Hello.

This story is a revised version of Final Fantasy IX. Before you think 'Oh no! Not another story that just copies from the game!' please give me a chance and continue reading.

Final Fantasy IX is my favorite FF, and I have played it many times. I thought it would be fun to write the story, but also give it a little more detail, give a little of my originality to the characters, fill in a few gaps that might have been left in the game, and add some new surprises. This will not be an FF9 Novelization. It will appear that way at first, but it's not.

Just so you know, this story will be mostly written in first person in Zidane's eyes, along with interludes in third person with other characters.

So, here's the story. Please enjoy.

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Chapter 1

The small craft creaked against the storm that assaulted its sail. The sea was wild; the driving rain crashed down into the waves that rammed against the boat, rocking the inhabitants violently.

Only a woman and a small girl sat in the small craft. It creaked loudly as it was thrown for a short distance, landing back in the water with a splash that couldn't be heard over the heavy rain and crashing thunder, sending flashing lights across the sky. The woman clung tightly to the girl's shivering form in an attempt to shelter her from the tempest. Their hooded cloaks did nothing to protect them from the biting winds or from being soaked through by the rain and the waves of the ocean.

They were tossed to the side of the boat as another wave crashed into its side. The woman tightened her embrace on the girl, doing anything it took to protect her from the storm. She tried to comfort her crying daughter with soft words, but her words were inaudible against the gale.

The girl could feel her mother's body wrack with shivers against her. She had been drenched with the water around them, but she had not even received half the weathering assaults her mother had. She just sat quietly, knowing her mother would take care of her, knowing there was nothing else she could do.

Suddenly, a great gale buffeted the small boat's sail, and threw it into an oncoming wave. It splashed over both of them, its ice-cold temperature shocking their already chilled bodies. Another, larger wave picked the boat up as if it was nothing, higher and higher, just before propelling it forward. It felt as if it sailed for a moment, just before it came in violent contact with the water below…

She woke with a start. Her eyes expected to see the water crashing into her, but they instead met her own hands as they lay in her lap, trembling slightly.

With a sigh, of relief or frustration, she wasn't sure, she put her face in her hands, and took a deep breath. No matter how many times this dream came to her, she always woke with her heartbeat accelerating and her mind frightened. She had become accustomed to it, as she had it more often than not. But it scared her every time.

But not because of the things that played out in the dreams…

But because she had no idea what they meant… what they were…

All she knew was that she constantly dreamed of herself as a little girl, being held protectively by a woman in a storm. But she had never experienced that…

With another sigh, this one from saddened frustration, she briefly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and cast her gaze to the window of her room. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a rustic glow across the sky in the dusk. She lifted herself out of her chair and approached the window, her pallid dress rustling quietly, and opened it a bit further.

Below her window in the room of the castle, lay the town of Alexandria. It stretched farther than she could measure, buildings of every size, and the voices of people that could even be heard from her position filled the streets.

She put her hands on the windowsill, watching the inhabitants of the town bustle about as they finished their daily routines. The wind gently caressed her raven hair, her bangs falling slightly in front of her thoughtful expression. The town was so beautiful… full of people that loved their lives, loved their town, loved each other…

And that's why she was set on doing what she planned. What would help her people. As their Princess, it was her duty to take care of them, lead them, and help when times turned for a direction other than peace.

And she had sensed that peace begin to slip away.

And it had started in her own castle.

All she had done was sit back and watch these things happen, believing that she could do nothing. How could she not believe such a thing, as the problem had started with her mother, the Queen of Alexandria? But that wasn't what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to take action when she knew something wasn't right, something that could affect her people.

No matter what she had to do.

And tonight, she would finally take that step.

- - - - -

Well, it's dark enough in here, I think as I enter the ship's lodging. I squint in the darkness and try to see, as my eyes haven't adjusted yet. There was supposed to be a meeting here, but apparently no one was here yet. Guess I'm on time for once.

Remembering the candle that rested on a table in the middle of the room, I fumble in my pockets in an attempt to find my matchbox. We all had one with us, considering that we were always entering and leaving rooms on the ship, and it wasn't the brightest idea to leave them lit. Not unless we wanted to burn the ship right out of the sky.

After a bit of fumbling, my fingers wrap around the tiny box. I pull it out and retrieve a match, striking it on the box, bringing the flame dancing to life. A small area around me becomes visible, and the table is seen just in front of me. I return the box to my pocket and approach the table, lighting the candle as I reach it. The fire springs to life on the wick, casting a much larger amount of light to the room than the match did. Only the farthest corners of the ceiling can't be seen.

I wave the match briefly to put out the flame and toss it into a nearby wastebasket. Now I just have to wait until they show up. I fold my arms, wondering if they were late on purpose just to get on my nerves. They always hounded me if I was late. Guess I couldn't blame them, since I tend to be the one who does it the most. But I always seem to find a way to be late whether I mean it or not.

Well at least they weren't hiding in the room before I got there, ready to jump on me and scare me. Last time they did that, I almost wet my pants. They laughed, but they paid for it. I turned on them and kicked their sorry-

I jump like a frightened rabbit and can't stop a scream from escaping my lips (well… ok, so it was more of a squeal, but it was either that, or wet my pants… so sue me…) as I hear a loud banging coming from the door to my right. I stare at it, my heart beating violently against my chest at the sudden scare. What the heck was that!?

"Who's there?!?" A mockingly 'dangerous' voice booms from behind the door. It's followed by a small shuffle, and a quiet chuckle.

My sudden scare disappears and is replaced with complete annoyance. The voice was Blank's, I could tell. I can just picture the looks on his face, full of pure hysterical joy that he managed to scare the crap out of me again. Big stupid jerk.

I roll my eyes, and say, "It's me you idiot!"

Just then, the door opens and, surprise surprise, here comes Blank, followed by Cinna and Marcus, all with their mouths upturned in complete amusement. They approach me as Blank shuts the door, their muffled chuckles filling the room. Great… the only time that Marcus and Cinna would join in on one of our pranks is when they think they'll find it very amusing.

I see none of the humor they see, and just fold my arms. "Real funny guys," I say with the annoyance plain in my voice.

Blank smiles wider, his eyes peeking at me under the belt on his head. "Oh, sorry Zidane, we didn't know it was you," he says with sarcasm.

"Yeah," Marcus chuckles, trying to hold back the tears building up in the corners of his eyes. "From the sound we heard, we thought we accidentally scared a girl…"

I roll my eyes again, my tail flicking behind me in irritation. "A girl huh?" I start. I display my own sly smile and say, "Well, if any of us is a girl, it's you, Blank."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" he asks, dumbfounded. Cinna and Marcus know what I'm talking about, and now start eyeing him, their muffled laughter now focused on him.

I smile again, glad to get my revenge on him (because I KNOW that trying to scare my tail off was HIS idea…) and say, "Don't you remember that time one of the Oglops got loose and jumped into your bed? You were screaming like a banshee and trying to climb up the wall to get away from it!"

This, of course, sets Marcus and Cinna into fits of laughter. They hold their stomachs as the memory comes back (not that it's that hard. It just happened last week…) and Blank turns an angry (or embarrassed…?) shade of red.

I stare at him as his jaw moves up and down in an attempt to counter me, but nothing comes out of the gaping hole in his head. I chuckle, knowing that he's mad at me for bringing it up because I said that I'd try not to. Well, I did try, didn't I?

"Yeah," he finally says, his eyes on me and ignoring Marcus and Cinna who continue to snicker. He points an accusing finger at me. "But it didn't get out… you let is loose on purpose!"

I shrug as if it's a detail not worth remembering. "Yeah… but I only did it because you slammed my tail in a door that day."

"Yeah," he says, "But that was an accident!"

"Oh, sure it was," I say with another roll of my eyes. I gesture with my hands as if I'm holding open a door and showing someone through it. "Here, Zidane," I say, using the most insulting version of Blank's voice I can, "You go first." I pretend to watch someone walk through it before slamming it. I look at Blank with my eyebrows upturned in a 'duh' kind of way. He folds his arms.

"Well, first of all," he says, using a somewhat sarcastic tone, although there is another tone hidden behind it. "I didn't slam it that hard…" He paused, and I just watch him, both of us having a small glaring contest. "Second…" he starts, "It's not my fault that tail jokes are the easiest and funniest ones to pull."

I deepen my glare, and say, "Yeah, but it is your fault that you choose to pull them at all."

We continue to stare at each other, the room now quiet since the other two had stopped laughing a little bit ago, and are watching both of us, waiting to see what we're going to do.

We were only glaring for like, five seconds after I finished my words, and already our mouths start to upturn into smiles. As we see the other's smile widen, our own just widens more. Before we know it, we're bending over in laughter like Cinna and Marcus had just been a little while ago.

Ok, I know what you're thinking… 'These guys are nuts! What the heck just happened!?' Well, that's the funny thing… we have a very odd sense of humor. But only with each other. Me and Blank play pranks on each other to provoke the other in getting revenge, then pretend to be mad and end up in fits of laughter. And Marcus and Cinna only join in when they think it will have immensely funny results. They mostly think our behavior is immature. Yeah, it is a pretty strange, stupid way to have fun, but hey… if you were raised by the man we were raised by, you'd find humor in weird places, too.

Just then, our laughter stops as we hear the door on the left open. We all straighten up and look over, already knowing who it is. The only one who's not here yet is the Boss, so it's definitely-

"RRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

We all jump back as a figure jumps from the doorway and lands heavily on the floor, rattling the walls. Our first thought is that it's a monster, what with its big, blue, dragon-looking head. We all instinctively snatch our weapons from their respective sheaths, and face it, all our minds shifted into battle mode.

As the dragon monster lifts its head, it reveals its body. Very large and round… white shirt… big sword in its…

We all groan in unison. Not AGAIN…

"Oh, come on, Boss!" Cinna whines. "Do we have to do this now!?"

The Boss (which we have to call him, but his name is Baku) lifts his sword and points it at us. "You bet your sorry behinds we have to do it now!" He slices the blade through the air, and crows, "Let's go!"

With another roar (or, whatever you want to call that stupid noise he made…) he leaps forward, slashing his blade at Blank, who blocks the blow with his own sword.

"Come on!" he bellows, using the sword and his free hand to push Blank away. "Show me what you got!"

This really sucks, I think as the battle continues. We all hated it when he would just jump on us anytime he wanted and make us fight. He always caught us off guard, and we hated it. We asked him why he couldn't just warn us, or schedule it. But he just laughed, saying 'Monsters aren't gonna warn you before they attack, and neither am I!' And man, did he ever keep that promise.

Just then, Marcus runs forward and feints to the left as Baku swings his sword in an attempt to slice his arm. Marcus thrust his blade upwards, and it's blocked easily by the much larger man, who shoves him back so hard he falls to the floor. Cinna jumps forward and swings his hammer (the blunt side, not the end with the pretty little slicing tool) aiming at the makeshift dragonhead. But the Boss easily throws his sword arm into his stomach, sending him flying to the side and onto the floor.

Well, it's my turn, but luckily Blank already recovered from his blow, and we both charge together. I act as the distraction, ducking at the sword that swings over my head, and attempt to slash his side with one of my daggers. But he manages to move that sword fast enough to block me.

But it helped, as it gave Blank a chance to leap forward and tackle Baku, wrestling with his sword arm. He doesn't knock him over (how can you knock down a guy that big?) But he manages to get a good grip on his wrist, temporarily paralyzing him.

I take the free moment to rush to his front and see if I can put my dagger to his throat, signifying our win and an end to this battle. But, unfortunately, it doesn't work out quite that way.

Being a much bigger man, the Boss easily removes Blank's grip from his arm, and slams him onto the floor with a loud thud. That gives him enough time to be ready for me, and he swings his sword down. I immediately roll to the side, righting myself when I'm out of range. Why the heck does he still think I can use these pitiful daggers to block a sword that's bigger than me!?! I think with annoyance.

But, I don't get to think into it that much, as his free fist (which is as big as my head) comes into contact with my stomach, knocking the wind completely out of me. I drop to the floor with a gasp, landing on my side and dropping both of my daggers in the process. That HURT…

As my hands automatically clutch my bruised stomach and I try to get air back in my lungs, the Boss leers down at me, seeming to know that he won. Now, he's lifting his sword, trying to 'show us what it's like when you lose a battle…' Yeah, yeah, yeah… we get it…

But, he never slices downward, because Marcus attacks him from behind. He jumps onto the Boss's neck and wraps his arms around his throat, no weapon in hand, and squeezes tightly. Baku struggles to make him let go, making demands through his crushing windpipe, and making futile attempts to swat Cinna away, who is smacking his stomach repeatedly with the blunt end of his hammer.

Well, looks like we might win this round, I think as I steadily start to breath again. But they do seem to be losing, no matter their advantage. I mean, this guys is huge… And I REALLY don't want to hear another 'this is why you lost' speech…

So, although my stomach is still aching, I scoot my legs forward, and put one of my feet behind Baku. Using as much strength as I can, I catch the back of his ankle with my foot, tripping him and sending him toppling to his back. (luckily, Marcus was able to let go in time and not get squashed under the man's immense weight…)

"Why you little-" Baku starts, making an attempt to get back up. But he's sent back to the floor as Blank stands over him, the tip of his sword pointed directly at the man's throat.

Panting slightly, he says, "You lose."

We all let a great sigh of relief (mine somewhat pitiful because of my lack of breathing at the moment), and Baku remains still, giving us one of those smiles (sure, we can't see it under the mask, but we know its there.)

"Yeah, Yeah," he says, pushing the swords point away from his throat. Blank backs away and Baku picks himself up. He removes the dragonhead from his face and throws it to the other side of the room.

"Nice job, girls," he says, flashing the smile we could now see underneath his bushy mustache. "Lookin' much better." Without another word, he walks past us and opens the door that Blank and the others had entered earlier. "Time for the meeting."

He disappears through the doorway, and Marcus and Cinna follow him. I pull myself onto my hands and knees, wondering how big the bruise is gonna be on my stomach as it makes a pang of protest to the fact that I'm moving.

"Hey, come on," I hear Blank say at the same time his hands wrap around one of my arms and carefully help me up. I refuse to wince, no matter how my stomach feels. It'll go away soon, and I had felt worse… a LOT worse…

"Thanks," I say, giving him an 'I'm fine' look as he eyes me. He shrugs and bends down to pick up my daggers. I sheath them after he hands them to me. I don't thank him this time, but he knows I appreciate it.

Cause we're best friends.

Yeah, a weird pair of friends, pulling tricks on each other to purposely tick each other off. But hey, that was our kind of humor, and that's why we got along so well. We could do it, and get 'revenge' but it wasn't really for the revenge. It was just to keep the humor going, and have something to laugh about. Yeah… I always thought it was pretty cool.

Without another word, we follow the others into the meeting room.

As I shut the door behind me, Blank takes his place leaning on a wall, while Baku stands at the head of the round table in the middle of the room. Cinna and Marcus are already seated and waiting. I walk over to the table, but I stay standing with the arms folded.

As Baku sees that we're all ready, he starts briefing the mission. This has to be the millionth time we've done it this week.

"Alright, listen up!" he says, his voice loud although we're in a pretty small room. "Within the hour, we'll be docked at Alexandria. After the preparations, the kingdom will see the play, courtesy of the 'acting' group, Tantalus." He looks over to Cinna, who gets out of his seat, with a bit of a drawn, 'this is such a waste of time' look on his face. But he dared not complain. If the Boss said we had to analyze this thing to death, then we had to.

"The play will distract the Queen, and after the sparring scene, Blank and Zidane will sneak into the castle and kidnap Princess Garnet." He sits down, knowing that his part is finally over. He hides his face from Baku, and mutters something that looks oddly like 'Paranoid, detail analyzing dimwit.'

Baku then turns to Marcus. He gets up and says, "Because I'm playing the lead, I have to make sure the play is a hit, keeping the Queen and the audience's attention." He sits back down.

Blank knows he's next, so he starts talking before Baku even looks at him. "I have to distract the guards in front of the main hall that connects the castle and the Prima Vista so me and Zidane can get in and take their armor for disguise." He pauses, eyeing small bag next to him, which twitches every now and then. "And I'll use the Oglops for it." He tears his eyes away from the bag and says, "Then I position myself amongst the Pluto Knights so I can keep an eye on them and keep them from ruining the plan."

I hold back a chuckle that wants to escape my mouth at the fact that Blank will have to willingly touch those things, but I hold it back because it's my turn. When the Boss looks at me, I say, "And I'll sneak my way up to the Royal Balcony where the Queen and Princess Garnet watch the play, intercept the chef that brings them their tea, and put the sleeping weed in the Princess's cup."

Baku lifts his eyebrows. "And then?"

"And then," I continue," When she starts to fall asleep and the others notice, I offer to help her to her room, and bring her to the ship. They'll let me do it because they'll think I'm a Pluto Knight."

Baku nods his head in confirmation. "Good," he says, looking around at us all. "I think we finally got it." We all have something to say about that, but keep our mouths shut.

After that, he heads for the door, and says, "Be ready before we arrive!" then leaves the room.

- - - - -

Interlude

The little boy walks through the busy street, not used to the immense amount of people. They were all over, bustling about with loud conversation. He wasn't used to so much noise, but it was ok. He was glad to be around anyone, and not have to be alone.

He had been alone since his grandfather died a week ago. He stayed in their home for a while, but he knew he couldn't stay there forever. He couldn't stay by himself, and he had no reason to be there. Not anymore, at least.

So, he decided to visit the town that he and his Grandfather had gone to on occasion, mostly when they needed supplies or they just needed to have a little fun. But he didn't find much in the dark city. Mostly rich people who looked at others as if they weren't fit to be in their presence. And it was always dark… He didn't like it.

But, he did manage to meet a nice man who ran a small shop on a friendlier part of the town. He introduced himself as Marco, and the boy said his name was Vivi. And Marco was very nice to Vivi. He sympathized the loss of his Grandfather, and offered to let him stay with him for a while. So Vivi stayed with him for the night, considering that he was tired from the long trip, and didn't have anywhere to go. They talked a little during his stay, and he learned a bit about Marco's job. Vivi didn't say much about his own life, just what he did after his Grandfather died, and how he had decided to come to the city.

The next day, Marco told him that there was a big play soon in Alexandria. He told him a bit about the city, and Vivi was interested. It sounded like a nicer place than Treno. The only nice person he had met here was Marco. And he wanted to try and find a place where he could be happy again and, although Marco was nice, he had a good feeling about Alexandria. When Vivi said that he was interested in going, Marco said that there was a group of nobles preparing to go there for the play, and his boss owned the ship that they were going to ride on. Marco said that he knew his boss would have no problem letting him go. He would have to try and get his own ticket when he got there, but the ship ride would be free. Vivi thanked him, really appreciating all the kindness this man had showed him in the short day they knew each other. So, by nightfall they had said their goodbyes, and Vivi was on a ship, on his way to Alexandria.

Upon arriving in Alexandria this morning, he found that the play's tickets were sold out. He became disappointed, but tried to decide it didn't matter. The play wasn't the only reason he was here. But, in the afternoon, he met a man on the street who said he had tickets for the play, and he would sell him one. And of course, Vivi did.

Now, as the sun began to set, he knew that it would be time for the play soon, so he was on his way to give his ticket to the man in town square (which he found out from the man who sold him the ticket).

As he walked down the noisy street, he stopped for a moment to adjust his hat. He did that a lot, sometimes because it was slipping, and sometimes it was just a nervous habit. This time, it was because it was slipping.

As felt satisfied that the hat would stay on his head, Vivi's eyes started to become unaccustomed as the light suddenly changed. Everything was getting darker, really fast.

Can the sun set that fast? He thought, looking up in the sky to check. But instead of a setting sun, his eyes caught sight of a large airship, flying above the streets, just above the tops of the buildings.

Now realizing that the change in the lighting was the ship's shadow, he watched it fly past, heading in the direction of the castle. As it passed over him, the shadow left, and the dusk's light returned. Within about a minute, the ship had reached the castle.

He wasn't sure what the ship was for, but he looked away from it, and back onto the street ahead of him. He had to get his ticket to the man so he could see the play.

He started walking again, but didn't get very far.

Suddenly, something rammed into his back, knocking him forward and onto his stomach. He didn't know if it was an accident, or maybe there was some kind of monster getting ready to attack.

His wonderings were answered as he heard a small, but defiant voice say, "Hey, watch where you're going!"

Vivi lifted his head to see who was talking, but whoever it was was already running off down the street. He looked to be about his height, and wore an orange outfit.

Vivi watched him go, then got back onto his own feet, brushing dirt off his pants. But you ran into me… he thought with confusion. Oh well… it wasn't a big deal. He was clumsy and tended to fall down anyway. Didn't really make much of a difference if someone knocked him down.

Instead, he let it go, and walked down the street.

When he entered the village square, he saw a booth sitting right in the middle, surrounded by a round sidewalk and various buildings on either side. The way to the castle was a ways behind the booth.

Approaching the booth, Vivi saw the man standing there, watching him approach. When he stopped in front of it, he looked up at him as the man said, "Can I help you?"

"U-um…" Vivi said. He wasn't sure why he was nervous. Guess he just wasn't very used to talking to strangers… and not used to being in a strange town and having to talk to so many. The man waited patiently for the black mage's answer.

Vivi reached into his pocket and pulled out his ticket. He handed it up to the man and said, "I… I have a ticket for the play."

"Alright," the man said warmly, retrieving the ticket. He looked at it before he decided to stamp it, but his face turned to a small frown.

Vivi hesitated. "… What is it?" he asked.

The man's small frown stayed, but his voice wasn't angry. It sounded more disappointed. "This ticket is fake…" he said. He lightly shook his head. "I've seen so many today."

Fake…? Vivi thought. How could it be fake?

The man let a small sigh, and handed it back to Vivi. "If you want to see the play, you have to buy a ticket," he says. "You can't make fake ones. It's illegal."

"But I didn't make it," Vivi said, feeling small and frustrated that he had been tricked into buying something fake and was now taking the blame for it. "I bought it."

The man looked suspicious, but asked, "From who?"

"A man on a street," Vivi said, thinking back on it. "The tickets were sold out, and he said he had some."

He looked back up at the man in time to see a look of understanding on his face s he nodded. "I see…" He looked directly at Vivi, using a friendly tone. "Don't you know you're not supposed to buy tickets from people on the street? You can only get them from the ticket sellers in the town square."

Vivi looked down, feeling sheepish at the thought. "No… I didn't know. I'm sorry."

The man looked surprised at Vivi's reaction. "What do you have to be sorry about? If anybody should be sorry, it's the scalper." Vivi looked back up at him as the man asked, "Where was this guy?"

"Um…" Vivi said, turning around. He considered it for a moment, then turned back to the man and said, "He was down that way a few streets. I bought it from him a few hours ago."

The man looked in the direction Vivi had mentioned, and frowned. "Hmmm… well, he'll be long gone then." He looked back down at Vivi and said, "But hey, we'll probably end up with guards looking for him after the play. I've seen too many fake tickets today to skip reporting it."

"Oh," Vivi said. That made him feel a bit better. "Ok."

The man nodded. He looked apologetic, and said, "Sorry about the ticket sonny. Guess you'll have to wait till the next play."

"Oh, that's ok," Vivi said, still feeling a bit disappointed. He'd just have to find something else to do.

"Hey," the man said just before Vivi started to walk away. He waited as the man reached into his pocket and handed something down to him. "Here you go."

Vivi accepted whatever it was, and looked at it. There were five cards, each one with a different monster picture on it, and letters and numbers on each side.

Vivi smiled at the cards. He looked up at the man, and said, "Thank you."

He smiled back. "No problem. Take care of yourself, now."

Vivi nodded and turned around, walking away from the ticket booth.

He fanned the cards in his hands, reading the letters and numbers and the monster's names. They looked really cool, although he didn't know how to play any card games that involved cards like this. He had never seen any like them before. He was surprised that the man had been so nice to him, although he barely knew him. Just like Marco. He guessed that he would always be able to find a friend, no matter where he was. It made him feel better.

The only problem now was that he didn't have a ticket for the play, and he had nowhere to go.

Finally looking up from the cards, Vivi saw that he had wandered into an alleyway during his thoughts. It looked a little darker here, and there were no people around. He didn't really like the look of it.

But just then, he saw someone coming toward him up ahead. He put the cards in his pocket, and prepared to turn and run. Sure, he had just decided that he would be able to find friends no matter where he was, but he doubted he could find a friend in an alleyway.

But just before he turned, he stopped as he thought he recognized the person running toward him. The kid looked over his shoulder, the continued to run toward him.

Then, he recognized him. It was the little kid that ran into him earlier. Now that he was able to get a better look, he saw that his body was covered in fine, tan fur, and his face was similar to a rodent's. He decided not to run, wondering if the boy was coming to him for a reason.

When he did reach him, he stopped in front of the black mage and said, "Hey you! You're the one with the phony ticket, right?"

Huh? Why would he care about that?

"I saw him tell you it was fake!" The boy said as Vivi didn't answer.

"Um…" he started. "Yeah."

"I knew it," he said, a certain smugness in his tone. He wasted no time in asking his next question, seeming to be in a hurry. "If you want to see the play, I'll let ya. But you have to be my slave." Apparently, he didn't mince words either.

"Uh…" Slave? Well, he doubted that he meant a real slave… not permanently. I mean, this kid looked like he was the same age as Vivi.

Well, he didn't have anything to do… and he really did want to see the play.

"…Sure."

The kid flashes a triumphant grin and says, "Great!" He wasted no time in asserting his new authority, points behind Vivi, saying, "Go make sure no one's coming."

Vivi scratched his head, but did as the kid said. He really hoped this was a good idea…

After retrieving a ladder, the two kids carried it up another ladder inside a steeple not far from the alleyway. On their way, the boy had introduced himself as Puck, and Vivi offered his name. The were now walking on the roofs above the streets, much to Vivi's dismay, thanks to his fear of heights. By the time they cross the last makeshift bridge, night arrives. As they stood on the last roof that sat right next to the castle's wall, Puck tossed the ladder between the roof and a crevice in the wall, and they crossed over it.

- - - - -

"You guys ready?" Blank asks as we listen to Baku start the play on the other side of the curtain on the Prima Vista's deck.

"Yep," we all reply. I swing my sword experimentally, taking a deep breath as I think about the mission ahead. The acting, I have no problem with. But, although Baku made us analyze it enough times to make you want to strangle him, I was still nervous. Sure, we had pulled off plenty of complicated jobs before, but we never kidnapped a member of the royal family. Heck, we never kidnapped anyone.

But, I decided to just focus on the play, and worry about the rest later. And hope we didn't get caught… THAT would be a pretty little thought, wondering what our sentence would be for kidnapping a Princess…

We hear Baku announce the play, the crowd cheer, and we prepare to get the show on the road.

- - - - -

Interlude

She barely notices the play before her, her mind focused on what she was going to do. She had been quiet the whole time, but her mother didn't seem to notice. She just sat next to her, fully absorbed in the play.

But it was ok. That's why she was leaving. Something had changed her mother. She was no longer the caring person she once had been. She barely noticed Garnet anymore, let alone some of the needs of the town. She hadn't fully neglected them, but she began to act as if some other things she had been up to were more important. She was hiding something… and whatever it is wasn't good, Garnet could tell…

Especially when that man showed up… Actually, that was when things began to change; that was when her mother began to change. All because of this man. True that things were different after her father, the king, died, but that was something she knew they could recover from. But the man showed up around that time, and started talking to the Queen.

But Garnet didn't know who he was and what he was telling her mother. She never met him, and he and the Queen always met in secret. And no one in the castle seemed to notice the Queen's strange behavior… and no one took Garnet seriously when she talked to them about it. They all thought that she was still upset about the king, and it was just her way of grieving.

They didn't know the half of it.

So, she knew she had only one option. If no one here would help her and no one would notice the Queen's odd behavior, then she would have to go to someone who would.

Her uncle Cid, the Regent of Lindblum.

She knew that the play and the actors were being provided by the city of Lindblum, and once it was over, they would return. So, she was going to sneak away when the time was right, disguise herself, sneak onboard the ship, and ask the crew to kidnap her. It was a stretch, considering that the crew would probably find it strange, especially if they found out she was a Princess.

But she could see no other option.

She had to do it.

As she sat there, she tried to decide when the best time to leave her seat would be. Maybe if she waited for the play to go on a bit longer, her mother and the guards would be too engrossed in it to realize how long she was gone. They wouldn't think much of her leaving her seat, but they would notice if she was gone too long.

As she waited, she glanced at the play occasionally, getting peaks of the story. Not that it mattered. 'I Want To Be Your Canary' was her favorite play, so naturally she knew it by heart. Right now, it was the scene where the characters stand up against the King, and she knew that a battle scene would soon take place.

A battle scene…

Everyone would be absorbed in that.

She sat in her chair, watching the play now, but not really paying attention to the story. She just waited for the scene to come so she could take her leave.

And after a few more minutes, two of the actors leaped into the passway between the ship and the audience, and started a very convincing duel with swords. The crowd began to cheer and shout, and her mother became fascinated with the fight.

Quickly, but quietly, Garnet stood up and slipped into the castle, unnoticed by the guards who keep their attention on the play.

- - - - -

Well this sucks… I think to myself as I pull on the armored glove.

Blank and I finished the dueling scene and ran into the entrance to the castle. The two guards inside wouldn't let us in because we were supposed to go backstage on the ship. So, Blank quietly reached for the bag that was slung on his belt, and shook it so that two Oglops fell onto the floor. The guards started screaming like banshees (which reminds me of Blank, and I can't help but snicker), and that's all the distraction we need to punch them both out. We dragged them into the knight's room just down the hall, and took their armor.

And the things that sucks is beating up guards that have armor that doesn't fit you at all…

And it smells…

Don't they ever wash this stuff…?

"Finished changing?" Blank asks me. He's already got all of his armor on, and it appears to fit him pretty well. The guy he knocked out was a little smaller than the one I picked.

And the size doesn't matter on this one, but I have to keep my tail wrapped around my leg just so I can wear the armor. Doesn't feel right, not having it behind me.

"Yeah," I say as I flex my hand in the glove. It feels like it might slip off, but hey, I can't complain… Well, I can, but I'm not going to.

"Ok," he says, turning toward the door. "Let's get this show on the road." As he opens the door, I pick up the helmet that lays on the table next to us, and follow him out of the room.

After entering the hall again, we look around. We can still faintly hear the crowd's cheers as the play continues, and we try to focus on our jobs while we still have time.

"Ok," Blank says, looking up. I follow his gaze as he says, "The Royal Chamber is up those stairs. Go up there and get the Princess. I'll wait until you get her, just in case you need help, then I'll go hang out in the Pluto Knights' ranks."

"Ok," I say as we both turn our attention back to each other.

"Good luck," he says.

I smile and run for the stairs. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it…

- - - - -

Interlude

She pushes her bedroom door open slightly and peeks out in the hall. There's no one in sight, so she emerges from her room, shutting the door quietly.

She makes her descent down the short flight of stairs, just able to see past the hood that casts a shadow on her face. Her stomach feels nauseous and her heart beats oddly as she heads for the door that lead out of the hall. She had made this plan, but she still didn't know if it was going to work.

After all, she was going to try to make the workers on the ship kidnap her. She didn't know how well that would go.

Just hoping for the best and hoping that she wouldn't get caught, she pushes open the door and walks out into the hall.

- - - - -

As I make it to the top of the stair, the door on my left opens. My first thought is to reach for my daggers, thinking that I've been caught. But I stay my hand as I remind myself that I'm dressed like a Pluto Knight, so no one will know.

Then again, maybe I should be wearing my helmet.

But I don't even make a move to put it on as I realize who came out the doors. It wasn't a knight, or one of the castle staff.

Actually, I didn't know who it was.

Well, it was a girl; that much I could tell. She was wearing a white and red cloak with the hood covering most of her face. Whatever she was wearing underneath it was orange, as I could see the material covering her legs.

But who was she?

Well, if she doesn't get in the way, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm supposed to be going in the opposite direction.

But something tells me to stay…

"Um…" she says quietly, seeming to shift nervously as I just stand there. "Would you let me pass?" Her voice is beautiful, like a song, although there's an anxious tone in it.

"Uh…" I start. Maybe I should just let her go. But I have a feeling I shouldn't.

Instead, I ask casually, "Who are you?"

She seems to freeze at the question. She remains still, her covered face turning away from me.

Well, I gotta find out who she is, so I start walking over to her. She hears my footsteps and turns her head to look. I see her jump slightly, startled at my actions. I stop a few feet away so she won't feel uncomfortable, and I say, "What are you doing here?" She remains quiet, looking like a cornered rabbit.

Although she doesn't say anything, I realize that now that I'm closer I can see her face better. But it's still covered by the shadow of the hood, and she's looking away from me.

I take a step to the right, trying to peak at her face. Somehow, my action causes her to look me full in the face.

Even under the hood, I can see that she's beautiful…

Wait a minute…

I've never seen the Princess before but… she's-

"Hey, Zidane? What are you doing?"

I jump as I'm startled out of my thoughts, and I turn my head to follow the voice. Blank is about halfway up the stairs, looking at me and the girl quizzically.

Before I can say anything, the girl seems to realize that it's her chance to escape, and she runs right past me, ramming into my shoulder in the process. As she runs down the steps, she practically pushes Blank out of the way as if she's being chased by something, and his back comes in contact with the wall, sending him to the floor.

I finally realize what I was thinking, and I start running down the stairs, stopping in front of a baffled Blank. He looks up at me and opens his mouth to say something, but I don't give him the chance.

"Get up! That was Princess Garnet!" I say, running past him.

"What!?" he calls after me as he gets to his feet.

When I make it to the bottom of the stairs, I look in both directions frantically. When I look to my left, I catch sight of the white cloak disappearing around the corner.

Just then Blank catches up to me and says, "You have to go get her!"

"I know!" I say, running after her. I turn the corner as I hear Blank call, "I'll go make sure the guards don't find out!"

I certainly hope so, I think as I catch sight of her rounding another corner.

This is gonna be more complicated than we thought…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, thank you for reading. Please review and let me know what you think. If I get enough people saying that they want me to continue this, then I will. But if no one is interested, I will discontinue and remove it from the site. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review.