(no subject)
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Word Count: 880
Spoilers: ... Guy's past? Sort of?
Summary: Gailardia stops to smell the roses with his mum. Just some pointless fluff.
"Do you know why I chose to name you after the gailardia flowers?" his mother asked him, walking with him through the gardens, holding his hand. He was four; he barely knew anything, wanted to know everything. He shook his head, and she smiled gently. "The colour red is the symbol of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, the land in which I used to live. All the kings who ever ruled there, as far back as anyone can recall, had red hair, and it has become a tradition."
Gailardia blinked at her, toddling along at her side. "Are they good kings?"
"Some of them," his mother allowed, lightly squeezing his hand. "The same can be said of Malkuth, whose rulers value the colours of the sun, and the desert sand, and the wheat of the fields."
He blinked, then brightened. "Yellow! Like us, Mother?"
She smiled patiently. "Yes, Gailardia. You, Mary, and your father are very honoured by the colours you bear."
"What about you?"
Eugenie led him down another path, walking past the trees and the rose gardens, the scent of flowers filling the air. "I am from Kimlasca, as you know... I was married to your father to bring Kimlasca and Malkuth together."
Gailardia's brows furrowed, considering this for a moment. "Did it work?"
She laughed lightly, and he smiled, pleased with himself. "I suppose it did, in part; we are able to enjoy to peace we have now for many reasons. I doubt my being here has made that much of a difference."
"It has to us!" he protested, tugging her hand. "Father loves you, and we'd never be born if you hadn't come!"
"... Perhaps you're right," she relented, turning down yet another path, walking until a collection of bright, red-and-gold flowers came into view, and she halted, urging him to sit down with her on a ledge overlooking the flower bed. "The gailardia is a very strong breed. It returns every year without fail, and can survive natural conditions which easily kill many of the flowers around them."
She reached out to pluck one from the patch, offering it out for her son to sniff. "... It's pretty, Mother."
"Mm, yes, it is," she agreed, tucking it behind his ear. He giggled and squirmed away, but only briefly, returning to climb into her lap as she continued. "When I first arrived here, I took comfort in these gardens. I was away from home, surrounded by strangers... I was frightened. But here amongst the flowers, I was not of Kimlasca, or Malkuth. I was merely myself. It was here alone that I was able to find peace, and because of these flowers, I accepted my duty and learned to love Hod - and your father, who was always kind to me."
"So now Hod is home for you too?" Gailardia leaned back against her, head tilting to peer up at her.
She smiled again, arms wrapping around his waist, rocking him gently. "Home is wherever my family is, Gailardia. Home is with you."
He liked the sound of that. But she still hadn't explained, not really, and he told her as much.
His mother glanced back at the flowers around them, watching as a breeze gently ruffled the petals. "Within the first few years of my arrival, there was a drought, and water was scarce."
"But there's water everywhere!"
"Fresh water," she amended. "Plants cannot live on ocean water, because it is too salty. They needed rain, and the rain wouldn't come. Many of the flowers died that year, because there was no water to spare for them; there were crops to save, and the citizens were thirsty." She paused, brushing a hand through his hair. "Only two survived, in this entire garden. Can you guess which?"
"Gailardias!" he chirped, looking proud for a moment, then faltered. "I don't know the other..."
She tapped his nose playfully. "The marybelle azalea."
Guy's eyes widened. "Mary!"
His mother laughed again. "Yes, Mary. Those flowers made me happy, in good times and in bad - they survived when all others perished. To me, that was a sign, a path to follow, as certain as the Score. And so, when your sister was born - and later, you - I honoured those signs."
Gailardia glanced around, marveling at the garden in full bloom. "And the flowers all came back?"
"Yes, they did." She kissed the top of his head. "And since then, we have not had a single drought."
He grinned at that, arms spread wide. "So we bring the rain!"
"And the peace," she added, hand touching his cheek, fingers brushing against the flower still tucked behind his ear. "More than my happiness, I see the gailardia flowers as a true union of Kimlasca and Malkuth - a sign that our nations should not be at war, but should instead live in peace, simply enjoying life as it comes."
"Like the flowers?"
"Like the flowers."
Gailardia thought long and hard on this, and then finally slipped off her lap, turning back to offer out a hand to her. "Mother, can we see the marybelles too?"
His mother returned the smile, and nodded, taking his hand.
Her flowers were thriving, growing. To see them in bloom was a dream she treasured more than anything.
Word Count: 880
Spoilers: ... Guy's past? Sort of?
Summary: Gailardia stops to smell the roses with his mum. Just some pointless fluff.
"Do you know why I chose to name you after the gailardia flowers?" his mother asked him, walking with him through the gardens, holding his hand. He was four; he barely knew anything, wanted to know everything. He shook his head, and she smiled gently. "The colour red is the symbol of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, the land in which I used to live. All the kings who ever ruled there, as far back as anyone can recall, had red hair, and it has become a tradition."
Gailardia blinked at her, toddling along at her side. "Are they good kings?"
"Some of them," his mother allowed, lightly squeezing his hand. "The same can be said of Malkuth, whose rulers value the colours of the sun, and the desert sand, and the wheat of the fields."
He blinked, then brightened. "Yellow! Like us, Mother?"
She smiled patiently. "Yes, Gailardia. You, Mary, and your father are very honoured by the colours you bear."
"What about you?"
Eugenie led him down another path, walking past the trees and the rose gardens, the scent of flowers filling the air. "I am from Kimlasca, as you know... I was married to your father to bring Kimlasca and Malkuth together."
Gailardia's brows furrowed, considering this for a moment. "Did it work?"
She laughed lightly, and he smiled, pleased with himself. "I suppose it did, in part; we are able to enjoy to peace we have now for many reasons. I doubt my being here has made that much of a difference."
"It has to us!" he protested, tugging her hand. "Father loves you, and we'd never be born if you hadn't come!"
"... Perhaps you're right," she relented, turning down yet another path, walking until a collection of bright, red-and-gold flowers came into view, and she halted, urging him to sit down with her on a ledge overlooking the flower bed. "The gailardia is a very strong breed. It returns every year without fail, and can survive natural conditions which easily kill many of the flowers around them."
She reached out to pluck one from the patch, offering it out for her son to sniff. "... It's pretty, Mother."
"Mm, yes, it is," she agreed, tucking it behind his ear. He giggled and squirmed away, but only briefly, returning to climb into her lap as she continued. "When I first arrived here, I took comfort in these gardens. I was away from home, surrounded by strangers... I was frightened. But here amongst the flowers, I was not of Kimlasca, or Malkuth. I was merely myself. It was here alone that I was able to find peace, and because of these flowers, I accepted my duty and learned to love Hod - and your father, who was always kind to me."
"So now Hod is home for you too?" Gailardia leaned back against her, head tilting to peer up at her.
She smiled again, arms wrapping around his waist, rocking him gently. "Home is wherever my family is, Gailardia. Home is with you."
He liked the sound of that. But she still hadn't explained, not really, and he told her as much.
His mother glanced back at the flowers around them, watching as a breeze gently ruffled the petals. "Within the first few years of my arrival, there was a drought, and water was scarce."
"But there's water everywhere!"
"Fresh water," she amended. "Plants cannot live on ocean water, because it is too salty. They needed rain, and the rain wouldn't come. Many of the flowers died that year, because there was no water to spare for them; there were crops to save, and the citizens were thirsty." She paused, brushing a hand through his hair. "Only two survived, in this entire garden. Can you guess which?"
"Gailardias!" he chirped, looking proud for a moment, then faltered. "I don't know the other..."
She tapped his nose playfully. "The marybelle azalea."
Guy's eyes widened. "Mary!"
His mother laughed again. "Yes, Mary. Those flowers made me happy, in good times and in bad - they survived when all others perished. To me, that was a sign, a path to follow, as certain as the Score. And so, when your sister was born - and later, you - I honoured those signs."
Gailardia glanced around, marveling at the garden in full bloom. "And the flowers all came back?"
"Yes, they did." She kissed the top of his head. "And since then, we have not had a single drought."
He grinned at that, arms spread wide. "So we bring the rain!"
"And the peace," she added, hand touching his cheek, fingers brushing against the flower still tucked behind his ear. "More than my happiness, I see the gailardia flowers as a true union of Kimlasca and Malkuth - a sign that our nations should not be at war, but should instead live in peace, simply enjoying life as it comes."
"Like the flowers?"
"Like the flowers."
Gailardia thought long and hard on this, and then finally slipped off her lap, turning back to offer out a hand to her. "Mother, can we see the marybelles too?"
His mother returned the smile, and nodded, taking his hand.
Her flowers were thriving, growing. To see them in bloom was a dream she treasured more than anything.