.: The Heart of the Veldt :.

The Terra Saga - vol. 5

Heart of the Veldt is one of my favorites. Instead of being told from Gau's POV, I've told the story from the perspective of an original character who lives in a new town on the border of the Veldt. You could say she's a botanist, of sorts. A teen.

Alice seems to run from life at Border on the Veldt rather than facing it and making it better. Instead, her life is all about leaving home for the Academy, returning only to cure the Veldt. She wants to be more than what she is, and the simple life isn't enough.

Gau has had his adventure and relishes the simple life. Befriending Alice because of a common love for the Veldt, he does his best to make sure her choices are made for the right reasons. By the end, he learns more about himself and what he wants. Will Alice learn the same lesson?

The characters and the world they live in are the property of SQUARE-Enix®. They are used without permission (though I would love to have permission) and not to be seen as my property. The characters of Alice, Eric, Paytha, Lena, Raquel, Riley, Carol, etc are my own creation. They are not to be used without permission.

I: The Introduction

"But, Alice, I saw him!"

"Carol. Stop." Sixteen-year-old Alice halted her progress through the little town on the outskirts of the Veldt to turn toward her friend. "Don't get me wrong. I think it's great you actually saw him, but it has nothing to do with me."

Carol attractively flushed as her large hazel gaze lowered to her bright red boots. She tucked a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "I just thought you'd want to know. You always go onto the Veldt and everything."

Alice sighed, placing her hands on slim hips as she rolled her brown eyes. "Carol, you know I go to the Veldt because of research for my class paper. I'm not going because of some 'romantic fantasy' of meeting the 'legendary' Gau from the Kefka War. Give it a rest."

"But you have so much in common--"

"Carol. Please."

"Okay, okay."

The pair continued walking, passing the small private school the students fondly called The Veldt Youth Academy. The only school on the continent, it served kids ranging in ages from 6 to 17 with two teachers that took shifts.

Carol continued to send Alice sidelong glances. "Are you going to the Veldt today?"

"Of course. The paper's due next month."

Nodding, Carol looked back to the greenish-brown ground at her feet. "I know, but I figured you already had enough for your 'A' paper."

Alice shrugged and tucked some of her shoulder-length thick black hair behind an ear. "I guess I do. I just want to make sure."

"You always make sure of everything," Carol sighed.

"That's because I want to go to a good higher-level Academy."

"There's only one, Alice."

"Yes, but I still want everything to be perfect."

Carol sighed. "Fine. I'm going to the pub to hang out with the girls. Later."

Absently nodding, Alice adjusted the pack on her shoulders. Carol and 'the girls' always hung out at 'the pub' instead of putting their full effort into their schoolwork. Don't they want to be more than their parents? There would be plenty of time later for playing and fooling around.

"Hi, Alice."

Alice waved to the Innkeeper on her way out of town. Her parents had tried to get her to work there after school, but with her extra research on the Veldt she didn't have time. I don't want a job here anyway. I want to help the planet heal. The only way she could do that would be if she did as much research possible for her entry-essay into the Figaro Academy for Higher Studies.

"Hey, Alice. How's it going?"

Smirking, Alice sent the son of the armory owner a wave. Eric was easily the best looking guy in town. Tall for 17 and a little on the lanky side, his smile could melt butter, and his green eyes could set any girl's heart aflutter. Especially when they twinkled with mischief. Of course, he also a natural ability to charm the scales off a dragon.

"Hey, Eric. Same old same old."

He fell into step beside her as she made her way toward the boundary of the small town and the beginning of the Veldt. "Doing more research for this paper everyone's talking about?"

"Yep."

Eric scratched at his head full of sandy brown hair as his green eyes focused on the ground at his feet. "Are you ever going to be done?"

"Eventually."

He looked at her. "Eventually? What kind of screwy answer is that?"

"The only one I can give you." She stopped and gestured back to the little town. "Eric, go home. I know all this stuff about the environment drives you nuts. Give yourself a break and go hang out with the others. Carol and the girls are at the pub."

"You're never around the pub."

"Because I'm busy."

"I know."

Alice's lips quirked into a smile. "Go on, Eric. I'll be in class tomorrow. Tell the girls 'hi' for me."

Eric looked up from his feet and gave a sigh. "Fine. Catch you later."

Alice watched him go. Then she shook her head and turned back for the Veldt. Once upon a time she'd had a thing for Eric, but when he hadn't known she existed. It had always been about Terra Branford. Of course, then she'd married King Edgar of Figaro. It had taken Eric a week of moaning about how 'King Edgar doesn't appreciate her' before the crush finally died.

"Oh well. No one's perfect."

Finding the spot she wanted, Alice knelt and took the pack from her back to set it upon the ground in front of her. As she rummaged through the contents, she heard a slight sound behind her but a quick glance revealed nothing. She shrugged and continued pulling out the small plastic containers reserved for those samples she took from different locations on the Veldt. Another sound was heard, but Alice ignored it. The girls in class thought she was crazy for going out on the Veldt without protection, but the animals never bothered her. I'm sure they've got better things to worry about than little old me--

Rrrrrr

Alice's hands tightened on her pack. Uh... oh...

RrrROWRRrrr

Swallowing hard, Alice ever-so-slowly looked over her shoulder. Her face paled, and she spun the rest of the way around, falling on her backside as she pushed and scurried backward. It was a Baskervor.

"N-Nice, kitty... doggy..." Alice swallowed hard. "W-Whatever you are."

Looking very much like a lion with blood-stained fangs hanging down from its chops, Baskervors were a common sighting on the Veldt. In fact, Alice thought them to be graceful, beautiful, and having a very pretty growl. But when it lowered its green-scaled head and opened its mouth for another more forceful growl, taking another step toward her? Alice changed her opinion.

Scrambling backward yet again, Alice stammered, "Can you please not eat me? I've got a paper to--"

It crouched, its hind legs tensing a fraction of a moment before it sprung. Alice screamed and closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to cover her head as she waited for the pain...

Whoosh...

to...

rrRRROWRrrr... Hisss

come. ...? Silence.

Alice slowly lowered her arms, opening first one eye and then the other. The Baskervor lay dead at her feet. Alice sat up. What? She looked around, giving a startled shriek when her brown eyes focused on a guy about her age. Muscular bare chest showing a collection of scratches and old scars, the guy wore green and yellow cloth shorts, had long and wild golden hair, and blinked at her with bright golden-green animal-like eyes.

Alice brought a hand up to her forehead and released a slow breath. "Geez. Don't sneak up on people like that."

He crouched, crossing his arms across his knees as he intensely watched her. "Why you here? This place no safe," he informed in a surprisingly soothing low-tenor voice.

"Gee. You think?" Alice brushed the grass and dust from her palms. "I hadn't had a problem before. I guess I pressed my luck."

The guy tilted his head. "Locke have luck. You no Locke."

Alice gathered her scattered containers, only half-heartedly listening to what he said. "What on earth are you talking about?" She noticed he held a container out for her and took it with a quick glance toward his face. "Thank you."

He softly grunted and then remained silent as he continued to watch her pick up the toppled contents of her pack. "You on Veldt much time. Why?" he finally asked.

Alice buckled her pack closed and stood to her feet. He followed suit. "You wouldn't understand."

He stepped in front of her when she attempted to pass him. "For school?"

Alice released a breath, adjusting the pack on her shoulders. "Yes. Now can I go home?"

"You no friendly," he told her, handsome face tightening in a frown. "Me no help."

Alice watched him as he passed her toward the deeper Veldt. "What do you mean? Help with what?"

Halting, he faced her. "School. It be lots work. Me help with show of Veldt. Me help... tell why things are."

Alice stepped up to him. "You'd... You'd do that?"

He crossed his arms with a somewhat annoyed expression. "Why care? You no need help. You think me dumb."

"I..." Flushing as she lowered her gaze to the ground, Alice cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"For school?"

Alice sent him a glance. His brow had wrinkled. "Well... yes and no."

He shook his head. "You say strange thing."

She reluctantly laughed as she met his gold gaze "Yes, I guess I do." The smile lingered as she adjusted her pack, watching his open expression of curiosity. Then she produced her hand. "My name's Alice."

He took it in a firm and careful grasp to give it a slight shake as he intensely examined her face. "Alice." He smiled. "Me Gau."

Alice blinked. She raised a finger. "You're--" She lowered her finger and smiled, giving his hand a few additional shakes. "Nice to meet you, Gau." Then Alice cleared her throat and released his hand to tighten her grip on the pack. "Could you show me your Veldt?"

Gau held her gaze a moment before scratching his scalp. "No. You show school first. Me learn. You learn. We trade."

Alice's eyes widened. "You want to go to school with me?"

He nodded, teeth flashing in a full smile.

Chewing her lower lip, Alice hesitated. "Well... I guess I could bring you a couple of days--"

He stepped closer, nearly touching the toes of her boots with his bare feet. She backed up. "No 'couple'," he pressed. "All time. Me learn. You learn."

"But-- But you've never been to school before."

Gau shrugged. "No care. Terra teach little. Edgar teach little. All friends teach what can. You teach now."

Alice took in a slow breath and finally nodded. "Okay then. I'll take you to school."

He grinned. "We go now."

"You certainly are eager, aren't you?" she laughed. "School's out for today, Gau. You'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Me forget," he admitted, giving a sheepish smile. Then he looked briefly toward the Veldt before again looking to Alice. "Fine. You go now."

Alice turned to go. "Oh. Wait." She faced him again. "Well... how am I supposed to find you?"

His gold eyes twinkled with his smile. "You no find. Me come. Me know when start. Me watch long time."

"Really? Then why didn't you come to class before?"

The smile retreated to leave an almost troubled expression. "Me not welcome."

Blinking, Alice asked "What?" in a shocked tone.

"Teacher say me no come. So, me stay away."

Alice's jaw dropped. "They said--" Then Alice shook her head, remembering a previous teacher that no one liked, which King Edgar had transferred somewhere else. "Never mind." She tried to offer him an encouraging smile. "Okay. I'll see you in class, but..." Her smile wavered as she took in his hides and scrubby face, lightly gnawing her lower lip.

Gau watched her expression and smiled again. "You no worry. Me no wear skin. Me wear clothes Celes pick. Me look boy, not beast."

Alice chuckled.

Gau gestured toward. "Me watch for danger. You go."

"Oh. Thanks." Then she offered her hand again. Gau stared at it a moment before accepting it. Smiling, Alice gave his hand a squeeze and single shake. "Thanks for saving my ungrateful butt, Gau."

Gau grinned.