I'm Coming Back to You
Chapter 5- Questions
Disclaimer: Ugh. Legal stuff. One day, when I grow up and own a big company and make lovable games like Final Fantasy Series and everything else that's great on PS(+) and Nintendo works, blah blah blah, I'll finally have to stop making "Disclaimers". Instead, they'll be...err... "Claimers". O_o Until then...
AN: Since it has been a while since my postings, I've decided to post two at once. Just so you won't clobber me for not writing. Zidane's POV, and he still can't remember a thing. Sucks, ne? Anyway, I'm trying to pick up the pace. I'm thinking about having some Zidane POVs in a row because the story is getting important in his area. Don't worry, Dagger'll have her "moments" in the end, I guess...umm-hmm. I'm not sure how many chapters this is gonna be. Probably a lot. Brace yourselves! For now, read on:
Key: _..._ emphasize (italicize)
/.../ thoughts
"..." words
*...* action.
I could not make out much of the dream. I had hoped that it would help me...but it didn't. At least, not much. I had the deep-down feeling in my gut that the boy with the golden hair was me, Zid-whatever, but those other people-who were they and how did I know them? When did this happen?
"Are you hungry?" her voice pierced my thoughts.
I looked up at her and nodded, attempting a smile. "Thanks for everything."
"No problem." She disappeared again.
'No problem', she said? Well, I had a problem. I had no clue who I was and what I was going to do when I got better. Maybe I could stay here with Zeithi. She was, after all, very nice and helpful and kind. After all, where else could I go? The only thing that stuck in my memory was most of my vocabulary, except for names and other things. Talk about selective amnesia.
"Berries," Zeithi announced, marching in with another bowl. "I hope you like them. Freshly picked. Are you well enough to stand? It's best for you to get some fresh air soon."
I shrugged. It had been a boring three days in bed, and I was willing to get out and romp around to discover my whereabouts. "I guess so. Mmm. These berries are good."
I noticed the slight pink crept into Zeithi's cheeks. She'd never blushed in front of me before, even when I had commended her broth. She mumbled, "Thanks. Maybe you can come berry-picking with me, when you feel better." She took the empty bowl, then left again. I wondered where she went. Actually, I'm a little sleepy...
-0-0-0-0-0-
Hordes of them. An army. An army of strange creatures. They were lumbering and slow, with bulky jackets and gloves, towering hats that shaded their face so that all you could see were the glowing yellow eyes that glared at you beneath the rim. They walked along, row by row, across the great plains. Then, on cue and perfectly synchronized as robots, they lifted their right arms and uttered a single word. Immediately, the warmth, the light, the power swirled around their hands, collecting in their palms, pulsing as if alive, writhing, whirling colors. The energy from all the creatures joined together and became one giant mass of power, ready to be released on an enemy. And so it was. A nearby tower bore the magic's force, crumbling to its foundations as the fiery energy was blasted toward it like a cannon.
My attention was diverted to the rest of the destruction. Fire. Crying. Bloodshed. More battles. The strange and powerful creatures ambled around, blowing things and people up; they were creatures that brought death.
I felt... Sadness. Sympathy. No, more than that. Compassion. But I could not do anything. I just watched, helpless, as more and more of the city was destroyed. Some fought back, some fled. It was a scene of utter horror. Try as I might, I could not stop watching.
I did not understand. Why did those creatures destroy innocent people? They were ordinary citizens of whatever country they came from. Yet, they had been slaughtered, massacred, their families and homes blown to pieces. What was it that they-the mysterious and destructive creatures-wanted? Or were they being controlled by a higher force? This all puzzled me. I wanted to know more. But then, the darkness surrounded me, as before. I could not tell if it was smoke, dust, or plain lack of light.
It was all of them, mixing together, dissolving.
Darkness.
Darkness.
"Hey, didn't you want to go out today?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
Zeithi. The beautiful, familiar face of my recently aquainted friend loomed over me, grinning. "So, did it tell you anything?"
I sat up. /Ugh...I've got a migraine./ "No."
"What do you mean, no? You were tossing and turning like you were on a boat in the middle of the storm." She seemed worried. "What was it all about?"
I sighed. "War."
"War? What kind of war?"
I looked down at my hands, wringing them, trying to recall. "War with strange creatures...tall hats and lots of...of magic, I guess. Terrible war. Destroying cities, homes...it was horrible. It was terrifyingly tragic."
She replied solemnly, "The recent war."
"There was a war?"
She nodded slowly.
"Who was fighting?"
She only shook her head.
"Please, tell me."
Zeithi groaned. "I don't want to talk about it, Zid. Please."
I took her hands. "I'm sorry. But this could help me recover my memory."
She bit her lip. "I don't want to..."
"Please?" I was desperate.
But she shook her head again. I sighed and let go of her hands, turning to the wall. "Zid..." I heard her sigh, stand, and leave the room. Why wouldn't she help me? Didn't she know the struggle that I was going through? That war might be the key to my lost past. Well, maybe someone else would know about this war.
-0-0-0-0-0-
She was somewhere, not in the house. Maybe berry picking again. I left a note on the table. If she wasn't going to tell me, I'd have to find out myself.
My ribs were fine, and only ached a little. I still had a migraine, but that couldn't be helped. The cool breeze of evening rustled my hair as I stepped outside. I wasn't sure where I was going to go. Maybe to Conde Petie, if I had any luck of finding it. She had described it, a small town nestled snugly on a root, hanging over the gorge below. I shouldered the small pack of food I brought and set out through the forest of trees.
The sun hadn't quite gone down, but it was nearing the horizon and losing its golden brilliance. Wary of any remaining monsters, I kept my hand on my blade and walked on.
War. There had been a war, just a while ago. She hadn't told me how long ago. I wondered how I, myself, had survived. Had I played a part in the war as well? Or had I been a hapless bystander who managed to get out of harm's way? Which side had I been on?
I crossed an empty clearing, ambled down a hill and out of the protection of the forest. The twin moons of Gaia were at different stages in their cycle-one was gibbous, nearing full, the other a crescent sliver. They weren't bright enough to overtake the sun's fading rays, yet still stood out in the red and orange sky like audacious sore thumbs.
Where was I headed? I had no idea. I just trudged along through the desert sand, dodging a strange mole-like creature that fussed at me and a thorny bush. The sand stretched all around me like a sea and the forest was a dark thin line I could barely make out behind me. I walked on.
-0-0-0-0-0-
It was very cold now. The light had disappeared about an hour or so ago, more or less when I had lost my sense of direction. It wasn't exactly pitch-black, but the moons were covered with thick, dismal clouds.
I sat, huddled behind a rock, cursing myself for going out in the first place. How did I expect to find answers in the middle of nowhere? My head ached and my stomach protested. I'd give anything to be back in my bed in Zeithi's house. Biting my lip, I shivered. The evening breeze had turned into a night wind, grabbing and snapping at my clothes and my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the hard surface of stone.
-0-0-0-0-0-
A girl. A beautiful girl, wearing an orange jumper and short-cut glossy black hair. She was holding a peculiar looking object: a staff that seemed to have some sort of bowl at the end. The girl waved the item and shouted. I willed myself to hear her. Her lips moved soundlessly, her words caught in the wind that whistled by. Then that gust floated over to me, wherever I was, and brought her single word: "Zidane."
AN: I don't remember too much about the Outer Continent area that I attempted to describe here, so I tried not to throw in anything that might confuse you. I was going to have him go to the ruins of Madain Sari, but then he'd have to go through Conde Petie, and since I'm horrible at their accents, I'm not even gonna try. (O_o Stardust not attempting? Run for the hills!) Oh, well. 'Til next time!