"Everyone! The Tantalus Theater Troupe is back!"
"Aw man, I remember what happened last time..."
"Let's not talk about that. I'm sure they've completely changed now!"
As the crowd began walking towards the Tantalus, the King and Queen too were excited to see the play.
"I suppose seeing it won't be so bad," the Queen said.
"As long as it isn't a repeat of last time," the King replied, almost chuckling.
The stage was lit with a calming blue light, seeping through the cracks on the floor into the engine room. Everyone was silent, and when a man came to the stage, the orchestra began playing.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen. For your viewing pleasure, the Tantalus is proud to present...
I Want to be Your Canary!"
Cheers came from all around, and with the King's signal, fireworks were lit to celebrate the occasion. The lights dimmed, and the show began.
"This is so disgusting."
"What do you mean?" Blank was sitting in the corner of a room in the castle.
"I mean, my helmet totally reeks! My armor's way too big... and my back's real itchy... the boots are wet... my gloves are all slimy... there's cookie crumbs in my pockets-"
"Okay, I get the picture." Blank couldn't believe he once complained about such things.
"Now c'mon, kid. We got some jewels to steal!"
They climbed the stairs, and carefully making sure no guards were nearby, snuck into the castle's jewelry room.
Diamonds! Rubies! Sapphires! Shiny things here and there. They were astonished.
"Let's take what we can carry and get out of here!" Blank stated. They started stuffing their pockets with every jewel they saw. Soon they couldn't walk three steps without something jingling in their pockets.
"This is only the easy part, new kid." Blank got up, stepping outside of the room.
"Now we have to get out of-"
"Hey! What are you doing in here?!" A man in huge armor was at the bottom of the stairs looking up, seeing Blank and the new recruit.
"That area is restricted, even for me! You must be imposters! Guards, seize them!"
Suddenly, guards came from all directions! Blank knocked a couple off their feet before they decided to jump off the top of the stairs, past the guards, and make it to the Tantalus!
"You rascals!" The man with giant armor was running after them.
"See you later, Rusty!" The new thief stuck his tongue out at him.
"My name is not Rusty! It's..." They were too far to hear him.
Guards were still on their trail. As Blank and the new kid ran through the streets, they bumped into several civilians. One dropped his ticket to the Tantalus, and the other, a man with blue skin, just turned away and grunted.
They were nearing the ladder to board the Tantalus! In one swift jump, Blank grappled the ladder and started climbing up.
However, before the other thief could make it, the guards shot arrows at the ladder, causing it to break and fall off! Blank made it up safely in time.
"Crap! Good luck on your own, kid! You'll have to board the Tantalus through the staging area!" Blank said as the kid turned a corner, out of sight.
He kept running, passing a woman in a red coat, who he assumed to be one of those rat people the Tantalus group always talked about.
Finally, he made it to the stage, where the play was still going on! The King and Queen noticed right away that the new "character" appearing on stage was not part of the real script.
However, guards came out from inside the ship, a tactic that the King proposed in case things were to go wrong again.
"On behalf of King Tribal, you're being placed under arrest!"
Tribal?! I knew this place was familiar.
Stopping in his tracks, the boy turned around, facing the King and Queen who were on a balcony watching the fuss go down.
Guards tried to grapple him, but with a swift hit from his sheathed sword, they fell instantly. The boy then spoke in a loud voice.
"Zidane Tribal!" The name grabbed everyone's attention, as the King's full name hasn't been said by anyone in a loud tone in well over ten years.
"You're friends have been talking about you ever since they were last here, trying to kidnap the Princess!" He took off his armor, and ditching it, revealed his true clothing. Blue coat, grey pants, stuck-up short black hair.
"I challenge you to a fight!"
"What makes you think I'll accept?" King Zidane replied. "I'd given up the thief life ten years ago."
"Because you miss this!" The boy then proceeded to defeat multiple guards, one after another, in the same style Zidane would.
Unsheathing his sword, the boy pointed it at Zidane, who was stepping back into the castle.
The Queen was questioning the King's movements.
"My love, where are you going?"
"Dag-
Queen Garnet, I'm afraid I have a challenge to attend." Garnet was scared at the fact that Zidane decided he had the spirit left in him to keep fighting. And yet, very happy for him.
Running downstairs, Zidane took off his formal attire, keeping on the white shirt and black pants he already had on. Passing by the armory, he grabbed the weapon he once used to defeat Necron, which was sitting on a pedestal, surrounded by many other items.
He had to climb with his tail to reach it.
Finally, he made it to the floor, and running past several guards, whom which Zidane ordered not to follow him, opened the gates and stepped outside to the crowd, closing the doors behind him.
"King Tribal! King Tribal!" The man with huge armor stepped onto the balcony.
"Where is the King?!" His armor gave off sparks as he looked over the balcony.
"I'm afraid he's gone off to fight with the Tantalus group." Garnet felt the nostalgia rush to her.
"Steiner, I request that you don't stop him." Steiner was unclear who she was referring to; the boy or the King.
"I'm afraid I must decline! I've sworn my life to protecting the royal King and Queen with my life! And I intend to keep it that way!" He ran off, down the stairs to the main gates.
"Beatrix, open the gates!" She did so. As he ran by, he grabbed his sword, which Beatrix was holding. With a wink exchanged, Beatrix closed the door, making sure none of the crowd made their way inside.
Running past the crowd, he noticed something.
"I require assistance!" He started jogging in a different direction, into a different part of the castle.
"Master Vivi!" He stepped into the room of the Black Mage quarters, a new division King Zidane created to help teach more people the ways of the dark arts.
Vivi was sleeping, feet up on a table with his hand's crossed.
"Hn... Wha?"
"Master Vivi, I require your help!"
"But I was having such a nice nap..." He got onto his feet, brushing off his legs.
"What's up?"
Stuttering, Steiner had no choice but to pick up Vivi and show him the Tantalus. Vivi knew right away.
He ran into his room, and after a couple seconds, he came out, staff in hand, ready for anything!
"Let's go!"
"Never thought I'd be back on here," Zidane said, taking his normal fighting stance.
"Welcome back, brother!" Blank walked onto the stage, alongside Cinna and Marcus.
"The gang's back together!" Marcus gave his remarks to Zidane, and kindly slashed at him.
"Yes, now you can all recieve punishment together!" Zidane casted Soul Blade, hitting Cinna, causing him to become poisoned.
"That hurt!" Cinna placed an antidote on himself, healing him instantly.
"Didn't think you had the strength to come here, old man!" The boy slashed at Zidane, making him flinch.
"Twenty-six is not an old age!" Zidane slashed at the boy. He Countered.
"King Tribal!" Steiner had made it to the stage, supported by Vivi, who casted Fira on the Tantalus group.
"Sorry we're late!" Vivi was weak, but could still fight.
"Are you feeling better, Vivi?"
"Yeah, I guess. My body's still getting used to thriving without Mist."
"You'll get used to it."
"How dare you attack the King!" Steiner lunged towards Marcus, hitting him.
"Bro, I'm not feeling so well. Gonna fall back."
"Alright!" Marcus fled into the Tantalus.
Cinna and Blank attacked together at Steiner, who recognized them instantly.
"You haven't changed a bit, you Tantalus thieves!"
"Oh, so you remember us?"
"NOW?! Jeez, you're dense." Blank was laughing.
"Sorry guys, I know you helped me out and all, but..." Vivi casted Petrify, stopping Blank and Cinna.
"Crap..."
"Aha! Now, you're going to-"
"A monster!"
Garnet stood up.
"That's not a monster... That's an Eidolon."
It roared, pushing Zidane and the group back towards the wall of the ship.
"Whoa! Where'd this thing come from?" Vivi was surprised.
"Man, this feels so reminiscent of the good days!" Zidane was pumped, ready for action.
"This isn't good for your health, Vivi!" Steiner stood up, sword pointed at the boy, who was still on the floor.
"I'm fine, just a little winded."
Suddenly, the woman in the red coat jumped onto the Eidolon before it could cast a spell!
"Freya?!" Zidane looked astonished that his friend was still doing well.
"Get the Tantalus out of here! It's not safe!" It began moving, unaware to Zidane and the group. The boy was the only one who noticed.
"Uh, guys?" The boy was trying to grasp their attention that the ship was leaving.
"You stay quiet!" Steiner wasn't taking any lip from him.
Trashing, the Eidolon smashed into the Tantalus, busting an engine!
"Oh no..." Garnet watched in horror as the ship began flying back to where the adventure all started...
"This isn't good!" Zidane grabbed onto the ship, bracing for impact.
Steiner grabbed Vivi, and keeping his footing, forgot to keep an eye on the boy. He jumped off right before the crash.
Walking around, the boy lit a match and saw the area was dimly lit, and the trees were tall enough that he couldn't see the moon.
Everything was gray. Rock hard, too.
Hearing rustling, he blew out the match, leaving it in a pond of water leading to the Tantalus.
Shuffling through frozen branches, Zidane, Vivi and Steiner walked into the area.
"Who knew we'd end up back in Evil Forest?" Zidane was happy, although slightly worried.
"Now is not the time to bring back the past!" Steiner was dreading the day he'd have to step back into this forest.
"We need to find that boy, and bring him to justice!"
"This place looks so different, though. At least, different from when we were last in this area."
Walking around, Zidane noticed the match in the pond, though he never brought it up to the group. The boy was breathing heavily.
"Captain Albert Steiner."
"Yes, my lord?"
"When we catch him, the punishment is entirely based on what I say. You understand?"
"...Yes, my lord."
"Good." Zidane looked around.
"Hey! Uh... If you're out there... Just know we aren't going to hurt you! If you turn yourself in now, I promise you won't get the death penalty, nor will you be imprisoned."
"My lord!-"
"Steiner."
"... Right."
They waited, almost for a good five minutes. Finally, the boy decided to walk out of the bushes he was hiding in.
"Alright, I'll comply."
"Good boy. Now, we should get back to the Tantalus. Although you guys are thieves, I still care about your health."
Suddenly, a monster fell from the sky, picking up Vivi!
"Hey! Let me go!"
"Master Vivi!"
"Vivi!" They all took fighting stances, and one by one began slashing at it.
The monster did not retaliate. Instead, it drained life from Vivi using its tentacles!
"A-Ow!" Vivi casted Fire on the monster, which seemed to make it stop draining.
"It's the same monsters from before!"
"How?! They were all petrified when the Forest went rampid!"
The monster began climbing up the trees, whisking away Vivi who was pleading for help.
"Master Vivi!..."
"This is all your fault, you rapscallion!" Steiner began slicing at the boy, who blocked it easily.
"Calm down, Rusty! I didn't do anything!" The boy sat back, showing no reason to fight.
"Look, until we're out of here, looks like we have to work together. I'm sure you're well acquainted with who we are. So, what's your name?" Zidane looked at the boy, who gave no response.
"I'll say it once we're out of here." He took a drink from his water bottle, that he kept on his belt.
"Well then, have it your way. We should be heading back to the crash site, now. In order to retrieve Vivi, we need all the help we can get."
Agreeing, the boy stood up, and following Zidane's lead, began heading back to the Tantalus.
Hey guys! Fabricated Adventures here. I hope you already know me from my other FanFictions, but I decided to write this one because I personally loved FFIX, and I still do! I wish I had more time to play it, because I'm barely through the third disc! (I'm playing it again, who wouldn't?)
Also, VIVI! I know Vivi is (spoilers) meant to be deceased at this point, but I just love Vivi too darn much to keep him out.
Hopefully, if this story gets enough of a following, I could create an entire story instead of just writing a One-Shot!
But hey, one step at a time, am I right?
I hope you enjoyed, and please review as I am still a beginner writer.
Stay frosty,
Matthew