling on Maria's hand. She reached for Emeralda's hand, but before she could take it, the emerald-haired girl went over to Maria and awkwardly gave her a hug. The other two blinked.
"What was that for, Em?" Maria asked softly as Emeralda pulled away.
"I don't know," Emeralda shrugged. "It is just something that I have seen Margie do. You looked like you needed it. You are my friend, after all."
Maria smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Em."
Emeralda nodded solemnly and walked away, leaving the other two behind to exchange proud smiles.
*************************************************
"Are you sure you have everything you'll need? Enough sweaters?"
"Yep."
"Scarves?"
"Yep."
"Gloves and enough socks?"
"Uh-huh."
"How about your coat? And boots? Did you pack those?"
Sigh. "Yes, I packed them."
"Well, you can never be too prepared, you know."
"I know. You've already triple-checked my suitcases haven't you?"
"Yes, but I still feel we left some things behind... Oh heavens, did you pack away the first-aid kits I gave you?!"
"Yes... All five of them."
"Good. Oh, I just pray you don't get frostbitten or catch pneumonia. What would we do then? Remember to always be well covered and to change all your wet clothes as soon as you can, okay?"
"Uh-huh. I'll remember."
"Maybe I should go with you..."
"Sister Agnes, will you stop worrying. I'll be fine."
"All right. But you have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself. Remember to put lotion and chapstick on everytime you go outside."
"Yes, I'll remember," Margie reassured, leaning forward to give Sister Agnes a warm hug.
They were in the underground hatch, where the Yggdrassil was docked and Margie was getting ready to leave. Everyone else was already on the ship and waiting for her. Citan came to get her when she took too long.
"Come on, Marguerite. We need to get going," he informed her.
"Yeah, okay. Bye, Sister Agnes! Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Margie called as she walked over to the ship. Behind her, she could distinctly hear the nun giving Citan instructions on her well-being.
"...and please, Doctor Uzuki, make sure she keeps warm and eats all of her meals. She's a growing girl after all."
Citan chuckling. "Yes, Sister Agnes. Don't worry about Marguerite's health. I am a doctor, after all."
"Yes, well that takes a load off my mind. We need her to be strong and full of energy when she gets back."
Margie groaned as she slid down the ladder of the opening in the ship. She could just imagine the towering pile of paperwork Sister Agnes would want her to be 'strong and full of energy' for...
********************************************
Margie always loved sleeping on the ship. The constant hum and rhythmic movement could lull even the most insomniac-proned person to a restful sleep. But tonight she couldn't sleep. She was too worried about how she had left Nisan. What if things did fall apart in her absence?
Margie decided the only thing to do was to take a nice walk. She climbed out of bed and slid her feet into furry slippers. She could hear Primera's steady breathing and Chu-Chu's soft snoring in the silence of the room they shared everytime they traveled. She tiptoed over to the door which opened with a soft release of air and closed behind her just as quietly.
Knowing Maison would most likely be up (apparently the guy never slept...) Margie headed over to the Gun Room. The light was still on as she stepped in and she smiled when she saw the old knight in his usual spot behind the counter where he was reliably cleaning a glass with a spotless handkerchief.
"Miss Marguerite, you shouldn't be up at this time," Maison reprimanded quietly. It was a habit now.
She smiled at him and went over to sit on one of the stools by the counter, directly across from him. Putting her elbows on his counter, she rested her chin in her folded hands and gave him a pleading look. "Tell me a story, Maison? Like the way you used to when I was little. Please? One full of knights and princesses and other fanciful nonsense."
He frowned at her and put the glass down. "You wont leave until I do, will you, young lady?"
"Nope. You know me. Wont quit until I get what I want."
He nodded slowly. "Good. As a Great Mother should expect."
She scowled at this, but then shrugged. "So, do I get a story?"
"Only one and then it's off to bed."
"Of course," she said, nodding hurriedly. He sighed.
"All right. Now let me see..." he began thoughtfully. "This story takes place in a kingdom that was very prosperous. The people of the kingdom were very happy and loved their King and Queen, who ruled with a fair hand. One day, the King and Queen found out that they were going to become parents. They were overjoyed by the news and waited expectantly along with the people of the kingdom. When the child was finally born, a great celebration was planned. The King and Queen were to attend with their newborn baby son."
Margie smiled. She knew this story. It was the version he used to tell her when she was little of how the Aveh throne had been overtaken. She remembered that Bart, even as a little six year-old had scoffed at the innocent way Maison put it. He had known the truth. He had been forced to grow-up at a young age. Maybe that's why he acted like such a kid now...
"The King's Advisor would also be attending the celebration. What the King didn't know was that this man was evil. All he wanted was the throne for himself. So on the day of the celebration, he put poison in the King's goblet. What he hadn't counted on was that the Queen would get that goblet and drink from it. Her Majesty died that very night," Maison whispered, putting his concentration in his cleaning. She could feel his heavy sorrow and once again wished she had been able to meet Bart's mother.
"The King was devastated and so was the kingdom. No one could find the culprit because they didn't know it was the Advisor. For the next few years, the King dedicated his whole self to his work, except for the time he made for his son. The young Prince grew up with many different nannys. He had the best tutors, the best caretakers, but the King always regretted that the boy never had a real mother.
Then, one of the King's knights found the Advisor plotting once again to get rid of the royal family. The knight told the King, but it was too late. Assassins had been hired and they murdered the King. The young Prince and the little Princess from the neighboring kingdom were taken hostage and would've been killed too if an old knight and a young lad that had served the King loyally had not come and saved them. They managed to escape and took the little Princess back to her kingdom. Regretfully, by that time the Advisor had taken over the throne and announced that the King and the young Prince both had died of a terrible illness. The knight and the young lad decided it was better for the young Prince to take back the throne once they had a bigger army to fight against the Advisor's."
Margie felt cold as she got images of the dark, damp cell she and Bart had been put in while being held as hostages. She remembered that she hadn't let go of Bart at all. And that he had protected her from getting whipped...
"Years passed and the Prince grew up under the tutelage of his protectors. When he was a young man, he met a group of warriors which helped him greatly in the rescue of the Princess that had gotten kidnapped by the Advisor once again. These same friends and the Princess helped him retreive back his throne and get revenge on the one who had killed both his parents and those of the Princess."
Margie was staring down at the smooth surface of the counter as he finished. A lot had happened in the last twelve years... and it reminded her of how important her friends were. "So they all lived happily ever after?"
"Close. It wont be happily ever after until the Prince and Princess get married, in my opinion."
Margie glanced up in surprise, a blush staining her cheeks. "Well, what if the Prince and Princess don't get married?" she asked quietly.
"And why wouldn't they?"
"I dunno..." She trailed off and rubbed at an invisible smudge on the counter. "Maybe because the Prince doesn't love the Princess?"
He smiled at her gently. "Oh, he does, Marguerite. He just doesn't know it himself yet."
Margie continued staring at the counter. "Does he?" she finally asked.
"More than you can imagine," he assured softly. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to live if he ever lost her."
Margie nodded, surprised by all the feelings overwhelming her at what he had said. "Goodnight, Maison. Thank you for the story..." And she stood up from the stool and made her way out the door.
"My pleasure, Marguerite. My pleasure."
***********************************************
Margie walked towards her room in a dreamlike state. Her emotions had been put into complete overload, it seemed. She felt a deep, sweet ache in her heart as she thought of him.
And, almost as if she had conjured him up, there he was...
Bart had just come in to the hall from the Gear Hangar, where he'd been working on his gear since he hadn't been able to sleep. He was surprised to find Margie there, walking slowly in her nightgown and staring thoughtfully at the floor. When she looked up and saw him there, the soft lights that were left on at night captured her sapphire eyes and made them gleam with the look she gave him. His breath caught in his throat as he stood there.
Margie stared at him a while, her heart hammering in her chest and her face feeling flushed. He just looked so... tempting. The way the light played with his blond hair and the planes of his face. ~What if he doesn't...~
'Oh, he does, Marguerite. He just doesn't know it himself.' Maison's words replayed in her mind.
She didn't really think. It was impulse. It was fated. It was destined to be.
They were both really surprised when she walked over to him and lifted her hands to fist them in the collar of his vest. Without a word or further thought, she pulled him down and kissed him fully on the lips.
*Disclaimer*: Xenogears belongs to Squaresoft (I get so tired of admitting that...).
Chapter Six
Maria wasn't by the lake. She wasn't in her room, or in any of the other houses. She wasn't anywhere in the city, it seemed. Margie started getting worried. Could she have gotten her Seibzehn and left by herself? Not likely, but well... who knew?
"Margie!"
She turned and saw Emeralda running toward her. "Did you find her?"
"Yes. She's in the cathedral. Just standing there," Emeralda informed her, the nanomachine girl slightly worried.
"Come on, Em."
"Right."
They made their way towards the cathedral, which was just as visited as ever. People came in all the time and prayed to ease their hearts as they always had. As Margie stepped in, the image of the cathedral floor littered with the bodies of the wounded and suffering overcame her. Once again, she could almost smell the blood...
"Margie?"
She blinked and shook her head to get the images out. Then she looked up at Emeralda's concerned face.
"Uh, yeah, where is she?"
"She's up there by the library."
Margie nodded and both girls headed upstairs through the side door.
Maria was leaning forward on the railing of the catwalk and was staring at the statues of the single-winged angels. The other two approached her slowly.
"I'm really sorry, Margie," Maria suddenly said quietly, not even turning around. "I'm sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to start fighting with them, really I didn't. It's just that everytime I saw them, I remembered what the Solarians did to Dad..."
Margie walked over and stood next to her, facing the statues, too. "It's okay, Maria. I understand," Margie reassured softly. Then her voice hardened. "If I ever saw that bastard Shakhan's worthless butt again, I'd probably go after him with my knife alone to disembowel him."
"I understand, too," Emeralda spoke up, coming closer to stand on Maria's other side. "I would crush whoever hurt Kim. Or Elly."
"Yeah," Maria nodded. "But the problem is that those girls weren't the ones that took my Dad away from me. They had nothing to do with it except for the fact that they're from Solaris. That wasn't fair."
Margie turned and smiled at her. "At least you realized that, right?"
"Yeah. I should apologize to them..."
"Good girl. Now come on, let's head back. The others were worried and we should go tell them you're okay."
"They were worried?" Maria turned and stared at her wide eyed.
"Yeah. Billy wanted to come along."
Maria's eyes widened even more (if that was possible) and she blushed a brilliant shade of crimson. "Wh-Wha- He?" She stopped and cleared her throat before trying again. "He wanted to come?" she finally squeaked.
Margie looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. He said he hoped you were okay."
Maria swallowed. Hard. "Billy said that?"
"Uh-huh. Now come on, let's go. I still have so much planning to do," Margie urged, pulling on Maria's hand. She reached for Emeralda's hand, but before she could take it, the emerald-haired girl went over to Maria and awkwardly gave her a hug. The other two blinked.
"What was that for, Em?" Maria asked softly as Emeralda pulled away.
"I don't know," Emeralda shrugged. "It is just something that I have seen Margie do. You looked like you needed it. You are my friend, after all."
Maria smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Em."
Emeralda nodded solemnly and walked away, leaving the other two behind to exchange proud smiles.
*************************************************
"Are you sure you have everything you'll need? Enough sweaters?"
"Yep."
"Scarves?"
"Yep."
"Gloves and enough socks?"
"Uh-huh."
"How about your coat? And boots? Did you pack those?"
Sigh. "Yes, I packed them."
"Well, you can never be too prepared, you know."
"I know. You've already triple-checked my suitcases haven't you?"
"Yes, but I still feel we left some things behind... Oh heavens, did you pack away the first-aid kits I gave you?!"
"Yes... All five of them."
"Good. Oh, I just pray you don't get frostbitten or catch pneumonia. What would we do then? Remember to always be well covered and to change all your wet clothes as soon as you can, okay?"
"Uh-huh. I'll remember."
"Maybe I should go with you..."
"Sister Agnes, will you stop worrying. I'll be fine."
"All right. But you have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself. Remember to put lotion and chapstick on everytime you go outside."
"Yes, I'll remember," Margie reassured, leaning forward to give Sister Agnes a warm hug.
They were in the underground hatch, where the Yggdrassil was docked and Margie was getting ready to leave. Everyone else was already on the ship and waiting for her. Citan came to get her when she took too long.
"Come on, Marguerite. We need to get going," he informed her.
"Yeah, okay. Bye, Sister Agnes! Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Margie called as she walked over to the ship. Behind her, she could distinctly hear the nun giving Citan instructions on her well-being.
"...and please, Doctor Uzuki, make sure she keeps warm and eats all of her meals. She's a growing girl after all."
Citan chuckling. "Yes, Sister Agnes. Don't worry about Marguerite's health. I am a doctor, after all."
"Yes, well that takes a load off my mind. We need her to be strong and full of energy when she gets back."
Margie groaned as she slid down the ladder of the opening in the ship. She could just imagine the towering pile of paperwork Sister Agnes would want her to be 'strong and full of energy' for...
********************************************
Margie always loved sleeping on the ship. The constant hum and rhythmic movement could lull even the most insomniac-proned person to a restful sleep. But tonight she couldn't sleep. She was too worried about how she had left Nisan. What if things did fall apart in her absence?
Margie decided the only thing to do was to take a nice walk. She climbed out of bed and slid her feet into furry slippers. She could hear Primera's steady breathing and Chu-Chu's soft snoring in the silence of the room they shared everytime they traveled. She tiptoed over to the door which opened with a soft release of air and closed behind her just as quietly.
Knowing Maison would most likely be up (apparently the guy never slept...) Margie headed over to the Gun Room. The light was still on as she stepped in and she smiled when she saw the old knight in his usual spot behind the counter where he was reliably cleaning a glass with a spotless handkerchief.
"Miss Marguerite, you shouldn't be up at this time," Maison reprimanded quietly. It was a habit now.
She smiled at him and went over to sit on one of the stools by the counter, directly across from him. Putting her elbows on his counter, she rested her chin in her folded hands and gave him a pleading look. "Tell me a story, Maison? Like the way you used to when I was little. Please? One full of knights and princesses and other fanciful nonsense."
He frowned at her and put the glass down. "You wont leave until I do, will you, young lady?"
"Nope. You know me. Wont quit until I get what I want."
He nodded slowly. "Good. As a Great Mother should expect."
She scowled at this, but then shrugged. "So, do I get a story?"
"Only one and then it's off to bed."
"Of course," she said, nodding hurriedly. He sighed.
"All right. Now let me see..." he began thoughtfully. "This story takes place in a kingdom that was very prosperous. The people of the kingdom were very happy and loved their King and Queen, who ruled with a fair hand. One day, the King and Queen found out that they were going to become parents. They were overjoyed by the news and waited expectantly along with the people of the kingdom. When the child was finally born, a great celebration was planned. The King and Queen were to attend with their newborn baby son."
Margie smiled. She knew this story. It was the version he used to tell her when she was little of how the Aveh throne had been overtaken. She remembered that Bart, even as a little six year-old had scoffed at the innocent way Maison put it. He had known the truth. He had been forced to grow-up at a young age. Maybe that's why he acted like such a kid now...
"The King's Advisor would also be attending the celebration. What the King didn't know was that this man was evil. All he wanted was the throne for himself. So on the day of the celebration, he put poison in the King's goblet. What he hadn't counted on was that the Queen would get that goblet and drink from it. Her Majesty died that very night," Maison whispered, putting his concentration in his cleaning. She could feel his heavy sorrow and once again wished she had been able to meet Bart's mother.
"The King was devastated and so was the kingdom. No one could find the culprit because they didn't know it was the Advisor. For the next few years, the King dedicated his whole self to his work, except for the time he made for his son. The young Prince grew up with many different nannys. He had the best tutors, the best caretakers, but the King always regretted that the boy never had a real mother.
Then, one of the King's knights found the Advisor plotting once again to get rid of the royal family. The knight told the King, but it was too late. Assassins had been hired and they murdered the King. The young Prince and the little Princess from the neighboring kingdom were taken hostage and would've been killed too if an old knight and a young lad that had served the King loyally had not come and saved them. They managed to escape and took the little Princess back to her kingdom. Regretfully, by that time the Advisor had taken over the throne and announced that the King and the young Prince both had died of a terrible illness. The knight and the young lad decided it was better for the young Prince to take back the throne once they had a bigger army to fight against the Advisor's."
Margie felt cold as she got images of the dark, damp cell she and Bart had been put in while being held as hostages. She remembered that she hadn't let go of Bart at all. And that he had protected her from getting whipped...
"Years passed and the Prince grew up under the tutelage of his protectors. When he was a young man, he met a group of warriors which helped him greatly in the rescue of the Princess that had gotten kidnapped by the Advisor once again. These same friends and the Princess helped him retreive back his throne and get revenge on the one who had killed both his parents and those of the Princess."
Margie was staring down at the smooth surface of the counter as he finished. A lot had happened in the last twelve years... and it reminded her of how important her friends were. "So they all lived happily ever after?"
"Close. It wont be happily ever after until the Prince and Princess get married, in my opinion."
Margie glanced up in surprise, a blush staining her cheeks. "Well, what if the Prince and Princess don't get married?" she asked quietly.
"And why wouldn't they?"
"I dunno..." She trailed off and rubbed at an invisible smudge on the counter. "Maybe because the Prince doesn't love the Princess?"
He smiled at her gently. "Oh, he does, Marguerite. He just doesn't know it himself yet."
Margie continued staring at the counter. "Does he?" she finally asked.
"More than you can imagine," he assured softly. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to live if he ever lost her."
Margie nodded, surprised by all the feelings overwhelming her at what he had said. "Goodnight, Maison. Thank you for the story..." And she stood up from the stool and made her way out the door.
"My pleasure, Marguerite. My pleasure."
***********************************************
Margie walked towards her room in a dreamlike state. Her emotions had been put into complete overload, it seemed. She felt a deep, sweet ache in her heart as she thought of him.
And, almost as if she had conjured him up, there he was...
Bart had just come in to the hall from the Gear Hangar, where he'd been working on his gear since he hadn't been able to sleep. He was surprised to find Margie there, walking slowly in her nightgown and staring thoughtfully at the floor. When she looked up and saw him there, the soft lights that were left on at night captured her sapphire eyes and made them gleam with the look she gave him. His breath caught in his throat as he stood there.
Margie stared at him a while, her heart hammering in her chest and her face feeling flushed. He just looked so... tempting. The way the light played with his blond hair and the planes of his face. ~What if he doesn't...~
'Oh, he does, Marguerite. He just doesn't know it himself.' Maison's words replayed in her mind.
She didn't really think. It was impulse. It was fated. It was destined to be.
They were both really surprised when she walked over to him and lifted her hands to fist them in the collar of his vest. Without a word or further thought, she pulled him down and kissed him fully on the lips.