Chapter 14: Heart of the Enemy
                       ------------------------------

	The Nautilus cut through the choppy waves created by the storm,
propelled by the tireless bulk of Syldra, the massive dragon that encircled
the metal-clad vessel. Rain fell in torrents from the dark clouds above,
sending myriad droplets splashing into the ocean as well as drenching the
lone figure that stood atop the observation deck. Keyla stood shivering in
the downpour, leaning againt the railing which encircled the deck, staring
moodily at the heaving sea.

	The doors leading to the lower decks opened and a large, powerful
hand extended from the doorway, palm turned upwards. It withdrew, then
returned with an umbrella. Butz walked onto the observation deck, cursing as
he tried to shield himself from the rain. Keyla ignored him and kept her gaze
fixed on the horizon.

	"What's wrong?" she asked. "Afraid that I might be trying to sabotage
the ship? Or signal the Figaro navy?"

	"What are you doing out here?" Butz asked. "You could drown in this
sort of weather." He cursed again as a gust of wind inverted his umbrella,
which wasn't doing much good anyways.

	"I needed to get some fresh air," Keyla said. "I can't stand being
confined down there with all the metal and machinery."

	"At least it's warm and dry. You'll catch your death of cold in the
rain."

	"No," Keyla said. "It's better to be out here than down below,
trapped with all those people and their microbes. Or so my parents said. They
were both biologists, so they probably knew what they were talking about."

	"Hmm. Are you sure you're not out here for another reason?"

	Keyla lowered her eyes to the crashing waves before answering. "I
can't blame the people of Doma for the way they treat me," she said softly.
"I am the enemy, after all. And I know what it is like to lose loved ones.
If... hating me helps them to deal with their pain and grief, then so be it."
She turned to look at Butz. "So why did you come out here, anyways?"

	"I had a couple of questions and I thought you might be able to
answer them. The chocobos of this world...they are quite different from the
ones from my world. I was thinking you might be able to tell me more about
them."

	Keyla shrugged. "My parents were the ones that discovered the purple
chocobos."

	"Discovered? Sounds like there's a story behind that."

	"There is, although it's not all that exciting. Still, it's short,
if you'd care to hear it."

	"Please."

	Keyla's gaze became distant as she recalled the events of her past.
"It was nearly thirteen years ago..."

			*****************************

	"How much longer, Mom?" Keyla asked impatiently.

	"Shh. If you want to see a chocobo hatch, you'll have to be
patient," Dayne said.

	"Just a little longer, Kay," Myron said. "It should be anytime now."

	"We've been here for hours," Keyla said. "I'm soooooo bored..."

	"This is what scientists do," Dayne said. "Don't you want to grow up
to be a scientist like your mom and dad?"

	"I don't want to be a scientist," Keyla said. "I want to be a
chocobo rider. I want to go riding around the desert and chasing away all
the monsters."

	"We'll see when you get older," Myron said. "Wait... look, Kay! I
think the chocobo is hatching." The chocobo that had been resting in the
nest was now standing next to it, along with her mate. Keyla gasped in
excitement as the large speckled egg resting in the nest quivered, then
cracked with an audible groan. She watched, amazed, as the top half of the
egg shattered to reveal the chick inside.

	"What? A purple chocobo?" Dayne said. She blinked again to make sure
she wasn't hallucinating, then looked back at the nest. Sure enough, the
chick within the shell was purple in coloration, not the expected yellow.

	"This is incredible!" Myron said. "A mutation as drastic as this
could mean the beginning of a new species. And to think we were here to
observe it... wait, what's going on?" The adult chocobos began to back away
from the nest, then turned and fled into the forest.

	"They're abandoning the chick," Dayne said. "Evidently the parents
are as confused about this as we are excited. I think we'd better - wait,
where's Keyla? Kay? Kay!"

	Keyla ignored her mother's shouts as she made her way down the ridge
and arrived at the nest. The chick struggled, then managed to break out of
the remaining shell. It wobbled unsteadily and plopped into the bottom of
the nest with a shrill peep. Keyla laughed as she reached down to pat the
bird on its fuzzy head.

	"I'm going to call you Bork," she said.

			**************************

	"A mutation of yellow chocobos?" Butz said.

	"Yes," Keyla said. "And as we observed Bork grow, we noticed a few
remarkable things about him. First, he was highly intelligent. Second, he
could fly. And third, he and I began to share some sort of telepathic link,
which allowed us to 'talk' to each other. When we converse, we don't
actually understand each other's language, but instead the link allows us to
convey an idea of what we mean."

	"Fascinating," Butz said. "I've never heard of anything like it."

	"Neither had anyone else in Figaro. The interest in both Bork and
myself was considerable. I guess you could say that most of my life has been
one big scientific experiment," she said, with a brittle smile. Butz
hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Well, that isn't important," Keyla said
finally. "The important thing is that my parents were able to isolate the
gene that caused the purple chocobo mutation. Yet they also discovered
something more sinister. A different mutation of the same gene would produce
black chocobos like the ones you saw back at Doma. They are stronger, faster
fliers, and vicious fighters, but there's... something wrong with them.
They're... evil. Sometimes they fly into terrible rages, even attacking their
riders.

	"The military immediately requested that my parents hand over their
work and begin breeding black chocobos. However, they didn't want their
discoveries to be used for war, especially the black chocobos. In the end, a
compromise was reached. A half-dozen of each type of chocobo would be bred,
and they would be tested. The type that performed the best would be
integrated into the military."

	"So you became the captain of the purple wingriders, hoping to
prevent the black chocobos from being used," Butz said. "First a test
subject, then a soldier... not much of a childhood."

	"I suppose not," Keyla said. "Still, I don't regret it. Finding Bork
was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Flying is the most beautiful
experience in the world. The feel of the air as it rushes by, the
peacefulness of the blue sky, the breathtaking view, the sense of freedom...
nothing can compare to them. Or to the things I've seen because of flying;
the brilliant crimson and orange glow of the sun as it rises over the
mountains; the rainbows glittering in the spray of Baren Falls; the snow as
it softly covers the mountains in white sheets. All the art, inventions, and
constructions of mankind pale in comparison."

	"I understand what you mean," Butz said. "I've felt those same things
myself, thanks to Boco."

	"Sometimes I wish that I could fly forever," Keyla said wistfully.
"Just soar away into the sky, leaving my worries and concerns behind. I know
it isn't possible; I have too many responsibilities and duties to attend to.
Still, I like to think about it from time to time," she concluded, with a
genuine smile. Butz smiled back, and they stood there smiling at each other
in the pouring rain until Keyla finally looked away, blushing. "So..." she
stammered, but was interrupted by the sound of the door to the lower deck
opening.

	"Butz! The king wants to see you," the boy said as he peered out
into the rain. "He says it's important and it can't wait."

	"Coming," Butz said. "I guess we can continue our conversation at
another time," he said to Keyla, who nodded. He closed his umbrella and
disappeared into the doorway. The boy turned to follow him.

	"Ah... your name is Koro, isn't it? I... I -" Her words trailed off
as the boy turned and gave her a frigid glare filled with hate and contempt.
Then he was gone, entering the doorway and slamming the door shut behind him.
Keyla stood motionless for a moment, suddenly crushed, then resumed her vigil
at the rail. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, knowing that the boy had lost his
father in the attack on Doma. She had always thought that she had never
killed another person before, but was that really true? She was a member of
an organization which had attacked and killed innocents. How many was she
responsible for? "I'm sorry..." she said again, then she broke down and wept,
her tears mingling freely with the rain. Yet at the same time she realized
what she had to do. She would stop Edgar and his madness, even if the cost
were her own or his life.