Bleh... I thought that I was on vacation. Well, I subbed for my mom
at school, sort of an anniversary present so that she and my dad could take
the day off for their 21st anniversary of marriage! Yeeeeeeeeeei!! But, cheeze,
I do not want her job. Do the phones never stop ringing? Oh well. More random
babbling. I wasn't writing because I was reading. The Sword of Shannara
by Terry Brooks to be exact. Gooooooood fantasy novel. Worth the read,
trust me, although I was disappointed by the extreme lack of elf action.
Ahyhow, no, I am not quite finished with Between the Lines. A couple
more ideas to share. Enjoy.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
Miles to go before I sleep.
(Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening")
*Lindblum, directly afterwards
Everyone seemed considerably happy, aside from Eiko. As far as she was concerned, nothing was going for her. She had lost her trusted moogle, Zidane was gone, and now she would have to return to Madain Sari. Unknowingly, she had begun to cry.
"What is wrong, Eiko dear," Hilda asked her suddenly. Startled, Eiko looked up at her and unwittingly blurted:
"I don't wanna be alone anymore!!" Then she buried her face in her hands. Hilda quietly patted her shoulder.
"Oh, I think we can arrange something…"
*Alexandria, a week later
Home at last. But Garnet prepared for her coronation with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She recalled the violent explosion at the Iifa tree, and the common belief that came with it. "You have more important things to worry about…" She choked at the sound of his voice in her head.
"Zidane…" she whispered softly. "I know you can do it, Dagger!" She smiled softly at a thousand precious memories that flowed past her mind's eye. He had believed in her, every step of the way. There was no way that she was backing down now. That would not have been fair to him. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Then she looked at her notes for her coronation speech. But the memories kept coming. "I'm sorry for being so selfish." She almost laughed at the recollection. Zidane didn't know how to be selfish. It was he who had taught her to think of others. It was for everyone else that she took this next step. But for herself, she would always believe in him.
*Iifa, five months later
Zidane hummed casually to himself as he scaled another wall. He was feeling refreshed by the water he had recently found. He wouldn't stray far from this new source as long as it lasted, for water was hard to find. And food was impossible to find, his stomach reminded him with a slight twinge. Well, the food I'm used to, anyway. To his pleasant surprise, he had found his Terran body could ingest and strip nutrients from things that were inedible to Gaians. Weeds and moss were the only food available, and he could make use of it. He reached the top of the wall and glanced around. The tree had been silent for some time, what with his constant destroying the live roots, but he still kept "Lucky" the dagger close at hand, even with the Ultima weapon strapped securely to his back.
He caught his breath and continued his humming. He walked nimbly along the jut in the rocks towards some green leaves that had caught his eye. When he finally came upon it, his face fell. It was sleeping weed.
"Go away," he shouted at it. "You're useless here!" He smiled at himself, talking to plants again. "Go…find Dagger," he commanded it, for his own amusement. "She can't sleep." He sat down next to the weed and stroked its brittle leaves with one finger. He had long ago left his gloves somewhere, preferring his bare hands for climbing the treacherous cliffs. He went barefoot these days as well. He finally removed one leaf and examined it, breaking it open to see the moisture inside. The flora was doing better around here, a good sign. Releasing the planet's soul-stream unto itself had let it recuperate, but there were thousands more roots to destroy if the planet was once again to function fully. With the help of his dyne, Zidane figured he might manage to finish within a year from today, whatever today was. But then, he'd have to figure out what to do with the dead roots. He sighed audibly and glanced around.
Far off to the right, he saw the lip of what could be a cavern. He got up and sprinted over to it, sensing life within as he drew near. Curious, he brought up a light source in front of himself and sent it inside. He followed and glanced around. Large tangles of dead roots lay within, but he could feel life emanating from them. These were different from the other dead roots. It's almost like Pandemonium… But am I not so far from it? Silently, Zidane approached one massive bark covered behemoth. He could feel the power and life within it. Now what? He placed his hand on it. Free us! a voice echoed throughout his mind. Too long! We wait… No further! No more… Zidane fell back, shaking. The myriad of wailing voices desisted. He stood up trembling. Unsure of what was happening, he placed his hand on the root once more. The crowd of voices came once more, but he was ready.
Silence! he commanded with his own mind. The murmuring within quieted. What…no, who are you? He felt a presence push forward and connect directly to him.
We await judgment. We were with millions more, and judgment takes a long time with so many…
We were still waiting, added another, when time froze.
Recently, yet another came forth, we felt time move again..
Yet still we are trapped here! another shouted. Zidane's knees buckled under the force of the voices that entered his mind, but he kept his hand pressed to the bark.
"Time…" he repeated softly. When you say time, do you mean the cycle of souls?
Yes, Zidane recognized the first, although he felt many, many presences pushing forward to make contact with him.
Then judgment? he persisted.
Judgment, so that spirit is stripped from soul. One goes on to its merited afterlife, the other back to the planet, so that the planet may continue the cycle of life.
And you are not judged? Zidane confirmed of the spirits within the root, for that's what they were. Spirit was the personality and memory that was adjoined to a sentient soul…
We are trapped! and the wailing began again. Zidane tore his hand away, and lay panting on the ground. He closed his eyes and meditated on himself for a moment, to make sure that only he existed in his body. When he was confident that he was still himself, he stood up and regarded the soul cage, for that was also what it was. He was not certain what would happen when he freed them, but he definitely wasn't going to leave them there. He concentrated on the energy that held them, the energy of the root. It lit up as he prodded at it, and then trickled away at his command. The soul cage disintegrated, and its charges fled into the air. They were like ghosts, full beings of crimson light. Zidane watched as they fled up, away from the planet Gaia, unlike the blue light, which would go downward. When they had all left, Zidane fell to his knees, exhausted. He considered leaving the cavern, but couldn't muster the strength. Shortly afterwards, he passed out.
*Black Mage Village, that very moment
Mikoto sighed softly into the daylight that trickled through fresh green leaves. With all the new life everywhere, it was very apparent that Gaia was winning the battle of Iifa. She didn't know how to treat the truth. Since the triumph over Kuja and Necron, she had taken it upon herself to look after the other genomes. But… their purpose would never be fulfilled. Despite everything that Vivi and his black mage friends were attempting to teach them, and despite their insatiable curiosities, they were convinced only of their purpose to Terra.
Mikoto understood the sentiment. Even now, she was unconvinced that she was doing the right thing. She alone held the incredible power to command the genomes, for to them, she was the voice of Garland. She truly knew that they would not move onto this new life that had been given them, until they were no longer themselves. Such was the life of the genome. Such was the life also as those called Black Mages. But the two were very different. The genomes were carefully designed to be exactly like the extinct Terrans, and they functioned completely like that once successful race, only without souls. The Black Mages were designed to be killing machines; they were useless for anything else. They could not even procreate, for they were asexual creatures.
Mikoto sighed again. The truth was hard, and she felt somehow responsible not only for the creations of Garland, but also the creations of Kuja. She stared at the little cemetery that was quickly claiming more members from Kuja's little tribe. It wouldn't be long until there were no mages left, and what could she do with her own tribe then? She was totally unprepared for what happened next. Two Black Mages came running up the path, one tripping and falling on his face as they came.
"Mikoto! Mikoto!" screamed the faster one, directly in her face.
"Yes?" she nodded.
"Something's wrong with little 555!" he finished. Mikoto almost laughed. "555" was one of her Gaulian males, in a young but fully mature stage. He had, like the others, rejected any name, but unlike the others, was most vehement about it. Nevertheless, 555 he had been dubbed.
"What is wrong with him?" she asked, remembering that the information would not be volunteered without her asking for it.
"He stared grabbing his head and then he fell down!" said the mage.
"And he doesn't normally do that!" the other added.
"No…he doesn't," she responded absently, wondering if… She ran back the way they had come. She walked through the crowd of genomes and pushed through the crowd of Black Mages to find the genome in question on his face in the ground. She regarded him there, noting that he was neither dead nor conscious. While she stood there, a younger female genome standing nearby also fell down. Mikoto jolted in her direction, but stopped when another repeated the movement in the crowd. And another… She turned back to the one-called 555. He had stirred with a gentle groan. She knelt at his side as he apparently investigated his hands.
"Are you all right, 555?" the first mage asked. The genome jolted at the sound, looking up with an expression of fearful wonder. Slowly he sat up and looked at Mikoto.
"I can…trust you?" he asked slowly. She nodded.
"555, are you alright?" another mage asked. The genome frowned suddenly.
"Do not call me that," he practically scolded. Mikoto smiled absently, but then… "My name is Butsu Garufu." Mikoto started.
"Is it…really?"
"Yes," he nodded once. "Have you heard of me, miss?" Mikoto got up quickly, surprise etched into her normally impassive features. Is it…the assimilation? She shook her head in disbelief. She would get to the bottom of this. She strode past the baffled black mages and the awakening genomes.
"Where is Bobby Corwen?"
***
Mikoto jumped off the chocobo at the base of the Iifa Tree. She ran to the edge and looked up. The leaves of the giant tree were shedding a glorious crimson light. The light was being released into a portal through space, the true link of Iifa. Terra was reclaiming its soul-stream; there would be no assimilation. Many of the dead roots were crumbling, but the live ones remained. The Iifa tree was not yet defeated… but did that mean someone was fighting it?
"Zidane!" Mikoto screamed out across the crater of the tree, the urgent cry echoing throughout the crevice. It died out. "ZIDANE!!!" she shouted as powerfully as she could muster, crying out for the one who had shown her kindness. But there was no answer, no stirrings from within the bowls of Gaia. Mikoto slumped to her knees as she watched the silent procession of soul light to the planet that she had been born for. Now, she had a herculean duty to perform to that planet's people.
*Black Mage Village, four months after that
Vivi walked back to his home in the village slowly. He had just returned from New Bran Bal, the nearby village of the neo-Terrans. The reborn Terran people had come together and began building a new home in an awe-inspiring example of teamwork. Watching them work together under their Governess Mikoto reminded Vivi of the days he had spent traveling to defend the world. He opened his door and waddled over to his easy chair, where he sat down with a contented sigh. He had not thought of his travels in a while, but now he forced himself to remember every detail. How many other people wanted so much to do what he had? He considered himself lucky. It wasn't that people wanted to see new places, it was more that people wanted to do something worthwhile. The Terrans did that now.
He then thought briefly of Mikoto's concern for his own people. They would not reproduce. The black mages as a people would not succeed. Perhaps that didn't matter. If the Black Mages could fulfill their ambitions in life without making any more Black Mages, who was one to judge? It wasn't as if they could raise families in the same way the other races did. However, Vivi knew they could raise children in the same love. In fact, he somewhat wished that he could. He would look into a way, he decided. But now… Vivi would have to plan to visit his friends one last time.
Well then... You may expect one more chapter. When? Only time will tell...
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
Miles to go before I sleep.
(Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening")
*Lindblum, directly afterwards
Everyone seemed considerably happy, aside from Eiko. As far as she was concerned, nothing was going for her. She had lost her trusted moogle, Zidane was gone, and now she would have to return to Madain Sari. Unknowingly, she had begun to cry.
"What is wrong, Eiko dear," Hilda asked her suddenly. Startled, Eiko looked up at her and unwittingly blurted:
"I don't wanna be alone anymore!!" Then she buried her face in her hands. Hilda quietly patted her shoulder.
"Oh, I think we can arrange something…"
*Alexandria, a week later
Home at last. But Garnet prepared for her coronation with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She recalled the violent explosion at the Iifa tree, and the common belief that came with it. "You have more important things to worry about…" She choked at the sound of his voice in her head.
"Zidane…" she whispered softly. "I know you can do it, Dagger!" She smiled softly at a thousand precious memories that flowed past her mind's eye. He had believed in her, every step of the way. There was no way that she was backing down now. That would not have been fair to him. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Then she looked at her notes for her coronation speech. But the memories kept coming. "I'm sorry for being so selfish." She almost laughed at the recollection. Zidane didn't know how to be selfish. It was he who had taught her to think of others. It was for everyone else that she took this next step. But for herself, she would always believe in him.
*Iifa, five months later
Zidane hummed casually to himself as he scaled another wall. He was feeling refreshed by the water he had recently found. He wouldn't stray far from this new source as long as it lasted, for water was hard to find. And food was impossible to find, his stomach reminded him with a slight twinge. Well, the food I'm used to, anyway. To his pleasant surprise, he had found his Terran body could ingest and strip nutrients from things that were inedible to Gaians. Weeds and moss were the only food available, and he could make use of it. He reached the top of the wall and glanced around. The tree had been silent for some time, what with his constant destroying the live roots, but he still kept "Lucky" the dagger close at hand, even with the Ultima weapon strapped securely to his back.
He caught his breath and continued his humming. He walked nimbly along the jut in the rocks towards some green leaves that had caught his eye. When he finally came upon it, his face fell. It was sleeping weed.
"Go away," he shouted at it. "You're useless here!" He smiled at himself, talking to plants again. "Go…find Dagger," he commanded it, for his own amusement. "She can't sleep." He sat down next to the weed and stroked its brittle leaves with one finger. He had long ago left his gloves somewhere, preferring his bare hands for climbing the treacherous cliffs. He went barefoot these days as well. He finally removed one leaf and examined it, breaking it open to see the moisture inside. The flora was doing better around here, a good sign. Releasing the planet's soul-stream unto itself had let it recuperate, but there were thousands more roots to destroy if the planet was once again to function fully. With the help of his dyne, Zidane figured he might manage to finish within a year from today, whatever today was. But then, he'd have to figure out what to do with the dead roots. He sighed audibly and glanced around.
Far off to the right, he saw the lip of what could be a cavern. He got up and sprinted over to it, sensing life within as he drew near. Curious, he brought up a light source in front of himself and sent it inside. He followed and glanced around. Large tangles of dead roots lay within, but he could feel life emanating from them. These were different from the other dead roots. It's almost like Pandemonium… But am I not so far from it? Silently, Zidane approached one massive bark covered behemoth. He could feel the power and life within it. Now what? He placed his hand on it. Free us! a voice echoed throughout his mind. Too long! We wait… No further! No more… Zidane fell back, shaking. The myriad of wailing voices desisted. He stood up trembling. Unsure of what was happening, he placed his hand on the root once more. The crowd of voices came once more, but he was ready.
Silence! he commanded with his own mind. The murmuring within quieted. What…no, who are you? He felt a presence push forward and connect directly to him.
We await judgment. We were with millions more, and judgment takes a long time with so many…
We were still waiting, added another, when time froze.
Recently, yet another came forth, we felt time move again..
Yet still we are trapped here! another shouted. Zidane's knees buckled under the force of the voices that entered his mind, but he kept his hand pressed to the bark.
"Time…" he repeated softly. When you say time, do you mean the cycle of souls?
Yes, Zidane recognized the first, although he felt many, many presences pushing forward to make contact with him.
Then judgment? he persisted.
Judgment, so that spirit is stripped from soul. One goes on to its merited afterlife, the other back to the planet, so that the planet may continue the cycle of life.
And you are not judged? Zidane confirmed of the spirits within the root, for that's what they were. Spirit was the personality and memory that was adjoined to a sentient soul…
We are trapped! and the wailing began again. Zidane tore his hand away, and lay panting on the ground. He closed his eyes and meditated on himself for a moment, to make sure that only he existed in his body. When he was confident that he was still himself, he stood up and regarded the soul cage, for that was also what it was. He was not certain what would happen when he freed them, but he definitely wasn't going to leave them there. He concentrated on the energy that held them, the energy of the root. It lit up as he prodded at it, and then trickled away at his command. The soul cage disintegrated, and its charges fled into the air. They were like ghosts, full beings of crimson light. Zidane watched as they fled up, away from the planet Gaia, unlike the blue light, which would go downward. When they had all left, Zidane fell to his knees, exhausted. He considered leaving the cavern, but couldn't muster the strength. Shortly afterwards, he passed out.
*Black Mage Village, that very moment
Mikoto sighed softly into the daylight that trickled through fresh green leaves. With all the new life everywhere, it was very apparent that Gaia was winning the battle of Iifa. She didn't know how to treat the truth. Since the triumph over Kuja and Necron, she had taken it upon herself to look after the other genomes. But… their purpose would never be fulfilled. Despite everything that Vivi and his black mage friends were attempting to teach them, and despite their insatiable curiosities, they were convinced only of their purpose to Terra.
Mikoto understood the sentiment. Even now, she was unconvinced that she was doing the right thing. She alone held the incredible power to command the genomes, for to them, she was the voice of Garland. She truly knew that they would not move onto this new life that had been given them, until they were no longer themselves. Such was the life of the genome. Such was the life also as those called Black Mages. But the two were very different. The genomes were carefully designed to be exactly like the extinct Terrans, and they functioned completely like that once successful race, only without souls. The Black Mages were designed to be killing machines; they were useless for anything else. They could not even procreate, for they were asexual creatures.
Mikoto sighed again. The truth was hard, and she felt somehow responsible not only for the creations of Garland, but also the creations of Kuja. She stared at the little cemetery that was quickly claiming more members from Kuja's little tribe. It wouldn't be long until there were no mages left, and what could she do with her own tribe then? She was totally unprepared for what happened next. Two Black Mages came running up the path, one tripping and falling on his face as they came.
"Mikoto! Mikoto!" screamed the faster one, directly in her face.
"Yes?" she nodded.
"Something's wrong with little 555!" he finished. Mikoto almost laughed. "555" was one of her Gaulian males, in a young but fully mature stage. He had, like the others, rejected any name, but unlike the others, was most vehement about it. Nevertheless, 555 he had been dubbed.
"What is wrong with him?" she asked, remembering that the information would not be volunteered without her asking for it.
"He stared grabbing his head and then he fell down!" said the mage.
"And he doesn't normally do that!" the other added.
"No…he doesn't," she responded absently, wondering if… She ran back the way they had come. She walked through the crowd of genomes and pushed through the crowd of Black Mages to find the genome in question on his face in the ground. She regarded him there, noting that he was neither dead nor conscious. While she stood there, a younger female genome standing nearby also fell down. Mikoto jolted in her direction, but stopped when another repeated the movement in the crowd. And another… She turned back to the one-called 555. He had stirred with a gentle groan. She knelt at his side as he apparently investigated his hands.
"Are you all right, 555?" the first mage asked. The genome jolted at the sound, looking up with an expression of fearful wonder. Slowly he sat up and looked at Mikoto.
"I can…trust you?" he asked slowly. She nodded.
"555, are you alright?" another mage asked. The genome frowned suddenly.
"Do not call me that," he practically scolded. Mikoto smiled absently, but then… "My name is Butsu Garufu." Mikoto started.
"Is it…really?"
"Yes," he nodded once. "Have you heard of me, miss?" Mikoto got up quickly, surprise etched into her normally impassive features. Is it…the assimilation? She shook her head in disbelief. She would get to the bottom of this. She strode past the baffled black mages and the awakening genomes.
"Where is Bobby Corwen?"
Mikoto jumped off the chocobo at the base of the Iifa Tree. She ran to the edge and looked up. The leaves of the giant tree were shedding a glorious crimson light. The light was being released into a portal through space, the true link of Iifa. Terra was reclaiming its soul-stream; there would be no assimilation. Many of the dead roots were crumbling, but the live ones remained. The Iifa tree was not yet defeated… but did that mean someone was fighting it?
"Zidane!" Mikoto screamed out across the crater of the tree, the urgent cry echoing throughout the crevice. It died out. "ZIDANE!!!" she shouted as powerfully as she could muster, crying out for the one who had shown her kindness. But there was no answer, no stirrings from within the bowls of Gaia. Mikoto slumped to her knees as she watched the silent procession of soul light to the planet that she had been born for. Now, she had a herculean duty to perform to that planet's people.
*Black Mage Village, four months after that
Vivi walked back to his home in the village slowly. He had just returned from New Bran Bal, the nearby village of the neo-Terrans. The reborn Terran people had come together and began building a new home in an awe-inspiring example of teamwork. Watching them work together under their Governess Mikoto reminded Vivi of the days he had spent traveling to defend the world. He opened his door and waddled over to his easy chair, where he sat down with a contented sigh. He had not thought of his travels in a while, but now he forced himself to remember every detail. How many other people wanted so much to do what he had? He considered himself lucky. It wasn't that people wanted to see new places, it was more that people wanted to do something worthwhile. The Terrans did that now.
He then thought briefly of Mikoto's concern for his own people. They would not reproduce. The black mages as a people would not succeed. Perhaps that didn't matter. If the Black Mages could fulfill their ambitions in life without making any more Black Mages, who was one to judge? It wasn't as if they could raise families in the same way the other races did. However, Vivi knew they could raise children in the same love. In fact, he somewhat wished that he could. He would look into a way, he decided. But now… Vivi would have to plan to visit his friends one last time.
Well then... You may expect one more chapter. When? Only time will tell...
