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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 2: The Goddess War

Chapter 9 - The Wanderer

Part 9.4 - Family Reunion

Maduin watched as Elphis effortlessly maneuvered between the buildings and streets of Antissa, making her way towards Mae's house without hesitation. He half-wondered if she really could see, and was just playing a trick on him. Shrugging his shoulders, he cautiously kept up with her, keeping out of sight as best he could.

"How do you know where you're going?" Maduin ask in his raspy whisper.

"It's easy. I've lived on these streets practically my whole life, remember?" Elphis said lightly over her shoulders, zipping around one corner then another. One hand lightly grazed along the walls of whatever structure she was closest to, giving her a constant feel of where she was at all times.

Maduin had to agree with Elphis's assessment. He could feel the old memories inside him, urging him down the correct path even now. If he closed his eyes, he was sure he, too, could navigate Antissa just as easily as the blind girl.

The small cottage of the Laperdeau's soon appeared before Maduin's eyes like a welcome mirage. It was hard to believe the house hadn't changed at all in the intervening years. The thatched roof was still in place, despite the gradual move towards tiled roofs that had swept the town in recent years. Antissa had always been a backwater village, but its people all dreamed of someday being part of a more cultured city like the giant Narsille that had always hovered on the horizon. Only the old-fashioned or just plain stubborn citizens refused to remodel their houses after the more modern homes of other larger towns. Citizens like Mrs. Laperdeau.

Out back, where Maduin approached the house from, a small garden of carrots and lettuce still grew tidily in well-kept rows. As he carefully crept between the rows, a small rabbit with ears that looked like the leaves of a plant jumped out from behind one of the lettuce heads and tried to scamper away.

"Watch it!" Elphis said, skillfully getting between the squeaking rabbit and its escape route. She grabbed it up in her small arms and rubbed her face in its fur while it struggled to get free. In a moment it had hopped from her grasp and disappeared.

"Those leafers are always nosing around in Mrs. Laperdeau's garden. It's fun trying to catch them and fluff their fur!"

Maduin smiled. "I remember when I used to try and catch leaf bunnies here, too."

The two reached the back door of the Laperdeau house without disturbing anything or anyone else. Instead of knocking, Maduin simply stood at the door, not moving. This was it. How was he supposed to convince them he wasn't a monster, especially with a very real monster roaming the streets? He had no idea. He simply stood and stared at the wooden door, unable to act.

"What're ya waiting for? Knock!" Elphis exclaimed finally, breaking the silence. Without further ado, she banged on the door herself, heedless of the fact that a ten foot beast-man stood right next to her.

"Elphis!" Maduin hissed, leaping aside and out of sight just as the door opened. Elphis made no indication that she even knew he had left her side.

A tall, middle-aged woman with iron grey hair and sharp features stood rigidly in the doorway, looking down at the little girl with an imperious glare.

"Hello? Oh, it's you Elphis. What do you want? We haven't got any food for you, if that's what you're here about. Go on, shoo!"

Maduin could hear the harsh tones of Mrs. Laperdeau around the corner of the house. Like the house, Mae's mother hadn't changed one bit since the last time he was here. Her grey hair was slightly greyer, and her sharp features slightly sharper, but she looked and sounded exactly like the domineering mother-in-law Maduin remembered from his younger, happier days. He said nothing, letting Elphis do whatever talking there was to be done.

"Nah, I don't want food." Elphis said happily, not fazed a bit by the stern voice above her. "I brought a friend with me. He says he's friends with you and Miss Mae."

Mrs. Laperdeau arched one eyebrow at this, peering around the back of the house. "I don't see anyone here. Quit playing your tricks with me, girl."

Elphis sighed exaggeratedly, as if Mrs. Laperdeau were the one playing around. "He's right here!" She waved her hand where Maduin had been only a few seconds ago, grasping only empty space. Her face turned downwards in confusion as she waved both hands where she thought Maduin was.

"Elphis, I don't have time for this. It's almost dark, and you know how dangerous it is out here at night. Go on and find someplace to hide, and leave us in peace!"

Elphis stopped searching for her invisible friend and turned her head upwards into the face of Mrs. Laperdeau. "But he's here! He's really big and he's gonna fight the monster tonight! Oh, Maydune, where did you go?"

Mrs. Laperdeau stepped back into the house suddenly, wrapping her shawl tightly around her. "What did you say, girl?"

"My friend! He was right here! His name's Maydune and he said he was friends with you." Elphis began walking around the small area outside the door, sniffing the air. "He smells kinda like the wanderers from up north, but kinda like a big vomammoth, too."

"May...dune?" The old woman looked around suspiciously, trying to see what it was the girl was babbling about. "What does he look...oh, blast it, never mind. You wouldn't know what he looked like, would you?"

Elphis kept walking and sniffing, getting closer to where Maduin was hiding. Maduin wanted to end this and reveal himself, but he couldn't will himself to move out from the shadows. Mae's mother always had this effect on him, and now more than ever. In her overwhelming presence, he just wanted to run and hide.

"Of course I don't know what he looks like." Elphis said impatiently, inching her way towards Maduin. "But he's really big, and his skin is sort of hard and cold, like a rock. I dunno what he really looks like, but he's nice, and he said he would never leave me!" Elphis raised her voice as she said these last words, hoping to lure her companion from wherever he had hidden himself.

"Maydune! Where are you?" Now Elphis was yelling, her thrusting hands grabbing in the shadows right next to Maduin.

"Enough, girl! I don't know what you're going on about, but it's far too late for this. Good-bye!" Mrs. Laperdeau had been shaken by Elphis's appearance and words, and quickly retreated back inside, getting ready to slam the door shut. Just as she tried to shut the door, a low voice rose from the shadows where Elphis stood waving her hands.

"Wait."

Mrs. Laperdeau nearly jumped out of her shawl at the unexpected voice, but she stayed her hand, leaving the door half open. "Who's there?"

"Mrs. Laperdeau, it's me..." Maduin hesitated, wondering if Mae had told her mother about what she had seen in Narsille.

"Me who? Show yourself!"

"It's Dune. Dune Karn." Maduin's voice was barely audible, but even so, it still sounded harsh and guttural.

Mrs. Laperdeau stood motionless in her doorway for a moment. She did not seem surprised at this pronouncement, in fact, her suddenly tired-looking face gave the impression that she had been expecting this. Her sharp features softened, and her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke.

"Are you really him? Are you really my daughter's husband?"

"I am. Is Mae there? Is she safe?" Maduin started to step out of the shadows, but checked himself and crept back. Not yet.

"Mae said you were dead. She said a demon came and took you away. She was raving mad when she came here, you know. Didn't know what to believe and what were delusions. And now, here you are..."

"I..." Maduin started.

"No." Mrs. Laperdeau cut him off sharply. "Whoever you are, you are not Dune Karn. That man is dead, and my daughter is just beginning to recover from whatever hell she went through in Narsille. I won't have her being disturbed. Leave us."

Elphis turned back and forth between the two voices, trying to figure out what they were talking about. She didn't like the way the conversation was headed. "Please let us in! Maydune's not a bad guy, really!"

"Girl, mind your manners. You should know not to drag strangers to people's houses."

"Mrs. Laperdeau, please listen," Maduin said urgently. "I am Dune Karn. Something happened in Narsille that changed me, but it's still me."

"Then why are you hiding? Show yourself!"

Elphis had found Maduin by now, and was tugging at the ragged leftovers of clothing that hung at his waist. "C'mon Maydune, just let her see you."

"Yes, let's see the famous Dune Karn." Mrs. Laperdeau said mockingly.

Maduin didn't like the goading sound in Mrs. Laperdeau's voice, but he knew she was going to see him eventually. There was no way inside the house except through her.

"I warn you, my appearance is...unusual. But you have to believe me, I am still Dune Karn." Maduin said a little louder, unmasking the strangeness of his voice.

"You sound like a beast, that's for sure. Well let's see you, then."

Maduin slowly took one step out from the shadows, exposing a single dark leg of gigantic proportions. The talons dug into the soft earth, and the thick muscles tensed in anticipation of the gasp he knew he would hear.

Mrs. Laperdeau's eyes widened, then she quickly looked away as if she had seen something obscene. "So it's true..." she muttered under her breath.

Maduin began to take another step, when Mrs. Laperdeau's voice stopped him. "Enough. Stay where you are. I won't have a monster in my house."

"Maydune's not a monster!" Elphis said fiercely, grabbing and holding onto Maduin's hidden hand tightly. "C'mon, show her what you look like!"

"No!" Mrs. Laperdeau shouted louder than she had intended. "No," she repeated softer, "Whoever...whatever you are, stay there." She sighed heavily. "Why have you come here? Mae is happy, she's getting better. You're not needed here. Leave, please."

Maduin sighed as well. Was he needed here? He was just about to vanish back into the shadows when he heard another voice from inside that sent a spark of electricity through his body.

"Who's there, mother?"

Mrs. Laperdeau looked back quickly, then shot a cold glance at Elphis and her hidden companion. "Now look what you've done. If Mae is hurt because of you..."

"I would never hurt her." Maduin said firmly.

"We'll see about that." Mrs. Laperdeau turned her head away from the unwelcome guests and spoke quickly to her daughter.

"Now, mother, we can let Elphis stay here for one night." Mae's soft voice echoed out from the house. It sounded tired and feeble.

"Mae, you know what she is. She's likely to steal whatever she can get her hands on."

"Don't be silly." Mae's face appeared at the door, her long black hair hanging down past her shoulders. Her face was pale and thin, and she had dark circles under her eyes. "Do you want to come in for the night, Elphis?"

"Only if Maydune can come with me." Elphis said stubbornly.

"May...dune? Who?" Mae's voice stuttered nervously over the name. She looked outside to see this Maydune, but saw only shadows.

Elphis tugged at Maduin's hand, trying to pull him into the light. "He's...right...here! Come on!"

She pulled enough. Maduin's claws glittered in the fading sunlight, and Mae's eyes went wide with shock.

"Is that..." She said, her voice failing. She stumbled and fell against her glowering mother's side.

"It's me, Mae." Maduin said as softly as he could.

"Mother...let them in! It's Dune!"

"Please, you're just imagining things again. Go back inside, dear, and get something hot to drink."

"No!" Mae said with more vitality. "Let him in, mother! Ah..." Mae fainted as she spoke, her light body falling into her mother's arms.

The look Mrs. Laperdeau gave Elphis and the still partly hidden Maduin would have wilted flowers. "You did this." She turned and marched back inside, half-dragging Mae with her. But she did not close the door.

"If you're coming, then get in here. I don't even want to look at either of you."

Elphis yipped with joy and dragged Maduin stumbling into the light. The giant form of the Esper slowly revealed itself, letting Elphis drag him all the way into the house. Mrs. Laperdeau was already inside, not wanting to have anything to do with the two of them. Maduin had to stoop low to fit inside, and his horns scratched the ceiling of the house, bringing small snatches of straw down wherever he went. But he was finally inside a human house again, and it felt wonderful.

"Ah, doesn't it feel nice to be indoors again, Maydune? It's so nice when there's no wind or cold!" Elphis said, echoing Maduin's thoughts.

"Yes," Maduin said in low tones, not wanting to disturb anyone. He felt out of place here, but there was nowhere else he'd rather be.

Looking around, Maduin noticed that the inside of the house was as unchanged as the outside. The same pictures hung from the walls, the same furniture sat in the same positions. It was like walking back in time. The only difference was the perspective. Maduin could feel his immense size far more acutely in the cramped room, and was unable to sit or rest against anything without fear of smashing it. For the time being, he simply stood crookedly in the middle of the living room, feeling as awkward as he had on his first date with Mae.

Elphis suffered from no such dilemmas, and happily flitted from one chair to another, enjoying the soft cushions one by one. Eventually she settled in front of the large fireplace, warming her body with a pleasure and ease she was rarely afforded.

"Come here and get warm! Your body feels so cold, you must be freezing all the time!" Elphis shouted to Maduin.

Maduin turned to face the fire as Elphis commanded, but only felt a distant ember of heat through his thick, cold skin. One of the realities of this new body was that he could no longer feel heat or coldness like an ordinary human. Only the most extreme temperatures could penetrate his Esper flesh.

"I'm fine, but thank you. I don't feel cold like you do."

Now Elphis crooked her head in Maduin's direction, a serious look on her face. "You're different, aren't you, Maydune?"

Maduin cringed at Elphis's simple words. He knew she would bring this up sooner or later. "I am different from you, and other people, yes. But that doesn't mean I'm a bad person."

Elphis smiled and turned her head back to the flickering flames. "That's alright. I'm different too. People treat me differently because of my eyes, and I bet they treat you differently because of the way you look. That means we got to stick together, right?"

"I suppose that's right." Maduin replied carefully. "But aren't you afraid of me? If you could see me, you might not be so carefree about calling me a friend."

"But I can see you just fine, Maydune." Elphis said smartly. "I don't need eyes to tell what someone looks like in my mind. I can hear you, feel you, smell you, just like anyone else. You were nice to me, and I don't care what anyone says, you're my friend! And that's that!"

"So you can tell that I look like a monster?" Maduin asked, surprised at the intelligence the little girl showed.

"What does a monster look like?" Elphis responded quickly. "I don't know what one looks like, so how do I know what to be afraid of? You don't act like a monster, and that's what matters, isn't it? Just relax already!"

"Hah, I suppose you're right." Maduin laughed, surprised at the girl's reasoning, and her faith in him.

Elphis was silent for a moment, her blank face staring emptily into the fire. Then she spoke up again, quieter than before. "So what are you, then? You're not like other people, but you're not a monster like the big dog that attacks us at night."

"I'm what is called an Esper." Maduin answered, then thought for a moment on how to explain further. "Elphis, do you believe in magic?"

"Sure, why not?" The girl didn't even flinch at the question. It was a question only an adult would have to think about.

Maduin laughed again at her quick and simple answer. If only he had had such a simple view of the world, perhaps he would never have allowed things to progress so far. It was his stubborn refusal to see the truth that was in front of him that kept him on the path to his own destruction. Pride and knowledge went hand in hand, and for Dune Karn, his own self-satisfied knowledge of the way the world was supposed to work blinded him from the evil that had slowly consumed him.

Now Maduin stood before the girl as a child himself, open to the infinite possibilities of a world he admitted he knew nothing about.

"Well then," Maduin continued," I'm made of magic. I used to be a normal human, but I was stupid, and was turned into an Esper as punishment."

"Yeah, adults are stupid sometimes." Elphis said, getting up and walking over to where Maduin stood uncomfortably. She grabbed his hand with both of hers and said softly, "But that's alright, we're all stupid sometimes. I forgive you, Maydune."

Something stirred inside Maduin at this child's blessing. It felt as if he really was being forgiven for his sins, and without realizing it, Maduin's eyes filled with tears. He gripped the tiny hands with both of his, and knelt down so that his eyes were level with Elphis's.

"Thank you. You don't know what it means to hear someone say that to me."

Elphis took one of her hands and lightly brushed the tears away from Maduin's eyes. "Don't cry, Maydune. We're friends, remember?"

"How did you...?" Maduin stammered, wondering how she knew he was crying.

"Tears smell salty."

Maduin couldn't help himself, and hugged the little girl tightly, being always careful not to crush the fragile thing in his arms.

"Aw, stop that!" Elphis said, her own voice growing thick.

From the shadows between rooms, a small man silently watched the two interacting. He disappeared without saying a word, apparently seeing all he needed to see.

In another room, Mrs. Laperdeau tried her best to soothe her daughter.

"Mae, please. That...thing out there is not your husband anymore. You don't have any obligation to him now. Please, just go to bed."

Mae was resting on her bed, but her eyes were wide open, and a look of pain filled her pale face. She shook her head vehemently, not wanting to listen to her mother's words. "No! I left him, I have to make it right somehow. I have to see him..."

"There's nothing of the man you married left," Mrs. Laperdeau said calmly. "Think about it, dear. You can never have children with that, you can never feel any human warmth from it. What possible happiness could you find clinging to that monster?"

"He's not a monster!" Mae yelled feebly, only half-believing her own words. Her mother was right, and she knew it. Her future with the cold beast in the other room was a bleak one. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Just rest, dear. Go to sleep and let your mother take care of this." Mrs. Laperdeau ran her fingers through Mae's long, black hair, now damp with sweat.

Just then, the small man appeared in the doorway, looking at the two women intently. He was middle-aged, like Mrs. Laperdeau, but shorter and with softer features and a balding pate. This was Mr. Laperdeau, Mae's soft-spoken father.

"For what it's worth, I trust him." The man spoke calmly, but there was a note of fear in his voice as his eyes darted out the window. "I'm going to be leaving to join the rest of the men soon. I wouldn't mind having him by our side. He might be the only hope this town has of driving off that beast. You know that, Elle."

Mrs. Laperdeau snorted at her husband. "He's just as likely to destroy the town as save it. I don't trust anything that comes out of the mountains nowadays. He's a monster, and you're too soft to realize it, just like Mae."

"We'll see." was the only reply the patient man gave to his wife. He left as silently as he had came, off to prepare for the coming battle against the unknown enemy that would soon visit the village.

Mae opened her eyes weakly, looking at her mother. "Will father be alright?"

"He'll be fine. And don't worry about a thing. We'll get rid of that monster this night." Mrs. Laperdeau looked out the window at the darkness. "We'll get rid of both monsters."

Back in the living room, Elphis was nervously sniffing the air, sensing something only she could smell.

"Maydune," she whispered, "I smell it."

Maduin looked out the window, and saw that it was now dark outside. "The big dog? Is it near?"

Elphis nodded.

"Then I had better get going. You stay here, understand? No matter what you hear, do not leave this house."

"Alright, but be careful. That doggy's real mean! He'll eat you up, even if you are magic!" Elphis was still holding tightly onto Maduin's hand.

Maduin rose as high as he could, gently taking Elphis's hand from his. "I'll be back. Friends, remember?"

Elphis nodded again, then went and sat by the fire, not looking at Maduin as he went for the front door. She didn't want him to see her crying. She had finally found a friend who didn't treat her like an unwanted burden, and now he was going off to fight, probably to die. Adults were so stupid.

As Maduin approached the door, a fearful howl filled the air, doubling, then tripling as one voice became three. The sound of the village's men rushing out of their homes to organize their small army joined the howls, creating a fearful din of coming violence.

"Will you fight with us?" a soft voice sounded from the other end of the room. It was Mr. Laperdeau, his soft voice echoing from behind Maduin as he reached for the door.

Maduin whirled around, surprised to see Mae's father standing behind him, a crude blade in hand. The man was obviously scared, but not of Maduin.

"I, Mr. Laperdeau...do you know who I am?"

"Will you fight with us?" Mr. Laperdeau repeated.

"Yes. But..."

"Then that's all I need to know." Mr. Laperdeau said curtly, cutting off any pointless explanations. "You always did ask too many questions. Come on, let's join the rest of the men folk outside. We'll only have one shot at this. Got it?"

Maduin was confused, but relieved that he was being trusted so easily by his father-in-law. "Right. Lead the way."

As the two men walked out the door and into the street, now lit by a hundred angry torches, Mae's frail form wavered in the archway at the other end of the room. She could barely stand, but she wanted to see with her own eyes the two men leave. She knew she may never see one or both of them again.

She was still unsure what she was supposed to do with her life now, but she knew she still loved the man called Dune Karn. The only question was whether she could find that man in the monster now walking into battle with her father.

"Be careful..." she tried to shout. Her voice was broken and hoarse, and neither man heard her as they stepped into the night.

The little blind girl sitting quietly nearby heard her, though, and walked over to where Mae had propped herself against the wall. The two held each other's hands in silence, waiting anxiously to see what would happen next.