Chapter eight.
Starlit Eyes.
Morning had come; or at least it seemed to be morning. The shadows were many and the light was dull. A candle on a nearby table flickered as if it were unsure whether to continue to burn or allow the shadows to engulf the room.
With her working eye she glanced around the room. The well-polished tiles on the walls sparkled like stars in the dark and the smell that only hospitals seem to have hung in the air.
When she had taken in the details of the room she had found enough evidence to conclude that she was now in the infirmary. Her damaged eye was covered by a fresh bandage. When she attempted to open the bandaged eye, her upper and lower eyelids simply pulled against each other. It felt as though they were sewn together and considering where she was it was most likely that they were in fact sewn together.
It was at this moment she came to the realisation that with the loss of one of her eyes she may also have lost a great amount of accuracy which would render Gogo's teachings useless.
What type of general would she be if her strikes would not hit their mark?
In the bed beside her a large body shifted under crisp, white sheets. The rustling sound that accompanied the movement gained her attention.
As the occupant of the bed awoke his eyes met hers... or at least one of hers.
It was the brave lad known as Adelbert Steiner. As he awoke, a dream lay before him.
.
"Good morning Adelbert." Said Beatrix as a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"It's morning?" He asked.
"To be honest with you, I really don't know."
As his senses returned in full he was overcome with concern for Beatrix. He felt foolish for not noticing her wound straight away.
"My gods, what on this world happened to you?"
"Necromancer landed a lucky blow."
"I hope you made him pay for his sins."
"Indeed I did."
"You delivered the finishing blow?"
"I did," She replied. "Of course I would not have survived if it weren't for General Gogo."
"I was told of her demise this evening. It is a great sorrow to loose such a person."
"With that sorrow they will also be overwhelmed with pride for she is a local hero. I only wish they could have seen her, she was selfless and heroic until her last breath."
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The longest week of her life had passed. She was now granted permission to leave the infirmary and not a day too soon.
This day was a most important occasion, for it was on this day the fearless General Gogo would be laid to rest. A fitting ceremony was in order for Alexandria's pride.
From the heavens it seemed as though a black river had flooded the streets and alleyways of Alexandria. Hordes of people clad in black flocked to the castle for the ceremony.
Although the sun shone brightly this day was dark regardless. No children played in the sun today. They were all dressed in the appropriate attire, with their hair brushed perfectly. Occasionally mothers would halt and clean the dirt that somehow appeared on their child's face with a combination of their own spit and a napkin.
On a large wooden podium close to the entrance of Alexandria's castle Beatrix stood with her face to the city. She was struck with awe at the sheer number of people who had arrived to pay their last respects.
Amongst the many men, women and children were a hand full of moogles. As a sign of mourning, the gentle creatures had coloured their pom poms black with the aid of charcoal.
The King and Queen stood by her side awaiting the arrival of the coffin. The handsome, bearded King held his less than enchanting wife close.
While it was true that the Queen's entire being could cause offence to the senses it was hardly her fault. The poor woman was cursed by an evil land spirit years previous for not giving him the ore he had requested. This in turn made Alexandria a great place to live for with her beauty her greed had also left.
Beatrix, clad in a black uniform, with Save the Queen placed in its scabbard by her side stood before a large, trumpet-like instrument that was as wide as a bottle neck at the top but grew in width at the bottom.
This was an item that the Regent of Lindblum had invented, dubbed the amplification device. The old fellow wasn't very clever with names but was a great inventor.
Beneath her line of sight a brass band sorted their instruments, unfolded their song sheets and prepared to give the General a worthy send off. Throats were cleared and breaths were taken; they were prepared.
Beatrix stepped before the amplification device and addressed Alexandria.
"Alexandria! I bid you to keep your silence until my words cease. As all of you know, we are here today to mourn the loss of General Amidala Gogo. However, we are also here to celebrate the life of this great woman. As a rose does grow from a bud to a flower in bloom, it also must die. Thus I ask that we think of General Gogo not as another fallen soldier but as a wilted flower that once stood tall and beautiful. Although it is true that she has left this world she shall live on in the tales of the young and old. We shall never forget you. Farewell Amidala Gogo, may you find peace eternal."
With a calm attitude and a lump in her throat Beatrix left the device. The Queen had now taken her place to sing Amidala Gogo's favourite song. Regardless of her severe hideousness the Queen was blessed with an angelic voice.
The band began to play and a group of pall bearers carried the General's coffin on their shoulders. As a mark of respect the chosen song for this occasion was an Burmecian tune based on the legend of a fallen knight. This was a day on which no one would dare mention the irony.
And so began the song;
'Justice with a sword,
our smiling knight on board.
Opening his heart to everyone,
and loving without a doubt.
Embracing friends and
embracing foes,
and those who were unjust.
A man true to his heart,
without fear or misgivings.
With "insecurity" tattooed across his body.
The first to accept, the last to disappoint.
He understood all and expected nothing.
Now you are free.
Free to roam the skies.
Now and then visit me,
with your starlit eyes.
You took all of our hearts with your smile,
and left a legacy untold.
You conquered life and fear,
So you see there was no room for you to grow old.'
By the time the song had run its course the mahogany coffin, decorated with the seal of Alexandria sat before the King, the Queen and of course the commanding general, Beatrix.
The coffin sat on an altar for a few moments as silence lay all around. Beatrix contemplated placing Save the Queen on top of the coffin so that Gogo's blade would rest with its owner but that would have been a great insult to Gogo's memory as she now lived on in that blade.
When enough time to be respectable had passed, the pall bearers carried the coffin into the castle where it would be placed within the hall of heroes.
As Amidala Gogo was taken to her final resting place, the King stepped up to the podium.
"My friends, though this day may be a sad day we must remember that life does go on. As a testament to this I must announce that my wife, your Queen is with child."
With conflicted emotions running throughout the crowd it took the cheers some time to emerge. For as they thought about his words, they realised that they were true; life did go on. As one spirit soared with the moogles another came into the world.
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She had been here so many times within the last few months that she had lost count. The familiarity of the room brought no comfort as this would forever be the resting place of Amidala Gogo.
The decor of the room was indeed worthy of the name, with armour and weaponry, scrolls of beautiful poetry, written in equally beautiful hand writing littered over the wall. At the centre of this room on a thick marble slab sat the glass case that held a mahogany coffin.
Beatrix stared at the coffin and thought back to those days when she had been but a child under the guidance of Amidala Gogo. Those days were long gone for she was now becoming a woman.
"Hello, I have come to visit you to tell you that I'm shall venture out into the world within the coming weeks. I am going to seek out two people. One of them is dear to us both, the other has shaped my life. Soon I shall put my mother's soul to rest. As your song says 'Justice with a sword'. Thank you for your love and the lessons you have taught me. For now I must leave. Farewell, Amidala Gogo."
With not so much as a second glance Beatrix left the hall of heroes with her head held high.
At the doorway she encountered Adelbert.
"Hello Beatrix." He greeted.
The foolish grin of his appeared.
"Oh, hello. Are you here to pay your respects?"
"Well, I cannot lie, I am actually here to see you."
"To see me?"
"Yes, you're the only one I have to speak with of my good news. I just want to announce that I was promoted on this day. I am now a Pluto Knight in full."
"Congratulations! I am honoured to be the first person to learn of your promotion."
"Actually you are the second. You see, I couldn't contain my joy when I learned the news so I told a visiting noble who had come from Treno. It is also fortunate for you that I met this man for he described his own joy at finding love. It seems that the poor fellow had fallen in love with a girl whom he had never spoken too."
Beatrix stood for a moment wondering why this man's crush had any relation to her. Surely this man couldn't have a crush on her. Had she even met the man?
"This girl he spoke of," Continued Adelbert. "sounded very much like Ms Lani."
"Lani!?" Asked Beatrix with great enthusiasm. "What did you hear?"
"I wasn't told much. However he did say that she has been seen in the company of a tall man with flame-red hair."
Her mind was taken back to that day when she peered through the barely open door and witnessed the abuse inflicted upon her mother. The smell of blood and sweat lingered in the air and her eyes began to water.
Suddenly she returned to the present.
"I'm sorry Adelbert. I must leave!" Beatrix darted to his left before running along the stone hallway."
Adelbert stood with a confused expression that looked even more foolish than his grin.
"Was it something I said?"
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After packing some things into a sack and changing into a more casual outfit, Beatrix fled from the castle.
Without saying a word to anyone she took a chocobo from the stables and charged through the streets until she came to the world outside of Alexandria.
The green plains stretched out before her and the chocobo whom she sat upon. This steed was another. She had decided against taking the chocobo she had ridden on the day they had gone to war. If the poor bird were to sustain any more trauma it was sure to have a heart attack.
The lack of depth perception that Beatrix now had would no doubt be an obstacle in this Quest but she would have to overcome that. For now it wasn't an issue as Lani needed her help.
She couldn't let that man hurt her!
Like a bullet from one of Regent Cid's newfangled rifles the bird shot across the earth. Shortly Alexandria and a trail of dust was behind and the world was in front.
"Hold on Lani! I'm coming!"
The earth was torn up underfoot as the bird became a golden streak on an emerald backdrop. Within mere moments they were gone.
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Next chapter soon.
I kind of liked how this chapter played out. It is going to get a little bit more exciting from now on.
Review if you like. Hell review if you don't! Just tell me what you think, if you have the time.
Thank you and farewell.
The lyrics of Gogo's Song: Starlit Eyes lyrics are copyright of System of A Down and the insane genius that is Serj Tankian. A prophetic man if I ever saw one.