To see Melodi's new outfit:

www.swirl3y.deviantart.com/art/Melodi-s-new-outfit-363597937?q=gallery%3Aswirl3y%2F26091998&qo=0

A/N:

Should I write another FF Love story? If so, which one would you like to see? Besides FF7, because I admit I can't really write one about FF7 because it wasn't really one of my favourites… FF8 was a good one, but I'm not really sure either. What do you guys think?

Should I do a Dissidia story about Melodi?

Enjoy! :)

Chapter XXXIV:

Ipsen's Castle

While in Lillivale, Melodi took the time to fill Rose in on what had been happening so far, and the redheaded woman was certainly shocked to hear about Garland being struck down by Kuja's hand. She wasn't liking the mist being around their beautiful village, since it made everything look so gloomy, but she had faith in Melodi and her friends that they were going to get rid of Kuja.

"I finally feel happy where I am—the friends I made, the things I've experienced… I can't let Kuja take that away from me," Mel said as she brought her hand close to her heart. Rose understood—it was a bit the same for her, someone who finally found peace and happiness, and would be damned if someone took that away from her. She looked over to the village center as she stared out from her window, but it didn't look or feel the same with the mist around. She sighed as she turned to Melodi.

"I got around to contacting Cid," she said. Melodi's eyes grew wide when she mentioned Cid, and asked how that went. "He wants to meet my husband, since he finds it hard to believe that I'm married. He told me about Hilda as well. That skirt chaser finally stopped being a skirt chaser, huh?"

Melodi laughed at this and was glad to know that Rose and Cid were still the same as ever what with being old friends and all. Of course, Rose was planning to see the Regent, but couldn't find a suitable day. "I'll ask everyone if they could drop you off at Lindblum using the invincible. I'm sure David wants to know where his wife travelled to."

"That reminds me—here," the older woman handed her a key and explained that she made a copy of the key to her home in Treno. Cid informed her that her home in Lindblum was in shambles, so she figured Melodi would find the house much more useful than herself. "Although, I would really like it if you lived here, but I know that you like adventure, so that won't do."

"I'll still visit," she replied. Rose just smiled and thought for a moment before saying something else.

"Have you gone to Daguerreo yet? It's changed a lot since you last gone," she told the young spy. Honestly, Melodi last went when she was still with her parents, but she figured she would like to see the place now that she sort of came to terms with her parents. Rose smiled and called a Chocobo that was able to climb mountains, and she made her way towards the giant library. Once she entered she gasped a bit. True to Rose's words, the place changed tremendously since her last visit. The place being surrounded by water was still a thing, but new walls were built and the placed extended quite a lot. She noticed a couple of more books within the place, and she walked a bit ahead and checked out the place. She noticed that a lot of the older versions of lord Avon's play scripts were here, and she had a bit of fun reading some of the stuff around. She remembered in her youth that Blade would come here a lot and read until night, where he would receive a huge scolding from their parents.

This little thought made Melodi laugh a bit bitterly—she loved her brother with all her heart, but it was too late to realize what he was going through, and Melodi felt like she was going to regret it a huge ton. All she had left was a memory that she so badly clung to. She sighed as she looked around some more, but accidentally bumped into the librarian as he was placing a couple of books away. "Oh, I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to bump into you."

"No worries my child," he said as he chuckled and fixed his glasses. Melodi smiled at him, and he told her that his name was Elbert. She in turn revealed her name—Melodina Cora. The librarian seemed a bit troubled, and she asked him what was wrong. "Melodina Cora… yes that last name belonged to a man who visited here very often. His name was Blade—I believe you are his sister?"

"Yes, his younger sister," she replied—feeling a bit shamed that she could even call herself that. The librarian placed a finger on his chin and thought for a moment, until he smiled and told her that Blade had left something behind for her to see when she returned to Daguerreo. "What? What would he leave behind for me to see?"

"Some onlookers believed it to be his diary, but I think it's a memoir of his life—something he said that he wanted you to understand. It's a bit tattered, but I think you'll be fine reading it," he looked around his desk and found a small box with the book inside. It was indeed tattered, but it looked like it was very well cared for despite the fact that it was extremely thin. He handed it to her and written on the front was her name. She thanked Elbert and started walking towards the lounge area where people stayed and read some of the books in the library. She slowly opened it up and started reading the first few lines.

"Dear Melodina,

If you're reading this, then I'm either dead or still being controlled by Garland. Either way, this was being written during the times that I had taken back that control, if only for a little while. Words couldn't describe how regretful I am for destroying our home, and sometimes I feel like I should just die instead of trying to break free of this control—there's no way I could ever live with a guilt like that. Sure, the people in Lillivale are rather kind to me, but it doesn't change the fact that I single-handedly destroyed my own home. I felt so powerless… I killed our parents… I… was nothing but a monster.

It all started when I first ventured in the castle. I didn't think nothing of it—I was being a bit rebellious because I remembered my friends telling me they had all gone at night to prepare for the rite of passage later on in our lives. I was jealous. I wanted to do the same, but when I went into that castle, something was off—yet I still travelled into the depths of that cursed place. Into the deepest parts I met with a force I couldn't quite control, and all at once it was strong enough to control my every being—I never got a chance to argue or talk with this power that laid before me. A bright light appeared and a man clad in black armor appeared and called himself Garland—and almost immediately he took control. He told me that our race was in the way of him achieving his plan for his own people, and while I couldn't understand what he meant, he told me that I would be his little experiment, and made me do the things I had done to our home. Through it all I wanted it to end—I wanted him to kill me right there so that I wouldn't have to live with this guilt, but he kept me alive and said my power would prove useful to him. He used me as he tried to get me to kill every Yuan in sight. In truth, I had succeeded in killing some through his control, but I sensed a bit of weakness from that control, and found that I was able to break from it for a while. During that small space of freedom, I tried my best to warn every Yuan that came into view to run—to head back to revive the village where we all bore from. Almost all of them heeded my words—all except for Rose—"

"What's up?" Melodi gasped when she felt a large hand touching her shoulder, and when she looked up she was surprised to see Zidane looking down at her and at what she was reading. She looked back down and made space for Zidane to sit, and when he did he could tell something was a bit off about her. "Are you okay?"

She slowly showed him the memoir/letter that Blade left behind, and his eyes grew a bit in concern and asked if she wanted to read it alone, but Melodi tugged on his cuffs and shook her head. "I kind of… don't want to be alone right now." He blushed a bit at her bold statement, but he stayed with her nonetheless. She offered to read the letter to him from the start to where she left off, and once she was caught up, Zidane had to interrupt.

"I'm sorry Kuja and Garland did this…" but Melodi shook her head, saying he wasn't the one doing the controlling, but even so. Zidane felt like since they were from his world, he was just as responsible. Melodi just smiled and appreciated Zidane's thoughtfulness, and continued on with the letter.

"—all except for Rose, who I knew was someone very close to you. No matter how close I got, she was always running away or fighting back. Somehow, she knew who I was and the threat that I posed, but in my moment of weakness I pleaded with her to head back to Lillivale—that they needed to stick together in case something happened if Garland ever came to the village. She didn't want to leave—she didn't want to leave you behind. You were so young, and she couldn't abandon you. I told her that you would eventually find your way back to Lillivale, and she eventually agreed, but had to make a couple of arrangements before she left. I found out that she transferred her powers to you in order for you to have a fighting chance, since your powers were stunted from a very young age.

As time went on, I found myself being in and out of control of that mind control, and along the way I was introduced to Kuja. This is where things started turning for the worse. This young man, I thought, was nothing more than a child who was going around taking things to play with just to fill his own amusement. However, I eventually found the horrid truth and what he was trying to attain, and I did not want anything to do it. I was even willing to compromise with Garland if that meant stopping this man—but Kuja found a way to take over the control that Garland had, and I was soon under his control. He didn't make me kill, instead he used me more as a bodyguard—something to take care of the menial tasks as he called them.

I first saw you when I took control of that first waltz, and I couldn't believe how much you grew from when you were just a small child. It killed me inside when you started acting so hostile towards me, yet… I could not blame you. I killed our home and I killed everyone that you ever loved. I destroyed a potential future for you, and all I wanted to do was hold you like I did when we were younger—I remember when the kids back then tried to bug you because you couldn't harness any more powers, and you would always come home crying to me about it. If I could just try to persuade you to join me so that I may keep a close eye and perhaps show you I was being controlled then maybe everything would have been alright. But you pulled further and further away and I couldn't blame anything on you—you had a right to stay as far from me as you could. You wanted revenge, you wanted to destroy me. In some small part of my brain I wanted that to happen. If it could bring back the smile that I grew up with, then maybe it would be worth it."

Melodi blushed madly at the insight to her life as Zidane read along with her, but the blonde just smiled and truly wondered how she was as a child. He imagined her to be a bit like Eiko—a brave young girl. He chuckled a bit at the thought of seeing Melodi being a sweet little girl, and the young woman before him stared at him. He just smiled at her. "You must have been one cute little girl," he teased. Melodi just glared at him for a bit, and continued to read the rest of the letter.

"I know my time is coming to an end. All I want is for you to continue living the way mother and father have taught us to. I miss them dearly, yet I feel like I shouldn't—like I'm not allowed to. I want to ask a favour of you. I want you to go to Ipsen's Castle. I know this will be hard—but you need to be brave—braver then you've ever been. Somewhere along the way I know you'll end up facing Kuja or Garland, and I want you to be prepared. I've left behind a sword that holds power from Yuans of past. It was the sword that mother and father were going to give to me, but I feel it would do you more justice if you fought with that sword. Bring your friends if you must—I know they will support you. It's in a room hidden from prying eyes, close to where the last room is. I know you'll find it.

I miss you dearly, my sister. If I could change the past I would have never gone to that castle. Maybe things would be different, maybe we'd still have each other to rely on. Maybe… we'd be living in peace with mother and father telling us what to do. My death will be the only thing to solve all of this, and when that time comes I sincerely hope everything will be all right.

Everlasting love,

Blade Cora"

Melodi felt the tears wanting to come out, but she held it in as best as she could. Zidane noticed this, and told her that if she needed a shoulder to cry on he was there. All she could do was chuckle, remembering the time he last told her that back at Madain Sari. She told him this and the thief before her just smiled and told her that the offered still stood, but she did not want to cry. Zidane frowned at this—he knew his beloved 'wife' was being too stubborn again. He thought for a moment until he realized what he could do for her, "let's go to Ipsen's Castle! I know you're against that castle, but we know now that the person responsible is gone…"

"But… is it really okay for me to go?" she asked. Zidane couldn't really decide that for her, but told her that she would have him by her side through the whole trip. She looked down towards the floor and thought about it for a moment… she never liked the place, but she knew it wasn't as cursed as she thought it was. It was just Garland who took over her brother's mind—nothing the castle had to do with. She looked up and over to Zidane, who kept his smile on the whole time. "Will you be with me if I go?"

"Of course, Mel…" he assured her. She took a deep breath and thought about it for just a bit longer, until she closed her eyes and made her resolve.

"Let's go."

-x-

Melodi and Zidane eventually made their way towards Ipsen's Castle, and she looked up and saw the towering castle before her. She shivered at how creepy and distorted it looked, but Zidane told her that it wasn't as bad as it looked on the inside. With bated breath, she walked up the steps as Zidane slowly followed right behind, but as soon as she reached the entrance she stopped and quickly turned around. Zidane looked at her with a confused eye, but noticed that she was visibly shaken about going on in. "I'm right here…"

He slowly reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping he wouldn't get the lights punched out of him, but she remained still. "I don't know if I can do this, I'm…"

"Scared?"

"No, I…" she stopped herself and sighed. Yes, she was scared—terrified about what was inside the castle that, in her eyes, started everything to set her journey. She slowly looked up at Zidane. "We've been through a lot, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"So, if… if I… wanted to…" she was finding the words difficult to say, and Zidane just stared at her. What was it that was so hard to say? Something in him brought his hand close to her face—to hold it and comfort her, but as soon as his hand reached for her cheek she quickly grabbed it and held it tight with both of her hands. "If I wanted to cry you wouldn't… think I was being weak?" she finally let out.

So there it was, he thought, and just stared at her as she stared back wanting to know his answer. He smiled again and eventually let the hand that was on her shoulder fall down so that he was holding her arm now, and quickly pulled her into an embrace. She was a bit taken back by the action, but then he began to speak and his voice was slow yet soft. "Remember how I acted back on Terra? I was being weak there, but… you came to my rescue and made me feel strong again."

"But—"

"I don't think anyone will ever think that you're weak, you're probably the strongest out of all of us, but it's okay to let your guard down every once in a while," he said. She looked up towards the sky and remembered how Rose had told her the same thing a while back—about how she needed to lower her guard in front of her friends. Zidane knew that Melodi was going through variety of mixed emotions about her brother right now, and the only thing he could do was support her through it all. "Your tender, sweet, loving husband wouldn't mind it at all, either."

"Ugh, let's just go in already," she replied as he ruined the moment. She pulled away from the hug and Zidane just scratched the back of his head, but Melodi was pretty grateful for the words. She took the first step and entered the castle with Zidane right behind her—she let out a shaky breath as she looked around. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, and they walked around a bit longer. They entered the main room—the one where Vivi almost fell into that trap, and Melodi walked around carefully. Zidane mentioned that there were a lot of traps around the place, and Melodi nodded as she took in the info. They reached past the main room and headed all the way towards the back of the castle.

"This is the room where we got those mirrors." Zidane said as he pointed at the door before them. He looked towards the left and noticed a closed entranceway, and tugged on Melodi's glove. She looked towards his way and noticed the room, and slowly made her way towards it. She took a deep breath in and placed her hand on the door—Zidane smiled and placed his hands on her shoulder. "It's alright."

She tapped on the door and it automatically opened up—something they were both surprised to see. She slowly started walking into the room, and to their surprise again, it was nothing more than a room with a bed and desk by it. They wondered if it belonged to Blade at one point, but Melodi shook the idea from her head and walked further in. She was able to notice the sword that Blade talked about right on the bed, and gasped when it looked identical to the sword that Rose won at the Treno auction house. She walked over to it and picked up the sword along with a letter attached to it. Zidane continued to look around the room—his thief instincts kicking in whenever he discovered a new place, and let Melodi have her time alone reading the letter.

"Melodina,

If you are reading this, than it seems that I have perished from this world. The sword before you is a sword passed down through Yuans. You might be thinking why it looks so much like your previous sword and well, that sword is a Yuan weapon as well. They are twin swords and at first I found it odd that you had that weapon despite being able to return home. Rose told me about the sword when I got the chance to ask, saying that they were auctioning it off—she told me that she had to get it for you, so that you wouldn't forget where you came from or who you are. I am truly sorry that I destroyed that sword…

The sword itself is nothing special, however, combined with the blood of a Yuan it hold a special power that amplifies the natural strength one possesses. Now you'll have the strength of your people with you wherever you go.

Please, take care of yourself. Live so you can have a future,

Blade Cora"

Melodi stared at the letter for a bit longer and couldn't help but smile—sure, she still never got that closure she was looking for, but at least she knew her brother was truly the same brother that she grew up with. Zidane walked over to her and noticed the sword looked the same as the one she had, and Melodi explained about it. "So, you had a Yuan weapon with you this whole time?"

"It feels good to have it back…" she said as she switched out the sword she had with the one Blade gave to her. She switched a lot of sword along the way, but nothing felt more comfortable than the sword that she originally had. She kept the other sword with her and decided to head back to Lillivale and return it. Zidane asked if she was okay with the castle but Melodi couldn't deny the fact that it was really creepy looking, and this only made him laugh. They walked out of the castle, and feeling a sense of warmth out of the whole trip, Melodi reached out to grab Zidane's hand. He turned and was completely shocked about the interaction, but squeezed her hand nonetheless. She just smiled. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Do I get a kiss out of this?"

*Smack*

Merry belated Christmas!