Ch. 6: A Request
Zant carried within his heart both kindness and loneliness…
Having come to learn both of those things, I remember his brother’s words.
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Brother King: “…he really is a very kind person. He’s not very good at expressing his feelings though. So please…I’d like you to try and get along with him.”
Brother King: “And I’d like for you to heal his wounded heart as well.”
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…
……
I visited Zant’s room.
Zant: “You…why are you here?”
OO: “I…have a request to ask of you. I don’t really know anything about what’s going on, so it may not be my place to ask. But still, would you hear me out?”
My voice broke as I conveyed this to him, and eventually he slowly nodded his head.
Ch. 7: In That Place...
Zant seemed to be at a loss after he listened to my request.
Zant: “…”
(Like I thought… I said something that only made the trauma worse. But…!)
As I tightly squeezed my hands…-.
Zant: “…alright. I’ll take you there, if that’s what you want. To the Earth Shrine…-”
His voice as he slowly answered was full of painful memories…-.
…
……
We walked together for a while behind the back of the castle, to a hill where a melancholy wind was blowing.
Among the trees was set a small shrine that seemed to have been completely forgotten.
(This is the shrine where the accident happened. The place where Zant started to close off his heart…-)
Zant: “…”
Zant turned his gaze to the shrine, his bangs fluttering in the wind.
I knelt on my knees and offered up a prayer…-.
Zant: “You’re really are a heartless person. And here I thought you were kind. You knew what this place was, and still asked me to take you…”
I flinched as his words bit deep, but I stood and turned to face him.
OO: “Zant… Please, use your powers over the earth and make this place beautiful and relaxing …and, I’m sure your parents are worried about you too.”
His blue eyes opened wide and…-.
Zant: “…”
He looked around the shrine as if just now realizing the state it was in.
The hill was in complete ruin, left that way after the accident…
Bare rock was protruding here and there, scars left over from that time.
Zant: “…I turned a blind eye and kept my distance… Because of that, it’s like time stopped here after the accident…”
Zant closed his eyes, as if weighed down by the pain of those memories.
Ch. 8: Revitalized Earth, Breathing Heart
Zant: “…I turned a blind eye and kept my distance… Because of that, it’s like time stopped here after the accident…”
The two of us worked to straighten up the area around the shrine that had been left in ruin.
Working together, we cleared away the rubble and displaced earth…-.
…
……
By the time the surrounding area was put back in order, the sun had already started to set…-.
Zant: “Sorry for having you help.”
OO: “It’s alright… I was the one who asked to come anyway. But it really was a dreary place wasn’t it.”
We took a break, watching the red light of the sun hit the hill.
Zant: “Before… this place was beautiful with lots of different flowers.”
Zant crouched down and put his hand to the earth.
Zant: “Now it’s ruined, and the power of the earth is gone… because it’s been let go for so long. To think the power of the spirits had become so weak…”
He cast his eyes down at the dead earth.
OO: “Couldn’t this place become green and verdant again, like the courtyard and fields?”
Zant: “…”
With his eyes still on the ground, Zant seemed to be trying to listen for the voice of the earth.
Before long…-.
Zant: “…it’s not quite dead yet; I can still faintly hear its voice. With the power I have…”
Zant stood and took in a deep breath.
Zant: “I’ll try…!”
As he made his declaration, Zant’s face was different from before, and I could sense a trace of a strong will.
Continuing to breathe calmly, Zant closed his eyes and began to chant.
Zant: “Oh Spirits of the Earth…Mighty power which resides within Terramater… Grant this request of the family head… Heed my call… Please grant this place the divine protection of the spirits once again…-”
Zant put his hands together, and a faint light seeped through his fingers.
Soon, that light had become a brilliant gold that overpowered the sun as it dyed the hill.
OO: “…!”
I closed my eyes against the bright light.
Then a warm, earthy scent began to flood the area…
OO: “Th-this is…!?”
I was at a loss for words, having opened my eyes to see the land completely changed.
OO: “No way… there wasn’t anything here a moment ago.”
The landscape had been full of nothing but sadness, but now the entire area around the shrine and where Zant stood…
It was like spring had come to this one place, with fresh leaves sprouting and flowers blooming in abundance, changing it into something magical.
OO: “It’s beautiful…I can’t believe it used to be this lovely.”
Zant: “Yeah…”
He held out his arms, tanned dark from the blaze of the sun, and a spring breeze blew in from somewhere causing a rain of cherry blossoms to blanket the whole area.
That landscape, under the shine of the sun that burned red and gold, was so beautiful it took my breath away…
Zant: “…”
Zant’s expression then was more at peace than I’d ever seen as he looked up at the dancing flower petals.
Zant: “Right now this is just in this area, but I’m positive that during spring next year, the entire earth here will have regained its power. When it does, I promise to invite you to this country again.”
OO: “Zant… right, I’ll be waiting.”
He held his hand out to me.
His smile was reserved, but it seemed like he’d regained a little of his confidence.
Taking his hand, he held me in his strong arms.
OO: “…”
Zant: “Ah… sorry, is it too tight?”
As he seemed about to move away in panic, I wrapped my arms around his back.
Zant: “OO… thanks.”
This time Zant gently wrapped his arms around me and held me close.
(I’m sure there will come a time when this whole hill is covered in flowers… and I hope that Zant’s heart will be even more at peace than it is now.)
I prayed my fleeting wish would reach the earth as I slowly closed my eyes, wrapped in Zant’s arms.
END