Title: Three Fathers
Rating: K
Genre: RAMBLING + general + family
Characters: Cecil, KluYa, Odin, Cid
Summary: FFIV. Cecil was most fortunate, in a way, for he had three fathers.
Word count: 845
Spoilers: Uh... Yes.
Cecil was most fortunate, in a way, for he had three fathers. One by blood and two in heart. KluYa, Odin and Cid – three men who provided examples to live by and guidance and guardianship. Three men who loved Cecil as a son. It was funny, though, just how dissimilar the three were.
-=-
KluYa wasn't even human, after all. He was a Lunarian from the moon, an alien from the planet that had once been the fifth planet from the sun. He was humanoid, of course, and he had known humans well, known how to act like one, think like one, be one, but he wasn't and never would or could be. Lunarians lived too long for that, and then there was the unearthly hair and skin and eyes and ears. Hair pure white and skin so pale it almost seemed translucent; violet eyes that almost seemed to glow and ears, longer and pointed as no human's ears had ever been. And he had been thin and nimble and able to easily cast the most powerful of magic and yet remain strong enough physically to wield a holy blade with nearly unsurpassed (at least among humans) skill. But for all his strengths, he was still mortal, and he had died.
Cecil remembered him only as a vague, comforting presence, full of light and warmth, and he could not deny that the voice he heard on Mount Ordeals sounded familiar. But he'd never really known this father, his parent by blood. And he never would.
-=-
Odin had adopted Cecil, found him lost and wounded in the forest not far from the castle and the town that served as the capital of the kingdom. Cecil didn't remember being found – he'd been too far gone at that point, and he would have died soon, if not for Odin's swift action in bringing Cecil back to the castle, to the healers. Cecil only remembered that there was a monster and that a strong man, wielding a blade of shadows had defeated the monster; then Cecil had passed out, and from then on in his memory, he had been in Baron. Odin had always looked out for him, however. Even if often times they interacted as king and subject, just as often, away from the prying eyes of court, they acted as father and son. It was for Odin that Cecil had taken up the Dark Sword, and it was for Odin that Cecil did his best to piece Baron back together after the crystal wars and rule it as wisely as he could.
Cecil mourned Odin's death, and from time to time he caught himself wishing the man were here to offer guidance and support. But of course the old king was gone and had been for some time – and yet, he wasn't really gone. He'd become an Eidolon, somehow, and Cecil knew that if he ever really needed his former mentor, Rydia could call him. And sometimes, Cecil could have sworn that he felt Odin's gaze upon him and his presence nearby – the old king still watched out for his kingdom and his ward. And that was a most comforting thought.
-=-
Cid, meanwhile, wasn't really a father to Cecil, either by adoption or by blood. But he'd acted much like one, though perhaps calling him a 'fatherly uncle' would have been more appropriate. Cecil remembered being a little afraid of the short, round ball of energy that was Cid as a child. With his flaming red hair, wild beard, large goggles, boisterous mien and booming voice, Cid was a striking presence no matter where he went. But Cecil had gotten used to that quickly, and he found that he didn't mind it, as Cid demonstrated models of his latest airship designs and took Cecil on a tour of his workshop and the shipyard, where a skeleton of a hull rested in supports, waiting to be finished. Cid delighted in showing off his inventions and his pride and joy – the airships. And it had always pleased him how fascinated Cecil had always been with the idea of flying. It didn't hurt that Cecil liked using his hands and was, therefore, always willing to help out, when he had time.
Cid was the only one still around and kicking, and that was how it should have been, really. Cid was less a man to give advice and more a man to support and to say what needed to be said – a man to snap Cecil to his senses whenever Cecil strayed from his purpose or fell too deeply into brooding, as he was wont. And when Cecil and Rosa's first child was born, Cid had grinned broadly and held the babe as if little Ceodore had been his own grandchild. Cid was a constant who'd been a father to all the kids around the castle (Rosa and Kain, included), and Cecil hoped that Cid, at least, would be around for a while longer, for the paladin could think of no better man to be a grandfather to the next generation.
Fin
A/N: RAMBLE. And it's not that great, all told. BUT it's the first complete bit of fanfiction I've written in months. I'm rusty. And this just popped into my head last night, so... yep. It's just an attempt to examine (briefly) what sort of people each of Cecil's father-figures are and Cecil's relationship with them, I guess? It's completely unedited and unproof-read, so if there are any mistakes, please forgive me, but don't hesitate to point them out. Also... ZOMG. Since when have they had character filters for this category? O__O They're still missing some characters, though. Like KluYa. And Odin. xD
Important note: While this may've drawn elements from the DS version of the game, I simply cannot accept KluYa to have navy blue hair. And ever since I was a little kid and first played "FFII" on the SNES, I've had a certain image as to what Lunarians are like, and I have my own ideas about 'em and about the backstory of various characters in this game. It doesn't quite mesh with the DS added scenes, I suppose, but oh well.
Reviews are most appreciated! Thanks!