Two Months Later
Things were eventful after that initial period.
Terra showed the most change. She was actually able to act normally around Bahamut now. With the departure stayed for so long, and another side of him revealed, she was able to tolerate his presence. And now that she was free of her fear…she began to notice him more. She noticed that the children loved him. They always wanted to play with him, and always wanted him on their team. He was their big hero in all of their games, always being strong enough to do the incredible things, like carry them around on his back, climb up on roof tops, and wrestle with them all at once. The children constantly wanted to play outside with him, and they became harder and harder to be led back in at noon.
Bahamut kept his promise, and during a few early mornings, he left the town of ruins and went far to the north, to another continent. In more of the pre tundra areas, he found lots of stalks of Midsummer's Wheat. It took him a few days to get enough seed to sow, but every day he brought back more until they had plenty. After that, it was just a matter of waiting for spring to end and for summer to get there. A week ago they had finally planted it, and now the children checked every day to see how it was doing. In the meantime, Bahamut had gathered the children around for another recitation of the "magic word", this time in order to clear the area on the other side of town for a pasture.
That wasn't all, however. Terra woke up in surprise one morning to find Bahamut out sawing some of the trees he had pulled up. He was planning on building a fence around the pasture so that the cows could be protected from wild animals. What more, he began to start fixing the damage in the building in which Terra lived.
"You don't need to do that." She protested when he started one day. "We can't live up here anyway."
"Eventually, the creatures will be controlled." Bahamut simply answered. "Besides…you need to. That basement must be a pain to try and heat in the winter, and in the spring I'm sure it floods. You shouldn't live like rats in hiding any longer. You and the children deserve a real home, and a warm, dry place to sleep all year round with a real kitchen."
Terra was rendered silent again at that. At that time, she could only smile again, this time looking at Bahamut in his eyes, and thank him again.
This work was too precise for the children to get involved in, even though they wanted to help. He had to do it all himself. But he didn't mind. He had told the truth when he first spoke to Terra. For some reason…he felt good when he did things for her and the children. Somehow, it made him feel more…with them. Like he was part of their group. He had no interest at one point of being that way, but since then…he found himself wanting to be a part of it. He didn't know why. He just did. Something about this entire setup made him happy. Lately…he found it harder and harder for him to plan to make his next move on how to rebuild his esper kingdom. Instead, whenever he tried to focus on going off and finding a new area…he thought instead of the fence he needed to finish…or of playing with the kids again. He kept getting distracted. He knew he shouldn't probably be wasting time with this and focus on more important things…but he couldn't.
Bahamut thought again of this that morning. The kids weren't up yet, though he was sure Terra was up by now making them breakfast. Occasionally, he did eat with them, although he still found himself having to find his own food to satisfy his tastes. Luckily, he found his new body was so efficient he only needed to eat once a month. At any rate, once the children got outside, his work would have to stop for the day. So he wanted to get the fence posts in as soon as possible. He had managed to carve all of them out, and mark the area around the pasture that he wanted to place them in. He had already hammered in two of them, using a greatsledgehammer he had conjured out of stone and wood using his powers. It only took one strike for him to put them in once started, although he had to be somewhat gentle to keep them from splitting. He proceeded to tap on top of this one, treating the twenty pound hammer like it was a basic claw hammer, and slowly put it into the ground.
Abruptly, however, he froze. He heard a slight rustle behind him, like something that had stepped on grass. Immediately, he tensed up. There had been two creature attacks since he had moved in there, both during the afternoon. They had been killed before they could do any damage, but Bahamut was still wary to immediately kill any threat before they could attack the kids or damage his work. He stretched out his senses behind him…but after scanning the lifeform, he immediately relaxed. His tense face smoothed, and his expression became blank.
Slowly, the great esper turned around. Standing about twenty feet away, his head bowed…was Duane.
Both men were silent for a moment. Bahamut looked at him without expression, while the young man kept his head bowed to the ground. A few morning birds chirped.
"…Hi." Duane finally started, not looking up.
"Hello." Bahamut answered without emotion.
Both men held again. There was a pause of motionlessness and silence. At last, however, Duane let out a slow sigh. He shifted uncomfortably where he was, digging his foot against the ground and putting his hands in his pockets. At last, he managed to speak.
"...I…never really thanked you for helping Yu and Ai."
Bahamut didn't change. "…No, you didn't."
"…Or for anything you've been doing around here…you know, making the garden and the pasture…making the fence and fixing the building."
"…No, you didn't."
Another pause. Duane swallowed and shifted again. "Well…I…I guess what I'm trying to do is that…" He somewhat murmured. "Terra…she works so hard. I need to pull my own weight more… I mean, I'm a father now and everything… I need to be more responsible myself. I'm thinking…maybe I should be the one out doing all this…" He hesitated at that, but then frowned and shook his head.
"No…that's not what I came out to say. I just…I just wanted to…say…" A pause, and then a sigh. "I shouldn't…have been such a jackass when you got here. It's just…I don't trust anyone. I never did. Even before the collapse, Katarin's mom and dad always wanted me away. And maybe I should have…I mean, I got her pregnant and everything. Not that I'm saying I regret it! I mean…it's great having a kid and all now…but, you know, it might not be the best thing for her… I mean, I might not be the best thing…"
"Apology accepted." Bahamut calmly cut off.
Duane went silent at that. He licked his lips again and shifted on the ground. He said no more, but he didn't move. On seeing this, Bahamut called out to him again.
"…Anything else?"
"Yeah…" The young man answered. He inhaled a bit, but then managed to slowly raise his head and look to him. His face was uncertain, but it had a determination to go through with something in his eyes. "You know…I want Ceras and Katarin to have a nice place to live too… I want to give them a house and make sure they're well fed and everything… So, I was wondering… You mind if I help you?"
Bahamut showed nothing in response to that. He looked calmly back. Duane continued to stare at him, his eyes a bit anxious and pleading. For a moment, neither of them did anything. But then, at long last, Bahamut cracked a smile and held out the sledgehammer to the young man.
"…Come over here and drive this stake in, for starters."
For the next hour, the two men worked together. Actually, things were slower now. Bahamut was unable to keep his superhuman pace up. Duane could barely lift the sledgehammer over his head, and he definitely couldn't drive a stake with one good pound. Bahamut recalled when this sort of thing made him impatient and sighed, particularly with the Light Warriors. And yet now…he found he didn't mind so much. He was happier instead that he finally managed to reach the young man he had been living with for so long. And so, he was patient with him. He even encouraged him from time to time, and the young man smiled at that. He was acutely aware of his own deficiencies, and they upset him. So when Bahamut complemented him, he was much encouraged. All in all…Bahamut felt it was one of the best hours he had in a long time.
They had only eight stakes in at the end of the hour. Bahamut went ahead and started packing up, and showing Duane how to do that. As he did, he looked around a bit in puzzlement. Terra wasn't out yet. Usually, by this time she would come and tell Bahamut that they were serving breakfast if he wanted any. And with Duane out here, he definitely expected it. Yet nothing came. The esper was puzzled. He trusted his internal clock, and he was sure the time had elapsed. Bahamut looked a bit uneasy when they turned and began to make their way back into the house.
Soon, both of them were making their way downstairs. But they heard nothing. None of the children were up yet. On reaching the bottom and entering into the shelter, they saw that everything was still dark. Some of the children, accustomed to waking up so early, were getting up regardless, but there was no sign of breakfast or anything else. On seeing this, Bahamut paused and looked around the area. Duane, also noticing that this was out of the ordinary, formed a look of puzzlement as he came in. He too looked around a bit, and soon saw that Katarin was awake with their child. He turned to her and called out.
"Katarin? Where's Terra?"
Katarinshook her head. "I don't know. She hasn't come out yet this morning."
Bahamut frowned. Terra wasn't the kind of woman who would neglect the children just to sleep in. He immediately grew concerned. The esper didn't bother to hold out any longer in the room. Heturned for the door to Terra's bedroom and walked toward it. Duane and Katarincalled out to ask what he was doing, but he didn't answer. He simply continued walking until he reached the door andopened it. Soon he had vanished inside.
The room was still dark. The lamp hadn't been lit. However, Bahamut only had to look around for a moment to see that Terra was still in bed. She was mostly motionless, but he could see her chest rising and falling. The esper quickly moved over to her bedside. Once there, he looked down over her body and called out to her.
"Terra?"
The young woman slowly turned from her side onto her back. As she did, she moved painstakingly slowly, and winced frequently. Even in the darkness, Bahamut already noticed she had changed. She was pale now, and she shivered under her loose covers. She cringed somewhat and barely managed to open her eyes. She looked to be very sore or in pain. On seeing all this…Bahamut knew what was wrong. But in order to confirm it, he went ahead and reached down to her forehead and felt it. He frowned in response. It was hot. To confirm more, he reached down and felt her neck. That part was ice cold. Slowly, he let out a sigh.
Moments later, Katarin and Duane walked into the room. Katarin brought her child with her, and both of them looked with concern toward Bahamut and Terra. After a moment, they began to approach. However, once they did, Bahamut frowned and turned his head behind him.
"…I wouldn't bring Seras too close, Katarin."
Duane looked past Bahamut, and tried to see Terra's face. "Terra? Are you alright?"
The half esper gave a slight moan in response, turning under her covers…or more appropriately, seeming to writhe under them. "I'm…a little under the weather…this morning…" She slowly answered, in a much softer and strained voice than normal. "I'll be up…in a little while…"
Like hell you will. Bahamut thought with a frown. Espers rarely developed fevers, but he knew enough to recognize one when he saw it. He may not have been one of the great medical espers in his time, but he had taken care of enough sniffling, sneezing young humans, in the form of Palad, the Dragoon, and the Light Warriors, to know how to recognize sickness when he saw it. Ignoring Terra, Bahamut turned again to the others behind him, now growing more concerned and anxious looking at what they saw, and instructed them.
"Katarin…if any of the children are old enough to watch Seras for a moment, I'd leave her with them and get a basin of cold water and a cloth. Duane…if you know where to get any extra blankets, bring out one or two and bring them here."
Both young adults hesitated. This was the first time Bahamut had actually given them any commands to do something. However, they didn't debate it. One quick look at how pale Terra was immediately confirmed all that they needed to know. And if it meant helping their matron, they wouldn't debate it. Immediately, both of them turned and went back out the way they came to carry out Bahamut's instructions.
"I'm fine…" Terra weakly protested. "Really…"
"Are you achy anywhere?" Bahamut responded, ignoring this.
"I'm…a little sore, but it's-"
"In the joints?"
"Yes, but…"
"You're shaking."
"I'm a bit cold, that's all-"
"You have the chills."
"Really, I'm fine…"
"No, you're not." Bahamut flatly answered. "You look like you have the flu, and if you try to exert yourself you'll only get sicker. You're staying in bed today."
Terra looked up to him and frowned. "I can't afford to stay in bed… I have to make the kids' breakfast…clean up around the house…tend to the garden…watch them when they're outside…"
"Forget about that stuff." Bahamut cut off. "I think Duane, Katarin, and myself can handle that."
On hearing that Bahamut included himself in the chain of command, Terra stopped and looked a bit more wide-eyed at him. "…You?"
"I think I've seen you handle the kids long enough to be able to do the same." Bahamut simply answered. "Besides, they'll be safer with me watching them outside anyway."
Terra hesiated longer, but then began to shake her head and push herself weakly up. "No…I'll handle it. I told you…I'm fine…"
Bahamut placed his hands on Terra and gently but firmly pushed her back down onto the bed. "If you get up and run around, not only will you get sicker, but you'll get the children sick as well. You can't afford a flu outbreak out here, miles from any doctor or medical help. So stay down."
"I'm telling you…"
"If you don't stop resisting me," Bahamut finally stated in a colder, stronger voice as he pinned Terra down to resist her futile struggles to rise. "I'll cast a sleeping spell on you, and you won't leave this bed for three days."
Terra stopped at that. She looked up, and managed a weak glare at the esper. After a moment or so longer, however, she gave out a tired sigh and relaxed. Bahamut wasn't breaking down, and she was in no shape to refuse him. So she merely lay back, and let him continued to inspect her, particularly around her neck and forehead.
Shortly thereafter, Katarin and Duane returned with the things. Bahamut took the basin from Katarin immediately, while Duane began to spread the extra blankets over Terra. "How bad is it?" The young woman asked.
"I think it's just the flu." Bahamut responded, as he wrung out the washcloth and prepared to use it. "But I don't want to give it the chance to become anything worse. I think we'll be taking care of the children today."
Terra frowned again as Bahamut began to dab her forehead. "I really think I'm ok… I'll feel better if I get up and eat something…"
"You can stay in bed and eat." Bahamut retorted.
"Don't worry about it, Terra." Duane added as he finished. "We ran things while you were off with your friends fine. And we had to worry about Katarin's pregnancy then. This shouldn't be a problem."
Terra still looked regretful in response to that.
Katarin, seeing she wasn't needed here, drew herself up. "Alright…I guess I'll go try my hand at breakfast again. And I'll make something for you too, Terra." With that, she turned and made her way back out again.
Bahamut finished cooling Terra's brow, and then rested the cloth on it. "I'd try to go back to sleep if I were you. If you need us, just yell. I'll hear you."
Duane turned up in slight puzzlement at this comment. What he didn't understand was that Bahamut was giving her an instruction for the rest of the day. Even when they took the kids out, he could hear her distinctly from under the house. At any rate, now finished, he rose from Terra's side and began to walk back out the way he came. As he did, Duane left the bed and went up next to him while he walked out. Terra sighed again and then closed her eyes, supposing she might as well do what had been suggested. The two men soon left her, but only shut the door partially so that it would be easy to hear her from their side.
"Well…let's get to it." Bahamut stated as he turned to Duane, after shutting the door partially.
In response, the young man looked to the ground and gave a long sigh.
"What's the matter?"
"Oh nothing…I'm just remembering how it was last time…"
"We've been around and helped with the routine long enough. How hard could it be?"
The young man looked up to him at that a bit uneasily. "More than I thought, at any rate…"
Sadly, Bahamut found out that Duane was right.
The esper had a whole new appreciation for the order that Terra managed to instill. The kids, now recharged with energy and awake, were soon running around everywhere, getting their toys all over the floor, and generally making a large mess and ruckus with their yelling. Bahamut was stunned. He had never heard them make this much noise when Terra ran things. But actually…he hadn't been around for this most mornings, but had stayed outside. Now, he and Duane struggled to corral the children while Katarin went about making breakfast. That was a bad item in and of itself. Katarin could barely cook. Terra wasn't much of a chef herself, but she had far more experience. The children turned their noses at what she made. The older kids ate one or two bites and then said they weren't hungry. The younger ones refused to even sit down long enough to try it. Athena nearly threw a fit when Bahamut tried to coax her to eat, and actually nearly screamed "no" once. At that, the three adults were dumbstruck, because they weren't sure exactly how much punishment Terra would allow. Bahamut himself, in his rough way of disciplining, would normally take away food for three days as punishment until the children were begging for it back. After all, these children barely had enough food to eat, let alone to afford to turn their noses at. That, obviously, wasn't an option. So he was forced to sit with the children, and tell them to eat at least half of their food. With the younger ones, he had to repeat it every time they managed to eat a bite (which usually took around eight minutes), and endure endless whining and griping.
Breakfast was such a sordid affair that the adults had neglected to clean up after the kids, leaving the bedroom area in disarray. The older children knew to make their own beds, but without Terra enforcing it they had to be told after their meal. As for the younger ones, Bahamut and Duane ended up having to decide which one would do it and which one would wash the dishes. In the end, Duane got cleanup while Bahamut did dishes. It was a rather nasty affair to him. Bahamut had never washed a dish, or anything for that matter, in his life. The materializing/dematerializing act of making clothes left them fresh and new each time, and he ate almost all of his meals raw and freshly hunted. In the end, he made a rather large, soapy mess of things, and Katarin was forced to clean up a lot of spilled water and food refuse.
After that, it was finally time to go outdoors. Remarkably enough, Bahamut found himself somewhat taxed by then, and a little less eager to get to playing. When he did, he realized that what he had done until this point in his methods of rough and tumble play was essentially get the kids riled up so that they would be more uncontrollable later. He was surprised at this, and amazed that Terra had never called him on it. In the end, that day he had them run around more to try and burn off some of that energy for later.
However, a new problem soon arose. Katarin wanted to stay inside to tend to Terra (not believing that any human could hear her call if she needed something). Duane had to go and do Terra's duties in the fields. That left Bahamut not only tending to the kids…but forced to babysit Seras. The esper soon realized the annoyances of having offspring as he had to almost constantly pick Seras up or tell her no as she got into one thing after another. She wanted to run with the kids at one point, and Bahamut made the mistake of letting her. All it took was one stray ball to knock her on her rear to make her start crying. Bahamut, sweating and tired, had to pick her up and struggle to get her to calm down before Duane or Katarin returned to scold him. At one point, she did seem affectionate and tried to get Bahamut to pick her up, and on doing so she rested her head on his shoulder. Bahamut was amazed, and a bit happy, to see this reaction…until Seras threw up on his shirt.
But the worst, for him, was the diaper.
While playing with Seras and trying to keep her occupied long enough to do something to divert the attention of the other children, Bahamut became aware that Seras didn't smell all that good. Soon, he discovered, for the first time, the unique human phenomenon of dirty diapers. Bahamut was so baffled by this occurance that he actually ran over to the front door of the house and called down to Katarin, asking her to come up and change the baby. In response, the young woman called back that Terra was throwing up breakfast, and that she needed Bahamut to handle it. Thus, the grudging esper carried Seras over to the changing materials that Katarin had set out for her, and engage in the ritual of diaper changing.
It was the ghastliest thing the esper had done in quite some time. Seras had been sitting in it a while, and she had quite a load. The esper's sensitive nose could barely tolerate the stench. He cursed humans for not simply being able to squat on the ground when the time arose like "normal creatures", and as carefully as he could removed the cloth diaper and cleaned up the mess. Then…far too disgusted to think of washing this and using it later, especially if Terra was sick long enough that he would have to do it, Bahamut quickly "sighted" a rare animal and told the children to look for it. When they looked away, Bahamut obliterated the old diaper in a burst of flame and conjured a new one. Seras saw everything, but only smiled and laughed at it.
"That'll be our little secret." He instructed the toddler.
At last, it was time to go in and have lunch. The children weren't any more compliant with this meal than breakfast, and soon Bahamut had to resist the urge to paralyze the children and shove the food down their throats. After it was finally over, Bahamut once again found himself making a large mess washing dishes. When he finished this time, he was displeased to find that his human flesh tended to dry out and chap after washing dishes. So he had to deal with inflammation as well as the kids, now stuck inside, began to mess up their small living space again and cause a ruckus indoors. The children appeared to be as unlimited in energy as he was, and now without their matron restraining them they jumped off their beds, obliterated pillow forts, and made each other cry by playing too rough. Keeping them in line was a nightmare. The adults couldn't even get to the kids soon enough in some cases due to the clutter they made on the floor. Keeping them quiet was also an issue, as each scream that managed to reach Terra's ears not only aggravated her headache but made her want to get up and do something about this. Bahamut gave praise mentally to the person who invented naps before the afternoon got that late. But even then, getting the younger ones to stay in bed was a chore, as was keeping the others quiet enough to let them sleep.
It seemed that dinner would never get there, although it was a mixed blessing when it came. It signaled the end of a long and tiring day, but it also meant enduring a practical force feeding of the children again. When it was finally over, Bahamut was grateful for the small peace that resulted…although he was quite annoyed to find his hands very raw and irritated after three washings. This time was another free time for the children, but for the older ones it involved practicing reading and writing. That alleviated some of the problems.
Unfortunately, more came back when it was time for bed. Bahamut learned the old maxim at that time that a human doesn't willingly go to sleep until age 14. Soon, there were more whining, complaining, running, yelling, and escape attempts than at all three meals combined. It took forever to get the kids corraled long enough to wash their faces and hands, get their nightclothes on, and put them to bed. Even with Duane helping, it was nearly impossible. As soon as they got one child down, the others were focused on, and during that time the first one escaped. It seemed as if they would never get them all under control, and they had to reassure Terra more than once, who heard on the other side of her door the entire thing. Yet at long last, they were all in bed.
Bahamut gave a sigh in relief. Why didn't the full grown humans have this much energy? He didn't think there was anything left alive that could tax him. At any rate, he was pleased with the result. All of the children were now dressed, washed, and down in bed. Katarin was dimming the lights at this time, and putting down her own child. Duane, who hadn't gotten a break all day since working the field, was already down and snoozing. Everyone would soon be asleep…and Bahamut would make sure to pray that night that Terra's sickness was only a twenty-four hour bug. Within a few moments, Katarin had gone down with her own child, and only one lamp was left on a nightstand near a chair at the bedsides. Seeing all this, Bahamut looked over the children, made sure nothing was missed, and then nodded.
"Alright everyone…good night." With that, he made to dim the lamp.
"Mr. Tumahab?"
Bahamut froze…and stifled a grimace. He had been hearing his name called at least a thousand times today, and all by the same person who he heard now…Athena. Mr. Tumahab? Can I have a drink? Mr. Tumahab? I can't tie my shoes. Mr. Tumahab? My stew's too hot. Mr. Tumahab? Marcus hit my chocobo! Mr. Tumahab? Can you tuck me in? Mr. Tumahab? Mama doesn't wash my face this hard… Mr. Tumahab? …Why did your face turn red when I said that? Trying to look as pleasant as possible, Bahamut turned over to the young human.
"…Yes, Athena?"
"Will you read us a story?" She asked.
Bahamut hesitated at that. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He thought he had to take her to go potty. However, he was still a little disrupted by this request. "…I don't think we'll be having any stories tonight."
But at this, not only did Athena look hurt, but the other children began to lean up and call to him with anxious faces and pleading voices.
"Please?"
"Pretty please?"
"Mama always reads to us!"
"We can't go to sleep if you don't."
Bahamut reached up to suppress a headache coming on. How did Terra do it? But now, all five kids were looking to him with puppy dog faces and pleas for a story. The great esper murmured under his breath. This was what he was reduced to. The great king of the espers…and he was now a babysitter. Better yet, a storytelling babysitter. He wiped his mouth and gave a shrug. "I…I don't know any stories, children."
Athena immediately pointed under the table. "Mama keeps the storybook under there. She just reads from that once a night."
The esper looked down. Sure enough, there was a rather large book. The esper hesitated again, and looked back up to the children. They looked to him eagerly, and continued to plead with him. Bahamut inhaled deeply, and looked over to Duane and Katarin. Katarin was too engaged with her child, and Duane was out. The esper sighed. Finally, he walked over to the chair very slowly and ruefully, and sat down in it. After doing so, he licked his lips, and then slowly bent over, grabbed the book, and pulled it out and up to himself. The esper cracked it open to the first page soon after.
Bahamut frowned immediately. He should have known. It had been two thousand years since he had read anything. Even before that, the only writing he understood was Leviathan's alphabet. He hadn't the slightest idea what the page in front of him said. After a moment, he shut the book again, placed it back on the table, and then gave a shrug to the kids. "I can't read this book, children. I can't tell a story."
But they wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Please!" Athena pleaded.
"Tell us your own story!" Yu suggested.
Bahamut blushed at this and looked uneasy. He scratched the back of his head. "…I…don't know any stories. I didn't have any growing up."
"Then make up a story!" Ai tried.
"Please? Just one?" Athena begged. "I'll go to sleep right away. I promise."
The other children began to chime in at this. They were all in agreement. Bahamut rubbed the bridge of his nose at this. How did he get into this mess, anyway? He had never spent so much time in a human dwelling, and definitely hadn't reached this point. He didn't know any stories. And he definitely wasn't creative enough to make one up. But the children continued to plead with them, and it became obvious that they weren't going to let him go without one. Children were extreme in all things…and especially in expressing their desires. He had to do something. He would have to tell them something, or they'd never go down. But what could he tell them? What would possibly appeal to them?
Children liked mythical stories…ones filled with magic and magical creatures. Nowadays, such things were considered fanciful rather than history, which Bahamut knew they were. They liked stories of adventure and quests and fantasy… On thinking of this, an idea slowly came to Bahamut's mind. He wasn't really sure how good he could tell this, or if he could make it exciting or interesting to kids. However…it was something. And it was the only idea he could think of. He might as well give it a shot. Hopefully, if it wasn't interesting, it would bore the children to sleep.
"Well…I do have one story, I suppose."
The kids immediately brightened up at that, and quieted down so they could hear it. They eased back into their beds, and the younger ones held their stuffed animals tightly. Once things were silent, Bahamut drew himself up a bit and leaned back a little. How did one start these sorts of things? He hadn't paid much attention to storytelling throughout his long life, and he wasn't sure how good he was. At last, he managed to think of some opening, and spat it out.
"Once upon a time…there was this magical land…"
"Why was it magic?" Ai immediately asked.
Bahamut was stunned at the sudden interruption so soon into the story, but he only paused a moment to collect himself before answering. "Well…most land in the world floats in the ocean, but this one floated in the sky, far above the rest of the world."
"Was this the floating island?" Marcus asked.
"Oh no." Bahamut immediately answered. "This was thousands of years before that…long before any of you were born, or your parents were born, or your grandparents were born, or their grandparents were born… Anyway, this land was magical not only because it flew in the sky, but because there were special flowers there that one could eat from, and they would taste wonderful and you wouldn't have to eat for days after you ate from them. And the sun was always shining there, and it never got cold or rainy or windy."
"Was there a king and queen and castle there?" Athena asked.
"Well, I don't know about any king or castle…" Bahamut answered. "But there was a kingdom there. But it was unusual in that there were only eight people in this kingdom."
"How did they all get there?" Essner asked.
"Well, you see, it just so happened that all eight of these people were brother and sister, and that they were all born right there on that magical land. However, because one was older than the rest of them, she became their queen. Her name was Crusader. As for the other children, there was a big, strong boy named Odin, a sweet little girl named Starlet, a beautiful bird named Phoenix, and two sets of twins. One set of the twins was a couple of great sea serpents named Leviathan and Ogopogo. And as for the other set of twins…well, they would have looked like great dragons, except this was so very long ago that even dragons didn't exist yet. Their names were Wyvern and Bahamut."
As the esper continued his story, the questioning of the children gradually died down and they grew absorbed in the story. Little did any of them know, Bahamut among them…that there was an additional audience member to this tale not far off.
Bahamut had gone halfway through the time that he and Wyvern first ventured to the real world when the last of the children passed out. Seeing that, he cut off for the time being. Without making a sound, he rose from his chair and slowly dimmed the light. Then, still being perfectly silent, he turned and walked back out of the now darkened room and into Terra's chamber. Once he was inside, he silently shut the door behind him again, sealing this room off from the rest of the children.
Bahamut turned and walked over to Terra next. He saw immediately that she was still awake. She shouldn't have been, but she had been sleeping most of the day and so it was only typical. The great esper made his way to her head and felt it. After a moment, he looked to her and gave a nod.
"You're getting cooler. But I'll wipe it again anyway." With that, he began to turn to the basin and began to moisten the rag again.
"So…that's where you were born."
Bahamut paused on hearing that. He looked up and was silent. Obviously, Terra had been listening to the story as well. And since she knew his real name, then it was easy for her to make the connection. He hesitated for a moment, but then bowed his head and turned back. "…Yes."
"It's strange." Terra answered. "Did you make any of that up?"
"Of course not." Bahamut retorted as he began to wipe, sounding almost insulted. "I never lie about my past. It would disgrace the memory. The closest thing I did was flub a bit on who Crusader was. The truth of the matter was she was our matron, not our queen, just as you are the matron of these children. But I didn't want to plant any seeds of doubt about you among them. You see…this story doesn't have the happiest of endings, especially regarding her."
Terra didn't answer for a moment as Bahamut continued to bathe her forehead. "…I only asked because…according to our human traditions, espers were weapons invented by the magi prior to the War of the Magi…"
Bahamut snorted at that, now indeed sounding insulted. "It is typical that humans would make themselves our superiors. I assure you…the first humans I saw were in little shape to invent anything. You'll see that eventually if I continue my story."
"Maybe I'll let you. I'd like to know how it ends."
Bahamut raised an eyebrow, and looked back to Terra. She stared simply back in response, not showing anything else. After a moment, the esper removed the cloth and set it back in the basin. He said nothing else. Terra didn't say anything either. But after a bit longer, she finally managed to say something a bit quieter.
"…Thanks for looking after the children today. I know it wasn't easy."
Bahamut couldn't be more in agreement with that. He was about to inquire as to how the half esper managed to tolerate them. But when he thought of that…and thought back to the course over the day…he suddenly lost the need to. In truth, though it had been difficult to take care of the kids and all of their wants and needs throughout the day…and he had grown sick of it by now…it was still…rewarding…in a way. And, strange as it seemed, Bahamut actually felt it kind of nice to be able to do it for once. There was something about the whole experience that made him feel more…interconnected. More personal. More on their level. Besides, he only was doing what he should have done as a tenant.
But even more than that…he found that he didn't want to agitate Terra about it.
"…It was nothing."
Terra smiled a bit and chuckled. "Oh, come on now. I'm not deaf. I heard you all day."
Bahamut grimaced. "Really…it wasn't as bad as we made out. Sure, it was difficult…but…"
"…But what?"
Bahamut hesitated again, and looked a bit puzzled himself. What was the right word? He scratched his chin and bowed his head. "It was…nice…in a way. I feel like I got something out of it. I'm not sure what exactly…but it felt good. It was a change for once. Sure…I wasn't too keen on all the parts, in particular the diapers…"
Terra snickered a bit at that. "Yeah…those take some getting used to."
Surprisingly enough, Bahamut found himself smiling a bit at that reply, but then went on. "…But I still enjoyed it in some way. And it's strange…I didn't even realize it until now. It feels almost like an accomplishment…and yet more." He hesitated for a moment after that, and then turned down to Terra. "Is that why you came here?"
Terra's smile faded, and she bowed her head and sighed slightly. She gave pause for a few moments more, as she recalled something that had happened a while ago… It gave her deep trouble and made her speak slower and softer.
"…I was on the Flying Continent just before it blew up. I and my friends escaped to an airship and took off, but the ship itself was broken in half moments later by the shockwave." She hesitated and inhaled deeply again, looking out to nothing and staring. "…I saw them all fly away like scattered leaves…and I lost them in the debris and confusion. I thought I was the only one who survived, because I could transform. But I didn't have time to look for a single one of them…because it turned out that a monster we had driven off had survived…something called Atma Weapon."
Bahamut stiffened as he heard this. He remembered that name. That was the thing that had slain Leviathan and Starlet...
"I fought it all the way down through the sky until we reached the ground, and once there I continued to fight it. It took me the better part of two days before I managed to kill it. All around me, the ground was rupturing like a living hell. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed after it happened that I passed out."
Bahamut was justly surprised, getting off track for a moment. So...Terra had managed to kill a creature that two of the most powerful espers could not? On hearing that, Bahamut realized his assumptions were correct. Terra was indeed powerful... However, this was just a side thought. As Terra grew quieter and more somber, shemade him refocus his attention.
"When I came to a day later, the world was in such a ruin that I had no idea where I was. And frankly…thinking that all my friends were dead…thinking that the world was a lifeless ruin…thinking that we had failed in every possible way to stop Kefka…I sank into despair.
"I wandered around the wilderness south of here for a few weeks. I found that most cities had survived, though damaged. I also found Kefka's Tower, where he was setting himself up as a god. I had been so useless the last time we met that I gave up hope of trying to kill him, even though he had used me in the past. I mostly hid from other people, not wanting them to know my true nature. I battled horrific monsters that came out from the ground and saw more destruction and death result. Eventually, I left civilization and wandered along these rotting plains. But then…I saw some great beam of light be fired from the top of Kefka's Tower and strike far north. I don't know why I left, but I did to see what had happened.
"I still don't know what had happened exactly. Someone had been trying to stage a revolution in this town, I think. And so…Kefka slaughtered them and laid this town waste. By some miracle, most of the children had survived. The oldest people left, as you can see, were Duane and Katarin, who were only sixteen at the time. The children had been taken to the town's edge by their parents before they were killed, and so were spared. As for Duane and Katarin, they had been in the same basement we live in now…and I won't bother mentioning what they were doing there. I got here, as far as I can tell, about a day after it happened.
"The children were hysterical. They were afraid of me at first, but soon they clung desperately to the only maternal figure they could find. I didn't know what to do. Duane and Katarin soon showed up, digging their way out of the ruins. They showed me where they had stayed, and I took the children there. I had to, because the place was getting wild and dangerous. Once I got them in the basement, I tried my best to calm them down and learn what had happened. I dried their tears, I fed them, and I provided a lot of tactile support, though I didn't do it willingly at the time. They just hugged me until they stopped crying, and eventually I realized that I could help them by preempting that. I tried to find something to do with them. But they had been separated from the continent they originated from. None of them had any relatives that weren't on the other side of an ocean, who for all I knew were dead and lost to the sea. I didn't know what to do at that time…
"But around the end of the second day, Phunbaba showed up for the first time. At the time, I still let the kids go outside to go to the bathroom. I had Katarin take Athena out. While I was trying to think of what to do with the others, I heard them both screaming. I ran out, and I saw this horrible, fat, troll-like creature that just kept babbling the same phrase, 'Phunbaba'. It had seized Athena, and she screamed for her mother. It was going to eat her within seconds.
"I'm not sure what happened to me that day. On taking one look at this thing, I saw its power. I saw that I could never hope to kill it, possibly even hope to injure it. But when I heard Athena pleading for help…something snapped in me. It was an attachment I never felt before, demanding me to act on it. Luckily Athena was hysterical and Katarin had run off to get Duane. None of them saw me when I turned into my esper form, and with one single blow drove my head into the thing's gut. Normally, that move would have only made it mad, which I found out later the next time we met. But at that time, it was such surprising strength that it had the wind knocked out of it. It dropped Athena and ran off, bawling like a baby.
"The poor girl was almost catatonic. I reverted and pulled her to my chest. Desperate, I rocked her and sang some light tune I had heard in Jidoor, trying to make her relax. Eventually, it began to work. She started snapping out of it and hugging me back. And that was the first time any of the children called me, 'mama'.
"I don't know what happened in me then, but it was related to the link I felt before. I didn't understand it at the time either. It would take my friends trying to take me from the children not once, but twice, before I knew it. It also took me that long to discover it was a source of strength, not weakness. Until now, I thought of love as simply some notion between a man and a woman. I couldn't even understand what Duane and Katarin felt for one another. I had no family, no parents, and I had lived most of my life as a slave. But then…I found myself unable to leave the children, and desperate to defend them. For a while, it only made me weaker. I wanted to serve them and nothing else. I thought I was useless. I thought I was weak. But then…there was the last time Phunbaba came. Every time he had come back he had grown more aggressive, and now was the worst. Now, my friends struggled to hold him back while I watched the then pregnant Katarin. Somehow as I watched them get beaten by that monster…it suddenly hit me.
"I saw Katarin, and she was always such a strong and considerate woman. But now…she was petrified of Phunbaba. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She just kept holding her stomach and crying. I realized she was terrified for her baby. She just wanted to keep her safe at all costs, not caring what happened to her. And that's when I realized it. That's why I was holding back. That's why I stayed. That's why it seemed natural to me to protect these children. I realized I loved them. I felt the same love a mother feels for her own children. The feeling that I thought had been making me weak was the feeling of strong attachment to them. I felt as if my purpose was here…my meaning was here. And when I did, I felt stronger. I felt stronger and more certain of myself than ever. I had a purpose in fighting again, and that was to defend the people I loved. They empowered me in that way, and so I attacked.
"Where before I couldn't even make the creature flinch, I killed it in seconds this time. And from that day on, I had changed again. I had learned at last what it meant to love. Until that time, I had been going along mostly on what people told me to do. I never truly believed in anything, or had faith in anyone. But for the sake of preserving that emotion…that wonderful feeling…I would slay a thousand Kefkas. And in the end, after we were done, I came back right here. Because here is where I truly belong. These children may not have been born to me…but they are mine now. I love them more than I love myself. When I was about to die after the vanishing of the magicite…I couldn't think of myself for even a moment. I thought only of Katarin and her coming child. And the same goes for me today. These children mean everything to me."
At this, Terra finally finished. Bahamut stared back at her and took this in. He could sense her emotional changes as she went on, but also saw the visible change in her face as she recalled her past. So…that was why in the end. Terra had first learned how to love here. It was late in life, but it was better late than never to learn such a thing. And given her circumstances, it was typical. And it left the esper feeling strange. What was it about humanity and their children that affected them all so? What was it that made them change so much? What was it about them…that taught them to love?
Before Bahamut could pursue this line of thinking any longer, however, he suddenly heard something from behind the door. It was hard to make out at first, but it quickly grew to be distinctive. He turned his head, as did Terra, to the source, and soon identified it. It sounded like crying. And it sounded like it was coming from the youngest child. On hearing that, Terra's face turned regretful and sad.
"Oh no… Athena again…"
Bahamut turned back to her at this. "Athena? Again? Does that mean this isn't an emergency?"
"Oh, it's an emergency, all right." Terra slowly answered. "It's just not the first time. She's the youngest, and has the hardest time accepting the fact that her mother is never coming back. She gets scared sometimes and starts calling for her. I'll need to get up and lie with her for a while to get her to go back to sleep…"
On hearing this, Bahamut shook his head. "No. You're still sick, and you'll probably be a carrier for another few days at least."
Terra frowned at him. "Look…I need to comfort her. She'll wake the others and she'll be up all night until she cries herself to sleep if I don't."
Bahamut put up a hand at that, and began to back up. "Don't worry about that. She trusts me too. I'll handle it."
On hearing that, Terra's eyes widened. "You?" She uttered in disbelief. She blinked once or twice in response. "Doing the dishes and reading stories is one thing…but soothing a little child to go to sleep? Do you even know any lullabies? I don't think you can handle this. I think I need to take care of it."
Bahamut, however, only had his male ego bruised by this, and became even more determined to prove himself. He turned and walked the rest of the way to the door without responding. Terra muttered something along the lines of he had better not use a spell to put her to sleep before Bahamut opened the door and shut it behind him again. Once he did, he turned to the bedroom area and looked it over.
Sure enough, Athena was sitting up in bed, clutching her chocobo desperately, and was covered with tears. Her crying was even louder out here, and it was amazing she hadn't woke the other children up yet. That wasn't all, however. As Bahamut saw her sad and weeping…he felt a bit of distress inside himself as well. Why was that? Athena was the one who was sad and scared… And yet, somehow…the fact that one of the other children was distressed made him uncomfortable and uneasy too. Why? He didn't know. All he knew was that this emotion helped him to run over to Athena much quicker than normal and sat down as well.
Bahamut soon got a surprise as Athena, suddenly turned to him and seized him around the waist, putting her head against his chest. The esper was stunned and taken aback for a moment. He had never actually been hugged by one of the children before. Now that he was, he couldn't react right away. He merely sat there and fumbled for a word or action to do, before he placed his arms down on her.
"Athena? What's wrong?"
Athena's sobs were somewhat muffled by Bahamut's chest, but she was still loudly crying. The esper already felt his clothes getting wet. "I want my mommy…" She choked out from within Bahamut's clothes.
Bahamut didn't know what to say. Perhaps he should have taken Terra's advice. He looked around a moment…and licked his lips. "Athena…" He spoke back softly after a moment. "She's…she's not here."
"I want my mommy…"
"Athena, I'm sorry…but…you're mom's gone away…"
"I want my mommy…"
Bahamut sighed to himself and frowned. Rules of logic weren't going to work here. At this age, Athena's concept of life and death was still too fragmented and incomplete. The esper soon found himself hopelessly holding onto her, struggling to think of the right thing to say, if anything, that would help her calm down. As he did, she only continued to cry harder against his chest. He had to think of something. Not only to keep her quiet…but also because he found himself unable to stand seeing her cry either. He wanted to comfort the human somehow. He bowed his head over her, and tried to hold her a bit tighter.
"…You really miss your mother, don't you?" He finally asked.
Athena sniffled and quivered, but managed to nod her head against Bahamut's chest, without looking up. "I miss everyone…" She sniffled.
"Everyone?" Bahamut asked with some intrigue.
"Mommy…daddy…my big brother…my little sister… They all went away…" She spoke back. Though she was still crying and tight-throated, talking made her stop crying for the moment. Bahamut hesitated, but then decided to press this.
"You had a big family, didn't you?"
Athena nodded again. "Yes…" She added with a sniffle. "I miss them… I feel so lonely sometimes… I'm the only one here…" She hesitated a moment, and then sniffled. "I wish my mommy was here… She used to read to me and play games with me…and she'd give me a glass of milk whenever I had a nightmare and let me climb into her bed… And she gave me Choci for my birthday…"
Bahamut paused a moment, and then spoke more softly. "…Well, Terra reads to you and plays with you…and she lets you sleep with her when she has nightmares…"
"Yeah…but…"
"It's not the same, is it?"
"No…"
The esper hesitated again. "…What do you miss the most about your mommy?"
"I…I miss her… I miss everything…"
"But you really miss something, don't you? You miss how she used to hug you?"
"…Uh huh…"
"And how she always watched you and kept you safe?"
"…Uh huh…"
"And how she tucked you in every night and played with you every morning?"
"…Uh huh…"
Bahamut held for a moment, inhaling a deep breath. Talking had helped. Athena was still sad, but talking to someone had helped her stop crying.
"…It's really sad for someone you love to go away, Athena." Bahamut finally said. "I know. All of my brothers and sisters went away too. I'm just like you…I'm all alone too."
Athena sniffed and looked up to him. "But…you're a grown up."
Bahamut shrugged. "It doesn't mean I can't feel lonely."
"But…you have all of us."
Bahamut smiled a bit at that, and then gave a nod. "That's right. I do have all of you. Just like you have all of us. You can feel sad because your family's gone, Athena…but you don't have to be lonely. We're all here for you. We all care about you. We all love you. You may have lost your family…but you have another family right here. You know how much Terra and everyone else cares about you, right?"
Athena bowed her head again and wiped her nose. "Yeah…but I still miss my mommy. Why did she have to go away? Why did they all have to go away? Why did they leave me?"
"Oh, they didn't leave you, Athena." Bahamut softly reassured. "I'm sure your mommy would have never left you alone. I know. I know you're a wonderful little girl, and that there isn't a mommy in the world who would give you up for anything in the whole wide world. It's just that sometimes…things happen in life. Things happen to everyone. And sometimes, they make us do things we don't want to do. Like Terra…she didn't want to be sick today. She wanted to play with you all and smile and laugh…but she got sick. It's not her fault. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault.
"But I know something else, Athena. I know that the people here will always love you, just as I'm sure your mother will always love you. And they'll always be there for you, just like she would be if she was here. Most of all…I know that your mother wanted you to be happy. She wanted you to have a good, happy life, and that she wanted you to grow up and do everything you always wanted to do. Your mom did all of those nice things for you because she thought you were the best little girl in the world. And I know that wherever she is she still believes that. And everyone here believes it too."
On hearing this, Athena suddenly lifted her head and looked to Bahamut again. As she did, she looked into his eyes with a pleading stare, and anxiously clung to him. Then…she said something that Bahamut never expected.
"You'll always be here for me too, won't you Mr. Tumahab? Will you stay with us forever?"
The esper found himself surprised yet again. He had never expected that. Until this point, he still considered himself not fully "one of the gang". When he had been talking a moment ago, he had been referring to Terra, Duane, Katarin, and the others. He had never really thought of himself as part of this small little outpost in the wilderness. He had many other matters to attend to. And yet…despite all that…he found himself not wanting to cause this girl anymore grief, and before he could stop himself it spilled out.
"…Forever and ever, Athena."
For the first time since they had talked, Athena smiled at him, and then hugged him tightly again. Bahamut's face quickly turned to one of surprise. Had he just said that? He didn't want to stay here forever. He had set his sights on only being here for just ten more months. What in the world was happening to him today? And yet…as Athena hugged him…he forgot again about being concerned or upset. He felt that strange happy feeling inside him again, and it chased away all his cares about everything else. Slowly, he felt himself smile again, and continued to hug Athena more tightly. They held like that for a little while, but then finally spoke up again.
"Are you feeling better?"
Athena sniffled, but managed a nod.
"Are you sure?"
A pause, but then another nod.
"Would you like me to get you a drink?"
Another pause, and then another nod.
Bahamut left her side long enough to go get Athena a glass of water from the fresh water pitcher in the house, and then brought it back. After she had something to drink, she put it to the side. After that was done, Bahamut let her lay back down and tucked her in again.
"Now…do you want me to stay here with you until you fall asleep?"
Athena gave a nod, and then closed her eyes.
The esper patiently waited. He watched her as her chest rose and fell, and she got more comfortable and hugged her chocobo tightly. But after a few minutes, her grip began to loosen somewhat. Her breathing became more regular, and he saw the concern come off of her face. She appeared to finally fall asleep. Bahamut couldn't scan to be sure, but it looked that way to him. Once he was fairly sure of it, he placed his hand on the girl and spoke to her one more time in a light whisper.
"Good night, Athena."
The esper then began to rise to go. But as he did…he heard a reply. Athena was half asleep when she said it, so perhaps she didn't even realize what she said. However…when Bahamut heard it, he immediately froze himself.
"Good night…daddy…"
Bahamut was stunned. He didn't move an inch. He turned and looked back to Athena, but she had drifted off for real this time. If she hadn't, he might have asked her what she just called him. He could hardly believe it himself. Had he just imagined that? Or had the human truly just called him that name? Hearing it startled the esper, and left him overwhelmed. She…she had just called him that. Was that how she was beginning to see him? She and the other children had grown to see Terra as their mother…and he knew from experience and studies that father figures were usually preferable in addition to matriarchal figures. But…was that how she really saw him? Even subconsciously? Did they really think of him that way? The esper didn't know…but it was a surprise to say the least.
What was even more surprising…was that he felt himself almost smile when he heard it.
What in the world is happening to me here? What am I turning into?
The esper at last was able to fully rise. With a puzzled, blank expression, he walked back to Terra's room and shut the door behind him. He barely remembered to be quiet when doing it. He still stood dazed and confused once he was inside, and for a moment he simply stood there and was unable to move. He just stared at the ground, taking in that name…
"I guess I was wrong."
Hearing that, Bahamut snapped out of his daze. He turned back to Terra and stared at her. She stared simply back in response…but her face had changed somewhat. It seemed more intrigued now, and more focused on him.
"I only heard bits and pieces…but you calmed her down. You were very nice to her. You really made her feel better. I have to thank you for that."
Bahamut blinked a moment or so. However, he soon shook out of it. He snapped his head once, and struggled to regain his normal demeanor. "Oh…it…it was nothing." He finally managed to spit out, not liking how he stuttered when he said it. "I mean…I only told her how you all felt about her. That was the truth. I was just trying to get her to calm down and see her situation better. I just wanted her to go to sleep before she woke everyone else."
Terra didn't change. She continued to stare at him silently for a moment, not blinking or changing her expression.
"…That was all?"
Bahamut found himself not liking how she phrased that question. It made him feel a bit uneasy. Of course…it wasn't all. He couldn't deny that a part of him wanted Athena to be comforted. A part of him had spontaneously said those things to her, not made them up, and had spoken from his emotion rather than logic. Most of all…there was a part of him that was glad to see that Terra was happy as a result of it, and was glad to see her comforted as well by Athena going to sleep. But he didn't dare say any of this. After all…he didn't want to feel this way. He had a mission. He had a responsibility to his race. He couldn't waste time with this. He forced himself to regret ever making the agreement for Terra to stay until next season…while at the same time found himself powerless to revoke it…or even leave until then.
"…Yes. That's all."
Terra stared back blankly at him at that. Her expression showed nothing…but it was harder than Bahamut liked. To his surprise…it made him feel uneasy. Did he actually want Terra to feel that he had done this out of genuine tenderness? Did he want himself to feel that? All he knew is, he had to fight hard to keep his own expression from turning into a wince or regret. What more…he felt a cold shudder within himself when Terra, without changing her look, simply turned to the lamp and reached out to it.
"I thought so. Good night."
Bahamut actually opened his mouth as if to protest when the lights went out, and the two were bathed in darkness. Terra immediately turned over and looked as if she went to sleep…leaving Bahamut standing there. The esper continued to hold his mouth open, looking to say something. But in the end, he grit his teeth and put his hands to his head. What was going on? Why was he acting like this? Why was he developing all of these strange feelings and emotions? He saw humans as equals…but not like this. He didn't even see espers like this. Why was it getting harder and harder to think about his mission? Why was it getting harder and harder to not think about the children, Terra, and the life in Mobliz? Why had he stayed here being a handyman and babysitter for two months?
…Was what happened to Terra happening to him?
Bahamut didn't know. He was confused and distraught. At last, he could do nothing else. He simply walked over to his own minor bed at the foot of Terra's, plopped down, and covered himself up. He didn't sleep…but he lied awake the rest of the night thinking about these things and himself.
To be continued...
