Chapter 71

The Eldertree

Tyris met Ballad at the towering amusement park's train station, standing still amongst the sea of gleeful families pouring from the carriages. He waited for Tyris to approach, and they embraced with a passionate kiss as they were quickly left alone at the platform. The Garland leader had swapped his golf gear for a grey plaid shirt, dark blue jeans and brown suede shoes, and had grown his black hair out into a buzzcut; he had shaved it following his Dollet mission when his cover necessitated him getting one of those trendy crossfades. His skin had remained that golden brown it had darkened to at sea. His eyes were the colour of shamrock.

'Good afternoon, Trooper,' Tyris greeted him cheerfully, then asked, 'Get any hole-in-ones?'

'Almost,' Ballad replied. Then he winked. 'We'll have to get you on the range tomorrow!'

'Golf?' she scoffed sardonically. 'Please!'

Tyris paid the fee to leave her bergen at the luggage drop, as one had to pass through metal detectors to gain access to the main plaza, and it was a fair walk or a shuttlebus ride to Ballad's hotel.

'Have you been here before?' Tyris asked, as they walked hand-in-hand.

Ballad shook his head. 'No, not before last night. You?'

'Once,' she replied, then commented, 'It cost me an arm and a leg!'

'I'll bet it did.' Ballad looked at her. 'Do you remember how to get around, then?'

'Kind of.'

'I kept getting lost,' he admitted. 'And that was before the cocktails! Diving into those chutes is pretty fun after a few drinks, though!'

Tyris laughed. 'Yeah, I remember!'

One day was hardly enough for the Eldertree, especially for those fortunate enough to have a Gold Pass and with eighteen holes included down the road, too. The pass allowed preferential access to the same rides that excited children could spend almost two hours queuing for, box-access viewing of the chocobo and mesmerize races, unlimited viewing of plays in the Event Square or new films in the Movie Square. And more. In between, one could visit the many thematic bars and clubs, where a Gold Pass meant one did not have to pay a gil more for anything. It was all-inclusive at the hotel, with three meals per day and complimentary cold ones and optic bottles in their suite, too.

Those who wanted a slow break from the hustle and bustle, and to give their eardrums a break from the incessant, synthesised music could laze for as long as one wished in the cable cars, which were highly popular with couples. The cars took a leisurely, scenic route around the colossal, shining gold-plated structure, passing between the hanging 'branches' that housed the differing zones of the amusement park, running all day and night.

'So,' Ballad said, rubbing his hands together. 'Where to first?'

Tyris' eyes were moving from one sign to the next. Everything was at her fingertips, money would not be an issue, and she was spoilt for choice. Additionally, Gold Pass holders started with ten thousand ET points to purchase anything not included which, in the hands of a careful gambler, could last a lot longer than the six days they had left. Of course, they expired after one week.

'I don't know where to start, Ballad.'

The only section neither of them were interested in was the Battle Square. Tyris suggested they walk around the whole pace on foot first, starting from the ground floor, which was no small feat. There were plenty of mini-games placed to provide miniature distraction in all the big zones, and they made small chips into their ET allowance by playing the touch-operated gaming machines, claw a monster and pinball. As they discovered they were in that kind of mood, they diverted to the Arcade Square.

This in itself was a huge open chamber, with so much beeping within that this was one of the only places one could not hear the repetitive Eldertree theme music. Tyris led the way between the mock firing ranges, Whack-a-Vysage and a time-attack Can you beat Wendy? basketball game, inset with a pictured sign of a female wendigo twirling a basketball on one finger. There was an entrance leading to an entire VR gaming section that they decided to avoid for now; one could spend an entire day or longer in there alone.

Then, they walked to the adjoining zone, which was the Racing Square. Here, one could punt or simply view the races which ran throughout most days. If it was not chocobos, then it was hornless mesmerizes. Tyris placed two ten-gil bets on a female chocobo with a pinkish tinge to her feathers, called Lightning, and was rewarded with two hundred gil when her pick came second-place first and then won immediately after. Ballad, following the advice of an elderly gentleman who claimed to rake in thousands of gil daily with his vast knowledge of racing statistics, placed down a hundred gil on a five-fold accumulator and lost on the first mesmerize race.

The races were fun, Tyris allowed, with the multicoloured, winding tracks viewed better on the many screens than from the stands. But they got repetitive after a while, and she knew she should depart while she was still winning; two hundred gil up had already doubled her remaining money. Thanks, Lightning! Though this did not stop either of them buying a Cactpot ticket for the draw on Saturday; Tyris had never played the western lottery before, but she would do so for the fun of it.

The Event Square showed three plays per day, and the afternoon one was ending. She and Ballad emerged into it during the penultimate scene. The stage was circular and in the middle of the vast hall. In the centre was Sorceress Adel, how she had looked in ancient times, enthralling ravishing and flame-haired though already covered in solid black tribal markings. Adel's portrayer was speaking in archaic Centran as she stood contemptuously over Zefer's motionless body. The entire room was lit crimson, foreboding the ancient Lunar Cry. Tyris and Ballad neared the stage when pyro exploded. Zefer's body was engulfed in green fire, with Adel's deep, maniacal laughter sounding from speakers all around the square.

'You wanna watch the end?' Ballad asked.

'Not unless you do,' Tyris said.

They both knew the tale of the Fracture of Centra and it was too much a reminder of struggles to come. Now that they had been on their feet for hours, Tyris wanted to sit and sample a cocktail. She had liked the look of the Cloud Strife; or maybe even a Fiery Moomba.

As Adel fended off blue fireballs thrown from a grief-maddened and pointy-hatted Matoya, Tyris and Ballad entered an adjoining bar decorated out like a chocobo stable. The bartender was a moogle, flying up and down the bar, and there was a robust moomba clearing glasses with a deep tray on its front, secured with a harness. Tyris hoped that the new junta had increased their pay. They sat at the bar, with their backs to the raging battle onstage, and Ballad placed their Gold Pass on the wooden bar.

'What can I get you, kupo?' the moogle squeaked.

'A Cloud Strife, please,' Tyris answered.

'A light beer,' Ballad said simply.

The moogle narrowed its squint eyes at Tyris, if that were possible, and its whiskers twitched, possibly noting the Esthari accent she had forgotten to hide. Oh, Hyne. Please don't try to poison me! she thought. She reassured herself that Ramuh would know if it did.

'Might I recommend the Quicksilver Moogle, kupo?' the moogle chirruped. 'It's my speciality, kupo!'

Tyris almost shuddered, the name making her think of Raine.

'No, thank you.' When the moogle looked crestfallen, dropping a few inches, Tyris reassured it, 'Maybe next time.'

After serving their drinks, the moogle said happily, 'My name's Moglito, and I'm here when you need me, kupo!'

Tyris reluctantly accepted a parmaviolet Quicksilver Moogle the second time it was offered, only so as to not hurt Moglito's feelings again, and could not help but think about Raine as she sipped the overly sweet liquid. She had avoided the Lioness like a marlboro since her return to Battleship Island. Tyris was certain that while Ellone might be able to forgive her for killing Raijin in time, Raine never would.

They remained at the bar until the conclusion of the play and the Event Square emptied, deciding they would head for the hotel and grab dinner as soon as it was offered. Retrieving Tyris' bag from the luggage drop, they took a shuttle bus to the hotel. Ballad led the way through the stone-tiled lobby to his suite on the ground floor. With only a cursory viewing of the fanciful room and its solitary, sprawling bed, Tyris threw her bag into a plush chair and wrapped both arms around him, savouring that first kiss with the anticipation of what was to come.

They kicked off their shoes and removed each other's sweat laden shirts, and she was very conscious of her tan lines as she unbelted him, their legs clattering into one corner of the gigantic bed. Tyris knelt and took Ballad in her mouth as she removed the rest of his clothes. Then they reversed their position, her shorts and panties dropping to her ankles, and she flicked them away with her toes. The Garland leader kissed his way down to the moist, close-cut triangle between her legs. His tongue entered and explored her, his hands lovingly caressing her thighs and her rear.

It was with reluctance that Tyris pulled away, Ballad's dark-haired head in her hands and his chin shining wet. She suddenly giggled, knelt and used her GF strength to leap back, far onto the bed, landing appreciatively into the memory foam and waiting for Ballad to crawl after her. Over time, she had gradually become more comfortable in their lovemaking, and would now allow him to lead. They were quickly intertwined, and Tyris kissed him ravenously once he found his rhythm, ensuring she was not metronomic in her responding thrusts. In no time, Ballad was gratifyingly moaning and gasping almost as much as she was.

Some time afterward, they bathed together in what was more a hot tub with multiple jets, spacious enough for them to sit at either end and not get their legs tangled, and with the bubbles so high that only their heads could be seen above.

Then they went to dinner. It was an open buffet, and while Tyris was modest in her takings for a first plate, not bothering with a starter, Ballad filled his boots; he only seemed satisfied when his food was piled six inches high and draped with a sixteen-ounce steak. Tyris finished while the Garland leader was still attacking the angus. While Ballad was not interested in dessert, some of those brownies and cookie doughs just looked too tempting for Tyris to pass up. They both resisted the lure for more alcohol, now feeling dehydrated from the sex and the hot tub, and washed down the scrumptious offerings with bottles of mineral water.

Five more days of this, Tyris thought, looking around. And breakfast, too!

She had never felt so privileged. Back in the Eldertree for the evening, they decided to go the Movie Square. While Ballad had been treated to a pre-cinema viewing on his Dollet mission, Tyris had yet to watch A Dragoon's Fate. It turned out to be as good as reputed, and afterward, back at Choco's Stable, Tyris was surprised to learn that Aranea Highwind had been a friend of Ballad's at Galbadia Garden, and had even turned down a place in Garland.

'Aranea would have been among the best of Garland,' Ballad reflected, with a hint of regret. 'Perhaps the best. But she's loyal to her homeland, which is commendable. There's no finer lancer to captain the Dragoons.'

'So, she'll be fighting with us in Timber?' Tyris asked.

'More than likely,' he answered.

Later, Tyris would wonder just how close Ballad and Aranea had been. He had not volunteered much information about his failed marriage, other than that his former wife had left him for a businessman when he had been on deployment. Though he had made the occasional hint that the fallout had left him in considerable debt.

On stage, it appeared that two burly men were portraying Sorceress Adel, one actor unseen and supporting the other from within that black frock. Standing before the towering Adel, looking like a child in comparison, was a young and boisterous Laguna Loire, standing with his fists on his hips and a prop sub-machine gun hanging from a strap. This time the pyros were followed by a blackout, and when the lights came back on, Adel was motionless inside a spherical capsule that had been swiftly placed centre stage, her burly grey arms crossed over her chest and her mouth hanging open in denial - the pose she would remain in for seventeen years.

'Piece of cake!' a grinning Laguna boasted, then stooped to clutch his shaking leg.

'I never believed it happened that way,' Ballad commented suddenly. 'I mean, Edea and Cid combined had trouble against Adel, and it took five of the Children of Fate to kill her when she was lethargic from cryogen! How did Loire defeat a millennia-old Sorceress without even firing a shot? And how could Adel fall for such child's play?'

Tyris just murmured. She had oft wondered the same, though within the Empire, glorifying the inter-Sorceress period or even owning texts published during that era had been punishable by several years hard labour. Adel's indignation was a very sensitive subject, and few Esthari now dared to remember it, much less to speak of it.

Back in their room, they made love again, and Tyris fell asleep cradled in Ballad's arms. He had placed a wakeup call for 0530, something he had forgotten to inform Tyris about, as he was teeing off an hour later. He apologetically kissed her, got up to shower, and then went for breakfast, saying he would meet Tyris for lunch at noon. Tyris dozed for another half hour or so, but knowing she would not get another full sleep cycle, decided to dress.

She had taken one pair of PT gear from Battleship Island and decided to spend the next hour in the hotel's vast gymnasium. Then, she went for her own breakfast, taking some time to decide on pancakes with bacon. After, Tyris left the hotel, seeking one of the several winding trails that led through the adjoining forest and lakes neighbouring the golf course. There were reference maps posted at regular intervals, though one could spend hours on just one of these hikes. Wardens worked night and day to keep them free from monsters, less half-heartedly now they had received encouraging raises.

When she reached a small clearing, Tyris decided it was time to try something that she had wanted to perform for a while. The last time she had taken flight on Quetzalcoatl, it had been on his back, and she shuddered at the memory of those long flights she had spent hunched over his feathered, unharnessed hide while crossing the ocean. While Tyris might have set a planetary record for her trans-oceanic feat, it was not something she wished to repeat any time soon. And when in battle, flying on GF-back was impractical, as a summoner is most vulnerable when their GF is in corporeal form and cannot aim their weapons properly.

In that clearing, the slanted mid-morning sunlight bathing her, Tyris closed her eyes and attempted to clear her mind. It helped that she was presently more relaxed than she had ever felt before, but as an anxiety sufferer, no amount of meditation resulted in complete clarity. Though after years of military sponsored therapy, she could replicate something close to it. Out here, completely alone, she neared the clear-headedness she needed for what she intended.

Quetzal's beige wings slowly unfurled from her back, stretching to their full span, though otherwise the Feathered Snake remained within her. The beating of those shining, sand-coloured wings came from him, lifting Tyris above the birch trees, and she willed Quetzal to fly her in circles until she became used to the sensation. It was always harder to communicate with Quetzal than Ramuh, as he used feelings and mental imprinting rather than words, but he always knew exactly what Tyris desired.

Raikou blinked into existence in her hand, and Tyris remained in flight over the trees, phantom cutting and thrusting. None other than the birds who made the forest their home could see her, and she flew higher, so that any other hikers nearby would mistake her for a large bird of prey. Tyris quickly learned that it would take much practice to be able to navigate the wind currents without aid, even more so with a weapon in hand, but for the time being, Quetzal would control her every wingbeat.

She resolved to come here and train each morning that she was here, and every morning thereafter where she had the opportunity. General Zebalga held Tiamat's magicite now, and he would likely be on dragon back when they next met; Tyris needed to be nimble enough to avoid those midnight blue flares and thrust Raikou home.

The next few days followed with the same loose routine. After breakfast, Ballad would play golf, and Tyris would hike and fly. After lunch, they got the shuttlebus to the Eldertree, where they would spend all afternoon before returning to the hotel for dinner. Then, they would go back to the Eldertree for the evening, and over the course of the week, they made the most of each zone except the Battle Square.

On the fourth day, Ballad decided to enlist in a Triple Triad tournament. Tyris had never replaced the cards she had lost during that binge in Esthar City's downtown, and she had always preferred Mahjong anyway. She had been taught how to play Balamb's own boardgame by Hikaru, and due to that, she had not been able to bring herself to play it since her friend's death, even with the competitiveness at Battleship Island. Though here, in the Champions Square, there was always somebody eagerly waiting by the tables for an challenger.

Ballad made it to the quarter finals before squandering his best cards, and in that time, Tyris had amassed another few hundred gil from her wagers, having lost only one Mahjong game out of five. Unfortunately, the odds on Lightning had drastically gone down, and Tyris had not desired to bet on a different chocobo, so was pleased she had found another way of increasing her gil. And as always, like a smart gambler, she walked away before her luck could change. Additionally, she had checked her Cactpot numbers on Saturday and raked in another hundred Gil.

'Beginners' luck,' Ballad had put it down to, scrunching up his own useless ticket.

That evening, Ballad suggested they play adventure golf, as it was one of the only pastimes they had yet to participate in at the amusement park.

'You're kidding, right?' Tyris asked incredulously. 'Haven't you had enough of golf?'

'Come on, Ty!' he pleaded. 'It totally different from the real thing! It's just for fun!'

As it happened, she found the adventure golf rather enjoyable. No two 'holes' were the same, centred in meandering neon and disco-lit chambers, all modelled after the different lair of a GF. And with all the rebounds players could get from the many twists and sharp turns, skill was not necessarily a factor. Tyris even managed to beat Ballad by one putt, gleefully jumping and cheering when he missed a putt into Bahamut's jaws that would have put them on a tie.

'What's that?' she asked, kissing him before cupping a hand around one ear. 'Beginner's luck?'

On their final evening, they took the cable car ride one final time. There was a particular moment when the ride reached its zenith in the west, where the entire Eldertree, the distant ruins of Sarona Castle and the verdant forests were twilit by the amber sun as it straddled the glittering Monterosa Gulf.

It was then that Ballad got down on one knee and proposed to Tyris. The ring was chrome, engraved and with a peridot in its centre deliberately the same colour as Ramuh's lightning. Tyris never wore jewellery and was no expert, but she would wager it had cost Ballad two month's salary just to pay for that; he had likely maxed out another credit card.

'Will you marry me, Tyris Stormbringer?'

Tyris did not answer. She could not answer. She just stared at him for several heartbeats that must have felt like an eternity to him, as a vein throbbed in his temple. Then she started crying. Ballad's mouth opened concernedly, and he closed the black box lid over the ring, moving over to console her. His fist closed over the box as he put his arm around her, and Tyris leaned into him.

It was just too soon. Things were already happening faster then Tyris would ordinarily be comfortable with. Until she had met Ballad, she had not lain with any man since Gau. The shadow of Zebalga still loomed, and it would never recede until Tyris slew him. She saw Ballad as noble and incorruptible, the epitome of qualities she never thought any real man could possess. And she was still as flattered as a maiden that the Garland leader wanted her, after her mother had killed his father, and after some of the questionable acts she had committed while serving Ultimecia, killing Hikaru and Raijin being high on a long list. In all honesty, Tyris felt like she should be asking him.

'Not yet, Ballad,' she croaked, unable to look at him. 'Not here.'

'Okay,' he said neutrally.

'I love you, Ballad,' she said. 'I really do! Though a man like you deserves more than one of those hurried ceremonies they offer here. You're a great man, Ballad! You're a hero of Galbadia! You should have your whole regiment there as witness!' Now she met his eyes. 'I will keep the ring, but will only wear it when I've got you one in return. After Timber,' she promised.

Ballad looked back out to sea, remaining in silent acceptance for a while, as she wiped her tears and nestled into him. They remained in that position as the ride took its slow descent.

'Just know that if you depart for the Netherworld, Tyris, I won't be far behind.'