- 20 -
Prophecies and Promises
»Look who’s here, Colin!«
»Well, if it isn’t the kid that saved the world.«
The two teenagers grinned at each other as they approached the group that had just arrived. They did not seem to have changed at all since Phineas had last seen them, neither in personality nor in appearance.
»Hey, guys!«, Phineas greeted them. »It’s great to see you again!«
»Same to you«, Colin replied, only to be interrupted by Jared.
»Hey, where did you leave Ferb?«
»He’s talking to Fern«, Can explained. »Maybe he’ll have some more luck than we did.«
»Oh, yeah.« The teen’s smile dropped. »I don’t like how he’s been acting lately. He can’t be our leader if he stays like that.«
But Phineas remained confident. »Ferb always knows what to say. He’ll help Fern, I’m sure of that.«
»Yes, he still has a prophecy to fulfill.«
»Ivan!« Phineas was still not prepared for meeting the resistance’s healer again, but he was more than happy now that the blind boy was coming closer with Bue by his side.
»Wait, that’s Irving?« Buford sounded quite surprised. Was it because he had not expected Ivan to be so much calmer than his counterpart or because he had not known him to be blind? Either way, Phineas didn’t mind and simply introduced Ivan to his friends and family.
When it was Josh’s turn, Phineas added: »He’s the guy your mom told you about, remember?«
»I do«, Ivan nodded, and even Josh confirmed the statement.
»Yeah, I… I think I do remember that. It was a really nice village with wonderfully hospitable people… unfortunately, the Duke had convinced me to come with him on that very day, so I did not see much of it.«
»He convinced you?« That wasn’t how Phineas remembered Ivan’s narration! »I thought the darklings attacked you?«
Josh blinked in confusion. »What? No. The darklings only came to be years later. Who told you that?«
»Ivan did.«
Now, all eyes were on the blind boy - who could not see that, of course, but still seemed to be aware of the situation he was in. »I… may have exaggerated here and there.«
Buford crossed his arms. »Just like in the prophecy, huh? We beat you there - the two brothers made it out alive. How do you explain that?«
Ivan did not pay much attention to Buford’s challenging tone. With his patient smile, he merely asked: »Are you sure?«
That was something Buford had not expected. Not knowing how to reply, he left that to Baljeet.
»Yes, we are. Phineas and Ferb are still alive and well.«
Ivan gazed at him with his pale eyes. »Does it matter?«
Phineas was speechless. How could he say that and still be this calm?
His sister seemed to be thinking the same. »Um, it does to me.«
»But not to the prophecy, does it?«
Colin was on the brothers’ side by now as well, even though Phineas knew how respected Ivan was in the resistance. »I’m pretty sure it literally says that ‘two warring brothers will unite’ our two worlds, Ivan.«
»And they did.«
»They’re still alive«, Jared put in.
»But they aren’t brothers.«
The group’s attention turned from Ivan to Bue, and the sudden spotlight made the small boy hesitate for a moment. So Phineas prompted him to go on.
»They aren’t brothers«, Bue repeated. »Ferb said so himself! They’re not related biologically.«
That actually left Phineas stunned. It had never come to his mind even though it was such an obvious fact… he had always been thinking of Ferb as his brother, he had just assumed the prophecy to be about them. Had they really been wrong all along?
»But what’s with the line about the hair?«, the redhead asked. »Green and red - that can only be us.«
Can shook her head as she realized something. »You’re not the only ones.«
»Finn and Fern?«, Baljeet replied, but Buford immediately dismissed that.
»Nah, they’re even less related that dinner bell and Ferb.«
The Indian boy ignored him. »What exactly did the prophecy say?«
»‘As green as grass, as red as blood’«, Ivan answered him. Phineas could tell from the way he sounded that he knew exactly what his prophecy had ended up meaning, or meant all along, but Ivan rather let the others figure it out.
»Okay, the second one is definitely Finn«, Buford decided. »I mean, have you looked at him? It wasn’t just his hair being red like that.«
»...and fern is a type of grass«, Baljeet added. »Yes, that makes sense… so that really does mean that Phineas and Ferb were not the ones the prophecy was about.«
»What did I miss?« Right at the mention of his name, Ferb showed up. But his question remained unanswered - everyone was far more interested in how his talk with Fern had gone. When Can asked him about it, Ferb merely shrugged - and nodded to a side entrance of the throne room.
Arriving from there, careful not to draw any attention to himself, was Fern. Even he was not dressed up for the occasion at all except for the sword he was once again carrying on his back.
Before anyone, especially Can, was able to reach him and talk to him, he came to a halt in front of the throne. »Silence!«, he called out, and yet, hardly anyone but the group of his friends was following the order. It was easy to see how this disrespect of his authority was still bothering Fern.
It was then Melody walked away from the group, stepped beside Fern, and let out a shrill, inhuman howl that, at last, made the room go completely silent.
Fern nodded at the woman, for once not getting verbally frustrated about someone else assuming control. He took a step toward her and told her something Phineas was unable to understand, then returned to his position.
Meanwhile, Can had decided to take a seat in the first row of benches that had been brought into the throne room for whatever event the girl had mentioned in her letter. Bue and the other resistance members followed her example, and so did the people from Danville. Phineas noticed that behind them, the other benches were being occupied by more and more people, most of which the boy could easily identify as the look-alikes of people he knew: the Fireside Girls were there, Love Händel, the parents of many of his friends - and a tall person whose face was completely hidden under the hood of a cloak.
»Who’s that?«, he asked Can sitting next to him, but she paid no attention.
Fern was speaking.
»People of Tristadtia! Members of the resistance, erstwhile darklings… we have gathered here today because, after five long years, the Duke’s reign is over at last. The source of his powers has been destroyed and he will never return - it is time to celebrate. Of course, the battle is far from over, and returning to how life used to be will take time. But if we all work together, we will become as glorious as we used to be. King John has long been dead, and I know many of you are still mourning the loss, but this country needs a king. A leader. King John’s son - Finn, the boy many of you certainly remember - died fighting the Duke, which is why I claim his fate of Tristadtia’s future king.«
Melody’s darkling translation of his words echoed through the room. Her knowledge of the English language had quickly returned to her, but most of the former darklings were still having trouble processing it. Now that they could understand what Fern was saying, Phineas saw many angry expressions among them - how dared a simple boy do that? -, surprised ones among the resistance members - Fern was their leader, sure, but even they had not expected this turn of events -, and a content smile on Ivan’s face. Those who knew the lines of the prophecy all turned to the boy now, for they remembered what he had said: ‘The foe is gone, one brother slain, the other one his fate will claim.’ Which were the very words Fern had just used. Did he know about his role in the prophecy? About what it actually meant?
Ivan nodded, as if having read Phineas’ thoughts. »He found out while contemplating about his recent actions.«
»And told me«, Ferb agreed. »Which made it easy to convince him of following these words after all.«
Many different voices drowned them out. »You can’t be king!«, they all yelled, »You’re just a boy.«
»I am a prince«, Fern countered, his determined voice allowing no doubts. »Fernando Alexander Fleming, son of the king that has ruled this country after King John’s death.« There was still slight nervousness in his words as he mentioned his name - he knew of the shocked and angry responses that especially the resistance could - and did - give him.
Fern did not interrupt them, so the room was soon filled with a mixture of dozens of voices, lots of negative emotions, accusations about Fern being like his father, the same words Bal had said… and it was Bal who rose from his seat and stood in front of Fern, protectively even, facing the crowd. He looked at nobody in particular, rather past the audience, for he had never been fond of making eye contact. He sounded nervous too, even more so than Fern; Baljeet hated talking to huge crowds, it was only natural that Bal did as well.
And still, he raised his voice.
»I cannot believe what I am hearing. You call yourselves members of the resistance? Fern is your leader. Now, you might be angry about his revelation - so was I when he told me. I felt betrayed, because after all, I hated the king as much as many of you. But I realized, and I am here to remind you, that he is our leader. You all respected him and followed his orders, accepted him as the head of the resistance… why does your attitude towards him change now just because of his blood? He saved your lives, gave you a place to live in, and this is how you repay him?« He paused, letting his words sink in, only before continuing with much more courage in his voice. He was fully behind his words, that was easy to hear. »Ask yourselves: what is a good king to you? Someone who cares about your needs? Someone who does not put himself above you, but even fights alongside you in battle? Fern is all of that, and many of you know it. He is only twelve, yes, and he is by no means perfect. But I dare to say that he is the person in this room that is most worthy of being our king, and I want him to know that I will always stand behind him, no matter what happens. And you, all of you that have experienced his leadership in the last couple of years, should too.«
The moment he ended his speech, Bal turned to Fern. And Fern smiled at him, grateful and moved by his friend’s words. He could always count on Bal, that much was certain.
And indeed, Bal’s speech had taken effect: Jared and Colin were the first to cheer out of the resistance members that had only now learned about Fern’s heritage, but Phineas doubted they had ever been against their leader. They were just too good friends with him.
It only took moments before the rest of the resistance members joined them, shouting Fern’s name and expressing their loyalty. Those that had been darklings before simply went along; they did not know Fern and any change was welcome to them. Of course, there were still some with doubts about the green-haired boy in front of them, but they were drowned out by the many approving voices, or did not say anything in the first place.
»Thank you«, Fern said at last, making everyone quiet down, and gesturing Bal that he could go back to his seat. »It makes me proud to see my friends supporting me like this. I know I will never reach the greatness King John had brought to this country, but I will do my very best. I promise.« He let his eyes wander across the room. »If there is anyone against me assuming this position, speak now.«
Many people looked around as well now, curious if someone would actually speak up. And indeed, one person rose from their seat: the hooded stranger Phineas had wondered about.
»This is no objection«, they spoke up, and now Phineas could tell it was a man, with an odd accent he could not quite identify. »Only a reminder.«
Had the Duke returned after all? The accent was strange enough, but then again, Phineas would have recognized the voice, wouldn’t he? Yet Fern’s tone was as dry as if talking to the Duke when he prompted the man to continue: »Go on.«
The man gladly obliged. »To become king, you must be crowned by your predecessor in the case of him being still alive.«
Near Phineas, Bal muttered, loud enough for the stranger to hear: »The previous king has not set a foot into this country for years.«
»Let him speak, Bal«, Fern told his friend, then turned to the hooded man again. »I’m sure you are aware that the former king of this country has not been here for a while. Or do you object to that?« There was an almost challenging tone in his voice now - as if he knew exactly who he was talking to. It couldn’t be the Duke, that much Phineas was sure of by now. But if it wasn’t him, then who was it?
The stranger replied by taking off his hood, and audible gasps came from different people in the room. Fern stared at the man with an expressionless gaze, his voice as cold as his eyes. »Hello, father.«
Nobody said a word as the man replied, sounding far less tense than Fern: »Hello, son.«
So that man really was Fern’s dad. The cowardly king Phineas had heard so much about - and he didn’t even seem to have any regrets. As if he was not even aware of what had happened in his absence.
»It took you some years to come back, didn’t it?« Fern still showed no sign of having any emotional bond with his father. Thinking about it, the boy had never mentioned his relationship to his parents at all, other than his mother having been dead for many years… Phineas could only assume how Fern’s life after that event must not have been too great.
»Indeed it did. But I am glad to see how you have assumed control over these people, just like I expected you to. You have grown as a person and learned many qualities of leadership. You have passed the test - I will gladly give you the reward of crowning you.«
»You know as well as I do that I left before you did. Don’t try to validate your actions with such lies, father; my respect for you is long gone. Leave before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.«
By now, the room had turned completely silent. Fern’s cold bluntness had shocked them all - and his father was just as baffled. And Phineas could tell from Ferb’s frowning face that not even a prince was supposed to talk to a king with such disrespect.
But Fern did not care. He remained calm and even seemed to take pleasure in showing his father who was in charge of this place. »Your bad deeds weigh too heavy to be forgotten or forgiven. I will not let myself get crowned by you, for I do not wish to follow in your footsteps. And neither do I take you being proud of me as a compliment.« He narrowed his eyes, staring at his father with a strict tone in his voice that made it clear how serious he was. »In fact, I do not wish to be affiliated with you in any way. I must ask you to leave.« He paused for a second, seeing that the king had made no move. »Now.«
His father’s face turned into complete disbelief. He was at a loss for words, and when he did find some, he spoke them with far less confidence than Fern. »You… you have no right.« He straightened up, trying to appear as powerful as possible. »I am still the king of this country. It is me who gives orders.«
The crowd’s eyes moved between Fern and the king as they were speaking, and Phineas could easily feel the suspense in the room. As someone from Danville, he himself did not know much about monarchies, but his brother seemed visibly tense - and Ferb sure knew his Middle Ages.
Fern still showed no sign of backing down. »You are the king, yes. The king of nothing. There is nobody in this country who would still follow you - you have lost their respect when you completely abandoned your kingdom many years ago. There is no reason to obey or respect you, just like there is nobody who will.«
»A very bold statement, don’t you think? I have many supporters in this room.«
»Prove it.« Once again, Fern’s eyes trailed across the room. »Anyone supporting him and his actions, stand up now.«
People were talking to one another now, their voices hushed so none of the two royals could hear them. Phineas looked around again, and Fern was waiting patiently.
One second. Two seconds. Ten seconds.
And nobody had moved.
Fern actually cracked a smile at that, but still remained stern as he raised his voice again. »You have lost, father. Just accept that... like a proper king would.«
The man hesitated, but nodded at last. »Very well. Still, son, you need to be crowned if you wish to be king.«
It was easy to tell from Fern’s face how relieved he was about not having to discuss the matter any longer, although he made sure to only show this for a brief moment. »I know«, he continued. »And it would be an honor to have one of my closest and most trustworthy friends be the one to crown me - if you would do that for me, Ivan.«
»Gladly, my friend.« With that, the blind boy rose, although that made little difference at his height. Still, a murmur went through the crowd. Then, the resistance members cheered once again, and many others were just completely stunned - including Fern’s father.
»Son, this boy…«, he began, sounding more than just offended.
»Is a blind peasant with nothing to his name except for much more honor than you could ever have, exactly.« Ivan turned to where the King’s voice had come from and was wearing his usual smile; as if he had always wanted to say such words to someone this superior to him. He was even more blunt than Fern had been as he continued speaking, with a slightly amused ring to it. »Now, would you rather leave already or witness your son's coronation so he can officially banish you from this country forever?«
The King stared at him, opened his mouth in reply, then shut it again. There was nothing left to say, and he knew it. Without another word, he pushed himself past the people sitting near him, thrust the crown he had kept under his cloak into Ivan’s hands without caring about his blindness at all, and pulled up his hood as he left the room with big strides.
«I actually would have enjoyed hearing you banish him«, Ivan remarked after Fern’s father was gone, facing his friend again. »But this will be memorable enough regardless.« He was tracing the crown with his fingers to get a mental picture of it - and Phineas, being able to see the object, found it quite magnificent indeed.
The crown was of a shining silver, beautifully engraved with different ornaments. On top of that, emeralds of different size had been embedded into the material. The crown resembled Fern’s sword, Phineas realized, and he had no doubt the two objects had been crafted by the same person.
Now Ivan made his way toward Fern; with the crown in both hands and Jared and Colin by his side. One of them would have sufficed, of course, but it was no secret that they were always doing everything together. They could not refrain from grinning at Fern now that they were standing in front of him.
At this point, Fern had turned his back on the audience while Ivan and the other two boys were facing it, just like it was common for coronations - that was what Phineas believed, anyway, because Ferb had nodded approvingly the moment the boys had taken position.
»Kneel«, Ivan said now, and Fern followed his order. He staggered slightly, but quickly caught himself again. Jared snorted at that, which made Ivan almost unnoticeably elbow him before continuing the ceremony. »Are you willing to take the oath?«
»I am«, Fern replied, his voice loud and confident. He was determined not to mess up after almost having embarrassed himself only seconds ago already.
»Do you promise to protect the kingdom of Tristadtia with all your power, to be fair and just in your laws and governance, and to be truthful and righteous in all your actions?«
»I do.«
»And do you promise to keep in mind that you, as you are still young, have a lot to learn in order to become the best king you can be? That you can, and should, ask for help if need be, for no king will ever do his work alone?«
Phineas smiled. The message of these words was clear: Fern could always count on his friends, no matter what happened - something the boy had occasionally forgotten during their journey.
»I do«, Fern repeated, and Can rolled her eyes. Phineas could well imagine what she was thinking right now: Let’s see for how long he’ll be keeping that promise.
Content, Ivan nodded, lifting the crown above his head with Jared and Colin making sure he did not fall. »Then, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you, Fernando Alexander Fleming, King of Tristadtia.« With that, and with the help of his assistants, he put the crown on Fern’s head.
Phineas wanted to cheer, but stopped himself when he noticed that nobody else did. Ferb seemed ready, however; as if just waiting for a specific signal. So Phineas waited with him.
Fern returned into a standing position - and the crowd erupted with cheers. Phineas and his friends gladly joined them now, and Fern, now facing the audience again, could not help but smile.
Only Ferb was not shouting his look-alike’s name or cheering otherwise. Instead, he merely stood up… and bowed.
Of course , Phineas realized as he watched his brother. Nobody would have been this loud in medieval times. And while he still thought it fitting for their current situation to cheer like they were doing now, he decided to imitate Ferb’s gesture. They were attending a coronation, after all.
Their behavior caught Baljeet’s attention, and then Buford’s - and soon enough, the bow spread like a wave through the entire crowd, until, at last, everyone was bowing to the newly-crowned king.
Zitat von Sheyffer»What did I miss?«
Ferb tendiert dazu, das zu sagen, wenn er grade nicht anwesend war. Siehe auch Staffel 4; "What'd I Miss?".
Zitat von Sheyffer[...]
Den ganzen Anfang von Ivans Rede/dem Schwur gibt's so tatsächlich, hab mich dafür irgendeiner Lückentextwebsite zu britischen Zeremonien bedient, lol
Ich existiere noch! Sag ich jedes Mal, aber man weiß ja nie. Jedenfalls werde ich hier mal ganz offiziell zugeben, dass die ganzen Kapitel schon 'ne Weile fertig geschrieben sind und ich einfach nur zu faul zum Hochladen war^^ Ich hab zwischendurch auch schon was anderes geschrieben, und so im Nachhinein ist es schon interessant, wie sich mein Schreibstil seit dem Kapitel hier mittlerweile verbessert hat! Werdet ihr auch bald selbst mitbekommen ;) Jedenfalls... joah, hier gibt es eine ganze Menge tropes und Klischees, auf die ich einfach mal Bock hatte und selbst schreiben wollte. Ist imo trotzdem ganz nice geworden, auch wenn ich mittlerweile auch schon wieder ein paar Dinge anders schreiben würde. ^^"
Ein Kapitel haben wir noch, danach gibt es noch einen Epilog und ein paar One-Shots, die ab und an mal entstanden sind. Darunter zum Beispiel auch die Ferb/Fern-Unterhaltung, die ich zuerst in der Story hatte, dann aber rausgenommen habe, weil das Pacing nicht wollte. War zu schade drum, sie ganz zu löschen, also gibt's die demnächst. Zusammen mit ein paar POVs, die wir so noch nicht hatten - darunter Finn, Josh... und ja, der Duke auch. Seid gespannt!