Author's Note: By Roswellgirl13 and Unknown Dragon, who's too lazy to write her own stories, just kidding! The new chapter of the new Dancing Dragon should come out "soon". *Yells to Unknown Dragon* Stop hitting your head like that! Your writers block will be over soon! I don't own Final Fantasy, because we're just two beautiful annoying wacko's who love the game. *Watches Unknown Dragon sits in the background listening to her FF10 MP3's while trying to learn how to play 'Blitz ball', then realizes she can't swim, and decides to stick to 'Triple Triad'.* (Sigh.) I'm sorry you had to see that. *Unknown Dragon holds up a butter knife with red nail polish on it and yells, SHOCK!* Hey! That's my nail polish! Give it back! Anyways, here's the story...
Beatrix walked down the abandoned streets of Alexandria, staying in the shadows of the night and careful not to make any noises that might attract unwanted attention. She pulled her coat collar up around her neck, trying to warm herself as a chill winter's wind crept down her back, chilling her down to her bones. Beatrix pushed her hair away from her face impatiently as she searched the streets for a place to rest for the night. She sighed as she came across a small shack and decided to spend the night there. It was a tiny thing, only about three feet tall by five feet long, and looked as if it had been used for a childs fort at one point. The old building creaked and threatened to cave in on her as she crawled in it and sat shivering on it's damp dirt floor.
"So this is what it's come to." She said to herself. "Running from the very people that swore to protect me and sleeping in a child's fort." Beatrix said the last words with disdain, she could not believe that she, the great General Beatrix of Alexandria, was no longer welcome in her own city. Footsteps and loud shouts were heard coming from down the street as two soldiers made their rounds, searching, no doubt, for Beatrix. Light seeped through the gaps in the boards and flooded the small structure as one of the soldiers stopped in front of Beatrix's hideaway to talk to her companion, holding a small torch. Beatrix tensed and prayed that they wouldn't discover her.
"We've combed every inch of this street, and we still can't find her. I don't care what Zidane said, she's just not here. Let's try somewhere else." The other soldier raised her voice.
"I don't care what you think we should do. Our orders are to find General Beatrix and bring her to Zidane."
The soldier angrily thrust her sword through the child's fort, narrowly missing Beatrix. Beatrix moved backwards, hitting the side of the fort and causing it to collapse on her, getting the guard's attention. She threw aside the broken bits of wood and scrambled to her feet, trying to run away as one of the guards called out a warning.
"WE'VE FOUND HER!" They ran after her, leaping over the pile of rotting wood and pursuing her as she ran down the dark alley, attempting to lose them. She climbed on top of a house and jumped off the other side, collapsing in an alley, barely absorbing the shock, and twisting her ankle in doing so. She propped herself up against the building's wall in the shadows, in her current position the soldiers were not able to see her. She could see them standing on the roof, out of breath and looking for her.
"She's not here, we lost her." The soldier let loose a slew of vile words, furious that they had come so close to capturing her.
"Let's go." She said angrily. "We'll get more knights out here and search this area more thoroughly once we report to King Zidane. He won't be happy." Beatrix sighed in relief as they left, and let her mind think about the past few day's events.
It had all started two days ago, when Queen Garnet summoned her to her room.
"Beatrix, I have come to a decision. In the unlikely event that I should become unable to rule, and their is no other heir to the throne, you shall take my place." Beatrix didn't take it to seriously, since it wouldn't be more then a year until her and Zidane became married, making Zidane king. A couple nights later, Beatrix woke with a strange feeling that she had felt only once before, the night King Til Alexandria was murdered. She instantly knew that something was wrong, and rushed to Queen Garnet's room to find the Queen laying in a pool of her own blood. A large cloaked figure was standing over her, holding a bloody dagger. Before she could get a good look at her murderer, they threw the dagger at Beatrix. She caught it inches from her body; it was covered in crimson blood that fell on her coat. The murderer leaped out of the window, escaping on a chocobo. At that moment the door to her room flew open, and there stood Zidane, pale and devasated from the scene before him. He glanced down at the bloody dagger in Beatrix's hand, and his eyes narrowed.
"You killed her, you bitch!" Zidane screamed at Beatrix. She stood in shock.
"I would never do such a thing to her, I just got here!" But before she had time to explain why the dagger was in her hands, the guards already had her by the arms and were dragging her to the dungeon by Zidane's orders. The next day, there was a trial at which Beatrix lost, due to no evidence of her innocence other then her word...
She heard the clanking of amour, and soon found herself pinned to the ground with a sword held to her neck.
"Steiner!" Beatrix cried, unable to grasp the fact that she had been attacked by the one she loved. Steiner looked hesitant to bring her back to the castle, and took his sword from her neck, helping her to get up. Beatrix flinched as she put weight on her twisted ankle. She could no longer run, she had been caught.
"Steiner, you don't want to do this, please." She begged.
"Why did you kill Queen Garnet?" Steiner said, keeping a firm grip on her wrist so that she could not escape. His hand was shaking, as if his heart said something different from his orders.
"I didn't, someone else did." Beatrix explained what she had seen that night. Steiner's expression softened, and his grip on her arm loosened slightly.
"My orders are to bring you in, even if you are innocent..." Beatrix looked at Steiner carefully, his face was a mess of compassion for Beatrix and loyalty to Alexandria and Zidane.
"Steiner..."She began. "You've got to believe me. I'm innocent. I don't know who murdered Garnet, but it wasn't me. You have to believe me. You're the only one I can trust at a time like this..." Steiner looked at her hard. Finally he let go of Beatrix's arm. He sighed.
"I'm going with you." Beatrix smiled, then nodded. They turned and walked down the frigid streets of Alexandria.
"So how did you escape from the dungeon?" asked Steiner.
"Well, it was pretty easy, considering the fact that I know this city, and it's buildings, better then anyone in Alexandria." She grinned, and Steiner grinned back. It felt nice to have someone on her side again, someone who she could trust...Footsteps were heard, and Beatrix pulled Steiner into a dark alley as three of Beatrix's knights ran past.
"They're searching for me again..." Beatrix said, glaring at them while they disappeared into the misty night. It got particularly cold, and dark clouds began to cover the winter's sky.
"It's going to snow soon. And I need to get out of Alexandria before I'm caught again." Steiner nodded, and a light went on in his head.
"I have a friend who has a cart that we can use to smuggle you out of the city." Beatrix agreed, and they started to walk down the street towards his friend's house.
"So...how exactly are you going to get me out of here?" Beatrix asked, leaning on Steiner's shoulder for assistance.
"Uh, um, well.." Steiner stuttered as he racked his brain for another idea. "I could dress as a merchant and smuggle you out of the city under a load of goods." They reached Steiner's friends house, and Beatrix waited in a dark alley behind a large cart, which she assumed would be the one she would be riding in. Meanwhile, Steiner was inside, negotiating for the cart.
"So, why exactly do you need to borrow my cart? Is it for a woman?" His friend said with a sly grin. Steiner blushed.
"Technically, yes, but it's very important."
"I'll bet it is." Steiner's friend chuckled. Steiner glared at him. "Fine, you can use the cart, I need a delivery made to Treno anyways." Steiner thanked his friend, and hitched his chocobo up to the large cart Beatrix was hiding behind. Beatrix hopped in the cart, and hid underneath a layer of goods, it was heavy and stuffy, but if it would get her out of Alexandria, she was willing to do it. Steiner threw a large tarp over the goods, just in case, and they rode off. They approached the gates of the city, and the guard stopped them.
"Where are you taking these goods?" She demanded.
"Treno." Steiner replied quickly. The guard poked around in the cart slightly, then motioned for him to continue on. When they were about a mile away from Alexandria, Steiner stopped to let Beatrix out. She gasped for fresh air, then dusted herself off and climbed down.
"Thank you for taking me his far. I don't think I could have made it this far without you." Beatrix gave Steiner a quick kiss on the cheek, then started to limp off on her twisted ankle. A pang of guilt hit Steiner, he couldn't let her travel like that.
"Beatrix, wait!" Steiner called out. He hopped off the cart and ran over to her.
"I can't let you travel with a twisted ankle. I'm coming with you." Beatrix protested a little, but somehow, Steiner won the argument. He picked her up and set her gently towards the front of the cart where there weren't any goods. Then he climbed on himself and they started on their journey to Treno. A bit into the ride, Beatrix started up a conversation.
"Why did you decide to help me, instead of following your orders?" She asked. "You know that you could be put to death for doing so." Steiner blushed.
"Well, uh, um, youdothatkindofthingforpeopleyoulove." He spat out, then realized what he had just said. Beatrix was flattered.
"If I could stand, I would hug you right now." Beatrix replied smoothly. Steiner's face turned to crimson red, and he tried desperately to focus on leading the chocobo before he ran them off a cliff.
"It'll take three or four days to reach Treno, so we better get moving." He said, changing the subject before his face got any redder.
Beatrix walked down the abandoned streets of Alexandria, staying in the shadows of the night and careful not to make any noises that might attract unwanted attention. She pulled her coat collar up around her neck, trying to warm herself as a chill winter's wind crept down her back, chilling her down to her bones. Beatrix pushed her hair away from her face impatiently as she searched the streets for a place to rest for the night. She sighed as she came across a small shack and decided to spend the night there. It was a tiny thing, only about three feet tall by five feet long, and looked as if it had been used for a childs fort at one point. The old building creaked and threatened to cave in on her as she crawled in it and sat shivering on it's damp dirt floor.
"So this is what it's come to." She said to herself. "Running from the very people that swore to protect me and sleeping in a child's fort." Beatrix said the last words with disdain, she could not believe that she, the great General Beatrix of Alexandria, was no longer welcome in her own city. Footsteps and loud shouts were heard coming from down the street as two soldiers made their rounds, searching, no doubt, for Beatrix. Light seeped through the gaps in the boards and flooded the small structure as one of the soldiers stopped in front of Beatrix's hideaway to talk to her companion, holding a small torch. Beatrix tensed and prayed that they wouldn't discover her.
"We've combed every inch of this street, and we still can't find her. I don't care what Zidane said, she's just not here. Let's try somewhere else." The other soldier raised her voice.
"I don't care what you think we should do. Our orders are to find General Beatrix and bring her to Zidane."
The soldier angrily thrust her sword through the child's fort, narrowly missing Beatrix. Beatrix moved backwards, hitting the side of the fort and causing it to collapse on her, getting the guard's attention. She threw aside the broken bits of wood and scrambled to her feet, trying to run away as one of the guards called out a warning.
"WE'VE FOUND HER!" They ran after her, leaping over the pile of rotting wood and pursuing her as she ran down the dark alley, attempting to lose them. She climbed on top of a house and jumped off the other side, collapsing in an alley, barely absorbing the shock, and twisting her ankle in doing so. She propped herself up against the building's wall in the shadows, in her current position the soldiers were not able to see her. She could see them standing on the roof, out of breath and looking for her.
"She's not here, we lost her." The soldier let loose a slew of vile words, furious that they had come so close to capturing her.
"Let's go." She said angrily. "We'll get more knights out here and search this area more thoroughly once we report to King Zidane. He won't be happy." Beatrix sighed in relief as they left, and let her mind think about the past few day's events.
It had all started two days ago, when Queen Garnet summoned her to her room.
"Beatrix, I have come to a decision. In the unlikely event that I should become unable to rule, and their is no other heir to the throne, you shall take my place." Beatrix didn't take it to seriously, since it wouldn't be more then a year until her and Zidane became married, making Zidane king. A couple nights later, Beatrix woke with a strange feeling that she had felt only once before, the night King Til Alexandria was murdered. She instantly knew that something was wrong, and rushed to Queen Garnet's room to find the Queen laying in a pool of her own blood. A large cloaked figure was standing over her, holding a bloody dagger. Before she could get a good look at her murderer, they threw the dagger at Beatrix. She caught it inches from her body; it was covered in crimson blood that fell on her coat. The murderer leaped out of the window, escaping on a chocobo. At that moment the door to her room flew open, and there stood Zidane, pale and devasated from the scene before him. He glanced down at the bloody dagger in Beatrix's hand, and his eyes narrowed.
"You killed her, you bitch!" Zidane screamed at Beatrix. She stood in shock.
"I would never do such a thing to her, I just got here!" But before she had time to explain why the dagger was in her hands, the guards already had her by the arms and were dragging her to the dungeon by Zidane's orders. The next day, there was a trial at which Beatrix lost, due to no evidence of her innocence other then her word...
She heard the clanking of amour, and soon found herself pinned to the ground with a sword held to her neck.
"Steiner!" Beatrix cried, unable to grasp the fact that she had been attacked by the one she loved. Steiner looked hesitant to bring her back to the castle, and took his sword from her neck, helping her to get up. Beatrix flinched as she put weight on her twisted ankle. She could no longer run, she had been caught.
"Steiner, you don't want to do this, please." She begged.
"Why did you kill Queen Garnet?" Steiner said, keeping a firm grip on her wrist so that she could not escape. His hand was shaking, as if his heart said something different from his orders.
"I didn't, someone else did." Beatrix explained what she had seen that night. Steiner's expression softened, and his grip on her arm loosened slightly.
"My orders are to bring you in, even if you are innocent..." Beatrix looked at Steiner carefully, his face was a mess of compassion for Beatrix and loyalty to Alexandria and Zidane.
"Steiner..."She began. "You've got to believe me. I'm innocent. I don't know who murdered Garnet, but it wasn't me. You have to believe me. You're the only one I can trust at a time like this..." Steiner looked at her hard. Finally he let go of Beatrix's arm. He sighed.
"I'm going with you." Beatrix smiled, then nodded. They turned and walked down the frigid streets of Alexandria.
"So how did you escape from the dungeon?" asked Steiner.
"Well, it was pretty easy, considering the fact that I know this city, and it's buildings, better then anyone in Alexandria." She grinned, and Steiner grinned back. It felt nice to have someone on her side again, someone who she could trust...Footsteps were heard, and Beatrix pulled Steiner into a dark alley as three of Beatrix's knights ran past.
"They're searching for me again..." Beatrix said, glaring at them while they disappeared into the misty night. It got particularly cold, and dark clouds began to cover the winter's sky.
"It's going to snow soon. And I need to get out of Alexandria before I'm caught again." Steiner nodded, and a light went on in his head.
"I have a friend who has a cart that we can use to smuggle you out of the city." Beatrix agreed, and they started to walk down the street towards his friend's house.
"So...how exactly are you going to get me out of here?" Beatrix asked, leaning on Steiner's shoulder for assistance.
"Uh, um, well.." Steiner stuttered as he racked his brain for another idea. "I could dress as a merchant and smuggle you out of the city under a load of goods." They reached Steiner's friends house, and Beatrix waited in a dark alley behind a large cart, which she assumed would be the one she would be riding in. Meanwhile, Steiner was inside, negotiating for the cart.
"So, why exactly do you need to borrow my cart? Is it for a woman?" His friend said with a sly grin. Steiner blushed.
"Technically, yes, but it's very important."
"I'll bet it is." Steiner's friend chuckled. Steiner glared at him. "Fine, you can use the cart, I need a delivery made to Treno anyways." Steiner thanked his friend, and hitched his chocobo up to the large cart Beatrix was hiding behind. Beatrix hopped in the cart, and hid underneath a layer of goods, it was heavy and stuffy, but if it would get her out of Alexandria, she was willing to do it. Steiner threw a large tarp over the goods, just in case, and they rode off. They approached the gates of the city, and the guard stopped them.
"Where are you taking these goods?" She demanded.
"Treno." Steiner replied quickly. The guard poked around in the cart slightly, then motioned for him to continue on. When they were about a mile away from Alexandria, Steiner stopped to let Beatrix out. She gasped for fresh air, then dusted herself off and climbed down.
"Thank you for taking me his far. I don't think I could have made it this far without you." Beatrix gave Steiner a quick kiss on the cheek, then started to limp off on her twisted ankle. A pang of guilt hit Steiner, he couldn't let her travel like that.
"Beatrix, wait!" Steiner called out. He hopped off the cart and ran over to her.
"I can't let you travel with a twisted ankle. I'm coming with you." Beatrix protested a little, but somehow, Steiner won the argument. He picked her up and set her gently towards the front of the cart where there weren't any goods. Then he climbed on himself and they started on their journey to Treno. A bit into the ride, Beatrix started up a conversation.
"Why did you decide to help me, instead of following your orders?" She asked. "You know that you could be put to death for doing so." Steiner blushed.
"Well, uh, um, youdothatkindofthingforpeopleyoulove." He spat out, then realized what he had just said. Beatrix was flattered.
"If I could stand, I would hug you right now." Beatrix replied smoothly. Steiner's face turned to crimson red, and he tried desperately to focus on leading the chocobo before he ran them off a cliff.
"It'll take three or four days to reach Treno, so we better get moving." He said, changing the subject before his face got any redder.