Here it is, Chapter 3! And thanks to all of you who reviewed! I love
knowing what people think, bad or good. Well anyway, enjoy!
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Chapter 3
"Gee, not much to do around here" moaned Ruby, as she brushed her hair. "Guess I'll go see how Zidane's doin.'"
The girl walked into the main room of Tantalus' hideout. Zidane was still tied up, and looked miserable. Ruby couldn't resist going and cheering him up.
"Aw, come on, it aint that bad darlin" she said, walking up to him.
The boy looked up, and smiled at the girl. "I guess it could be worse. I could be being guarded by one of those knuckleheads. Instead, I get to spend the afternoon with the cutest girl in Lindblum."
Ruby blushed at the comment. "Aw, stop that, you only want me to let you go."
Zidane laughed. "Okay, I admit it, I DO want to be untied, but I wasn't lying about the cute part. He plastered another frown onto his face. "You couldn't let me up for a little while could you? It's just that, I'm so stiff. I just need to stretch for a little while."
Ruby frowned. "No way! You'll just run off."
Zidane pretended to think, then pretended to come up with an idea. "Hey, I know. You can keep my hands and feet tied up. That way, there is no way on earth I can get out without you catching me! Not that I'd want to run in the first place." He flashed a winning smile, to help convince her.
Ruby seemed to like the idea. "Great. Ah, couldn't have come up with a betta one myself!"
And with that, the girl started to untie the rope.
One hour later.
"Aw, you win again!" Ruby complained, as Zidane placed his Ogre card on the field. Zidane chuckled as he picked up Ruby's Goblin card.
"I told you. I'm the champ at Tetra Master. Although, if you hadn't given me back my cards, I bet you would've beaten me."
Ruby blushed again, and Zidane smiled cockily. In the last hour, he'd gotten the girl totally hooked on him. No girl could resist the seven-year- olds charm. At least not any he'd met.
Her first mistake was listening to him in the first place. Sixty minutes, and he'd already gotten her to untie his hands, and open the chest where his stuff was. But he was pushing his luck, he needed to get out of there soon.
Zidane smiled at the girl. "I'll tell you what, as a consolation prize, I'll make something for us to eat. Wadda ya say?"
Ruby laughed. "Sure, why not darlin" then frowned. "But you can only hop with the rope.
Zidane pretended to look disappointed. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You know, I didn't want to steal from your boss. I had to . . ."
Ruby looked at the boy, confused.
"I'd love to be able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, but I cant. My parents abandoned me when I was little, and I don't remember anything about them, or where I come from. Stealing's the only way I can survive, you know?"
Ruby was truly saddened by this. Sure, everyone in Tantalus were thieves and such, but at least they had each other. Zidane was all alone."
"Maybe you could join Tantalus darlin" she said to him.
Zidane laughed. "Somehow, I don't think everyone else would be too happy with that. That Cinna could was ready to roast me!"
"Speaking of roast, I think I'll make something to eat." Ruby got up. Ahm not allowed to let you get completely untied, even though ah know you wont run away, but still. Besides, you won five times in a row. Ah have to do somethin.'"
"If you insist" Zidane replied.
* * *
The boy waited till the girl was out the room, then hastily untangled the loose ropes around his feet. The idiots in Tantalus had tied him up good, but they'd forgotten another limb he had. His tail. Half an hour of working it behind his back had untied the knots, and now he was free as a baby chocobo.
Zidane tiptoed over to the chest where his bag was. Hastily, he grabbed his stuff, and everything else that was in the chest.
"Finders keepers" he whispered, and dashed out the room, before Ruby even realised he was gone.
* * *
"Ow, ow, ow, ow" complained Blank, as he trudged up to the Tantalus headquarters. "Who's dumb idea was this again?"
Baku didn't even offer the boy a response. They'd spent the rest of the day attempting to get back into the castle, to return the Falcons Claw. However, after Zidane's recent escapade, the guards had added some extra safety measures, which Tantalus had unfortunately.had a run in with.
"Yo Benero" muttered Genero, holding his brother for support. "Its times like this I want to go straight like Zenero."
"Agreed" sighed Benero.
Marcus was busy removing spikes from his arm. "How did they manage to get a herd Cactaur in there?"
"Consider yourself lucky" muttered Cinna, rubbing a black eye. "At least you didn't run into the Bandersnatch."
"Amen" agreed Blank. "Baku, can we please just kill Zidane" pleaded Marcus. "Or better yet, turn him over to the guards. Heck, we might even get a reward!"
"WILL ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Baku shouted, obviously in a bad mood. And move it, I'm not getting any younger."
"Well if you would just walk" complained Cinna, pushing the cart with very little enthusiasm. Baku had collapsed after their last attempt to get in. They were just lucky Benero and Genero were on good terms with the Pickle Cart Lady. Otherwise, they'd never get the large man they called Boss home.
Finally, the six reached the door, and the cart drew to a stop. Baku moaned as he slid off the wooden cart, Benero and Genero, collapsed on it, taking up the space, and Marcus, Cinna, and Blank leant on each other for support.
"At least we still have the kid" thought Baku, when he heard someone crying inside. "Ruby! Is that you?" he asked.
The door opened, and a sobbing Ruby ran out. "Boss! Ahm so sorry! It was just that, well he was so nice, an."
Baku groaned, and put his head in his hands. "Ruby, what happened, and please do not say the words Zidane got away."
"Okay" she sniffled. "Um.the monkey tailed thief escaped?"
Everyone moaned in union.
"And that's not all darlins" Ruby looked uncomfortable. "He took everything in the chest too."
"Why do I never catch a break?" moaned Baku to the sky. "All right, everyone, split up, we're going to find the rotten little punk, even if we half to search all night!"
Cinna, Blank and Marcus groaned, and slid to the ground, unable to stay up any longer.
"Oh get up you weaklings. Just think of what you're gonna do with him when you catch him."
Cinna and Marcus relented, and somehow stumbled to their feet. Blank however, had a different opinion.
"I. Am. Not. Moving" he stated. "In the short course of today, I have been chased by guards after breaking into a house, had to play a part in "I Want To Be Your Canary," chased a certain thief in a crowd, then hog-tied him. Then, had to attempt to break into Regent Cid's castle, and got attacked by everything varying from Catapults to Cactaur! THEN, had to drag a cart that reeked of pickles, halfway across Lindblum, with our 'fearless leader' in it! I have had enough! I am not moving from this spot. Nothing you say will make me!"
Baku's eyes narrowed. "I happen to know that a certain someone's Namingway card was in that chest . . .
"KILL!! KILL!!" shrieked Blank, jumping to his feet.
"All right. Everyone split up, and that includes you Ruby!" Baku said, looking at the girl. "When you find him, try to catch him off guard. Now lets GO!
To be continued . . .
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Zidane's loose again! I never give Baku a break do I? And it doesn't stop in the next chapter. Baku finally finds Zidane again, but unfortunately gets arrested in the process. Want to know more? You'll just have to wait! ^_^
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Chapter 3
"Gee, not much to do around here" moaned Ruby, as she brushed her hair. "Guess I'll go see how Zidane's doin.'"
The girl walked into the main room of Tantalus' hideout. Zidane was still tied up, and looked miserable. Ruby couldn't resist going and cheering him up.
"Aw, come on, it aint that bad darlin" she said, walking up to him.
The boy looked up, and smiled at the girl. "I guess it could be worse. I could be being guarded by one of those knuckleheads. Instead, I get to spend the afternoon with the cutest girl in Lindblum."
Ruby blushed at the comment. "Aw, stop that, you only want me to let you go."
Zidane laughed. "Okay, I admit it, I DO want to be untied, but I wasn't lying about the cute part. He plastered another frown onto his face. "You couldn't let me up for a little while could you? It's just that, I'm so stiff. I just need to stretch for a little while."
Ruby frowned. "No way! You'll just run off."
Zidane pretended to think, then pretended to come up with an idea. "Hey, I know. You can keep my hands and feet tied up. That way, there is no way on earth I can get out without you catching me! Not that I'd want to run in the first place." He flashed a winning smile, to help convince her.
Ruby seemed to like the idea. "Great. Ah, couldn't have come up with a betta one myself!"
And with that, the girl started to untie the rope.
One hour later.
"Aw, you win again!" Ruby complained, as Zidane placed his Ogre card on the field. Zidane chuckled as he picked up Ruby's Goblin card.
"I told you. I'm the champ at Tetra Master. Although, if you hadn't given me back my cards, I bet you would've beaten me."
Ruby blushed again, and Zidane smiled cockily. In the last hour, he'd gotten the girl totally hooked on him. No girl could resist the seven-year- olds charm. At least not any he'd met.
Her first mistake was listening to him in the first place. Sixty minutes, and he'd already gotten her to untie his hands, and open the chest where his stuff was. But he was pushing his luck, he needed to get out of there soon.
Zidane smiled at the girl. "I'll tell you what, as a consolation prize, I'll make something for us to eat. Wadda ya say?"
Ruby laughed. "Sure, why not darlin" then frowned. "But you can only hop with the rope.
Zidane pretended to look disappointed. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You know, I didn't want to steal from your boss. I had to . . ."
Ruby looked at the boy, confused.
"I'd love to be able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, but I cant. My parents abandoned me when I was little, and I don't remember anything about them, or where I come from. Stealing's the only way I can survive, you know?"
Ruby was truly saddened by this. Sure, everyone in Tantalus were thieves and such, but at least they had each other. Zidane was all alone."
"Maybe you could join Tantalus darlin" she said to him.
Zidane laughed. "Somehow, I don't think everyone else would be too happy with that. That Cinna could was ready to roast me!"
"Speaking of roast, I think I'll make something to eat." Ruby got up. Ahm not allowed to let you get completely untied, even though ah know you wont run away, but still. Besides, you won five times in a row. Ah have to do somethin.'"
"If you insist" Zidane replied.
* * *
The boy waited till the girl was out the room, then hastily untangled the loose ropes around his feet. The idiots in Tantalus had tied him up good, but they'd forgotten another limb he had. His tail. Half an hour of working it behind his back had untied the knots, and now he was free as a baby chocobo.
Zidane tiptoed over to the chest where his bag was. Hastily, he grabbed his stuff, and everything else that was in the chest.
"Finders keepers" he whispered, and dashed out the room, before Ruby even realised he was gone.
* * *
"Ow, ow, ow, ow" complained Blank, as he trudged up to the Tantalus headquarters. "Who's dumb idea was this again?"
Baku didn't even offer the boy a response. They'd spent the rest of the day attempting to get back into the castle, to return the Falcons Claw. However, after Zidane's recent escapade, the guards had added some extra safety measures, which Tantalus had unfortunately.had a run in with.
"Yo Benero" muttered Genero, holding his brother for support. "Its times like this I want to go straight like Zenero."
"Agreed" sighed Benero.
Marcus was busy removing spikes from his arm. "How did they manage to get a herd Cactaur in there?"
"Consider yourself lucky" muttered Cinna, rubbing a black eye. "At least you didn't run into the Bandersnatch."
"Amen" agreed Blank. "Baku, can we please just kill Zidane" pleaded Marcus. "Or better yet, turn him over to the guards. Heck, we might even get a reward!"
"WILL ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Baku shouted, obviously in a bad mood. And move it, I'm not getting any younger."
"Well if you would just walk" complained Cinna, pushing the cart with very little enthusiasm. Baku had collapsed after their last attempt to get in. They were just lucky Benero and Genero were on good terms with the Pickle Cart Lady. Otherwise, they'd never get the large man they called Boss home.
Finally, the six reached the door, and the cart drew to a stop. Baku moaned as he slid off the wooden cart, Benero and Genero, collapsed on it, taking up the space, and Marcus, Cinna, and Blank leant on each other for support.
"At least we still have the kid" thought Baku, when he heard someone crying inside. "Ruby! Is that you?" he asked.
The door opened, and a sobbing Ruby ran out. "Boss! Ahm so sorry! It was just that, well he was so nice, an."
Baku groaned, and put his head in his hands. "Ruby, what happened, and please do not say the words Zidane got away."
"Okay" she sniffled. "Um.the monkey tailed thief escaped?"
Everyone moaned in union.
"And that's not all darlins" Ruby looked uncomfortable. "He took everything in the chest too."
"Why do I never catch a break?" moaned Baku to the sky. "All right, everyone, split up, we're going to find the rotten little punk, even if we half to search all night!"
Cinna, Blank and Marcus groaned, and slid to the ground, unable to stay up any longer.
"Oh get up you weaklings. Just think of what you're gonna do with him when you catch him."
Cinna and Marcus relented, and somehow stumbled to their feet. Blank however, had a different opinion.
"I. Am. Not. Moving" he stated. "In the short course of today, I have been chased by guards after breaking into a house, had to play a part in "I Want To Be Your Canary," chased a certain thief in a crowd, then hog-tied him. Then, had to attempt to break into Regent Cid's castle, and got attacked by everything varying from Catapults to Cactaur! THEN, had to drag a cart that reeked of pickles, halfway across Lindblum, with our 'fearless leader' in it! I have had enough! I am not moving from this spot. Nothing you say will make me!"
Baku's eyes narrowed. "I happen to know that a certain someone's Namingway card was in that chest . . .
"KILL!! KILL!!" shrieked Blank, jumping to his feet.
"All right. Everyone split up, and that includes you Ruby!" Baku said, looking at the girl. "When you find him, try to catch him off guard. Now lets GO!
To be continued . . .
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Zidane's loose again! I never give Baku a break do I? And it doesn't stop in the next chapter. Baku finally finds Zidane again, but unfortunately gets arrested in the process. Want to know more? You'll just have to wait! ^_^