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"Clive. Joshua." Jill called both cheerily as she entered Clive's chamber. "I got something for you both."
The Rosfield brothers paused their Tome readings as Jill presented two fine lovely hand sewn pouches with an elegant phoenix embroidery design as well as their names carefully sewn on it.
Red was for Clive while orange was for Joshua. Even Jill has it; a dark blue pouch with a beautiful ice embroidery design.
"This is quite well made." Clive complimented as he examined the materials with his hands. Fine materials made from the feathers of Chocobos and silk.
"I didn't know you had such fine handicraft skills, Jill." Joshua doesn't recall she ever did one back in the old days at Rosaria. Except for flower laurels.
Jill chuckled and shook her head. "Actually, it wasn't done by me. It was someone else." She pointed out.
Clive and Joshua were curious who it was.
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Jill led the brothers to Harpocrates's library. Quietly creaking open the double wooden doors, she gestured to them to take a peek inside. They did.
It was Dion. Sitting on one of the chairs, with sewing accessories on the long table, knitting something for two excited Bearer children.
"Here you go." He handed two little white knitted Moogles to them.
"Thank you, big brother!" The children expressed their thanks and soon were playing with it while Dion resumed his work.
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"He made this for us?" Clive asked Jill. She nodded.
"I actually suggested to him to give it to you both personally yet he politely implored me to do it for his stead." She quietly sighed while observing him from a distance. "The guilt of what happened back at Twinside still weighs heavily on him. He may have begun living with us at the hideout but he barely struck any conversation with anyone.”
"I often see him spent most of his time alone outside. Staring silently towards the Crystalline Dominion direction, lost in deep thoughts with grief-stricken expression.” She gazed up at Clive. “Healing him from this ordeal won't be easy. I wish I could help him more but I’m not sure how."
Clive looked at Jill then shifted his gaze back to Dion. He clearly knew that the very catastrophe happened at the capital city wasn't Dion's fault to begin with. It was all Ultima’s machination; That fiend disguised itself as Olivier Lesage to manipulate Dion’s father, Sylvestre Lesage. And of course, Anabella played a part in this event. Her arrogance as an elitist, greed and obsession of wanting to obtain higher social status had opened up an opportunity for Ultima to take advantage of it. Dion who just wanted to save both his father and homeland from the tyranny, ended up striking his father down by accident resulting the prince to spiral into a deep shock and guilt mentality.
Though Dion managed to get back to his feet, the transgression he committed couldn’t be undone. He blamed himself though no one even the Rosfield siblings never ever blamed him. Yet Dion chose to hold the responsibility by himself.
Clive, this time, was determined to do something for Dion again after Harpocrates’s request three days ago. He didn’t want Dion to suffer alone. Clive wanted to pass a message to him; Letting him know that he's not alone and they are all in this together. As a family.
"What do you propose, brother?" Joshua asked.
“You remember the wild wyvern tail?”
“I do. However, Dion declined the gift.”
“Well, he did. Still the wyvern tail is a symbol to the Holy Empire of Sanbreque and it’s also his favourite flower. We may have planted the seeds at Nigel's yard. Hoping one day it will cheer him up when it blooms in abundance. I was thinking what if we give him the same thing but in a different form?”
Joshua and Jill exchanged looks then pondered for a moment. Maybe it might work…
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"You sure you want to make this?" Otto asked the trio when he studied the blueprint drawing.
"Yes. I have the materials here." Clive placed the box on the table.
"And we would like to make it ourselves. Of course, with you as our guidance." Joshua added on.
“Please keep it as a secret. We don’t want Dion finding it out.” Jill requested.
Otto raised an eyebrow. "Forging something with this design isn't going to be a simple task. It might take a week or so. I mean you three never even done smithing before."
"With our magic, I'm sure we can get it done in about a few days’ time." Clive seems confident.
Otto was taken aback. He let out a grunt. Scratched the back of his head. Finally crossed his arms. "Fine. Let's not waste any time."
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Otto wasn’t joking. The process and progress were indeed hard. It took Jill the whole day with lot of tries to get her ice magic to successfully merged with the silver. She made a few more for backups in case the Rosfield brothers screwed it up.
Once her part was done, Joshua and Clive proceeded. Both utilising their fire magic, trying to forge out the shape perfectly according to the blueprint. It was tough despite Otto’s assistance. There were a lot of trials and errors; either the shape was off, accidentally breaking the materials, Clive clumsily hammered his own fingers during smithing or Joshua ‘burnt’ himself so on.
Meanwhile Dion as usual, either spent time alone outside or staying in the library knitting or doing errands for Harpocrates. Though he did notice the Rosfield brothers spending a lot of time at the blacksmith. Luckily, he didn’t suspect anything as Jill instructed Torgal to distract the prince.
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Finally, just as Clive calculated, they completed the piece in just three days. Now to gift it to Dion. Before that, Clive even prayed to Ifrit including the old ancient mural hanging in his chamber that Dion will accept the present they make for him.
The trio approached Dion in the library. They called his name. He glanced up and seemed rather surprised to see Clive, Joshua, Jill including Torgal was there to greet him.
“Is something the matter?” He asked.
“We have something to give you. Could you close your eyes for a moment?” Clive requested.
Dion was confused at first then obliged. “Oh alright. If you say so.” He did as requested without enquiring further.
“Don’t open till we tell you to.” Joshua reminded before nodding at his older brother. Clive took a deep breathe, opened the box and approached Dion. Dion can feel something was carefully and gently pinned on his collar. Clive took a step back and spoke, “Ok. You can open your eyes now.”
Dion did and stared down. He gasped before casting a quick glance at the trio. It was a brooch. A beautifully crystal shaped wyvern tail brooch pinned on his collar. “Is this…” Dion was loss at words as he touched the jewel. He spotted the small bandages on Clive’s fingers.
“You make this for me?”
“I didn’t do it on my own. Joshua and Jill helped.” Clive smirked at his trusty hound. “Torgal too.” The hound barked. It was proud of it’s distraction skill.
Dion looked at the brooch again. “Why made it for me?”
Clive rubbed the back of his neck. “We made it to convey our message to you.”
“Message?”
“We want you to know that you’re not alone and you have us. Not only just a friend but family as well.”
“Family?” Dion looked away. “We are not even blood related. Furthermore, my father besides my stepmother was responsible for your father’s murder and Rosaria’s downfall. The Holy Empire’s ill treatment towards Bearers. Despite all of these, you still want to consider me as part of the family?”
“Yes. I do.” Clive smiled. “We never blame you. You have done nothing wrong. The downfall of Rosaria wasn't your doing but theirs. You’re just the same as us. Victims of Ultima’s scheme. You did what you have to do; to save both your father and homeland. If I was you, I would have done the same thing, Dion.”
Clive reached out to hold Dion’s hand in his. “I know you are suffering a deep guilt about Twinside but know this: It wasn’t your fault at all. And we are willing to share these burdens with you. Don’t hold it all to yourself alone. We are here for you, Dion. You can always reach out to us. We will be here for you whenever you need us.”
Clive pointed to the jewel. “This brooch signified us and you together. As brothers and family. Once Ultima is gone, let us rebuild Rosaria and Sanbreque together as one nation. Bearers living freely on their own terms. No more mothercrystals. No more aether. No more magic. Alas no more as Dominants but as normal people."
Dion was silent as he looked at Clive. Suddenly a single tear drop rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away. “I—I don’t know what to say, Ifrit…I mean Clive.” More tears. “I---” He couldn’t hold back his feelings anymore. Dion never expected he will feel the warmth of something he once lost and longed for it once again. He thought he had completely lost it all. And now here he was, able to experienced it again.
Clive pulled Dion towards him and embraced him like he always did to his little brother. Dion embraced back as he wept. He finally opened up his feelings. Joshua and Jill also embraced Dion while Torgal leaned close to his lap.
“Welcome home, my brother.” Clive said.
“Thank you, Clive. My big brother.”
--END--