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moogle_workshop2011-07-09 02:18 pm
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the_404_error
Class: Black Mage
Title: The Tale of Sabin and Gau
Summary: A section from the Epic of Gilgamesh, redone in the context of FFVI with Sabin as Gilgamesh and Gau as Enkidu. (A gil request fromchacusha in the Fanworks Bazaar. I hope this is alright~)
Characters/Pairings: Sabin, Gau
Word count: 1,889
Rating/warnings: G? Definitely a lot less "Gilgamesh left no virgin for her lover" in this version. XD
Note: In this, the Phantom Forest recovered and/or it's an alternative universe where you can still enter it in the World of Ruin. (I assume you just can't enter it because nothing in part two of the game involves it anyway, and I wanted to keep this in the context of VI.) You could also say it's loosely based on the epic, since Sabin's personality varies greatly from Gilgamesh's, I took out the bull for the sake of keeping it a short fic, and Gau never joins "civilized society" because of a woman. ;X
Huwawa is an alternative translation of Hubaba. I went with the former after realizing there actually is a monster called Humbaba in FFVI.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Several years prior, a small group had defeated a great jester and saved the world from certain destruction. Now, those individuals had gone their separate ways and the world was trying to rebuild. Yet, no land is ever truly free from strife. Remnants of the Empire still existed to cause havoc, and monsters continued to roam the earth.
One of the heroes was a young prince who was now hailed alongside his brother in his kingdom. He would show up, and even stay, in Figaro occasionally, but years of living in freedom had made him restless. The monk had once gained strength to protect his brother and kingdom against the Empire. After its collapse, he decided to use it to protect the world from any threat that may ail it. He would often say that "strength is useless without a noble cause to use it for."
He had been hearing rumors of a vile giant lurking in the Phantom Forest for awhile now, but this last report stating that a whole hunting party was lost troubled him. Sabin had been fortunate during his last venture there; the Phantom Train was an objective being who let him go upon defeat. However, many other creatures also made their home in the forest of the dead; creatures who did not want to be followed, creatures who wanted to prey on fearful wanders, and creatures who thrived on death itself.
One name inspired fear into the hearts of men, the one who was rumored to have taken the hunters, Huwawa. The giant was said be as ancient as the planet itself, and any who entered too deep into the forest were never heard of again. All curse the name of Huwawa whenever their friends or family fall victim to such a fate within that area. He was depicted as immortal, and it was sworn that all who even catch a glimpse would fall before him. Yet Sabin was unafraid, had faced the forest before and even wrestled with its train. Further, he had a friend who knew the general area and the way of some of the creatures who live there; Sabin was confident Gau's aid would turn the battle into a victory for them.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau was running with a herd of deer when he heard his name echo across the plains. His time spent with the group that had once saved the planet had caused him to appreciate human society more, and he often ventured into the local towns, but he could never detach himself from the animals who raised him nor the nature that he loved. People would tell him houses are safer, but nothing could replace sleeping under the stars in the cool night air. Just as Sabin preferred not being bound, Gau enjoyed having his own type of freedom.
The Veldt was as it had always been. If Kefka's devastation of the world affected the wild plains, it was not noticeable now. Some of the surrounding caves and forests were now slowly reemerging from beneath the water, but the animals and monsters of the Veldt paid this no mind.
"Gau!" Sabin shouted one final time as the two approached, "I need your help. I trust you've heard of the monster in Phantom Forest, Huwawa?"
"Yaoo, I no go into Forest. Huwawa kill all who go too far." Gau always let his feelings show through his expressions and body language; there was a glimpse of fear in his eyes as he frowned at the name.
"I've heard. Want to help me get rid of him?" the sense of excitement in Sabin's voice was at odds with how his friend was reacting.
"Uwaooo, I no think this good idea." The green-haired boy shook his head violently at the thought, but Sabin was not deterred.
"Gau, we took down the Empire. We took down Kefka! What can one monster do against us?" The monk bumped his fist on his chest for emphasis on these last words, and Gau got back on his feet.
"You going if I don't?"
Sabin scratched the back of his head. "It's killing people, an--"
"Gau go!" he interjected while enthusiastically jumping. He grabbed his friend's hand and even jolted out in front, but the frown remained; he feared what would happen, but he couldn't let Sabin face it alone.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau nearly shook as he entered the forest. Animals, if they were smart, never went near it, and his instincts were screaming at him to run. The trees dotted out the sun yet there was a constant eerie silver glow lighting up the area. It was unlike any other forest he had seen.
They fought their way past many of the common malicious spirits and forest creatures, and it did not take long to realize that some of the missing travelers had been felled by no more than the common ghosts and bombs.
He may have never ventured into it, but years of wandering around nature made it was easy for Gau to find shortcuts and paths that didn't lead them in circles. They stopped only when they found the tracks the Phantom Train took. It wasn't there at the moment, but they both crossed quickly and glanced back over their shoulders several times until it was not longer visible.
They had only gone ten minutes past the tracks when the trees began to rustle violently. Sabin braced himself while Gau, although frightened, stood out in front ready to face whatever came their way. The sound of heavy footsteps became increasingly louder, as it became clear a massive bipedal creature was heading straight for them. Suddenly the trees parted, by the force of the giant's arms, and they found themselves looking straight up into the creature's eyes.
"I am the guardian of this forest, the one who ensures the dead enter the train safely. You show no desire to disrupt the process... Come into my home instead, and I'll explain how this forest functions."
Huwawa did have the appearance of a monster: he was three times the size of any man, had teal shaded skin that blended in with the forest, and a face more in the shape of an ox's than a man's, but few were the monsters who could speak in human tongues. There was a fierce glint in his eyes, but without the aura of malice they had seen in many beasts before.
"I've seen stranger things before," Sabin noted with a shrug. He began to follow the giant, but was diverted when he found his arm being pulled back. Gau had grabbed onto him and was gazing up with concerned, fearful eyes.
"No go. Dangerous. He lie!" Gau pleaded, fixing his gaze on Sabin's. More than ever, he wished he knew the right words. The strongest monsters are the most deceptive, but how to relay such a concept?
"Have you seen this sort of creature before? It almost reminds me of an Esper..." Sabin glanced back at Huwawa, then once more at his friend.
"Espers are gone. This monster. It kill animals and people!"
This isn't what he expected. If this creature is a guardian, defeating it could harm the world he's trying to defend. The Phantom Train was an enemy of his here, but it was also a necessary. Without it, what would there be to ferry the dead to their new realm? However, he had to trust his friend. He was raised surrounded by animals and monsters, and knew them better than any other.
With that thought, he rushed forward and drove his knuckles into the giant's thigh. Huwawa clinched his teeth and glared down at Sabin before kicking him in retaliation. The force sent the monk flying, and it wasn't until he hit a tree that he could try to get back on his feet. He staggered a little and held his head while Gau leaped into one of the trees.
Deciding he was an easier target for now, the giant focused his attention on Sabin again and smashed his massive hand against the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the prince off his feet again. Before Huwawa could straighten up, Gau reemerged and jumped from the highest point of the nearest tree, driving a sword into the back of the giant's neck. The forest creature instinctively reached behind him trying to pick off his assailant, but he fell to the ground, slain, before his hands managed to grab Gau.
The two stared at the defeated giant for a minute with a mix of relief and glee clear on their faces. Where Gau managed to find these weapons always perplexed Sabin, and after all these years of seeing him pull lasers, spells, and weapons out of nowhere, he thought he would get used to it, but it always still impressed him. He decided his friend must just be observant, resourceful, and very apt at finding shiny things.
When they both looked at each other and nodded simultaneously, they knew it was time to leave.
The forest seemed quieter. Perhaps it was because the fear, from Gau, and excitement, from Sabin, were no longer present now that the task had been done, but rarely did they even hear a sound on the trail back.
Just as the exit became visible, the air around them became chilled as thin, translucent, white shapes began to wrap around the duo. The forest was full of spirits, but this did not take form; the presence made their hair stand on end instinctively, without either of them being able to discern why. Just as they were about to rush through it, a voice that seemed at once distant and strong echoed through their minds.
"That was the guardian of this forest. The protector who ensures the dead can find the ferry to the next world safely. You have slain my guardian, and for that I shall take the one who slayed him!" As it spoke those last words, it covered Gau entirely before promptly disappearing.
"Take me? Guardian? I did bad thing?" He fell to the ground again, as his relief turned into a sense of defeat.
"No, you did nothing wrong. You were trying to save us. There was no way you could have known."
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau was taken back to the land he still considered his home, the Veldt. At first, he only expressed regret at what had transpired. Then the fever set in. For many days and nights he tossed, mumbling incoherently while he dreamed. Animals would often gather to watch from a distance, and Sabin thought he saw sadness in their eyes, although he was never certain if that was only his wishful imagination.
When it became clear the end was near, Sabin promised to tell the world of his brave friend. The man who survived against all odds against wild beasts, throve in a world of ruin, aided them defeat the greatest villain history had ever known, and defeated an ancient beast in good conscious. Gau was younger than he, and died too soon from Sabin's perspective. He was the one who got his friend into this, so now it was his responsibly to ensure he would be remembered.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Even ages after, you can still find the great statue of Gau in what they once called the Veldt.
the_404_errorClass: Black Mage
Title: The Tale of Sabin and Gau
Summary: A section from the Epic of Gilgamesh, redone in the context of FFVI with Sabin as Gilgamesh and Gau as Enkidu. (A gil request from
chacusha in the Fanworks Bazaar. I hope this is alright~) Characters/Pairings: Sabin, Gau
Word count: 1,889
Rating/warnings: G? Definitely a lot less "Gilgamesh left no virgin for her lover" in this version. XD
Note: In this, the Phantom Forest recovered and/or it's an alternative universe where you can still enter it in the World of Ruin. (I assume you just can't enter it because nothing in part two of the game involves it anyway, and I wanted to keep this in the context of VI.) You could also say it's loosely based on the epic, since Sabin's personality varies greatly from Gilgamesh's, I took out the bull for the sake of keeping it a short fic, and Gau never joins "civilized society" because of a woman. ;X
Huwawa is an alternative translation of Hubaba. I went with the former after realizing there actually is a monster called Humbaba in FFVI.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Several years prior, a small group had defeated a great jester and saved the world from certain destruction. Now, those individuals had gone their separate ways and the world was trying to rebuild. Yet, no land is ever truly free from strife. Remnants of the Empire still existed to cause havoc, and monsters continued to roam the earth.
One of the heroes was a young prince who was now hailed alongside his brother in his kingdom. He would show up, and even stay, in Figaro occasionally, but years of living in freedom had made him restless. The monk had once gained strength to protect his brother and kingdom against the Empire. After its collapse, he decided to use it to protect the world from any threat that may ail it. He would often say that "strength is useless without a noble cause to use it for."
He had been hearing rumors of a vile giant lurking in the Phantom Forest for awhile now, but this last report stating that a whole hunting party was lost troubled him. Sabin had been fortunate during his last venture there; the Phantom Train was an objective being who let him go upon defeat. However, many other creatures also made their home in the forest of the dead; creatures who did not want to be followed, creatures who wanted to prey on fearful wanders, and creatures who thrived on death itself.
One name inspired fear into the hearts of men, the one who was rumored to have taken the hunters, Huwawa. The giant was said be as ancient as the planet itself, and any who entered too deep into the forest were never heard of again. All curse the name of Huwawa whenever their friends or family fall victim to such a fate within that area. He was depicted as immortal, and it was sworn that all who even catch a glimpse would fall before him. Yet Sabin was unafraid, had faced the forest before and even wrestled with its train. Further, he had a friend who knew the general area and the way of some of the creatures who live there; Sabin was confident Gau's aid would turn the battle into a victory for them.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau was running with a herd of deer when he heard his name echo across the plains. His time spent with the group that had once saved the planet had caused him to appreciate human society more, and he often ventured into the local towns, but he could never detach himself from the animals who raised him nor the nature that he loved. People would tell him houses are safer, but nothing could replace sleeping under the stars in the cool night air. Just as Sabin preferred not being bound, Gau enjoyed having his own type of freedom.
The Veldt was as it had always been. If Kefka's devastation of the world affected the wild plains, it was not noticeable now. Some of the surrounding caves and forests were now slowly reemerging from beneath the water, but the animals and monsters of the Veldt paid this no mind.
"Gau!" Sabin shouted one final time as the two approached, "I need your help. I trust you've heard of the monster in Phantom Forest, Huwawa?"
"Yaoo, I no go into Forest. Huwawa kill all who go too far." Gau always let his feelings show through his expressions and body language; there was a glimpse of fear in his eyes as he frowned at the name.
"I've heard. Want to help me get rid of him?" the sense of excitement in Sabin's voice was at odds with how his friend was reacting.
"Uwaooo, I no think this good idea." The green-haired boy shook his head violently at the thought, but Sabin was not deterred.
"Gau, we took down the Empire. We took down Kefka! What can one monster do against us?" The monk bumped his fist on his chest for emphasis on these last words, and Gau got back on his feet.
"You going if I don't?"
Sabin scratched the back of his head. "It's killing people, an--"
"Gau go!" he interjected while enthusiastically jumping. He grabbed his friend's hand and even jolted out in front, but the frown remained; he feared what would happen, but he couldn't let Sabin face it alone.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau nearly shook as he entered the forest. Animals, if they were smart, never went near it, and his instincts were screaming at him to run. The trees dotted out the sun yet there was a constant eerie silver glow lighting up the area. It was unlike any other forest he had seen.
They fought their way past many of the common malicious spirits and forest creatures, and it did not take long to realize that some of the missing travelers had been felled by no more than the common ghosts and bombs.
He may have never ventured into it, but years of wandering around nature made it was easy for Gau to find shortcuts and paths that didn't lead them in circles. They stopped only when they found the tracks the Phantom Train took. It wasn't there at the moment, but they both crossed quickly and glanced back over their shoulders several times until it was not longer visible.
They had only gone ten minutes past the tracks when the trees began to rustle violently. Sabin braced himself while Gau, although frightened, stood out in front ready to face whatever came their way. The sound of heavy footsteps became increasingly louder, as it became clear a massive bipedal creature was heading straight for them. Suddenly the trees parted, by the force of the giant's arms, and they found themselves looking straight up into the creature's eyes.
"I am the guardian of this forest, the one who ensures the dead enter the train safely. You show no desire to disrupt the process... Come into my home instead, and I'll explain how this forest functions."
Huwawa did have the appearance of a monster: he was three times the size of any man, had teal shaded skin that blended in with the forest, and a face more in the shape of an ox's than a man's, but few were the monsters who could speak in human tongues. There was a fierce glint in his eyes, but without the aura of malice they had seen in many beasts before.
"I've seen stranger things before," Sabin noted with a shrug. He began to follow the giant, but was diverted when he found his arm being pulled back. Gau had grabbed onto him and was gazing up with concerned, fearful eyes.
"No go. Dangerous. He lie!" Gau pleaded, fixing his gaze on Sabin's. More than ever, he wished he knew the right words. The strongest monsters are the most deceptive, but how to relay such a concept?
"Have you seen this sort of creature before? It almost reminds me of an Esper..." Sabin glanced back at Huwawa, then once more at his friend.
"Espers are gone. This monster. It kill animals and people!"
This isn't what he expected. If this creature is a guardian, defeating it could harm the world he's trying to defend. The Phantom Train was an enemy of his here, but it was also a necessary. Without it, what would there be to ferry the dead to their new realm? However, he had to trust his friend. He was raised surrounded by animals and monsters, and knew them better than any other.
With that thought, he rushed forward and drove his knuckles into the giant's thigh. Huwawa clinched his teeth and glared down at Sabin before kicking him in retaliation. The force sent the monk flying, and it wasn't until he hit a tree that he could try to get back on his feet. He staggered a little and held his head while Gau leaped into one of the trees.
Deciding he was an easier target for now, the giant focused his attention on Sabin again and smashed his massive hand against the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the prince off his feet again. Before Huwawa could straighten up, Gau reemerged and jumped from the highest point of the nearest tree, driving a sword into the back of the giant's neck. The forest creature instinctively reached behind him trying to pick off his assailant, but he fell to the ground, slain, before his hands managed to grab Gau.
The two stared at the defeated giant for a minute with a mix of relief and glee clear on their faces. Where Gau managed to find these weapons always perplexed Sabin, and after all these years of seeing him pull lasers, spells, and weapons out of nowhere, he thought he would get used to it, but it always still impressed him. He decided his friend must just be observant, resourceful, and very apt at finding shiny things.
When they both looked at each other and nodded simultaneously, they knew it was time to leave.
The forest seemed quieter. Perhaps it was because the fear, from Gau, and excitement, from Sabin, were no longer present now that the task had been done, but rarely did they even hear a sound on the trail back.
Just as the exit became visible, the air around them became chilled as thin, translucent, white shapes began to wrap around the duo. The forest was full of spirits, but this did not take form; the presence made their hair stand on end instinctively, without either of them being able to discern why. Just as they were about to rush through it, a voice that seemed at once distant and strong echoed through their minds.
"That was the guardian of this forest. The protector who ensures the dead can find the ferry to the next world safely. You have slain my guardian, and for that I shall take the one who slayed him!" As it spoke those last words, it covered Gau entirely before promptly disappearing.
"Take me? Guardian? I did bad thing?" He fell to the ground again, as his relief turned into a sense of defeat.
"No, you did nothing wrong. You were trying to save us. There was no way you could have known."
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Gau was taken back to the land he still considered his home, the Veldt. At first, he only expressed regret at what had transpired. Then the fever set in. For many days and nights he tossed, mumbling incoherently while he dreamed. Animals would often gather to watch from a distance, and Sabin thought he saw sadness in their eyes, although he was never certain if that was only his wishful imagination.
When it became clear the end was near, Sabin promised to tell the world of his brave friend. The man who survived against all odds against wild beasts, throve in a world of ruin, aided them defeat the greatest villain history had ever known, and defeated an ancient beast in good conscious. Gau was younger than he, and died too soon from Sabin's perspective. He was the one who got his friend into this, so now it was his responsibly to ensure he would be remembered.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Even ages after, you can still find the great statue of Gau in what they once called the Veldt.