Mother X: Father

by Tatsurou

Secrets of the Past

As the group continued to wander Niiue's Magicant, they eventually reached a town populated by human, bear, Starman, and even flower shapes. They talked to everyone they came across...but their responses proved to be confusing. The only common thread they were able to follow was that nothing was as it seemed.

After a time of exploring, they left the town to continue exploring. One of the denizens advised them that a door to the south could only be opened by a 'mysterious woman'. On hearing that, Niiue led them purposefully to the east, where the image of a blonde human woman floated serenely. Moondancer felt she should know the woman, like she'd seen her somewhere before...perhaps in a photograph, or someone else's memory. Approaching her, however, caused her to vanish, leaving a field of stars behind that soon disappeared. She became visible to the east.

The group continued to pursue the woman, following her vanishing silhouette as she continued to disappear each time they approached. "Who is she?" Alinivar demanded as she vanished for the fifth time.

"That's a complicated explanation I don't want to get into just now," Niiue replied firmly.

Eventually, they caught up to her at the door, where she vanished as it swung open for them. Beyond the door was an...the only way to describe it was 'undercloud path' with several more signs. Curious, Alinivar went up to each to read them. However, the signs gave no real answers beyond explaining a very small bit about the nature of Magicant...and the nature of the PK Harmony skill Alinivar had discovered by visiting all the Points of Power.

As they approached a small, sleeping, grey cat-like thing, they found themselves back in the room of doors, with Niiue nowhere in sight. "What just happened?" Alinivar demanded in confusion.

Moondancer said nothing. She was pretty sure she knew what had happened. Somehow, the cat-thing had been a gate into the deepest levels of Niiue's mind, and he hadn't wanted company there for some reason. She was certain they would see him again when he was finished with whatever he was doing. "Let's check the last door for answers," she suggested firmly.

Alinivar looked at her with a suspicious frown, but eventually conceded. The group approached the final door...'Giegue's Door'.

---

The group found themselves disembodied, observing a scenario as it played out. They were unable to speak or act, only to watch as the woman they saw in Niiue's Magicant sat with a black haired man under the stars on Earth. When the woman addressed the man as George, Moondancer knew what was going on. It's George and Maria, she thought to the others. Giegue's...parents. The group watched in silence as the events unfolded.

George and Maria finding the infant Giegue on Earth, protecting him from an angry animal, taking him in...

The three waking up on the Mothership, exploring, being 'welcomed' by the Geeg who were there...

The playroom, Maria singing to Giegue, three years of family...

George discovering the nature of Geeg PSI, and their technology...

The slow decrease of Geeg observing events...

The daring escape, Giegue's fear...

And Maria being sealed inside a Magicant Gate.

As George flew away on the smaller UFO, Moondancer felt a resonation within her own mind, and the vision continued. As Giegue cried, the Geeg who had arrived at his fearful summons floated forward.

The humans are flawed and cruel, one explained softly.

Their emotions command them, the other confirmed.

This is a flaw.

This is power.

This must be...corrected.

With that the pair vanished, leaving Giegue alone on the ship, crying for his Mother.

The scene progressed rapidly as Giegue grew, continuing to be all alone. Eventually he extended his explorations beyond the Mothership...and found his way to Mercury, where Cerue was studying the creatures of Sol. Both stared at each other in amazement, not sure what to do.

I'm Giegue, Giegue finally offered.

...Cerue...

I've never seen another Geeg my own age before.

I've never seen another Geeg before.

They remained silent, floating and staring at one another. Finally, Giegue floated out one of his toys from the playroom, a small ball. Want to play?

Cerue stared at him. What is...play?

...I'll teach you...

Again, the scene accelerated, showing the pair of young Geeg growing together as they played, talked, studied, and developed. Slowly but surely they grew close, bonding to each other. Neither was mentally equipped to be alone in their own minds, and the experiment the Geeg had performed with them as subjects had left them outcast amongst all. Clinging to each other, one outcome was inevitable as friendship - an unnatural Geeg mental state - blossomed into something more.

A late adolescent Giegue and Cerue floated in front of each other, both looking nervous. Are...are you sure? Cerue asked worriedly. I'm...I'll never be at home with other Geeg...

I won't be either, Giegue responded. But I'm at home with you. The wounds in our minds...we can never overcome them alone. But...they don't feel as bad when I'm with you. Their noise is softer when your thought is in my head. I know how I...feel. He slowly floated forward, extending the tips of his legs, arms...and finally, the tips of his ears folded forward like antennae.

Cerue stared at him. I...I feel the same... Floating up to him, she returned the gesture, her tips gently, barely touching his.

We are, they whispered together.

Again, the scene accelerated. The pair were much closer now, though they also spent much more time apart. But even when physically apart, all they had to do was close their eyes and look and they'd be inside each others' minds, reveling in the bond and the contact. However, as their studies continued, strain began to shape.

What are you doing? Cerue demanded one day as she stared at the data Giegue had collected on Earth.

Humanity is flawed, Giegue explained calmly. They can't control their emotions. It leads them to self destruction. I want to help them, help them overcome this plague upon their own minds...

And make them more like Geeg? Cerue snapped out angrily. This is the Martians all over again!

It's not like that! Giegue promised. The technology is much more advanced. I can be sure no one is harmed. It'll be safe!

For us or for them? Cerue demanded. Giegue, I don't like the idea of tampering with an entire race. It's...it's not natural. Look at what the Geeg have become, that we do so to ourselves so freely?

Giegue had no answer for that. He wanted to be a good Geeg...but he also wanted to be a good human. Was he his mother's son, or a child of his race? Did his Father factor in? Was there a middle ground?

Seeing and feeling his distress he was experiencing, Cerue relented. Just...promise me you won't do anything large scale, alright? Keep your studies small.

I promise, Giegue swore immediately, and meant it.

He kept his experiments small. No more than one PSI amplifier in any settlement, keyed to only respond to short bursts from the Nightmare Engine. He carefully studied the way the human mind shaped emotion, and thought he knew what he was doing. He switched the Engine on for a short burst...

And the amplifiers went out of control. Human emotions - Earth emotions - were far more volatile than Giegue had anticipated, and the reaction began to feed upon itself, growing bigger and bigger. He struggled to find a way to keep it in check, to bring things under control...only to see human children moving to do so for him. One of them he soon realized was directly related to George, his Father. He wondered why it was happening, what George had been up to...

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Cerue's voice, filled with shock, despair, and a sense of betrayal, shot through his mind. It wasn't supposed to be like this! Giegue quickly defended. It was small! But it went out of control, and-

Stop it! Cerue demanded. You have to stop it!

I... Giegue stared down at Earth, at what was happening. The answers, they were so close...he almost understood... I...can't...

How many people are dying for this experiment? Cerue demanded angrily. How many minds have been destroyed? How much will the race, the planet, be altered for this experiment, for the answers you want so badly?

Giegue had no response.

...is it really so important to you? Is this what you've become?

I... Giegue responded, desperately reaching out to her...only for her to withdraw.

I don't know you anymore...

Giegue's mind reeled. He felt the bridge - once so strong, firm, and unbreakable - between his mind and Cerue crumble as the bond was severed. Once again, he was alone in his mind. He struggled to order his thoughts and feelings. He had to do something. Did the answers really matter? He could stop this! He could pull everything back, make things right, set things right...

Foolishness. The bond was broken. Cerue would not heed him. But Ninten...

He was family. He was correcting Giegue's mistake, bringing things under control. If Giegue could just talk to him, find a middle ground, a common ground...maybe he would mind link. Maybe he would keep him company in his own head. He desperately clung to that hope...

But his words did not reach Ninten. And then the song...the song...Mother's song... "Mother!" he cried despairingly as his mind came apart.

In despair, Moondancer broke free of her incoporeality within the vision to rush to comfort her Father...only to see herself appear in his arms.

And the vision faded, and they were once more in the room of doors. As a pitch black door appeared between the two grey ones, Moondancer slumped to the floor and wept for her Father.

And she desperately Prayed to him, that he might somehow find peace...somehow be whole.

Comments

[Chrome Masquerade]

Moondancer uses Pray. Bit will it be effective? We'll find out soon, i hope.

[Zane Wolfe]

8312636
Pray rarely works on its own. Even in DQ8 it required a LOT of Pray. And a godbird. And the souls of some sages.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8313036 Well, in Earthbound Paula/Nancy/Skye/(Insert name here) was able to Pray loud enough for everyone in the future to hear, soooo.._.

[Dirty Bit]

I found myself whistling - then listening to - Eight Melodies when it reached the part showing Giegue's life before Moondancer, then Pokey Meets Business for when things got more serious.

8313036 I haven't even finished that game, but I did catch a bit of the final battle with Rhapthorne on Youtube

[F14m3rz]

"That's a complicated explanation I don't want to get into just now," Niiue replied firmly.

I can explain it in one picture.
hardcoregaming101.net/mother/src/covers/m1.png

The humans are flawed and cruel, one explained softly.
Their emotions command them, the other confirmed.
This is a flaw.
This is power.
This must be...corrected.

Actually, it's the power, the glory, and the beauty and the joy of spring. Others say it's the magic, the story, and the melody we all can sing.

How many people are dying for this experiment? Cerue demanded angrily. How many minds have been destroyed? How much will the race, the planet, be altered for this experiment, for the answers you want so badly?

Well, according to the lore, minds don't really get "destroyed", they just go out of whack until someone comes along and sends them back into whack. And no one really dies outside of EVE and Everdread (... Huh, interesting coincidence). As for the last question, things will become so different that a caveman (or rather, Cave Boy) acting as a lab assistant for a world-renowned doctor is considered perfectly normal.

I don't know you anymore...

The italics should be at the end of the phrase. As is, Only the "I" is italicized.

He was family. He was correcting Giegue's mistake, bringing things under control. If Giegue could just talk to him, find a middle ground, a common ground...maybe he would mind link. Maybe he would keep him company in his own head. He desperately clung to that hope...

But his words did not reach Ninten.

A piece of advice. If you want someone to help you, don't talk about how "one of [George's] descendants is obstructing our plans, and must be stopped!!", that they should "Perish with the rest of the ugly Earth People", that Ninten's powers are "worthy of a lowly insect", that you "may save [him]. Just [him] alone", or that he should "fall into long sleep with your friends and the other ugly Earth People." when he refuses. Just saying, staying on topic and not being a total jerk goes a long way in having people be sympathetic to your cause.

[Tatsurou]

8318711
The shift between italics and bold was intentional. In the same way it was for "We are".

[F14m3rz]

8318764 Ah, I see it now.