Prologue: What Happened In the Forgotten Passage

"Hurry, this way," a short figure with a tall pointy hat called out as he ran down the corridor with arches hanging overhead. His voice echoed down the dark halls as his torch flickered the only light reflecting off the stone walls. He could hear footsteps behind him, following him with a hurried pace. They didn't have much more time. Suddenly, the sound of a huge explosion was heard above the cobblestone ceiling.

"We're almost there," he said aloud, half informing the person behind him and half to reassure himself. As he stopped to wait for the person to catch up to him, his glowing yellow eyes looked up at the ceiling.

Soon, a woman with curly, dirty blonde hair caught up to him. She was holding a baby in her arms, wrapped tightly in a plain white cloth.

"Thank you for your help, Vivi," the woman said. She was beautiful, and her tall, strong figure suited her handsome looks. "The kingdom will be eternally in debt to you one day, once this is settled."

Vivi looked down to the ground, slightly embarrassed.

"But who knows when that will be," he replied. The woman put her hand on his shoulder.

"It matters not when, Vivi," she replied. "If there's one thing I've learned about being the captain of the knights of Alexandria, it's that matters are always set right in due time. It may not be when we want it, or when we think it to happen. But they happen precisely when they mean to."

Vivi stared up at her in admiration; General Beatrix always seemed to have a positive, strong attitude under that broken soul. He nodded his head at her, understanding what she meant, and clenched his little fists tightly. With that, he again trotted on down the empty halls.

Finally, they arrived at a stone platform that overlooked a pool of darkness. Beatrix walked over to a bed of tall yellow flowers that were somehow growing amidst all the darkness. Studies by the great Doctor Tot had further proven that these flowers were indeed a fungus, with a special genetic code that gave it plant like features and structure. Beatrix waved the yellow flower through the dark musty air like it was a flag, and soon there was a squeal at the other end of the darkness.

Following the squeal was what sounded like loud footprints on the ceiling. Had Vivi never been in this chamber before, he would imagine he'd be pretty scared by now, especially by what he was about to see. Out of the darkness, hanging from the ceiling, was a huge bug like beast, almost resembling a spider. Its legs were wrapped around a thick vine that was about one metre from the ceiling. Hanging from the creatures back was a worn looking cab.

"I guess this is it," Vivi announced. Beatrix handed him the infant as the creature stopped to eat the yellow flower she was holding in the air.

"Hurry! Once he's finished eating, he'll be right on his way," Beatrix warned. Vivi stared at the infant, sleeping so sound. He could feel its fragile body inhaling and exhaling calmly. As he stared at the infant, then back at Beatrix, he felt torn. "Vivi hurry, you must get on the Gargant right away," Beatrix urged.

Vivi then softly put the baby into the Gargant's cab, and quickly closed the door. Within seconds, it was well on its way further down the dark path.

"I want to stay and fight too," Vivi replied, looking up at Beatrix. "There's no reason why I can't. If I could handle Kuja, I'm sure I can handle this! Besides, Doctor Tot is already waiting at the other end...He'll be safe."

Beatrix smiled as she looked down at the child.

"Kuja seems like nothing but an old bad dream compared to these last few months," Beatrix sighed. "But you're right. If that's what you want; you're arts in the black magic will more than suffice."

"Then let's go!" Vivi declared. The two nodded their heads with each other, and headed back down the pathway that they arrived in, the sounds of explosions and cries filling the air above the deep, forgotten passage.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two finally burst through two large doors that entered the Alexandrian courtyard. The smell of blood filled the night air. They couldn't believe their eyes; Bahamut was flying in the air in what seemed like a frenzy, Black Mages and Alexandrian Soldiers alike fighting for their land, not even noticing the corpses of their companions lying on the ground.

"Are you ready, Vivi?" Beatrix asked, under her breath.

"Yes," Vivi answered, his voice shaking as he firmly stared off into the nightmare in front of him.

"For Alexandria!" Beatrix yelled as she lifted her sword into the air one last time, running into the chaos.

"For Zidane and Dagger!" Vivi yelled out, lifting his hands to prepare casting Firaga. They both knew they had already lost the fight, but there was no way they were going to let the enemy forget this night. Besides, it was like Beatrix said, things are always set to happen right when they're meant to, even when it's not convenient for oneself or not done in the way we would think it to be.

xxx

On a well lit platform not too different than the one Vivi and Beatrix earlier sent off a child on stood a stout man with circular glasses and a pointy nose. His frizzy red hair scattered in all directions as a concerned look stared into the darkness. Soon the familiar squeal of a Gargant was heard in the distance as the older gentlemen's ears twitched up.

The Gargant stopped so the cab was almost directly in front of the stout man. When he noticed no one in the cab, a startled sigh escaped his mouth. He quickly opened the door to see an infant asleep, wrapped tightly in a cloth. He gently picked the child up and the Gargant continued on it's way.

Soon, through the door came a limping woman, resting her left side on a crutch. She wore a long red cape, and had white hair that covered her beautiful rat-like face.

"So this is all that's left of the Royal Family of Alexandria," she stated as she hobbled towards the older man, staring at the infant. "Dammit! I knew I should've stayed and fought!"

"Calm down Freya," the man replied calmly as he slowly walked off the platform, intently staring at the child. "With the shape you're in, you would have been just about as much help as this child on the battlefield."

"But Doctor Tot- I,"

"No buts, child," Doctor Tot interrupted. "We all have rolls to play. Don't think you're roll is any less important than Steiner's or Vivi's..."

The woman known as Freya nodded her head in agreement and quietly followed the doctor back into his home.

"It seems like this is the beginning of a whole new act," Doctor Tot said, staring down at the child. "And just like a play, we all have our parts. Don't let the weight of the world rest on you Freya, things happen exactly how they're meant to. And as long as we do what we're supposed to do, not what we think we want to do, then we know we've succeeded."

x

Author's Note: Ooh excitement eh? Unfortunately for some, this is going to be the only part with cameo appearances for a little while. But old faces and new places will be showing up before you know it! Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope the prologue built up something intriguing. I actually wasn't planning on putting this part in the story until much later, but I feel it's a good bridge and fits a prologue quite well. Besides, it's more exciting than just being told what happened. Well, let's move onto chapter one!