I clasped my knees tightly, hoping for some warmth. All my excitement at seeing Gildas had shot out of me, and I couldn’t stop trembling. Seifer’s face, eyes closed, devoid of all emotion, was sticking in my head. It wouldn’t go away! I shook my head fiercely, but it still wouldn’t go away. My heart was racing, my head was pounding, I felt like I was going to be sick. I head a scuffling noise behind me, and turned my head enough to see Riku come skidding down the slope.
Riku came to a stop just in front of me, and held out a hand, a gentle smile on his face. I nodded, and took his hand, and he tugged me into a hug. I felt a lot better after that, but I was still shaking slightly. Meanwhile, Gildas’s moogles had led Blank away, and he stood alone, his brow furrowed in concentration. He turned to me. “Hello Haru. It has been far too long, and I apologise for my rude behaviour earlier. However, I had to deal with this issue. Shall we dine together? I have a few trifle matters to finish up with here, and then I shall join you. Zexion?” he called and Zexion’s pale face appeared over the edge of the crater.
“Could you escort our guests to the dining room please? I will be with you shortly; I need to sort something out here.” Zexion nodded, and Riku and I struggled up the steep slope. Zexion held out his arm, and tugged Gildas up, who tried to remain regal, but failed slightly. At the top, he adjusted his robes, and smiled. But it was a fixed smile – not the smile I remembered. I followed Riku and Zexion in silence while they chatted happily.
Once Gildas was almost out of sight, I turned back quickly. He was addressing the public, his normally gentle voice booming out over the crowd forcefully. He was no longer the shy, awkward boy from our youth, but confident in his words. And he was finally utilizing his height, drawing himself up and correcting his posture. I nodded dejectedly to myself…he was no longer the Gildas I knew. He was a whole different person now. “Haru?” Zexion had turned round quizzically, wondering why I had stopped. I looked at him, startled, and hurried after him and Riku.
In the dining room at the Castle, the three of us sat around the pointlessly long table, clustered down one end. Riku looked at me, worry etched into his calm face. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, intimidated by the guards at the door. I nodded. He raised one eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Yeah, it’s just…he’s different. He seems like someone else completely now. And I kinda miss him…I miss the fun we used to have. He’s only young, still, and he has so much to deal with, and it’s changed him.”
Across the table from us, Zexion nodded, playing with the rim of his crystal goblet. “He has changed. He’s being who everybody else wants him to be. I miss him, too, but I couldn’t say anything, because…it’s been hard on him; he’s given up who he is. His subjects needed the ruler that he wasn’t, his advisors needed the regal man he hadn’t ever known, and the rulers of other kingdoms needed him to be able to negotiate in a way he hadn’t been taught before. It’s been too long since he’s smiled or laughed truthfully. He’s being someone he’s not, and I’m worried…I’m worried that it’s only a matter of time before he breaks, and he can’t ever go back.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say, and so sat in silence, staring at the table. Next to me, Riku toyed with his fork. And then the doors banged open. Zexion jumped to his feet, so (after a meaningful look from him) we followed suit. Two guards marched in, and Gildas was not far behind them. Behind him were two more guards. He sat down stiffly, waving the guards away. “You may leave us in peace, now. We have many things to discuss, and would rather do that in private. I shall whistle when I have need.” They filed out silently, and I sank down to my chair. Since when had Gildas ever been one for giving orders?
I turned to Zexion, Haru and Riku. Smiled frantically. Turned back to the door with my ear to it. The guards were still there… blast it! I turned around to face my friends, totally composed and regal. Haru smiled half-heartedly… she wasn’t happy with me, I could tell. I’d seen that look enough times to know it from a passing glance. I sat down at the head of the table, Zexion on my left and Haru and Riku on my right. “Good to see you again. I apologise for my rudeness earlier, matters needed to be sorted. How are you doing this fine day?”
Haru looked stunned. She wasn’t used to seeing me like this, and I wished that I didn’t have to. The guards would hear every word we said, however, and I needed to maintain my appearance. I took a piece of paper from my robe pocket, and a quill from the other, an inkwell already on the table. I began writing, as Haru spoke. “We’re fine, thanks. Not much has happened, but we couldn’t stay away when we saw that dragon falling from the sky and hitting Lindblum…” I finished writing. Holding up the piece of paper, I showed it to Riku, Haru and Zexion. The note said “Meet me in my room in an hour. I’ll explain everything.”
We ate the rest of our meal in relative silence, stopping only to talk about the weather, or life in general. When the meal finished, Haru stood up from the table, before realising where she was and quickly sitting back down. I chuckled. “It’s alright, Haru, you may be excused. Your guest quarters are in the East Wing.” I whistled. A lanky guard entered the room. “Please show Haru and Riku to their quarters.” He nodded. “Yes, Sire!” The three left the room, leaving Zexion and me in silence. I nodded at him. Sadness reflected in his eyes.
I cringed as we left. I couldn’t believe I had just done that! God, sometimes I could be so dense. Where were my manners? Although to be fair, I had never needed to use any proper etiquette before. I had never dined in a Castle, or been friends with the ruler of a kingdom. Riku and I followed the guard to our guest room. He seemed pleased to have been given a task from the Regent himself, and proclaimed where we there rather over-excitedly. “Your quarters!” he cried, flinging his arm out so quickly that Riku had to duck to avoid it. He thanked the guard, and we walked into the room slowly. It was so resplendently decorated; it didn’t suit us at all after the wooden hut of Destiny Islands that we were used to.
I sank down onto the king-sized bed sadly, staring at the floor. Riku flopped down next to me, staring up at the ceiling. I sighed, and then laughed as Riku pulled me down with him. He knew I wasn’t happy though. “Haru, he’s a ruler now. He’s bound to have changed. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing, you know,” he breathed into my ear. I nodded. “I know. But he seems…off with me somehow. And it isn’t just me! You heard Zexion, he doesn’t like it either! It’s like he said…what if Gildas gets to the point where he can’t ever be himself again? I don’t know what I should say to him, or how I should act around him, and that’s never happened to me before. I always felt so comfortable around him, I could always be myself. And now I can’t.” I sighed again.
Riku sat up; and I joined him. His head was bowed as he murmured, “I know. But some people change. Kairi did…and look what happened then.” I stroked his arm by way of apology, but he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Look, he’s probably just having a bad day. I mean, half his kingdom did just get blown up by a man on a dragon. We should go, by the way, it’s probably been an hour by now.” I nodded, and we walked through the castle to Gildas’s room. However, the room was empty when we entered. I look around wildly, but Gildas emerged from a door at the end of the room. I ran over to him, Riku behind me. I was all set to hug him again, but realised that I shouldn’t. So we stood there, awkwardly, instead, as Zexion joined us.
Gildas opened his mouth to speak, and I braced myself for what he would say, but we were interrupted. The red haired man from earlier had flung the doors open and was striding towards us purposefully, ignoring the shouts of all the guards behind him.
“Regent! I need your help!” Blank cried. I stared at him blankly. Maybe I should just blank him? Blankitty-Blank Blank-Blank-Blank. Where was I? Oh yeah, sorry. Blank rushed in. I held my hand up, signalling the guards to stop. “I’m sorry, Blank, but whatever it is, it can wait. I was about to have an important meeting.” He stepped forward, pleading. “But Regent!” I shook my head. “No. You can wait in the Conference Room.” He let his head drop, walking out slowly. “Guards, please stay with him and make sure he stays there. I shall be fine.” They nodded, walking Blank away.
Haru sat on the edge of the bed. Zexion stood, playing with his hair. Riku was the first to speak. “Well?” I looked at him, smiling. “I have urgent business I need to discuss with you. You see…” Happy that I’d got them off-guard, I dashed to the side and jumped at Haru, a look of sheer terror on her face as I pushed her down and gave her the biggest hug she’d had in a long time. She laughed. I laughed. Zexion was probably smiling. I heard Riku mutter under his breath, “Nutter. Absolute Nutter.”
I spent the next twenty minutes apologising over and over for my rudeness, and explaining that I didn’t mean to, but with all the guards I couldn’t be myself. Haru suggested I come live with them on Destiny Islands, but surprisingly Zexion was the first to disagree. “He can’t. He has a duty, as Regent Gildas I of Lindblum, a duty to serve his country and his people. He… has to stay here.” He looked down to his shoes, his voice faltering slightly. “I wish we could leave. Gildas, I hate seeing you like you are as Regent, I hate the way you have to be someone else… I hate the way I can’t hold your hand anymore…” He shuddered slightly, and I walked over and hugged him tightly. Riku whistled at us. “C’mon Haru, we best leave these two love-birds alone!” He laughed, but started towards the door. He wasn’t joking.
A while later, Haru and Riku were back in their quarters and I left to speak to Blank. I had no idea what he wanted, but with him still in the Conference Room (And those pathetic guards gone, I might add) he must have needed me as much as he said. “Regent.” He said, nodding. “You require my assistance?” He nodded again. “I have need of your power greatly. I have no idea where, but a man named Sephiroth, who looks a lot like you, is after a book known as the Death Note.” (Shock Horror!) “He killed Zidane with it, but lost it somehow, or else I’d be dead too. All I know is that if he finds it, he’ll kill not only me but everyone. Everyone in Lindblum, everyone on the planet. He doesn’t even need it, it’s just something to prove himself I think, cause his powers are immense. I need you to help me find him.”
Riku and I walked back to our room, and I was chuckling quietly the whole way. Once we were back in the guest room, Riku shut the door behind us with a click, and collapsed onto the bed. I sat next to him, playing with his hair, still unable to wipe the smile from my face. He grinned back lazily, and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards him so I was lying down too. I closed my eyes happily, listening to Riku breathing next to me. Eventually I fell asleep – but I hadn’t even realised I was tired.
I blinked a few times, and stretched my arms out, yawning loudly. I sat up and ruffled my hair, like always, before realising that I was alone. I wondered where Riku was, and decided to go in search of him. I wandered through the castle alone, ambling slowly, taking in the portraits of old people on the walls, and wondering what Gildas’s portrait would look like. The idea of him with grey hair and a long beard made me laugh again. Everything seemed so much more fun now I knew that Gildas was still himself inside.
After a while, though, I started to worry about Riku. I had traipsed over the whole castle, and still hadn’t found him…”Where else could he be?” I wondered out loud. A voice from nearby startled me. “Have you checked up on the roof? That’s where Garnet always used to go when she came here with Zidane, and was upset about something.” I looked round in alarm. Sitting nearby was a rat person, dressed in a long, red coat and hat. “Thanks. I’ll go check there now. Zidane’s that one that Blank mentioned, right? He said he died, I think?” The rat person gasped. “Died..?” she breathed. I hadn’t realised she wouldn’t know, and apologised profusely before running to the elevator, cursing my lack of tact angrily.
Up on the roof, I climbed a few sets of white marble steps, and gasped at the view, sprinting to the side of the roof and gazing out. “Haru?” Riku’s quiet voice made me jump, and then I remembered why I was there. “Oh, Riku! Here you are. I was worried about you when I woke up and you’d vanished,” I said, taking his hand gently. He didn’t look at me, just stared down at the floor. “Sorry…” he mumbled. I shook my head, and smiled at him. But he didn’t smile back. I was beginning to get really concerned now. What was wrong with him?
I was about to ask when we were disturbed, however. “Regent Gildas requests your audience in the Conference Chamber, Madame and Sir.” I was shocked at being addressed that way, but followed the guard anyway, Riku in tow behind me.
I clicked my fingers, and a guard walked in. “Fetch Haru and Riku for me. They should be on the roof.” The guard made to question me. “Don’t. Just go to the roof.” He walked off. Blank looked quizzical. “Trust me. When Haru and I travelled together, we fought off a man who wanted to kill the masses, too. And if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have struck the final blow. She froze him in solid ice, stronger than I’ll ever create by myself. I wonder how her spells fare, though, she doesn’t look like she’s used Meteor yet…”
Haru and Riku arrived a few moments later. Blank stood up and bowed for them. Haru was visibly flustered. “Yes, Your Regent-ness?” I chuckled. “Haru. It seems our services are required once again. This man says that Sephiroth, like Ansem, was after power, but found it in the form of a book known as Death Note.” Haru was taken aback. “This book can supposedly kill people, but the book was lost. Now he seeks another. Our job is to stop him.” Blank looked happy. “You’ll do it?” I nodded “I would send soldiers along to aid you, but clearly this man has powers similar to my own. He is a force to be reckoned with, and thus Haru, Zexion, Riku and I will need to use our full strength to defeat him.” I stood up. “Blank. You have our arms, our minds, and our abilities. Zexion shall lead us, being a master Tactician. Well, Zexion? If you were a crazy power-hungry lunatic, which OF COURSE you aren’t, not in any way, no sir, where would you go?” Zexion smiled, thinking back to the time after Riku and Haru left. “My liege, I would find the most populated city on the continent and threaten the people there to tell me all they knew.” I gasped. “Twilight Town!” Zexion nodded. Haru grabbed the Silver door handle. “Come on, we haven’t a moment to lose!”
I set my guards tasks for the next month, just in case, and asked Lord Artania to step in for me whilst I was away. He had served Regent Cid well, and could be trusted with Lindblum’s safety. Haru, Blank, Riku, Zexion and I walked to the lowest level of the Castle, and boarded a small tram. “Next stop, Serpent’s Gate…”
