melodiesoflife | Dragonsong

Entry tags:

Dragonsong - Open

Characters: Meteor and everyone
Where: Aqures Ixen (Observatory, Zelda's house, his own house), and several miles south into the calm lands by the middle of the trip.
When: July 01st - July 13th
Summary: Faced with being unable to do anything, Meteor has let himself succumb to rage and sadness. He travels south, no monster is safe from him as he journeys down towards the Chocobo Forest before returning home.
Warning: Discussions of death and murder and all the misery from the event, angry Meteor, and lots of tears.

Midnight, July 1st

[Meteor exited his house, his meager belongings slung over his shoulder. Shantotto minion followed close behind, as with his moogle who he stopped to look at.]

You shouldn't follow me, you two.

[The pair looked at one another before shaking their heads. With a sigh, he slung his things over the back of his fat chocobo. Chocoking warked in irritation, but allowed himself to be saddled in the middle of the night.

Getting up onto his mount, he helped the Shantotto minion onto his shoulder as she clutched at his head. The four of them would be travelling companions for a while, as he dangled the slice of cake over Chocoking.

Chocoking looked back at him for a long moment, and Meteor dug his heels into the fat birds side. It warked reproachfully but took off on its own, refusing to be guided as the quartet soared over the buildings towards the south.]

=====

2nd to 11th

[Days later, Meteor sat in the remains of an unpturned wain, long forgotten by Hypello traders. His trip had left a wake of bodies in the calm lands, and even the more terrifying of them were giving the man a berth.

Darkness boiled off him, as he chewed angrily at his tack, the strip of meat tasting more like boiled leather. His armor was rent, from a close encounter with a malboro. And yet he made his camp.

He would have been missing for a long time now, it had been four days since he left under the cover of night. The Calm Lands southern reaches were visible to him, as he had carved a wake of monsters in his path.

His moogle entertained Shantotto, the minion picking up that her master was in no condition to play right now, as dark as his thoughts were of gleefully evicerating things in his path. Sometimes, she watched him as the days wore on, he would be singing that song Zelda had been fond of singing. Sometimes, it would be something else. Always acapella, would he sing, refusing Moggle Mog's music box.

And always, he would cry himself to sleep.]

=====

Midnight, July 13th

[On the 13th day of the month, Meteor returned at the dead of the night. He flew his mount right into town, landing on the roof of the Observatory.

Producing a key, he unlocked the door and crept in. The Observatory seemed darker, more full of shadow now. He didn't care for it. When Zelda was here, there was light.

Moving through the building, he stopped at the door that lead to Zelda's room. He had been there a few times, mostly when he had worked himself to exhaustion. Opening it with a key that he had brought with him, he went inside.

The room still was untouched. He could see everything in the darkness. But it was quiet.

As he turned to go, he noticed an object laying in the corner. Curious, as it wasn't something he had seen before, he reached down and picked it up. Blowing dust from the lid, he opened it up to reveal a familiar sight.

A EXP orb sat there, nestled within delicate paper. And with it, a note. Unfolding the note, he read it over.

The box and orb fell from his fingers, as he staggered back with a choked sob. In his hand, was a simple note in Zelda's writing.

To Meteor,
To replace the one that broke.
love, Zelda

Meteor let out a cry, his eyes blazing with angry light. Anger, pain, frustration, sadness, despair, all of it boiled over as he unslung his axe and with a yell, the window shattered with the force of his blow as he thrust the weapon into the floor.

Meteor sobbed, his heart broke as he slumped to his knees. Another had fallen. Another friend, a loved one was gone.

And he didn't do anything to stop it.]

=====

For Midna:

[There was one final thing he had to do, before leaving the city for good.

Zelda's harp. It had not been with her things in the room, so Meteor was stealing into her home in the housing district. He didn't care anymore, but he would not let the harp leave his side.

It was all he had left.

EXP orb tucked into his waistband, he opened the window and stole inside. Not knowing, Zelda had a roommate...]

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"I wish I had answers for you."

It's hard, as she's still a small teenager, while Meteor is wearing armor and an experienced adventurer. Doesn't mean Lydia isn't hugging him as tightly as she can, trying to stay calm and give him what comfort she can.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but it will be alright. You're not alone, and I know it hurts. But you're not alone, and the hurt will fade."

"..."

She was right, he knew it deep down. It still didn't help the wound was raw. The fact he had no chance to tell her he loved her one last time.

Looking down at the fallen Experience Orb, he reached out and picked it up, holding it in the twilit morning. "I wish... I had been there but... I would have lost myself, Lydia. I would have harmed innocents, even if my legs carried me as fast as possible towards the site of the incident."

He swallowed as he touched Lydia's hand with his own and leaned against her, tears flowing from his eyes. "She... this is almost all I have left of hers."

And he opened his hand to show Lydia the crumpled note.

Lydia nodded, and leaned her head against his. "Then you'll cherish it, and cherish her memories." Still holding him tightly, and moving to stroke his hair gently, comfortingly. "She was very wise and perceptive. I'm sure she knew how you felt."

"Sometimes I wonder... why she stayed with me, even in the vision," he said softly. "Look at me. I'm a mess. Not just physically but mentally."

He closed his eyes, unwilling to meet any gazes for the moment as he continued. "I'm not a good person, Lydia. I'm a villain. I work for a purpose, I was once a hero, but now I am fallen. Even knowing this, she stayed with me."

"What makes me special that I could be loved by her?"

"I think you're a good person, Meteor." Lydia said quietly, firm in her belief. "And while I can't tell you, because I'm not Zelda--I urge you to believe in her. Know and believe that she thought you were special and worth it."

A tighter hug, and briefly brushing her head against his affectionately. "I think you're worth being friends with too."

She was right of course. Meteor couldn't help but tear up however as he held her hand in his, the other holding onto the orb. Fresh tears and sobs broke free as he finally started crying, but in relief this time than sadness.

Lydia was right. He had too much to live for.

"Thank you."

There would be no judgement from Lydia; she'd seen so many things--not just on Crystallis, but elsewhere too. A head-shake. "You don't have to thank me. We're friends." A tighter hug, and another brush of her head against his comfortingly.

"...have I told you about my best friend before? From the Neitheworld?" She did have a point.

"Bits and pieces. Only that he is uncommonly strange," said Meteor.

"What is he like?"

"I think you'd like him. You're a lot more cultured and polite than him, but he's often painted as the bad-guy." A hint of laughter, and Lydia shifted to sit more comfortably while keeping her hold around him.

"Beetlejuice is a prankster. Of an extreme nature. He's the ghost with the most, and has a lot of magic to back it up. Most people just see him as rude, and gross, and selfish, and manipulative and lazy. But I know he has a good heart, because I've seen it. Even if he doesn't like showing it."

So affectionate there, as he really was her best friend. "He's arrogant and has an ego, and rubs a lot of people the wrong way. But he makes me laugh. Sometimes he doesn't always think things through, but when I need him--he's always come through and been there for me."

Much more quietly, a tighter squeeze. "After we moved to Peaceful Pines, I didn't really have any friends. I wasn't willing to put myself out there either, when I'm the weird girl, the odd one. But meeting Beetlejuice, and having him as my friend, even if he can't go to school with me? It helped me make other friends. Bertha and Prudence and I are all outsiders, and they don't always 'get' me either, but I wouldn't have had the courage or confidence to even try and be friends, without Beej's influence too."

"It sounds like despite his flaws, he was good for you. A true friend, and I guess that's the lesson here, isn't it?"

He managed to smile at Lydia as he added, "A good friend, a true friend, would support others, wouldn't they?"

There was a grin and a giggle. "Who said there was any kind of lesson, Mr. Meteor?" Impish, and amused. "I'm just telling you about my friend." Lydia had been known to be clever at times.

He laughed a little at that, nodding. "I guess so. You have a good friend. What else does he do, besides bring out the best in someone?"

That made Lydia laugh more, as really she wouldn't put it quite that way. "I doubt he brings out the 'best' in people, given he annoys most people and likes pranking them. Even if they don't get the joke a lot of times."

What else did BJ do? Hmmm...

"Well, as I said--he has his moments where he's a bit of a con-man, in that he doesn't really see the point of work, until it's something he cares about. He can be lazy and arrogant, but he's really fun to explore with. He jokes a lot, and he also does care for his friends." An impish chuckle. "I haven't asked him to, but sometimes he's taken revenge for me on Claire, after she's gone too far in her bullying at times."

"Really protective of his friends I take it," said Meteor. He shook his head. "I'm just glad you have someone like that in you life."

Lydia's smile stayed, but it was no longer quite so genuine. She was happier Meteor was more cheered up. But she really did miss Beetlejuice. It had been over a year, and Crystallis has been hard--harder still without her best friend.

Don't mind her if she just snuggles against him more, both for his and for her comfort.

Noticing Lydia's expression change a little, he let her rest against him.

He resolved to at least clean up next time they had this sort of thing happen though.

Good, because she needs it. It's been a rough couple of days in the aftermath. Zelda's death, all the mixed reactions to the same from the Heroes, Bigg's letter...

Lydia had mostly successfully kept herself busy, and distracted, but now it was starting to hit her now. At least she wasn't alone, and Meteor didn't seem to mind her leaning on him for a bit now. "Once...once we're both up for it, I've been coming here to learn more about Zelda. I wanted to paint a picture of her, since I didn't get a photo."

"A painting... yes, I think that would be nice."

He remembered that people, not just him and Lydia alone liked Zelda. And yet, they were recovering as friends. "I think that'd be perfect."

Like she said, it would take time but the hurt would lessen. They just had to remember they weren't alone. Lydia took a deep breath, and moved so she wasn't hugging Meteor--but not far away. "When you're feeling a bit better, why do you clean up? I'll help with any mess here, and then you can help me with some sketches."

"All right. I.. could use a bath after all."

He wasn't going to sugarcoat it anyhow, he was still covered in a lot of gross stuff.

One more hug, as she didn't care as much about the gross-stuff. At least she could ignore it for now, anyways. Then she got to her feet, and offered him a hand if he wanted it. "Why don't you go get clean for now, and then we'll clean up here. Alright Mr. Meteor?"

"All right. Though I hope I didn't lose my key." he said thoughtfully.

The observatory had to have someplace to wash up, right? "I'll keep an eye out for it." Lydia knew where some of the cleaning cloths and brooms were, so she headed for that. It was starting to get more light, but that didn't bother her too much. Still dark enough to be night, and Lydia was as comfortable in darkness in the observatory as at home.

Making sure to keep track of her sketch supplies, as well as anything of Meteor's she found. Putting them somewhere safe and cleaner, while also being careful of Zelda's stuff too. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long.

Yeah, he knew of a few places he could clean up. His outfit was almost a complete disaster and would need burning but other than that, he remembered from his long hours working there, he basically had a bathrobe here.

Good thing Lydia also makes clothes, so if he wants Meteor can get her to make him clothes again later. Maybe not the armor though--that's a bit advanced. She has things mostly cleaned up (including what little got on her) when he's back, and his stuff is nearby. Also as clean and organized as she could make it, and she's sketching at a table and desk. Pulling from her memory, trying out various poses and to get Zelda's profile just right.

"I hope you're feeling better. I know it'll be hard--all of this has been really bad lately." There's a small brave smile on her face. "I am refusing to give in to the bad though, so let's focus on the good and our memories right?" So come help her get a nice picture of Zelda to use as her base for painting.

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