You can only wait after something for so long - eventually, the head gets bored and the heart moves on. The call of everyday life does not take kindly to being ignored.
In those cases, when the thing you were waiting for finally happens... it comes as a surprise.
I was sitting on the docks at Fisherman's Bottom when my linkpearl finally chirped.
Underfoot and I were skipping rocks against the waves, him dutifully counting the skips, me quietly watching the rings dissolve into nothing.
All of a sudden, Cid's voice filled my ear, rich with excitement and pride. I was so startled that I lost my footing and fell off the pier with a splash, much to Underfoot's delight. It mattered little, however, because Cid had good news. The
Enterprise was finally
ready for its voyage to Garuda's Vortex!
I promptly traded my daggers for my cane (I was and still am determined to keep my new allegiance secret, for several reasons) and journeyed back to Gridania.
Out of the shadows and back into the light, at long last.
It was excellent timing, too - I had a little time before we left, so I was able to swing by Little Solace. Voyce was very excited to tell me that the
Chosen One's podling's location had finally been found (and it fell to me to go retrieve it). Now the only thing left to do is to wait until it hatches. Hopefully, there will be no more interference.
We took flight the next morning, soaring into a majestic, utterly unblemished expanse of blue.
Our spirits were quite literally sky-high at that moment. Perhaps that's why, with the wind in his hair and his hands on the controls, Cid finally regained his memories. He kindly shared his story with Alphinaud and I as we sailed towards the horizon.
His whole name is Cid nan Garlond. Quite obviously, this means he is of Garlean origin (I always knew something about him felt
foreign, but I suppose that's not quite what I imagined). He is the son of a very prominent imperial engineer: Midas nan Garlond, one of the men responsible for making the Calamity happen.
Not too surprisingly, "Mid" was not a great parent. Cid slowly drifted away from him and became a celebrated engineer under the guidance of Legatus Gaius van Baelsar, the Black Wolf. I knew of him, of course. Every child in Eorzea does - he was and still is the main general in charge of the invasion.
When Cid found out about the plans to pluck Dalamud from the sky, he saw what the Empire had become and decided to flee to Eorzea, taking his assistants with him (they are none other than Biggs the roegadyn and Wedge the lalafell, whom I happen to
already know!). There, he founded Garlond Ironworks and put his genius to work for the good of the realm.
We all fell into a respectful silence as Cid finished his story. But then, he suddenly did something strange: he locked eyes with me and took off his goggles. On his forehead was a smooth white jewel, glinting in the sun, not unlike the Dunesfolk birthstone I wear myself.
"Lalli", he said. "I remember you. We've met before".
"Of course", I answered, a little confused. "Back when you were living as Marques".
He shook his head.
"No. Before that. The night I ran away, a silhouette of pure light appeared before me and gave me these goggles. I've been wearing them ever since. That light - it was you, wasn't it?"
"That's impossible, Cid. I'm far younger than you - I wasn't in this world yet, on the day of which you speak."
He chuckled softly.
"It's surprising how few people know this, but
all pureblood Garleans have a third eye. Perhaps mine helped me recognize you - or perhaps it was a lucky guess."
I don't see any point in lying about something like this, so I have to assume that Cid is telling the truth. I don't know how, but he must have really seen me.
Minfilia said that the
Echo allows one's soul to transcend the borders of space and time. Something tells me that if I wait long enough, I will one day find those goggles and return to the past to pass them on to Cid, thus closing the circle.
I wonder if all that time, Cid had been waiting to meet me as well?
We're arriving to the Vortex as I'm writing this, so I must now conclude this entry. The gigantic proportions of Garuda's cyclopean howling eye makes me fear her might a little.
I can only hope that our own mettle will suffice.