CHAPTER 16:

HORNS AND PROPOSALS

Harry remembered the journey back to Lindblum dimly. They had waited for Zidane to return before departing, this time with the Black Mages and Lady Hilda in tow. He had spent much of that time resting and recuperating in the cabin of the Hilda Garde, tended to by Garnet and Lady Hilda, a beautiful young woman with blonde hair.

Harry's very first Trance, thanks to the bindings, had been traumatic to his body, and he felt like he was aching all over. His forehead, especially, felt as if something was growing from it, about to burst forth. He didn't really recover until they were all back at Lindblum, and had spent much of the journey in an almost fevered delirium, voices whispering and hissing at him. When he woke up next, it was to Garnet, Eiko and Vivi standing over him, watching in concern. "Hey, guys," Harry murmured.

"Hello, Harry," Garnet said. "Please, come with us. Cid's briefing us on what Aunt Hilda and Zidane learned from Kuja. And you might have something else to tell."

Harry nodded, accepting a warm cup of tea. "Is everyone all right?"

"Yeah," Vivi said. "The Black Mages have gone back to their village. Zorn and Thorn are currently in the custody of Regent Cid. Apparently Lady Hilda's turned Cid back into a person again."

"Don't scare me like that again, Harry!" Eiko yelped petulantly, though it was anger born from worry and concern. "You nearly killed us, and you nearly killed yourself."

"Eiko," Anima said, shimmering into existence nearby, "Harry was desperate to stop Kuja. The surge of helpless anger broke the bindings the meddlesome old fool put on the Trance state. Then again, his anger may have shown Kuja a way to gain power other than by Eidolons. We will discuss this when we meet the others. By the way, Harry, it seems that your first Trance had some other benefit."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Garnet reached over, and gently touched Harry's forehead. Or rather, something growing from it. As Harry reached up to touch it himself, she said, "I envy you, Harry. My Trance never did this…but with yours, your horn grew back."

Harry laughed, despite himself. Now that he came to think about it, it now felt like a small but vital part of his body had come back. He could hear his Eidolons better. He then looked at Garnet. "Garnet…sorry your horn's never grown back."

"It may eventually," Anima said. "Dr Tot's surgery was thorough. But perhaps all it needs is the right catalyst to grow back. We'll discuss this later. The briefing's on soon…"

For the first time, Harry beheld a human Cid, a tall, magnificent man with steel-grey hair and a magnificent crescent-shaped moustache. He did emit a couple of croaks and the distinctive noises of an Oglop, though. However, he said he would go and supervise construction of the Hilda Garde 3, which would take a few days. Harry was surprised at how short a time it would take, but apparently Cid intended to use the Blue Narcissus as the hull, and the engine from the original Hilda Garde. He left Lady Hilda and Zidane to explain.

It was Lady Hilda who took the lead. "I am told many of you know or suspect the truth. Kuja, along with Zidane, both come from another world, known as Terra. However, he told a select few, namely myself, Zidane, and Harry, more about his motives and origins. It's for that purpose we are gathered here today."

Hilda then began to speak about what she learned from Kuja, with Zidane adding further points about how he and Kuja were engineered to be 'Angels of Death', and that Terra was attempting to assimilate Gaia, a story confirmed partly by what he saw at Oeilvert, including a strange room full of faces that spoke of the history of Terra. They also spoke of how Kuja intended to overthrow Garland.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Eiko asked. "I mean, if Garland's trying to make sure Gaia gets taken over by Terra, should we let Kuja kill Garland?"

"Allowing Kuja to get any kind of power over someone like Garland is a bad idea," Freya mused. "Garland is someone Kuja fears. Think on that. If Kuja does win, then he will either rule Terra and allow Gaia to be assimilated, or else destroy Terra and rule over Gaia as a despot. Neither outcome is at all desirable, I am sure you can agree. Whether Kuja or Garland win, we lose."

"This is indeed something to be concerned about," Hilda said. "But the problem, as you are all aware, is how to access Terra. The dimensional bridge, as Kuja termed it, is sealed. He is able to remove the seals easily, but it is hard for a Gaian to do so. His only reason for not going to Terra earlier was to avoid being tracked down and killed by Garland. The dimensional bridge itself is at the Shimmering Island, off the coast near Esto Gaza on the Lost Continent. But the key to breaking the seals, apparently, is in an isolated castle on the Forgotten Continent, once found by the explorer Ipsen. It is sometimes called 'Ipsen's Castle' for that reason."

"I'm surprised he discussed this with you," Eiko remarked.

"He liked to hear himself speak," Zidane snorted.

"You are in all likelihood correct, Zidane," Hilda said with equanimity. "All that I know, he spoke to me voluntarily, even becoming quite impassioned as he spoke of such things. He volunteered information to me without my asking. He probably thought that telling me his plans wouldn't affect them."

"He did say that he would love for us to go after Garland," Harry pointed out.

Steiner nodded. "Perhaps he wishes for us to battle, and then he will swoop in and vanquish the victor while they are weary. A sound stratagem, but in fighting Garland, we may be playing into his hands."

"If we're to stop Kuja and Garland, we have no choice," Freya pointed out. "I like it as much as you do so, Captain Steiner."

"And there's another thing," Harry said. As they looked at him, he said, "Well, when I was in Trance, he was talking to himself about it. He wants to achieve Trance because he can't do so normally, but he said something like using other souls to do so. He thinks he won't need the Eidolons anymore."

"He said he was a Genome, a vessel for a soul," Zidane said. "Maybe he can have more than one. The fact that he thinks Trance might be more powerful than an Eidolon…"

"A frightening prospect," Garnet concurred. "We saw the power of Eidolons with their power boosted. Odin, Atomos, Bahamut…not to mention Anima, when Harry put more power into it. If Kuja believes he can make Trance more powerful than even the Eidolons…I shudder merely considering the destruction he can cause. The Eidolons merely wiped out cities. For all we know, Trance taken to its very limits could level entire continents. Or perhaps threaten an entire world with destruction. That is the power a god possesses. It is small wonder then that Kuja desires it. The man thinks himself a god, and he seeks the power to make his delusion reality."

"Then we'll stop him," Zidane said. "And Garland."

For a few days, Garnet and Zidane disappeared, but left a note, saying they had gone to Alexandria to settle some unfinished business. Steiner was, understandably, upset that Garnet had trusted Zidane over himself. However, Harry took the time to speak to Steiner and Freya, whom he had only met upon coming to the Mist Continent. Despite his bluster and blinkeredness, Steiner was a good man in the end, and he took kindly to Harry and Vivi. He wasn't as enamoured with Eiko, mostly because of her tendency to be loud and rambunctious, but he tolerated her better than he did Zidane.

Freya, meanwhile, was shaping up to be an almost maternal figure to the young mages. Despite the fact that she was a rat woman, she had a nobility and elegance that few would associate with rats. She also seemed to take a maternal concern with Harry, Vivi, and Eiko. They soon learned that she had once been in love with the famous Sir 'Iron Tail' Fratley, a noted Dragoon with Burmecia's Dragon Knights. He had disappeared some years ago, and Freya had left Burmecia in search of him. She finally found him when Alexandrian forces were invading the pacifistic Burmecian settlement of Cleyra not so long ago, but he didn't remember Freya, much to her understandable dismay. Some sort of trauma had given him amnesia.

With Fratley amnesic, and the Burmecians scattered in a diaspora caused by Brahne's destruction of their homes, Freya decided to devote her energies to stopping Brahne, and Kuja. However, she also seemed to become protective of the three young mages. Harry thought of the only remotely maternal figures in his life. Aunt Petunia was a hag, there was no other way to describe her. Anima and Valefor were much better, and he loved them as much as they loved him, but they were bound to him, being his Eidolons. Freya, however, he felt comfortable around. Lady Hilda was a kind and loving woman, true, but Freya seemed to understand him more than Hilda did, perhaps because Freya had been through more hardships than Hilda.

If they ever managed to defeat Kuja, and they decided not to remain at Madain Sari, then Harry would be more than happy to go with Freya as a mother. He just hoped that Eiko was on board with it. Freya may look like a rat on two legs, but she was also an elegant and noble person, and a caring one to boot. Which was more than could be said about another rat his Eidolons spoke of, a Rat Animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew. In the unlikely event Harry ever returned to Earth, he intended to track down Pettigrew for betraying his parents.

Harry and Freya were currently sitting on a bench in the observatory area on the roof of Lindblum Castle, with Eiko having roped Vivi into some adventure that would doubtless get them into trouble. Freya had taken off her helm, and was running her fingers through her white hair. "I hope Zidane is not getting the Princess into trouble. Steiner is fretting."

"Zidane won't let anything happen to her."

"I am not concerned about him hurting her, physically at least. And to be fair to him, he would not intentionally harm her heart or mind. But he may do so without thinking." Freya sighed. "And to have the heart broken is one of the worst pains one can endure, Harry. I spoke to you of Fratley. He broke my heart through no fault of his own, as he lost his memory, but my heart broke all the same. I stayed with Zidane on their quest because I wanted to save the Mist Continent from Brahne's predations. And with Kuja taking her place, I will fight to stop him too. It helps me drown out the pain."

Harry remained silent for a time. Then, he said, "Did you ever want to have kids with Fratley?"

Freya seemed surprised by the question. Eventually, she said, "Perhaps eventually, I would have considered that. Now, I know not even if he survived Cleyra's destruction."

Anima appeared. "Lady Freya, there is a reason Harry asked. Though he has we Eidolons for company, and we can manifest ourselves physically, he wishes for something more. He seems to believe you would make a good mother for him."

"I?" Freya seemed utterly shocked. "But he has you!"

"I am not offended by this desire, and neither are the others," Anima said. "Our relationship is more complicated than familial relationships should be. We Eidolons are the servants of our summoners, even if we have independent thought. Harry treats us as family, true, but we cannot always manifest ourselves. You are an honourable person, Freya. You act with grace and dignity. And mercenary though you have been, your conduct has been exemplary. Should Harry desire to leave Madain Sari behind once this is over…would you be willing to act as his guardian?"

Freya blinked, before she said, "I…I am most honoured to be considered for such a task. But I would like to consider this carefully ere I agree. To act as guardian to a child is not a decision to be taken lightly. And with Burmecia's reconstruction to consider…"

Anima nodded. "Take your time. This is only a hypothetical question, Lady Freya. He reminds me of the son I sacrificed my human life to help, long before Gaia existed. Seymour was caught between two worlds, never accepted by both, and he paid the penalty, despite my best efforts. Sadly, he became a nihilist of the highest order, and tried to murder the people of the world we lived on, Spira. Like Seymour, Harry was sent into exile. Debatably with the best of intentions, to shield him from his fame and reprisals, but it didn't work out. That old goat Dumbledore didn't think too much about Harry's happiness, just his safety, from his enemies in the hidden mage society on Earth. From his relatives was another matter, given how his aunt, uncle and cousin treated him. That he didn't become anything like my son was a miracle in of itself."

"Your tale seems like a tragic one, Lady Anima," Freya said with a nod. "I will consider whether I am ready to act as his guardian. I have known him for but a short time, so please do not take offence should I decline." Freya turned to Harry. "You do understand, Harry?"

Harry nodded, smiling. "Don't worry. I know you're a friend anyway. And you'd make a better aunt than Petunia."

"Given the venom in your voice when you speak of her, I would opine that she sets a low standard." But the Burmecian was smiling warmly all the same. "Thank you, all the same, for considering me a friend, Harry."

Harry gave the Burmecian a hug, Anima chuckling slightly at Freya's briefly startled expression. But Freya smiled gently, patting the young summoner on the back. A bond had been forged, no matter what Freya's decision, and the outcome of the strife yet to come…

CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:

I'd intended for Harry to grow his horn back eventually. I intended for it to be the focus of this chapter, but the ending scene of Freya and Harry talking, and Harry getting this notion that Freya might be a good surrogate mother, just took over.

And it'll probably work surprisingly well, too. I didn't plan for it: I'd originally wanted the story to end with Harry being adopted by Cid and Hilda, as Eiko was in the game. But Freya kind of gets a raw deal in terms of character development, particularly after the second disc. So I thought I'd give Freya a chance for more development based on this out-of-the-blue notion. Freya, I reckon, would make an excellent parent for Harry.

I intend to post this chapter, along with new chapters for Xenophilia, as well as my first pure Final Fantasy IX fanfic Raison d'Etre, on the day Final Fantasy IX is released for Steam. New chapters for Mnemosyne's Son, Observations of a Wannabe Kunoichi, Vert the Emerald and the Cetra Heritage, Nitimur in Vetitum (the craziest chapter yet!) and Haemophilia will be posted as well, but this posting will be more a celebration of Final Fantasy IX. One more thing: the first crossover between Final Fantasy IX and Highschool DxD will have its first chapter posted. It's called Black Mage of Kuoh, and has Vivi reincarnated as Issei Hyoudou.

Review-answering time! UnknownUnseenUnheard: Harry's initial Trance is overpowered for a few reasons. The bindings Dumbledore put on him interfered with it (and I've decided that, when the story does come to Hogwarts in the sequel, there will be a minimum of bashing: Dumbledore is a well-intentioned idiot, but also thoughtless), and all the pent-up power just burst forth. And keep in mind that Kuja's Trance was enough to destroy an entire world. The main reason for Harry's Trance being overpowered, however, is for story reasons: I decided it was Harry's Trance, rather than Mog/Madeen's, that inspires Kuja to use Trance instead of Eidolons. Harry can still use Forbidden Magic in Trance, but he's not going to be at levels where he can go toe-to-toe with Trance Kuja.

No numbered annotations this time.