Kristin had finally finished all of the traps and sat down in
the shade to eat her lunch. It had been a month since she had
seen or heard from her daughter, but she trusted Lacey and just
waited patiently. She looked at the blue sky. Winter was almost
over and spring was soon approaching. The festival of the goddess
was in a few week-she was expecting Rufus any day now. Kristin
finished her lunch and decided to take a nap. Slowly she climbed
the cliff that led to her home and safety.
When she finally got to the top she set down her pack and walked
toward the house. Her blue chocobo Gabrielle trotted up to greet
her. Kristin smiled and petted her friend. This chocobo had
carried her and Gea through the worst of terrain and dangers. She
fed Gabrielle some Boushai greens and headed into the house -
sleep was all she needed.
The moon had risen and Lacey woke Gea and Ayanna. Ayanna woke
instantly, being used to these hours, and the fact that she was 8
years older than the dear child. Gea finally awoke, but more
sleepily and slowly. Lacey tied a harness onto the two girls and
secured the rope that led out the window. Lacey readied their
packs and secured her shacrum to her waist-she would never forget
how many guards she had to sneak past to get it.
Ayanna looked at Lacey curiously.
"I don't trust Rufus's word, and come on I'm not going to
just prance out the front door- plus you two were not part of the
bargain." Lacey explained and both of the girls nodded in
understanding.
Lacey tied the key around her neck and began their decent down
the wall. Ayanna went first, then Gea, then Lacey at the top.
They were halfway down when Lacey saw Rufus's head pop out of her
window and soldiers appear below.
"Bring Gea back here, this was not part of the deal you
little tramp" Rufus shouted after them.
Lacey had to think fast. There was no way to escape. Soldiers
surrounded them below and above-they were stuck. Lacey quickly
looked around again until she found an opportunity. She slid down
the rope and caught up to the girls.
"Hold on, I have and idea. Wrap your legs around the rope
and don't let go until I say." Lacey whispered and then
climbed up the rope a bit.
"Well this is a little tax I am adding on." Lacey
shouted up and then began to swing the rope. She screamed and
kicked fighting the chocobo. The chocobo reared and the soldiers
atop them were thrown off. Lacey jumped and landed on one of them.
Then she shouted at Ayanna to help Gea jump. They did as they
were told. Lacey caught Gea and set her onto the chocobo next to
her, and Ayanna landed on the one to the right. They all kicked
the flanks of their chocobo and were off.
Lacey wanted to go West, away from here to Natalie's kingdom, but
some force urged her North where she was sure Rufus would follow.
They all rode as fast as they could until noon that day, when
they came to a small forest. Lacey hid Gea in a small clearing
along with Ayanna. Then she let the chocobo graze. Lacey
unstressed the bow she had stolen and went out hunting for rabbit.
By the time Lacey came back it was about dinner time and they
were all starving. Lacey had Ayanna and Gea gather fire wood
while she found some water. They all came back and roasted their
dinner. Lacey had also found some berries which went well with
the rabbit. After their meal, and exhausting day Ayanna and Gea
went to sleep while Lacey took first watch-though she realized
she would be every watch.
Birds chirped their evening song and fluttered around in the
large trees. Lacey climbed up one of the trees and sat on a large
branch the stood over the clearing, allowing Lacey to see for a
long distance in every direction. The stars gleamed brightly and
the moon was half full. "Two weeks until Iris's festival."
Lacey thought. She remembered as a child she would stare at the
full moon on that festival night every year.
Lacey took out her shacrum and began to polish it with a small
but tough piece of leather. First she picked out all of the
materia and placed them in her pocket. Except for two of them.
She lifted up the master Shiva and Diablos materia. The two red
orbs sparkled and bent the beams of the moonlight. Lacey hastily
put Sephiroth's gifts away and finished polishing her shacrum.
Lacey replaced the materia and restarted the shacrum to her waist.
She then climbed out of the tree and walked toward the sleeping
girls.
Gea slept like a rock-all curled up in her blanket. Then there
was Ayanna. Lacey thought she was just a normal servant girl when
she realized something else...... Lacey remembered the night they
met and with shocking realization remembered the eyes.
They were not blue, they were violet! Ayanna was an ancient too!
Lacey smiled at the teenager. Her blonde hair poured over he face
like a blanket of snow. Lacey took her blanket out of her pack
and draped it about Ayanna's shoulders.
She then trotted off toward the nearby stream. Lacey again looked
at the moon. It was a crescent, perfectly shaped. And again she
drifted off into her memories of the festival of the wind goddess.
Lacey bent over and went to scoop up some water when she paused
to look at her reflection. The big feature she looked at with her
eyes. They were violet instead of mako-what was wrong. Lacey hit
the water with her palm making the water ripple. "In denial
of your heritage are you."
Lacey spun around wondering what the voice was. What Lacey saw
was more than amazing-it was a miracle. Shiva stood before Lacey
with a soft smile on her face. Lacey looked down at the ground,
but no materia lay. "But, I did not summon you, how are you
here?" Lacey asked.
The young Goddess's face frowned. "You never did understand
did you? I come in your defense because you are pure of heart, I
may stay in the materia, but I don't have to-staying here is my
will." Shiva said-a smile playing on her face.
Before Lacey could reply she took another look at the woman in
front of her. Her hair was a blue/silver that she let hang freely.
Her skin was a pearly blue, and tonight she wore a silver gown
instead of her usual blue skin tight battle garments. Shiva
drifted over and sat next to Lacey. "Why are you so afraid
of your heritage?"
It was Lacey's turn to frown. She realized the purple eyes were
an illusion created by Shiva's magic. "I am not afraid, I'm
just..."
Shiva cut Lacey off. "Your just afraid of your past, you don't
want to remember your sad child hood. I know."
Lacey turned in surprise. "How did you know that?"
Lacey asked.
Shiva just smiled and touched Lacey's cheek. Lacey flinched, for
Shiva's fingers were as cold as ice and left cold/red streaks
across Lacey's cheek.
Shiva frowned. "I'm sorry, one thousand years, and I still
forget what happens when I touch a human."
Lacey looked up. Shiva erased her frown with a smile and set her
hands in her lap. "I only knew because I can hear you talk
all the time, and Sephiroth figured you would need me so he told
me." She replied, kindness in her voice.
Lacey smiled. "It's nice to have someone to talk to that
knows..." Lacey stopped and glanced back at the fire at the
two girls who lay asleep. "Pardon me lady, I almost forget
who I am speaking I am sorry."
Shiva smiled. "Thou art forgiven, you have been away from
your friends a long while, and that is what I am here for dear."
She said as she stood up. "I just want to tell you not to be
afraid of what you will learn when you get to where you are going,
embrace it and decide, now go help your friend, she needs it."
Shiva then disappeared into nothing and Lacey looked again into
the water.
The mako eyes returned. And Lacey smiled. "I shall try"
she said to her self and she stood up. Tall and proud as ever.