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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Apr 5, 2021 14:04:16 GMT -6
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Garnet wasn't sure whether to smile or to gently frown when Hilda commented on securing her own safety. Yes, Garnet knew that to most she was a Queen, and many still thought of her as the sheltered and helpless princess she had once been, but Hilda knew exactly what Garnet had been through. It was either adorable that she still thought Garnet needed protecting or frustrating, but Garnet leaned towards the former. After all, she knew that Hilda only cared for her.
"What better way to secure my safety than journeying along side experienced adventurers?" Garnet offered in a counter. "Besides, I serve them as a healer. I do not often fight directly, but rather keep them healed and protected," Garnet paused only to smile slightly at the irony. "You might say that I am the one securing the safety of others, rather than someone securing my own. I'm sure that Steiner would object, but that's what I think a Queen should do. The people should always come first. I suppose, here, I'm just living by that philosophy on a slightly smaller scale." Especially since she had no actual authority. But it did tie to her belief; some people, Kuja, her mother in the end, others they had fought, even Steiner sometimes, they thought that royalty was served by its people, but that wasn't the case. Royalty served its people. The people of Alexandria were Garnet's responsibility. She did not expect them to protect her. She expected that it was her who would protect them. "Besides, you may not have heard, but I am no slouch in battle any longer," Garnet smiled. She paused, remembering endless etiquette lessons from her Aunt Hilda. "Uh, not that I slouch, of course. It is... an expression," she said quickly, because she did not want to be lectured on appropriate posture.
Hilda seemed surprised by the time displacement, which Garnet realised was natural. She also seemed confused about who had drawn them there, but that also was a natural question. One Garnet felt she had to try and answer. "I do not know who has brought us here, or for what purpose. I do not believe that it was Kuja, but... apart from that, I don't know. There seems to be no pattern to the chosen victims or reason. It is... a mystery," she admitted. She also noted that Hilda thought Garnet seemed happy, and Garnet had the decency to look slightly ashamed, glancing away from her Aunt. "I... Seeing Zidane again, it... is nice. And living here, without a kingdom to rule, without... the constant pressure, it... Sometimes... I like... it," she admitted slowly, finding it awkward to say so. "My entire life I have been told to be Garnet Til Alexandros, I have had everything prepared for me, presented to me, I have always known my life and my future... I always knew that one day I would be Queen, I always knew that I would have that life... but here... as Dagger... with none of that... Sometimes... I feel like I can truly be me..." She paused, and shook her head gently. "Not that I am refusing to return. Quite the opposite. When I find the way back, I shall return. I am the Queen of Alexandria, whether I wish to be or not, and the people of Alexandria depend upon me. Being Dagger, well... It is just a childish fantasy while I am here. I know my responsibilities. Do not worry, I have not forgotten them," she assured Hilda, perhaps predicting her Aunt's disapproval.
She felt guilty for bringing up Kuja. She could see how much it had shaken Hilda, even as she tried to hide it. Garnet shouldn't be surprised. Truthfully, she thought that she had reacted worse when she had seen him. She had almost been ready to attack him openly in the street, to summon Ramuh consequences be damned, and that was something she had sworn she would never do. She would never use an Eidolon to put the innocent in danger. But she had nearly done it out of rage and fear. Hilda's emotions were understandable.
Garnet moved to sit next to Hilda as Hilda gestured, even as Hilda lowered the fan. Hilda asked about what exactly Kuja had said, but Garnet realised she wasn't sure how to answer. "He did not say... much that was useful. He claimed to be... shopping," she realised that sounded absurd. "And insisted that he had no interest in me, that he had no method for Eidolon extraction either. He said nothing else about his plans. And yet, I am concerned. Mikoto seems dangerously close to him, and she has the potential to be more powerful than Zidane." Garnet admitted. "She is... a genome, like Zidane, from Terra, only without his experience on Gaia to shape her." She explained, in case Hilda was unfamiliar.
"But I do not know what to do. If Kuja has a plan, which I am sure he does, it is a secret, and I do not have any friends here I can turn to with any authority. I wish... Uncle Cid was here. He would know what to do," she admitted. Aunt Hilda would help too, she was sure, but Cid had always reassured her in hard times.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Apr 4, 2021 7:47:39 GMT -6
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Garnet couldn't hide a light smile at her Aunt Hilda's playful reply. Of course, Hilda wasn't actually her Aunt, no more than Cid was her Uncle, but in how she had been brought up, she thought of both them as that. Even when her mother had tried to go to war with Lindblum, Cid had always been 'Uncle Cid' to her, the person she could turn to in any time of darkness. Without Cid in her life, Garnet wasn't sure she'd have ever been brave enough to stand up against her mother. And she suspected that the fate of Alexandria, indeed, of Gaia, would have been very different. To her, Cid, and of course, Hilda, were her family, and she was delighted to see her again.
Of course, it also raised many questions. Hilda was a powerful mage, perhaps more powerful than Garnet in some ways, at least in the sense of unique, transformation magic, but she was no adventurer. It was hard to imagine Hilda surviving cramped in a tent with eight others on a rainy night on a long lost continent, or trekking through a marsh full of Qu, or indeed ending up on an alien world made entirely of crystal. But then again, Garnet was quite sure that nobody could have imagined Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII doing that but a few scant years ago. People could, it seemed, surprise you.
Unfortunately, she immediately called her 'Queen Garnet', but fortunately, there didn't seem to be many around to hear. Garnet hid a slight wince, and offered Hilda a gentle smile instead. "Please, it's just Dagger while we're here. Alexandria is far away, in another world. Claiming to be a Queen with no kingdom will cause more problems than it solves. Here, I am just Dagger, White Mage and occasional adventuress." She took a bit of a bow as she introduced herself with the term 'adventuress'. It wasn't a term she had ever thought she'd use for herself, but she quite enjoyed it. Not just for the subversion of expectations, although that was an element certainly, but also because it was true. She knew now that she had seen more than so many, she had battled more monsters than most ever dreamed of. She might not have been a warrior swinging a sword around, but she knew that she was, in many ways, as much of an adventurer as Zidane or Steiner.
She hesitated slightly when Hilda commented on the short time since they'd seen each other last. It seemed that Hilda was unaware of the strange time displacement that seemed to happen upon arrival. It also implied that Garnet was the first person she had met there. Another fact that caused Garnet pause. "Aunt Hilda... Things are... different, here. From my point of view, I arrived here many months ago," Garnet explained as delicately as she could. "Much has happened in that time. It seems many of us from home have been displaced here. I have met several people that I used to know. Sir Fratley, Amarant, Mikoto, and recently, finally, Zidane," she smiled at that. A true smile of delight. "But for most of this time I have been alone. This life here, healing others, helping where I can, it is how I have survived," she explained.
She paused again. Hilda, she knew, worshipped etiquette. Moreso than Garnet ever had. Garnet had followed it, yes, but she had followed it like she continued to breath; to her it had just been natural, it was how she had been raised. Now, however, things were different. Garnet wasn't just Queen Garnet anymore, she was Dagger too, she knew how common people interacted. And even if she didn't, she had always believed that important issues needed to be dealt with. She had always considered herself to not be the type of royal who would put an urgent matter off until dinner had been eaten or something of a similar matter.
Which was why she said what she said next.
"Aunt Hilda, you need to know... that somebody else is here too," she paused. "Kuja. I encountered Kuja," she warned. "I do not know how he is still alive, nor do I understand what his plot is here. He feigned innocence, but I do not trust him. However, alone, I also could not stop him." She left out that she hadn't wanted to try. Summoning an Eidolon in the middle of the city against Kuja felt like an open invitation to repeat the mistakes of Alexandria. Not to mention she was no combatant alone.
"Where are you staying? Do you have a place to stay?" Garnet asked. She knew that when she had first arrived finding accommodations had been her priority, but again, she had experience travelling that she knew Hilda did not, and had sold her gown for gil. She was somehow sceptical that Hilda would sell her clothing.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Mar 23, 2021 6:58:19 GMT -6
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The young woman known as Dagger had fitted in well at the church. She didn't seem especially religious, but she was a powerful healer, polite, and kind hearted. There had been chatter of course about where she had come from. At times she could seem oddly formal, even stilted, but at other times, she spoke with the ease of an experienced adventurer, and seemed to know far more about life in the wilds than most of the young healers. The one thing the people of the church agreed upon, however, was that she seemed plagued by a great sadness or loss. There was a distant look in her eyes at times, and she seemed driven. She would often disappear for days at a time, or join adventuring parties to support them directly, but with no rhyme or reason. Some thought that she was searching for someone. Others thought that she had lost someone close, and was looking for any distraction.
All agreed, however, that there was something sad and lonely about the young woman known as Dagger.
That was, until recently.
Something had changed in Dagger recently. As if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled more. She laughed more. And that sadness that had been behind her eyes? It seemed gone. Whatever she had been looking for, she had found. She seemed lighter, even if she worked as hard as ever. The compassion hadn't gone anywhere, after all. Sometimes they even caught her singing to herself.
For Dagger herself, or Garnet, as she was really, finding Zidane had brought her a lot of relief. Of course she was still worried about Alexandria, about Beatrix and Steiner and all of her friends back home concerned for her, and her people who had been left without a leader. But right now, she had Zidane by her side again, and just with that, she felt complete once more. She still worked at the church, of course, because they needed gil and while she loved Zidane, she wasn't sure she wanted to know where he got his gil from.
"Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why..." she sang lightly under her breath as she entered the church, white mage cloak pulled up and over her orange jumpsuit. She was already smiling, thinking about what her and Zidane would do that evening. It wasn't a life she had ever imagined for them, but it was one that now had. Together, but together and free. No Alexandria, no throne, no Tantalus. She knew that it couldn't last, but the last few days had been like a joyous dream. She realised it was the only life that she ever wanted.
She paused in shock, however, losing her place in the song, at the golden figure sat praying at the altar. For a moment, she almost dismissed it as an uncanny resemblance. After all, noblewomen sometimes came to visit. Truthfully, Garnet found the entire experience enlightening, seeing nobility from the eyes of what they regarded as a simple healer. Oh, she had seen it before when travelling the world, but it never failed to make her reassess how she addressed others as Queen. But this woman didn't just dress like the figure she thought she was. She looked like her too.
No, she was her.
Garnet approached, still shocked. "Aunt Hilda...?" she asked, her voice startled. By contrast to Hilda's rather impressive appearance, Garnet's simple robe and jumpsuit must have looked incredibly plain, even with the Falcon Claw necklace still dangling around her neck. Mind you, Garnet thought even her gown as Queen was rather plain compared to Lady Hilda's outfits. She was definitely a woman who knew how to dress. Garnet let out a startled laugh when she realised that this definitely was the woman she had thought. "It is you!" she remarked in surprise. "It's me. Dagger," she quickly introduced, to try and prevent the inevitable title and lengthy name pouring from Hilda's lips and revealing just who she really was.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Mar 23, 2021 2:28:13 GMT -6
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Garnet couldn't hide a smile and a blush as he told her he'd missed her. She slipped her hand into his and followed along beside him. This felt good. This felt right. She felt like the huge part of her that had been missing, not only since her arrival here, but in the intervening years when she'd lived without Zidane, believing him to be dead, was filled. And this time, she hoped it was for good. She didn't know if she could face losing him again.
But concern over losing him wasn't something she was going to feel today. No, she wasn't going to let herself. Not after all this time. Right now, she just wanted to feel happiness. She wanted to be so glad that he was back, and she was. She wasn't going to fret. She wasn't going to worry. Even if that was her nature. She was just going to enjoy the moment.
After all, that's what Zidane had taught her to do, right?
"Dagger," she corrected him when he called her 'Garnet'. "I've been going by Dagger again. Honestly, I'm not sure why. It's not like anybody here knows who Garnet Til Alexandros is. It just... felt right. Remembering the lessons you taught me to blend in, forgetting being a Queen and just being... me," she explained.
She watched the ease with which he waved to the others with a smile of pride, even if she might not have been entirely happy about how some of the other girls were looking at him. That was Zidane. A whole new city, a whole new world, and he was already making friends with everybody he met. Garnet felt a little awkward. She had been there for two months now, and she hadn't made anywhere near the connections Zidane had made. She knew that she was polite, she thought that she was friendly, but to Zidane, making friends came as naturally as breathing. She supposed that she could never quite be like that. It was one of the many reasons she loved him so much. He was so outgoing, so friendly, so kind. She envied, admired and loved him all in one.
She did however roll her eyes playfully a little when he commented that his new abode wasn't fit for a queen. Why did people always say that to her? Especially the people who knew her. "Oh, well, if it is not fit for a queen, then I am afraid I find myself quite uninterested in you. Return when you are a Prince and you have a castle to best suit my station," she replied, her voice dropping into full 'Queen Garnet' mode with added snobbery. Of course, she couldn't keep it up for long, and she broke into a laugh, smiling and giggling. "Zidane, how many nights did I spend crammed in a tent with everyone?" she asked, voice back to normal. "I'm pretty sure we slept in Qu's Marsh at least once. Oh, and don't forget on an alien planet. Not to mention, I'm fairly sure this place is bigger than my accommodations at the church where I've been staying. Believe me, I'm not the little girl who thought she should have her own separate room at the inn anymore." She cringed a little when she remembered her reaction when they had first arrived at the inn in Kalm. A typical spoiled princess. Oh, she had learned and she adapted, but it was still a little embarrassing to look back on.
And then she slipped into his arms. Because it felt like the most natural thing in the world. "I could stay here. With you. Forever," she told him honestly. "I don't need castles and gowns and tiaras. I never have. Everything I've ever wanted is right here in this room." It was the truth, of course. Well, the truth now, maybe there had been a time when all Garnet had cared about was being the perfect princess, but that time had passed. But then she hesitated. Because, while all of that was true, there was something else hanging over her. "But... I am Queen. I feel... responsible, for the people of Alexandria. There is still a lot I need to fix back home. Alliances that are still fragile. Rebuilding to be done. We need to find a way back home, even if..." she paused, and she smiled. "...in truth, I might not mind if I get to be Dagger just a little bit longer."
Her face fell slightly more serious, however, even as she rested in his arms. "There are... other things too. Things you need to know." She didn't say his name. Not yet. But Kuja was on her mind. Kuja was back. Mikoto too, which she knew Zidane would want to know, but Kuja was their main issue. Privately, she wondered what Zidane would make of that. He had made his peace with Kuja, hadn't he, at the end? What would he do knowing that he survived?
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Mar 10, 2021 17:18:25 GMT -6
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"Oh, I think a little doubt would be reasonable," Garnet smiled slightly. "I am the one it happened to, and there are some days that I still doubt that it could have possibly been real." Fleeing Alexandria, heading to Lindblum, fighting a war, stopping a war, discovering Terra, everything she had been through, it seemed unbelievable. But the events were nothing compared to the people. Every time she had a doubt about what had happened to her, she saw Zidane's face, and she knew that it was all real. He was her anchor. If only she could find him again...
So, he had never met a Queen? She supposed that was reasonable, although also it seemed he had no preconceptions. She laughed and shook her head a little when he said he didn't know how a Queen should sound. "Well, I suppose, not like me," she smiled lightly. "I spent... some time travelling the world. I had to... I believe the phrase is, 'go incognito', and I learned much. Including how not to sound and behave like a princess, as I was at the time," she explained. It was a skill that would come back to her with time, she was sure. She was still very much in 'queen' mode, but if she was stranded in this world, then it was a new adventure, and she could use returning to her Dagger personae. "To that end, call me Dagger. I suspect walking around claiming I am a Queen when I am not on my world will only cause trouble," she suggested. It seemed reasonable to her.
In fact, it seemed more than reasonable. If she was entirely honest with herself, it sounded a little fun. She knew she had to get back, and quickly, she couldn't abandon her kingdom, and she had to find Zidane immediately, but once she had, maybe a little adventure was just what she needed? "Interesting. Thank you, Caius, for the information," she said, her formal self again as she nodded her thanks in a curt bow. "I can only hope if I am here, my companions are too, and that sounds the best place to begin looking for them," she agreed. And then she looked down at her sodden gown, her heels sinking in the mud beneath it, and frowned. "And yes, a change of clothes sounds helpful," she added.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Mar 10, 2021 16:59:07 GMT -6
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Garnet actually found it refreshing to meet somebody who didn't seem to recognise what a summoner was. On her world, summoners had been lost to time and become a thing of legend, of course, but, well, recent events had made sure everybody in the world knew what a summoner was once more. And more than that, they knew that Queen Garnet Til Alexandros of Alexandria was one. It made some people fear her. A fact that she wasn't overly fond of. But here, she thought that it could be beneficial. "There are not many that are," she countered when he said he was unfamiliar. "On my world, there are but two of us left. Here... it appears to vary. I have seen others who command eidolons, but... in a different manner. All you need to know is that I can, if required, summon powerful aide to our side." she explained. That would have to do, and she had to hope that he wouldn't ask for a demonstration. She made it sound like a useful ally, which it was. On their quest to save the world, her summons had helped her so many times, but she had also seen what disaster they could wrought. And she wasn't sure letting a man like Balthier know what he possessed in her power was a good idea.
"I'll help you find your treasure," she agreed with a nod. She didn't much like the idea; it wasn't really her style, pointlessly raiding places for treasure when there was a mission that needed to be seen through, but then again, the word chocograph floated across her mind and she realised maybe the pot was calling the kettle black. She would do it. For Zidane, she would do anything.
On that topic, he called attention to the Falcon Claw pendant around her neck. Her hand went to it for a moment, hesitant. Not only had the jewel been in her family (well, the royal family) for generations, but she had worn it her entire life. It was also a connection back to her world, back to Alexandria. And of course, part of the powerful summoning crystal used to summon Alexander. Not that it could ever be used now after Alexander's death, but it was important. It wasn't something she could just give away.
But ultimately, it was a stone. Zidane was Zidane. She would do what she had to do. "The Falcon Claw pendant..." she told Balthier. "In this world, it's not worth much, but on mine..." she trailed off. "It is the most important heirloom I own. So know this, when I agree to your terms, that is how confident I am that I'll be able to assist you," she said confidently, a fierce look of determination in her eyes, her Dagger-like contractions still being used to avoid her formal language. At least a little. She didn't want him asking TOO many questions about how a travelling white mage had such an heirloom, after all...
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Feb 21, 2021 8:09:15 GMT -6
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Garnet could see how much pain Tellah was in, but felt helpless. Even as a princess who had everything, she had been driven to help others. To learn white magic so that she wouldn't just sit on the sidelines if somebody suffered, so that she felt like she could always do something when somebody was in pain. Except now she couldn't. The pain Tellah was feeling was beyond anything she knew how to heal, with magic or with words. He had just had to abandon his daughter. Again. What could she say to that? She prided herself on being empathic and sympathetic, but she had no words to help the grieving older man. She hoped that all she could offer was a comforting presence.
"I too can cure. I have never tried it on a crystal, but we can hope..." Garnet nodded. She wasn't sure she understood Quistis's comment on drawing the darkness out, but Garnet thought it better to banish it than simply send it somewhere else. With both Tellah and Quistis casting, Garnet poured her own white magic into the mix. With Tellah and Quistis's magical energies seemingly focusing on clearing the curse from the crystal, Garnet thought she should focus on healing it, pouring her energy into Curaga, seeking out where the crystal had been damaged and corrupted and looking to heal it cleanly and help restore it.
She didn't know if it would work, but she felt like they had no other choice but to try. The entire town was counting on them, and they had come too far to fail now. At least, if White Magic was the answer, she was teamed with the right people. It seemed all of them knew magic, and all of them knew how to cure.
A team of white mages saving the day? Garnet hoped she'd find Zidane soon to tell him that one. He'd never believe her...
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Feb 11, 2021 2:31:01 GMT -6
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Zidane had a quip. Of course he had a quip. Zidane always seemed ready to smile, no matter the situation. It was one of the things Garnet loved about him. After a childhood being raised being told that life was entirely serious, she craved fun, and Zidane was definitely that. Still, she could barely believe he managed to have a joke ready for finding her after so long, again. Of course, two could play at that game. Just because Garnet had been raised to be entirely serious didn't mean that she was, and that had been before she had spent time travelling with Zidane and the others. She looked at him, a smirk on her face and her hands on her hips. "Oh? Are you saying you don't want to meet me anymore?" she asked, an eyebrow raised as if in disapproval. She knew exactly what he meant really, of course, she just wanted to see him squirm, even if it was only for a moment.
Of course, any sass or joking at him didn't last for long, and she retreated into his arms, letting him kiss her head. He seemed to say that they should find somewhere else, and Garnet supposed it was a little public for a display of affection, but she hardly minded. She had missed him so much she didn't care if they were on stage in front of thousands of people. Uh, which she supposed for most couples was a hypothetical example and not a 'last time we did this' thing, but, well, Garnet was used to living life in the spotlight. And she knew there were times when appearances didn't matter. Like when being reunited with the man you loved and the saviour of your entire world in one.
"It's been... a month or two, I think," she answered, frowning a little. The passage of time had been difficult to mark. She self consciously was focusing on making her words a little less formal. Almost two years of being Queen of Alexandria had led her to slip back into her formal mannerisms, but she had never forgotten the lessons Zidane taught her, and she wanted to demonstrate as much.
"Did you have somewhere in mind?" she asked, with a playful smile. That seemed typical of Zidane. He probably already knew everybody in town and was everybody's best friend. She certainly was sure he had a place to stay and a hideout and probably an adopted family like Tantulus already. Zidane always made friends everywhere he went, confident and easy going, never second guessing himself like Garnet did. That was definitely one of the many things she admired about him too. Just being in his presence again made everything feel so much better. With Zidane's confidence on her side, she felt like she could do anything.
She couldn't quite hold it in any longer, and before he could answer, she retreated back into his arms, her head against his chest. "I've... missed you, so much..." she said quietly, honestly, all playful pretence gone.
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Feb 10, 2021 16:21:58 GMT -6
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Garnet could just watch silently, even as Quistis came to her side and to her aid. Quistis's words were as wise and gentle as any could be, but in the final moments, Garnet knew that neither her nor Quistis needed to be there. It was Tellah's strength that would break him free from this. But he spoke of tragedies that Garnet didn't know, of causing the death of his daughter, and Garnet saw inside the pain in his eyes. He truly believed that. He truly blamed himself. Garnet wanted to reach out to him when he spoke of his past. Of his desire to change it. Anything she could do or say to move on. She knew what it was like to blame yourself. She so rarely spoke of it, even to Zidane, but so much had gone wrong in her life because of her choices.
These days, she didn't blame herself for running away from Alexandria. It had caused chaos and she had no doubt some people had been hurt because of the decision, and that was a weight she carried on her heart forever, but... had she stayed, things would have been worse. She had seen what evils her mother and Kuja had performed with her Eidolons. Had they claimed them even sooner, matters would have been even worse. No. Running from Alexandria had been the right thing to do. Maybe she could have done it better. Smarter. But that had been right.
Returning though?
Betraying Zidane and Cid and the others, fleeing Lindblum and returning to Alexandria? That had allowed her mother to claim her eidolons. And those eidolons? They had killed thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. Cleyra. Lindblum. And eventually, yes, Alexandria. All destroyed by power that should have been safely locked away within her. All because of her naivete. Because she believed she had been doing something right and it had been wrong. What was it Tellah had said? That he loved too hard and it clouded his judgement?
Garnet could relate.
She had blood on her hands too. But not just her family. Her people. And the people of the other kingdoms too. She hadn't cast the spells or called the summons, but her own foolishness had handed them over to them. She knew what it was like to blame yourself. She knew Tellah's shame.
"I... know... what it is like, to carry that shame inside of you," Garnet said after a moment as she followed Tellah. "We cannot change the past. But all any of us can do is try to change the future. What we do today, by walking away from our past, will give so many people a future. I know... that seems... worthless now. But it is all we can do." She nodded. "Let us go and save the city." It seemed their journey was finally coming to an end. All in all, Garnet thought she'd have rather fought Kraken than faced this trial. She was sure that the mark on each of their souls wouldn't go away any time soon...
Post by Garnet Til Alexandros XVII on Jan 17, 2021 13:48:01 GMT -6
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Garnet's eyes adjusted as they took in the world she had emerged into. It was a small house in a desert. Or so it seemed. The dusty exterior and rickety roof caused a momentary pang of familiarity in Garnet's heart. It reminded her of Eiko's rickety desert home in Madain Sari, surrounded by scorched Earth. And then, it reminded her of something older. Something further away. Not Eiko's home, but her own. The small house in which she had been raised as a child. Before the storm. Before the great eye in the sky.
Her eyes waivered to the storm outside. For a moment, she was worried that she had journeyed into that memory, but this house wasn't hers. It wasn't any of the houses in Madain Sari. Garnet had explored that place thoroughly with Eiko. It was, after all, her original home. She had asked the child to show her everything. No, it was a coincidence. Another coincidence this shrine tried to force on her.
A rain drop falling from the damp ceiling managed to fall straight down her back and cause her to yelp slightly in surprise, giving her presence away. Tellah was there. Tellah, and a girl that she did not recognise. The girl must have been a similar age to Garnet, if she had to guess. Perhaps a bit older. She might not have recognised the girl, but she recognised the way Tellah looked at her. That was love. Garnet was royalty, and she was therefore not unaware of men marrying women younger than they were, but that didn't look like that kind of love. A daughter? A grand daughter? Somebody very special to Tellah? Garnet couldn't guess. But it was clear that he loved her. Just as Garnet had loved her mother. Had Garnet been cold, to reject her mother so openly, while Tellah seemed to be trapped by the illusion?
"Tellah..." Garnet said gently, stepping forward. "I... know that it must hurt, but it is... not real," she was trying to be tactful. Her eyes moved to the outside. The stormy water slamming onto the sand, turning it into what she pictured as thick mud. Soon it would engulf the house. Or was she imagining that? Was that the shrine's plan? Keep Tellah here until he drowned in the flood? "The shrine... is showing us these things. But... it means us harm. When I... tried to defy it, it turned on me. Not physically. Emotionally. My mother..." Garnet hesitated. Her mother had said such terrible things. But then again, her real mother probably would have said the same, in those final days. Maybe the illusion was accurate. Maybe Tellah's loved one wouldn't hurt him so...
"But whatever we are seeing... the city is still in danger. Surely we cannot remain here and allow that to happen. We must complete our mission. You must come with me..." she said pleadingly, hoping that the man's heart, the heart of a hero, would overcome his longing to stay. That he would see that he had to come with her to help. That he understood they still had a mission to complete...
