Chapter 11: Night Under the Stars
The warriors had been searching for days, led by Shadow, covering almost all parts of the forest. Occasionally if they came upon a river, or stream, they drank to quench their thirsts, or caught some fish to eat, but it was hardly considered a meal. After a few more days of searching, they saw past a clearing in the forest, and saw the entrance to her castle. The warriors stood there, hungry, tired, and cold, continuously staring at the entrance from afar.
"It's time!" said Cyrus. "Let's go!"
"No…" Celes said in a low, raspy voice. "I'm too tired… we've been searching for days without any sleep… we can't go in like this…."
"Sleeping here on the cold floor won't do us any good…" responded Lucia.
"Well, we we're given Magic…" said Cyrus, glowing a dark red. "We have to use it for survival!"
His body became engulfed in flames, and lifted up about three inches from the ground. Cyrus's flame covered body crashed through the bottom of some large trees, as they began to topple over. Patricia launched beams of ice under the trees to hold them in place, as Locke and Celes created bolts of lightning to fall down the sides of the trees, to burn off all leaves and branches. Placing her hand over her katana, Lucia waited till the blade was red, and then jumped up into the air, swinging her katana multiple times, sending waves of fire after every swing. She landed on the ground, as the large trees fell down as large amount of logs. The logs became entrapped in a large bubble, as Frog slowly made them come to the ground, arranging them on the ground neatly. Lucia and Cyrus gathered a pile of rocks and set fire to them, mixing in some tree sap, to create a strong adhesive. Claribel created a gust of wind to move all of the logs in position of a shelter. The warrior's put the logs together, and stuck them together with the adhesive, and had created a very strong and sturdy cabin, with beds made of grass, branches, and flower petals.
"Heh… wow. We finished a ten day job in fifteen minutes…" said Locke.
"With the lack of food and shelter… that minimal amount of magic took a lot out of me…" said Frog.
"Oh… I should mention…" said Cyrus. "There wasn't enough wood to create a total amount of eight beds, so to clear up everything, Claribel's sleeping with me!"
"It will take a lot more then that to get me in bed!" she responded. "I'm sleeping on the floor!"
The sun had began to set, as Shadow leaned against a tree, close to the seven warriors, who sat in a circle, huddled close to a fire, where some fish and boar had been cooking, which Frog had hunted for. After all of them, even Shadow, had eaten, they remained where they were, as the seven warriors looked at each other.
"Why isn't Shadow sitting with us?" questioned Claribel.
"Tis the way he is…hasn't changed since the last time we hath been like this…"
"Oh…"
"…" Shadow remained silent and still.
"This may be our last meal together…" said Lucia, staring at the fire. "Why should we waste it bothering Shadow about how he acts?"
"Speak'eth not like that, Lucia…. Tis better to keep a calm mind, then a panicked one…"
"Agh... that food isn't setting right..." said Locke.
"Told you not to eat those mushrooms!" responded Cyrus.
"Well… just in case what Lucia says is right… I'm glad to have met all of you….yes, even you Cyrus…."
"Yeah…" whispered Patricia. "But… We'll win… I know we will…"
"So… we're all a team now?" asked Locke.
"No." answered Celes. "We're friends."
"Aren't you going to say SOMETHING, Shadow?" asked Cyrus.
"…Fate will run its course. No prophesy or prediction can tell what we are about to face… we are all responsible for our own fate and destiny…"
"… That's deep, Shadow." he responded.
"We should rest now…" said Locke. "May the heavens watch over us and protect us, through the night, and through tomorrow…"
The seven warriors entered the cabin, followed by Shadow. After a small argument, Shadow gave up his bed and decided to sleep on the floor. They all slept warmly, as the night seemed to go by slowly, to give the warriors the rest they would need. In the middle of the night, Claribel had woken up and slowly walked out of the Cabin. Frog, waking up by the sounds she had made, followed her outside. She leaned against a large rock, and stared up at the sky, wearing a cloth around her as a blanket. Frog slowly approached her, for her face troubled him.
"Something troubling thee, Claribel?"
"No… I'm fine…Just couldn't sleep."
"Seems to be more to it then that…"
"Can you just leave me alone?!"
"Tis hard when one of my friends seem to bee in a troubled state of mind…"
"Why don't you just go eat some flies, or something!?"
"Gr… Fine!" Frog silently yelled, to not wake the others. "I try'eth to find what be wrong with thee, and unlike Cyrus, I do not want thine affection!"
Angrily, he turned away from her and headed back towards the cabin.
"Wait… Frog… I'm sorry… I…."
"What is it, Claribel?"
"I… I was born into Agon's army…for the longest that I can remember, I was working for her…I was used… like a robot…"
"I see…"
"I just feel so empty inside… When I met up with Lucia… I thought that maybe if I went with her… I could go out…. See the world, and maybe find someone one… and experience… love…"
"Ah… It's a feeling I know all too well… Claribel, worry not… thou will find someone… tis a matter of waiting… so just give it time… that's all I can really say…"
Slowly, he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
"Good night, Claribel."
Lowering his head slightly, he walked back to the cabin and entered it. Claribel stood outside, looking up at the black sky, with the moon nowhere in sight.
"…But… I want to feel love NOW…"
She turned slowly and saw Shadow standing there, looking at her.
"Felt like sleeping under the stars…"
"Shadow…? Did you hear what me and Frog were…"
"I didn't mean to over hear anything…"
"Can I ask you something…?"
"I know nothing of these feelings that all of you possess… I can not help you, and I have no answers…"
"Fine… I see…"
In a rather depressed mood, Claribel headed towards the cabin and opened the door.
"Claribel…?"
"…What?"
"In this world are many like me… who have killed off all their feelings and emotions… don't forget that."
"…?"
She went into the cabin and laid down on her bed. Shadow sat down on the ground and looked up into the sky, his eyes focused on the darkness of it. After a while, Locke ran outside of the cabin, and then behind it, where a muffled retch was heard. He then wobbled back to the front of the cabin, where Shadow was looking at him.
"Not a word of this to anyone, o- shrouded- one…" said Locke, as he went back into his bed.
The night air was calm, and silent, as the seven warriors rested humbly through the night.
----------------
NOTE:
Before I get a bash saying I took the Terra and General Leo scene from FF6, I am aware of it. I needed to find a way for Claribel to say how she used to work for Agon, and after playing through FInal Fantasy 6 again, that was the ONLY way to do it. So please, no bashing on me :S
The warriors had been searching for days, led by Shadow, covering almost all parts of the forest. Occasionally if they came upon a river, or stream, they drank to quench their thirsts, or caught some fish to eat, but it was hardly considered a meal. After a few more days of searching, they saw past a clearing in the forest, and saw the entrance to her castle. The warriors stood there, hungry, tired, and cold, continuously staring at the entrance from afar.
"It's time!" said Cyrus. "Let's go!"
"No…" Celes said in a low, raspy voice. "I'm too tired… we've been searching for days without any sleep… we can't go in like this…."
"Sleeping here on the cold floor won't do us any good…" responded Lucia.
"Well, we we're given Magic…" said Cyrus, glowing a dark red. "We have to use it for survival!"
His body became engulfed in flames, and lifted up about three inches from the ground. Cyrus's flame covered body crashed through the bottom of some large trees, as they began to topple over. Patricia launched beams of ice under the trees to hold them in place, as Locke and Celes created bolts of lightning to fall down the sides of the trees, to burn off all leaves and branches. Placing her hand over her katana, Lucia waited till the blade was red, and then jumped up into the air, swinging her katana multiple times, sending waves of fire after every swing. She landed on the ground, as the large trees fell down as large amount of logs. The logs became entrapped in a large bubble, as Frog slowly made them come to the ground, arranging them on the ground neatly. Lucia and Cyrus gathered a pile of rocks and set fire to them, mixing in some tree sap, to create a strong adhesive. Claribel created a gust of wind to move all of the logs in position of a shelter. The warrior's put the logs together, and stuck them together with the adhesive, and had created a very strong and sturdy cabin, with beds made of grass, branches, and flower petals.
"Heh… wow. We finished a ten day job in fifteen minutes…" said Locke.
"With the lack of food and shelter… that minimal amount of magic took a lot out of me…" said Frog.
"Oh… I should mention…" said Cyrus. "There wasn't enough wood to create a total amount of eight beds, so to clear up everything, Claribel's sleeping with me!"
"It will take a lot more then that to get me in bed!" she responded. "I'm sleeping on the floor!"
The sun had began to set, as Shadow leaned against a tree, close to the seven warriors, who sat in a circle, huddled close to a fire, where some fish and boar had been cooking, which Frog had hunted for. After all of them, even Shadow, had eaten, they remained where they were, as the seven warriors looked at each other.
"Why isn't Shadow sitting with us?" questioned Claribel.
"Tis the way he is…hasn't changed since the last time we hath been like this…"
"Oh…"
"…" Shadow remained silent and still.
"This may be our last meal together…" said Lucia, staring at the fire. "Why should we waste it bothering Shadow about how he acts?"
"Speak'eth not like that, Lucia…. Tis better to keep a calm mind, then a panicked one…"
"Agh... that food isn't setting right..." said Locke.
"Told you not to eat those mushrooms!" responded Cyrus.
"Well… just in case what Lucia says is right… I'm glad to have met all of you….yes, even you Cyrus…."
"Yeah…" whispered Patricia. "But… We'll win… I know we will…"
"So… we're all a team now?" asked Locke.
"No." answered Celes. "We're friends."
"Aren't you going to say SOMETHING, Shadow?" asked Cyrus.
"…Fate will run its course. No prophesy or prediction can tell what we are about to face… we are all responsible for our own fate and destiny…"
"… That's deep, Shadow." he responded.
"We should rest now…" said Locke. "May the heavens watch over us and protect us, through the night, and through tomorrow…"
The seven warriors entered the cabin, followed by Shadow. After a small argument, Shadow gave up his bed and decided to sleep on the floor. They all slept warmly, as the night seemed to go by slowly, to give the warriors the rest they would need. In the middle of the night, Claribel had woken up and slowly walked out of the Cabin. Frog, waking up by the sounds she had made, followed her outside. She leaned against a large rock, and stared up at the sky, wearing a cloth around her as a blanket. Frog slowly approached her, for her face troubled him.
"Something troubling thee, Claribel?"
"No… I'm fine…Just couldn't sleep."
"Seems to be more to it then that…"
"Can you just leave me alone?!"
"Tis hard when one of my friends seem to bee in a troubled state of mind…"
"Why don't you just go eat some flies, or something!?"
"Gr… Fine!" Frog silently yelled, to not wake the others. "I try'eth to find what be wrong with thee, and unlike Cyrus, I do not want thine affection!"
Angrily, he turned away from her and headed back towards the cabin.
"Wait… Frog… I'm sorry… I…."
"What is it, Claribel?"
"I… I was born into Agon's army…for the longest that I can remember, I was working for her…I was used… like a robot…"
"I see…"
"I just feel so empty inside… When I met up with Lucia… I thought that maybe if I went with her… I could go out…. See the world, and maybe find someone one… and experience… love…"
"Ah… It's a feeling I know all too well… Claribel, worry not… thou will find someone… tis a matter of waiting… so just give it time… that's all I can really say…"
Slowly, he gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
"Good night, Claribel."
Lowering his head slightly, he walked back to the cabin and entered it. Claribel stood outside, looking up at the black sky, with the moon nowhere in sight.
"…But… I want to feel love NOW…"
She turned slowly and saw Shadow standing there, looking at her.
"Felt like sleeping under the stars…"
"Shadow…? Did you hear what me and Frog were…"
"I didn't mean to over hear anything…"
"Can I ask you something…?"
"I know nothing of these feelings that all of you possess… I can not help you, and I have no answers…"
"Fine… I see…"
In a rather depressed mood, Claribel headed towards the cabin and opened the door.
"Claribel…?"
"…What?"
"In this world are many like me… who have killed off all their feelings and emotions… don't forget that."
"…?"
She went into the cabin and laid down on her bed. Shadow sat down on the ground and looked up into the sky, his eyes focused on the darkness of it. After a while, Locke ran outside of the cabin, and then behind it, where a muffled retch was heard. He then wobbled back to the front of the cabin, where Shadow was looking at him.
"Not a word of this to anyone, o- shrouded- one…" said Locke, as he went back into his bed.
The night air was calm, and silent, as the seven warriors rested humbly through the night.
----------------
NOTE:
Before I get a bash saying I took the Terra and General Leo scene from FF6, I am aware of it. I needed to find a way for Claribel to say how she used to work for Agon, and after playing through FInal Fantasy 6 again, that was the ONLY way to do it. So please, no bashing on me :S
