My first FF9 fic! This was a story that's been stuck in my head for the longest. I wrote this while listening to this song and thought it would go great with it. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic. They all belong to Squaresoft, even if I claim to own it. And the song I put in the beginning? Belongs to Creed.

Weathered

I lie awake on a long, dark night

I can't seem to tame my mind

Slings and arrows are killing me inside

Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine

No I can't accept the life that's mine,

Simple living is my desperate cry

Been trading love with indifference yeah it suits me just fine

I try to hold on but I'm callused to the bone

Maybe that's why I feel alone

Maybe That's why I feel so alone,

Me… I'm rusted and weathered

Barely holding together

I'm covered with skin that peels and it just won't heal…

- Creed, Weathered

Eiko Carol looked at herself in the mirror. The purple hair, once barely reaching her chin, was now down to her shoulders, cascading down in soft waves. Her blue eyes still looked as innocent as eight years ago, but they now held wisdom behind them. Eiko was taller, too, reaching five foot three. She smiled at her reflection. She was older, just about to turn sixteen. She twirled in the long skirts she wore, smiling as she imagined what tomorrow would be like. Tomorrow was her sweet sixteen, and nothing was going to spoil it for her. Well, except for her younger brother. Victor was a pain in the butt sometimes, but then again, he had his moments.

She smiled again, knowing that everyone was going to be there. Dagger, Vivi, Zidane, Amarant, Freya, Steiner, and even Quina. Everyone that had been with her throughout the entire adventure. Her father, Cid, had even invited Tantalus to perform. At least Baku had promised that, unlike what had happened at Garnet's sixteenth, they wouldn't make a kidnapping scene. She had heard from Zidane that it had all started then. Well, for her it was sort of a mixed blessing. She had left her home, been in too many battles to count, and had seen her best friend, Mog, leave her. Nevertheless, it also had its good side; seeing that she was no longer left to fend for herself, she had a family, and was now living in the lap of luxury.

She then reached down to unfasten the skirts from around her waist, being careful not to rip the delicate fabric. Hilda had ordered them especially for tomorrow, and she didn't want to ruin them before the party. It was at that moment that she noticed the orange ribbon that lay in a heap on her dresser. It was slightly faded, but Eiko reached out and held it to her chest. It had been almost eight years, but the pain she still felt was raw. Tears glistened in her eyes as she remembered the moogle that had saved not only her life, but the life of her friends. "Mog," she whispered, "I wish you were here. I feel so alone without you."

She then turned to get dressed, making sure that the ribbon was tucked carefully down her front. She didn't want to think about having her sixteenth birthday without the moogle that had been with her for half her life. She wiped the tears off her cheeks. She couldn't brood in the past forever. Tomorrow would prove to be the day when she finally accepted that Mog was gone. Besides, tomorrow was also the day when she could choose to extract the eidolons from within her. That is, if she chose to. She touched her summoner's horn, wondering if she would be willing to go through with it.

She turned as she heard someone call her name. "Just a minute," she yelled, but unfortunately, the door burst open and in ran her little brother. Victor jumped onto the bed, bouncing as he watched Eiko turn a bright red.

"What are you doing in here, Vic?" Eiko chided as she stormed over. "You know if mother found out, she would roast you alive!"

"No, she wouldn't." Victor had a smug look on his face. "Mother sent me to look for you, Eikkie. She wanted to ask you about the party tomorrow." He dodged the swipe that Eiko aimed at his head.

"And you think I'll appreciate you barging into my room like this?" Eiko made another futile attempt to bat her brother on the head.

"You always did it to me!" he rushed to defend himself. "Besides, I like your room. Your bed is much bouncier than mine is." He yowled as Eiko grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and forcefully tossed him out.

"Tell Mother I'll be right there," she said, "and stay out of my room!"

~~~***~~~

Lady Hilda was in the party hall, overseeing the decorating. She was humming as she went along, making sure that everything would be great when tomorrow came. I just wonder what would have happened if Eiko hadn't come into me and Cid's lives like she did. I wonder if me and Cid would have ever made up. At least we aren't fighting like we used to. A smile graced her lips as she looked over the table that had been set up. They now had two children that made them both happy, even though Eiko was hardly the child she used to be. They had Victor seven years ago, and Eiko made sure to keep him safe.

She sighed as she thought of her only daughter. Eiko… Maybe it was time for Eiko to give up her summoning ability. She wasn't in danger like she was before, and it hardly seemed appropriate that she kept them. She never used the ability anymore, and it was time that she realized that it was just a part of growing up. She sighed as she folded her hands. The least she could do was quit being like a tomboy. Hilda found it very unladylike for Eiko to always torment her little brother.

She turned on her heel as Eiko burst into the room, quite out of breath. Two guards that had been protecting the hallway stared after her. "Mother," she gasped, "sorry to keep you waiting, but Victor wouldn't budge from my room."

"Quite alright, but you should not run from your room like that." Hilda chided delicately. "Besides, I was meaning to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Eiko hated to be kept in suspense, but she knew that her mother wouldn't send her brother to get her if it wasn't important.

"It's about your summoning. Dear, don't you think it's time you gave it up? You've haven't been in a battle for nearly eight years, and I see no reason for you to keep it." Lady Hilda watched Eiko's expression change from interest to horror.

"Why?" She had been thinking about it, but to hear Hilda say it made her angry. "Garnet hasn't given up her power, so why should I?"

"Well, you're growing up, sweetheart, and it seems like it's about the right time. You really don't need them anymore."

"But what about Madeen? She was- still is- my best friend. I don't want to give her up!" Eiko tried to keep from shaking, but it was no good. She had grown up with the moogle-turned-eidolon all her life. Why did she have to give her up now?

"It's time to put away the past. How long has it been since you last saw her? How long has it been since you last talked to her?" Hilda felt herself getting angry. "I know it's hard, but you have to look toward the future. Madeen or any of your other eidolons don't seem to be a part of it."

"But I need them! They're a part of me, just as I'm a part of them. I don't want to lose a part of myself!" Eiko could hear her voice rising with every sentence, but it didn't matter. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the one person that cared about her the most.

Hilda grew serious. "You have to. It might have been fun while it lasted, but you have to see reason. You are turning sixteen tomorrow. It's time to put away the childhood games you played and think of becoming an adult."

Eiko lost it. She stared at her mother for a long while before she realized that her hand rose and smacked Hilda across the face. She stared for a good long time at her hand, suddenly realizing what she had just done. Hilda rose a hand to her cheek, staring at her daughter in horror. Before she could say anything else, Eiko ran out of the room, leaving a wide-eyed Hilda behind.

~~~***~~~

Eiko ran to her room, oblivious to the stares that she was getting. She kept repeating the conversation over and over in her head. She didn't want to give up her last link to her past. She wanted to remember Madain Sari, if not for her, then for the long gone summoners that had preceded her. She felt tears of anger burning under her lid. Hilda doesn't understand, she thought. She didn't lose her entire family to a horrible catastrophe that leveled her whole village to the ground.

She paused, catching her breath. She didn't realize she was at the observation deck until she took a good look around. She then stared at her hand. Did I really slap Mother? The question hung in her mind, and she tried to make sense of it. Why did I do it? They took me in, and when Mother mentioned getting rid of Madeen… I snapped. Maybe she's right… no, I don't want to lose her.

She didn't even hear Victor when he walked up. He stared at her for a moment, then touched her arm. "Eikkie," he said, using the nickname he gave her, "what's wrong?"

"Umm, nothing." Eiko gave him a small smile. "I just came up here to think, that's all. Mother asked me what type of cake I wanted for tomorrow, and I told her I couldn't decide."

Victor smiled. "Why didn't you tell her a chocolate one? Everyone loves chocolate, right Eikkie?"

"Yeah, I guess," Eiko sighed, "but what about the people that don't like chocolate? They won't have any cake then."

"That's easy." Victor was practically grinning. "Why don't you make some of that delicious rock-fisted potato soup you said you could make?"

"Is that sarcasm I hear?" With a yelp, Victor tried to dodge out of the way as Eiko took that moment to tickle him mercilessly. He squirmed out of her grasp, holding his sides as he tried to calm his breathing down.

Eiko couldn't help but grin, but it faded when she thought of something. "Hey Vic," she said, "could you leave me alone for a couple of hours. I need to think of something."

"Sure," he said, "as long as at least part of the cake is chocolate!"

He bounded away, leaving Eiko to her thoughts.

To Be Continued…

Whoa… Did I really just write that? Man, I have got to stop writing depressing fics. Well as this is my first FF9 fic, I hope you go easy on me in your review. Also, flames will just be put in my BBQ, seeing as I haven't gotten any charcoal for it yet.

- Charbonne