Duelist of Dawn: Hey, hey! One of my favorite places to type is updated for your viewing pleasure!

Amarant: ... How did I get roped into this?

Duelist of Dawn: I 'invited' your partner, so I'd best bring you to opening dialogue.

Amarant: You should've brought someone else, I'm not into fanfare.

Duelist of Dawn: It's just an intro...

Amarant: Whatever... (leaves the DoD's crib)

Duelist of Dawn: (groans) I'm inviting other people next chapter... Anyway, I'd like to thank FF & STH, Cyrus Truth, butcherthegirl, No Romance and Khiruki for the reviews last chapter and I bring you the next! And since red head's not enthusiastic as I thought... I don't own FF9 or any music used in the story. I own my SI Ron and my OC Lovrina Carol. Time to start this chapter and look for more promising guests...


Chapter 37

Oeilvert, History of Terra


After jumping into the quicksand, it felt like something bad was gonna happen. And unfortunately, I was right...

"Zidane! Ron! (Ribbit!), wake up!"

I heard the Regent Cid's voice calling out to me and Zidane. I slowly open my eyes and saw the moustache-having frog pushing his webbed hands on my forehead.

"Alright... I'm up..." I groaned out. "Ow..." I held my ribs in pain as if I hit the ground hard. I then sat up and leaned against the metal wall... wait! I looked at my surroundings and saw myself a circular, metal room. Zidane was sitting up against the other side and just came to.

"U-Ungh... Cid, Ron... Where the heck are we?" He asked.

Cid hopped up and down. "Good question (ribbit)! I wish I knew!"

"Yeah..." I said, trying to stand up.

"After I fell into the quicksand to escape those antlions, everything went dark..." He recalled. "That's all I can remember."

"Me, too (ribbit)!" Cid replied. "When I woke up, (ribbit) I was in this room."

"Wait a sec!" I said. "Where's everyone else?"

Zidane snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah!"

Cid shook his head. "I don't know (ribbit). I hope they're alright."

("So you two are finally awake...")

We all gasped and looked up at the ceiling at the familiar voice that we just heard.

"That voice...it's Kuja!" Zidane shouted.

The narcissistic villain let out a delighted chuckle. ("I'm so happy to see you again.")

"You put us in here, didn't you!?" I shouted.

("Actually you did once you dived into the sandpit.") He answered. ("Black Mages are so easy to deceive when you try to invite them in.")

Zidane and I growled at that. He had given the Black Mage leader some half-truth information.

"You rat bastard! Where're my friends!?" Zidane snapped.

("My, my... Aren't we feisty today?") Kuja said, sounding amused at Zidane's anger. ("No need to worry about them. They're in rooms not unlike yours.") We heard a clap before he continued. ("Oh, yes... I should probably enlighten you as to your current situation.")

Before we had a chance to ponder what he was about to say, the metal floor we're standing on suddenly spirals out a little.

"Yikes!"

"Whoa!"

"Ribbit!" The frog was about to slip inside the middle until grab him and held close as I hit the wall. We all were in shock as right in the middle of the floor, was a lava pool!

"T-Thanks!" Cid said to me.

"No problem." I replied, not taking my eyes off the middle.

Kuja found all too amusing... ("I'm sure that even your feeble minds can grasp what would happen if you were to take that plunge. Ahahahahahahaha!")

"Kuja! You're dead!!!" Zidane shouted.

"Just wait 'til I bust outta here and find you!!" I added.

Kuja gasped as if he were afraid of our threats. ("Oh, dear. Was it something I said? Either way, now that you're aware of your predicament, I'd like you to do a tiny little favor for me. I'll let your friends live if you say yes.")

Zidane grumbled. "Dammit..."

"Yeah, we don't have a choice..." I told him before looking up. "Let's do this!"

("Very good, you've chosen wisely. Now, step outside.")

The metal door opened, and Zidane, Cid and I had no hesitation in getting the Hell out of that death trap! After it closed, I set Cid down.

"Hey, Cid." Zidane said. "Ron and I need you to look after the others."

"Fine (ribbit)!" He said. "I won't let either of you down! And you two (ribbit)! You come back safe!"

"Yeah, we will." I said.

"We'll see ya." Zidane said as we both walked down the hall away from the 12 metal prisons. At the end of the hallway, we saw two black mages blocking the branching paths. "Not these guys again..." He grumbled.

"Don't worry," I whispered. "I think there're the Black Mages from the village."

("Stand between the two black mages.")

We heard Kuja say, still coming from above us. Zidane and I shrugged as we stood in between the Black Mages. They cast a spell that teleported us, which was brand new to me, felt like I was leaving my body somewhat but still in it.


Once we reached the other side of the teleportation, Zidane and I found ourselves in a cozy room with a couple of bookshelves, elaborate paintings and sculptures all illuminated by a chandelier. But the fireplace, was being blocked from view from our captor...

(Play Kuja's Theme)

Kuja playfully bows. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"You really need a normal hobby..." I said, calmly which surprised even me; I wanted to go up there and knock him through walls, but I need to think about the predicament we're in now.

"What's wrong with what I do?" He asked innocently. I know he's just toying with the fact that he holds our lives in the palm of his hand.

Zidane however, is far from amused. "Just cut to the chase and tell me what the hell you want!"

"My, we're upset, aren't we?" Kuja mocks him. "Well, this is your errand... I want you two to go somewhere and bring something back for me."

"So tell me what it is already, you demon!" Zidane snapped.

"Zidane, chill man!" I said, getting in front of him.

"I'd listen to Eclipse if I were you." Kuja said. I still frowned at being called something I'm not, but I put that aside for now, "Surely, you haven't forgotten that I hold your friends' lives in my hands."

"Grr!"

Smirking at Zidane holding his anger, Kuja continued. "I'm going to send you to a place called Oeilvert."

"Where's that?" I asked.

"Oeilvert is south of the Seaways Canyon on the Forgotten Continent. It really isn't my kind of place."

Zidane looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"You see, there's an anti-magic barrier around the place." He explained. "And I want to send the both of you because you're too stupid to use magic."

'Figures...' I thought. 'Caught us in the right moment of his convenience...'

"Once there, I want you to retrieve the Gulug Stone for me." Our enemy continued. "What do you say? Isn't it a simple task? I'll even send you on my luxury cruise ship, so you won't have to worry about transportation."

"At least you're giving us that much..." I said.

"You're too kind..." Kuja said. "But perhaps it's too much for you just the both of you. I'd better send you with four of your friends just to be safe. Besides, nobody likes to fight against himself."

Zidane and I looked to each other, trying to get the meaning of his words.

"Heheh, nevermind. Speak their names when you've chosen your partners." He told us. We had to turn around, and think about for a minute.

"Okay..." Zidane whispered. "We need to choose everyone that doesn't have any kind of magic."

"That's easy," I whispered back. "Lovrina, Freya, Steiner, Amarant, Lani and Choco."

"Right..." He nodded. "It's better for Choco to come with us; with the way that room is..."

"That's a definite." I confirmed. "Steiner's coming, he's actually getting very powerful with his sword skill."

"Okay... How about Amarant? We're gonna need to be able to traverse whatever traps that's gonna block us."

"Yeah..." I pondered. "But if we're bringing him, then we have to bring Lani, too..."

"Huh?" Zidane said. "Why not Lovrina?"

I sighed. "Believe me, I want her to come with me." I admitted. "But I think it's better if she stays with the others; it would feel better if she stayed with Dagger and Eiko."

"Yeah, keep the family together... I got it." Zidane nodded. We turned around so we can tell him our choices. "We want Choco, Steiner, Amarant and Lani."

"Fine. I shall summon them."


(3rd POV)(Metal Prisons)

Sitting inside another one of the same chambers as Zidane, Ron and Cid was Choco. He couldn't stand being cooped like in a small room... He wanted out now...

("Choco...")

The red chocobo looked around for the source of the voice, and looked up...

When Steiner found out he was captured, he felt hopeless since he couldn't protect his princess.

("Steiner...")

The Alexandrian Knight shot up off the ground and looked up to the ceiling...

Amarant was feeling, well... the same old, same old. He'd rather not dwell on what was happening to him, and was formulating a plan on how to escape...

("Amarant...")

The red-headed warrior stood on his feet and looked up...

Lani's plan of escaping was already in progress, as she kept striking the door with her axe. She stopped for a minute to take a break...

("Lani...")

The bounty hunter looked around the room before looking up...

("Step through the door.")

Lani put her axe behind her back as she exited the room. Once out she saw Amarant, Steiner and Choco walk out of similar rooms.

"Hey guys, what's going on here?" She asked.

"We've been captured by the enemy." Steiner replied.

"Now it seems he's calling us out." Amarant said.

"Kweh!" Choco nodded.

("Proceed to the center of the platform and stand between the Black Mages.")

All of them looked up to the ceiling and then looked down the hall to see the same Black Mages that teleported Zidane and Ron.

"Let's just go..." Amarant said, walking down first. After sighing, Steiner, Choco and Lani followed after him and finally made it to the platform. And after some awkward stares between them and the two black mages, they were teleported...


(Ron's POV) (Kuja's Room)

The teleporter that brought Zidane and I to Kuja, sparked again bringing out the people we've chosen for his quest. I felt slightly happy because not everyone was here with us...

"Spare me the emotional reunion scene, please." Kuja scoffed. "Now, go stand with your friends."

Zidane and I walked over to our friends and stood inside teleporter.

"You'd better keep your promise, Kuja!" Zidane told him.

"Or it is not gonna pretty when we come back!" I added.

"But of course; you needn't worry one bit." Kuja bowed and snapped his fingers for the teleporter to take us out.


(Palace Hangar)

This time the teleporter took us to a cavern hangar. Before we were able to take two steps, the others stopped us...

"Wait a sec..." Lani said.

Zidane and I turned around to face our friends.

"Zidane, what's going on?" Steiner asked.

"We have to go to Oeilvert and get this item for Kuja." The ex-thief replied.

"So now we're running errands for him?" Amarant asked, not liking the position he's been put in.

"If we want to save everyone else, we got to." I replied.

"Kweh..." Choco was feeling sad.

"Don't worry, Choco..." I went up to pet the chocobo. "We're not leaving them in there with him for long."

"Kweh." Choco nodded.

"But it doesn't explain how we're gonna get there!" Lani said.

"That..." Amarant pointed to across the cavern. A blue airship was docked at the hangar, but not just any airship...

"Whoa! That must be the Hilda Garde 1!" Zidane exclaimed.

"That must be airship Lady Hilda left on!" Steiner added.

"So there's a chance she's somewhere inside Kuja's place." Lani confirmed.

"Well, we at least have some relief." I said. "But we got to at least get to Oelivert and get this thing over with."

"Kweh!" Choco agreed.

All of us ran on board the airship; and to feel a little relieved, it was better that the second Hilda Garde. The inside was impressive as well as we found ourselves in some sort of strange engine room. I remember seeing the engine in the airship we took to our first meeting in Lindblum and this one was way different.

"I guess this is what the steam engine looks like." I said.

"At least we know this airship can get around without Mist." Lani said.

"Correction..." We turned around to see two people we haven't seen since our rescue mission in Alexandria...

"Master Kuja, can get around without the Mist." Zorn said.

"Only an errand, our master allows you on this ship." Thorn added.

"You two!?" Steiner shouted.

"Hello, Captain Steiner!" The jester greeted without fear.

"The Hell are you two doing here!?" Lani shouted.

"Should we tell them, Thorn?" Zorn asked his red-wearing partner.

"Rub it in their faces, we should!" Thorn answered. Both of them turned to us.

"We never worked for Queen Brahne." Zorn told us. "Our allegiance is to Master Kuja."

"Behind the scenes, we were." Thorn added. "Only to wait til Garnet's 16th birthday!"

"After the destruction of Alexandria, we offered our services to a stronger Master..."

"At our mercy, now you are!"

Both jesters cackled at the comment.

"Right..." I muttered. "Can we at least get going? Your master would be super-pissed if he didn't get that item on time..."

"Oh right..." Both jesters ran in the direction of the cockpit.

"I thought I would never see those fools again." Zidane said, shaking his head.

"It's too soon..." Amarant muttered, leaning on the wall.

"Kweh?" Choco said, probably feeling out of the loop.

"Those guys are weak, Choco." I waved off. "No one you need to worry about."

"Then why are we taking all this crap from them?" Lani asked angrily.

"They're elusive..." Steiner replied. "Plus, we'd put the others in danger if we attacked them."

"Don't worry," I assured her. "Once we get this job done, Kuja's getting his."

"Hell, I don't trust him with our friends." Zidane angrily muttered.

Suddenly, we felt the airship move...

"About time..." Amarant muttered.

'Can't wait to get to this Oeilvert.' I thought as I stared out the window, seeing the distance between us and our friends getting further. 'I'll be back Lovrina...' As much as the luxury airship was cool and all, it still felt like I was in prison with the hold Kuja had on her and everyone else...


(An hour later...)

As the Hilda Garde soars over the waves, I saw Zidane heading up to the cockpit. I decided to follow him just in case Zorn and Thorn try something. Once I reached the cockpit, I find him talking to two Black Mages, piloting the ship.

"Hey, can we really trust Kuja?" He asks one of them.

The mage doesn't reply, keeping his eyes in front of him. Zidane goes over to the second Black Mage and asks him the same question.

"Hey, can we really trust Kuja?"

Again he gets no response.

"Hey! Say something!" Zidane snapped. I go out to stop him from doing anything drastic.

"Zidane, forget it man." I tell him. "It's not gonna do any good."

"He's right..."

As if waiting for the right moment, Zorn and Thorn intrude on the conversation.

"They will not answer to you." Zorn says.

"Respond to our orders only, they do." Thorn adds.

"Oh no, you two again..." I said.

"Nice to see you again... Eclipse..." Zorn smirked.

"Even you're calling me that?" I asked.

"Why not?" The both asked. "It's who you are!"

"You bozos better lay off!" Zidane shouted. "Why does everybody keep calling him Eclipse!? His name is Ron; get it right or I'll throw you both overboard."

"Also you guys need to stop lying to these Black Mages and exploiting them!" I added.

"Those are slanderous words!" Zorn said.

Thorn shook his head. "Worse lies, I have never heard."

"You needn't concern yourself with such things."

"Or an end to your friends' lives, we shall bring."

"Dammit!" Zidane shouted.

The jester chuckled at this...

"Besides, the black mages were originally designed just to oppress." Zorn said, trying to explain the 'uses' of the Black Mages.

"But a strong sense of self, the Black Waltzes came to possess." Thorn said, adding in the first major run-in with Black Mage enemies. He pointed to the two Black Mage pilots. "Always obey us, these mages do, because a strong ego, they have not."

"These mass-produced ones are to break once we're through with their lot."

"Other purpose than war they have not!"

The jesters cackled loudly at their thoughts on the Black Mages' lifestyle. And I could tell it took a lot of will power for the Black Mage to just take all that without a remark. But, then again as docile and peaceful as they are, the mages were feeling low as their oppressors continued to mess with them...

"They have grown attached to life, yet they'll soon disappear!" Zorn chuckled.

"Hilarious! Nothing but toys are they here!" Thorn laughed.

But even in the midst of that, I found something hilarious in their message, which just included them. And apparently, Zidane picked up on that as well once he and I looked at each other and smirked. Now to rub it in their faces...

"I don't think you guys are any different." I said.

That comment made the jesters stop laughing...

"What!?" Thorn shouted.

"Rubbish!" Zorn retorted.

"Oh come on," Zidane said. "You say that the black mages have no souls, but you guys are pawns, just like them! Am I right, or what?"

Zorn growled. "You won't be talking so big once we're done with you!"

"Regret those words, you will!" Thorn added.

"That's nice..." I let out a fake yawn.

"Well, let's just take it easy until we arrive." Zidane said, stretching out. He turned to the Black Mages. "Drive safe, alright?"

"Yeah, don't want your bosses to get made at Zorn and Thorn." I added. Zidane and I snickered all the way back to the cabin. "That was fun!"

"Yeah, when did you get so witty?" The ex-thief asked me.

"Hanging around people like you..." I replied.

"Was that a compliment?"

"If you see that way..."


(Another 30 minutes later...)

After flying around for a while and checking our gear with the clowns (We had to pay for potion and antidotes...) we had finally made it to the Forgotten Continent. After stepping out of the airship, all of us took a good long look at the place. It was like a giant maze of canyons without much vegetation.

"At least now I know why they call it the Forgotten Continent..." Lani quipped.

"It's a barren wasteland..." Steiner said, looking around.

"Well, there's a marshland over there..." I pointed behind the airship.

"But we're not here for that..." Amarant told me.

"I know; just pointing it out." I replied.

"Kweh! Kweh!" Choco said looking around as well and stretched out his legs.

"Well everyone," Zidane said. "Let's go find this Oeilvert place. The clowns won't let us back on the ship until we find this Gulug Stone Kuja wants."

"Then let's check out the map and find this place." I pulled out the map and checked the spot on the Forgotten Continent. "Okay... I don't see Oeilvert..." I pointed down a clear, wide path. "But if we head south, we'll be in the Seaways Canyon area."

"Let's go then..." Zidane said.

"But first..." I climbed on to Choco and pulled out the Chocograph. "I think we can find Choco's next power here."

Amarant groaned. "Do you really have time for treasure hunting?"

"It'll probably lead us to the place faster." Lani suggested.

"It better..."

"Amarant stop being so negative!" Steiner scolded.

"Choco, let's go..." I said, giving him the Chocograph to look at.

"Kweh!" Choco nodded and set out.

"Follow that Chocobo!" Zidane shouted as he and the others ran after me.


(Some time later...)

During that time, I had to let Choco lead me to wherever as he was sensing the next treasure chest. Hopefully we could cut our time in half if the spot was near the place. Then, he did something unexpected... He was about to run in to a canyon wall!

"Choco, you're about to run into a wall!" I warned him just to be sure if it was intentional or not.

"Kweh!!" He actually sped up!

"Oh God!" I closed my eyes, praying that he would turn around.

"KWEEEHHH!!!"

Next thing I know, Choco climbs up the canyon walls and hops on top of them! I felt so glad that I was hanging on, otherwise I would have fell off. Suddenly, Choco came to an abrupt stop. I had hopped off a little shakily than normal.

"Choco..." I was breathing heavily. "Warn me... next time..."

"Kweehh..." Choco lowered his head down.

"Don't feel bad, just give a more alert but subtle sign that you're going to do that." I told him.

"Kweh." He nodded.

"Good... so, are we here?" I asked.

"Kweh!" He scratched the spot where he was standing at.

"Alrighty, time to dig."

"KWEEEHHH!!!" Choco's beak glowed like the last time and started to strike the canyon walls. I stepped far away from the bird at work as he dug for buried treasure.

"Hey Ron!" I turned around to see Zidane, Amarant, Lani and Steiner. "You alright up there?" Zidane asked.

"A little winded from getting up here the way I did." I replied. "Choco's already digging for treasure."

"While you're up there, can you see any kind of sign that shows Oeilvert?" Steiner asked.

"Hold on..." I looked around to see of if there was anything different from canyons. "Wait a minute..." I muttered seeing some sort of spiral shaped canyon, which I was looking right in front of me. Squinting, my eyes I could see some kind of strange building. "I think I've found it!"

"Really!?" Lani asked.

"Yeah..." I walked back to the group. "Just walk around this wall and you'll be in the canyons leading to this place.

"Well, what about you?" Zidane asked.

"Guess I'll have to wait until..."

"KWEEEHHH!!!" Choco's cried out as I saw a treasure chest, popping out of a giant hole in the canyon.

"Found it!" I shouted. "Just come around the canyon, me and Choco will meet you there!"

"Got it!" Zidane replied. "Let's go, guys." And while they were taking the walk around, Choco popped out of the hole made and shook off the dirt.

"Getting powerful, man." I told him, admiring the chocobo's work.

"Kweh!" Choco said, probably saying 'thanks.'

"Okay, let's open this sucker and see what's going to happen..." I said, ripping the worn out lock from the chest. "Of course, we know what's going to happen..." Choco nodded as I prepared to open the chest. "Time for dreamland!" I pushed open the lid, waiting for the obvious to happen. But instead, I found something in it... two pairs of black armored gloves with some rather sharp spikes. "Sweet Kaiser Knuckles! Amarant and I are going have some fun with these!" But as I reached out for the new weapons, that familiar white smoke came out of the chest and blew over Choco and me.

"Now it comes..." I said, falling asleep.

"Kweehhh..." Choco follows after me...


(Chocobo Dream World)(Play Aloha De Chocobo)

Waking up again, I was surprised to be not free-falling in space!

"That's a first." I muttered.

"Kweh!" Choco agreed.

Space was around still, except... we're upside down...

"I guess we need to walk this time." I figured.

"Kweh." Choco nodded. We didn't have to walk long, since it was a small world after all. (A/N: LOL) We found ourselves right in front of the Chocobo King.

"Ah, I see you are both doing well." He said.

"Not really..." I said. "We're basically in a rush to save our friends, so we're not exactly happy campers."

"Kweeh..." Choco added.

"I see..." The king pondered. "Then I must make haste!" The King waved his wings as tiny sparkles showered over Choco. This time the ocean blue chocobo became transparent and flew into Choco's body. As the sparkle shower end seconds later, Choco now had that same color on his body.

"You now have the ability to cross oceans!" The king rejoiced. "You almost have everything you need to find the Scared Chocobo Lands. I shall await your next arrival." He finally faded away as the light surrounded me and Choco, taking us out of the dream world.


(Seaways Canyon)

"Yawn..." I woke up off the hard ground. "Ow... rocky grounds are not the best mattresses." I looked around to see I was still on the canyon cliff. "At least I didn't fall off." I then saw Choco waking up, in his new ocean blue color!

"Kweh..." Choco stood up. He gave himself a once over to see his new form. "Kweeehh!!"

"Almost there pal!" I told the chocobo. "All we need his one more chest to make you into that golden form!"

"Kweeehhh!" He said, happily.

"Ron, Choco we found it!" We saw Zidane running up to us. "By the way, nice look Choco!"

"Kweh!" Choco nodded.

"Well, then shall we?" I told Choco. He nodded and crouched as I got on his back. Zidane already ran over to the place in question as we gave chase. In no time, we met up with Steiner, Lani and Amarant who stood in awe of Choco's new form. But they quickly got over it, seeing we had a job to do and turned around to see the monument behind them.


(Oeilvert)

Oeilvert was a like a giant monument, probably dedicated to something ancient. But to what? It's times like this I wished I remember all of the events of the game and not just bits and pieces. But it might not do me any good with all the changes, some good, some bad and the others unchanged. Yet knowing all that, I had to focus on getting this Gulug Stone and free the others.

"This is a huge place!" Lani exclaimed. "We're supposed to go in that!?"

"Yup." I replied.

"He's right." Zidane said. "Let's get in this place, find the stone and get out."

"Yes, we should put the princess and the others in more danger than they already in." Steiner agreed.

"Kweh!" Choco said.

We all walked up the dusty path leading to the giant doors. And after looking at them, I'm starting to understand the connection between Kuja and this place. About every time we run into somewhere he's been, I had those day-dreams of Eclipse and the fact that I'm seeing the same symbol from the underground passage in Alexandria's castle: triangle surrounding another with a rocky center.

"This must be the entrance." Zidane said, going up to push the door in. But with a giant door, "Mph! Open up!" Afterwards, he just gave up when the others came up. "There's no way I can open a door this big!"

"Let me..." As I was about to push it open with my strength, door opens up by itself alarm all of us. "...try. That was freaky..."

"... I dunno what's going on, but I guess we gotta go inside." Zidane said. "It's an honor to be here, hehe."

"Whatever, man." I said passing him by. "Let's just get inside."

We all waking inside the place and find in being as old and ancient as the inside. The first instinct in Zidane's mind is to raid the treasure chest up the flight of stairs in front of the entrance.

"Score!" He said, grabbing an elixir bottle inside.

"That's it?" Amarant said.

"Hold on..." Zidane then picked up some blue, sharp-edged disks. "Any idea what these are for?" To get a closer look, I walked up the stairs and inspected them more.

"Don't know, but it looks like it can used for throwing weapons." I said. "Unless we're aiming at something big, I'm not that accurate at aiming."

"Give them here..." We both saw Amarant walking up the stairs. "Looks like I get have an alternative source of battling."

"Sure..." Zidane handed him the disks as the red-head hung them around a hook on his belt. "Hmm... let's check out that spot over there." Zidane pointed to a room across from the chest.

"Hey guys, hold down the fort downstairs as we check out this room." I told Lani, Steiner and Choco. "Probably check out that next room on the left.

"Sure, better than staying bored for the time being..." Lani replied, walking over to the next room.

"Stay alert," Steiner warned. "It feels too quiet for such an ancient place."

"Yeah..." I agreed. "Maybe we should find some new gear for you and Lani while you're in there."

"Will do." The knight says, taking Choco into the next room.

I nodded before I followed after the two 'rivals' since it was one-sided under Amarant's eyes. It was a higher ground from the room below. I saw some kind of yellow, glowing circle down there. Steiner and Lani were inspecting the room, most specifically that circle, but it looked like nothing turned up. Turning around, Zidane and Amarant were inspecting a blue orb.

"What's that?" I asked them.

"Don't know..." Zidane said, reaching for it. "Kinda dusty, too..." He wiped some of the dust off, making it light up bright red.

"Now it's red?" Amarant asked.

"Hey guys!" We heard Lani shout from downstairs. We saw that the yellow circle was actually a holographic projector, displaying some kind of planet with a red moon around the planet's orbit.

"Is that...a planet?" Zidane wondered.

"I think so..." I said.

"Well let's get a closer look..." Amarant said, hopping down to the room.

"Show off..." Zidane muttered.

"But effective..." I added. "Later!" I then jumped off the ledge and slid down stone pillar landing in front the hologram. "Zidane, come on!"

"You guys are difficult..." He muttered again. But he sucked it up and followed the same path as I did. "There, now let's check this thing out..." After saying that, some kind of strange writing appeared in front of the planet display.

"Was that writing that just appeared?" Steiner asked.

"I've never seen this kind of languages in my life." Lani said, trying to decipher it.

"Kweh..." Choco was just as stumped until...

"...Mother...Terra...?"

All of us gasped at the one person reading it.

"Aww...I can't make it out..." Zidane grumbled.

"Zidane, can you really read that chicken scratch?" Lani asked.

Zidane shook his head a bit. "It's not that I can read it... It's more like the words are talking to me. I don't even know why..."

"Wait, there's more to it..." I said. "'This is our history of the mother planet Terra...'"

Everyone gasped again, even I surprised myself with reading a larger portion than Zidane.

"Now you understand it?" Steiner asked me.

"Yeah..." I muttered. "Strange... something's tell me that I know this stuff but... that?" I pointed to the planet display's language. "It's coming at me like I know it for years!"

"Very confusing..." Lani muttered.

"KWEH!!" Choco shouted.

"What's...?" I stopped talking after seeing three hideous looking monsters walking in from the shadows. They were blue, and dress in strange, green robes and hats that made them looked like a rival gourmand group of the Qus; especially with the oversized steak and butcher knives. They all had a hungry look in their eyes; Ogres.

"Who the Hell are they?" Lani said, reaching for her axe.

"Someone that has us the menu, I'm afraid." Zidane said, pulling out his double-bladed sword.

"Then, let's not give them any appetizers." I said as Amarant and I put on our Kaiser Knuckles.

"But we should have a tactic..." Steiner muttered, noticing the monsters getting closer.

"Uh... Amarant, I think this qualifies for the disc throwing..."

Amarant nodded as he reached for the disks. "Duck!"

All of us complied as he threw the disks at the Ogres. They retaliated by blocking with their knives. But of course, I had a backup plan...

"Jump!" I shouted. As soon as they did, I slammed the ground, shaking up the Ogres and making them lose balance. "Let's get 'em!"

"Separator!" Lani's threw her axe, glowing blue at the left side ogre, who was dumb enough to lower his guard and get slice in half from the waist.

I followed up with taking a broken statue head and throw it at the other two, putting up another distraction for Steiner and Zidane to knock the knives out the middle Ogre and cut him down and Amarant to a stealth strike into the Ogre's side allowing Choco to kick it up against a wall.

"It's a good thing we're all melee fighters." I said.

"Actually, I can use a little magic." Lani corrected. "So it's kinda hard for a bit..."

"Oh yeah..." I said, remembering our battle in Fossil Roo.

"Let's press on to the room behind us." Steiner suggested, pointing to a staircase leading down.


Opening the doors, we find a room with four holographic pods but smaller than the one in the other room.

"I guess more of these displays are here." I figured.

"But I don't think that's the only thing here..." Zidane added. "Choco, go search out the room."

"Kweh." Choco nodded, peering into all the dark places and the upstairs as we all checked out the nearest two pods.

"So how do we cut these on?" Lani asked, as she stepped near the pod. But I noticed she stepped on a trigger of some sort.

"Wait, Lani..."

She hopped off the pod and looked to me. "What?"

"I think you found how to turn this on..." I stepped on the trigger, thinking it can only be activate by either me or Zidane. But it didn't cut on...

"Nothing..." Amarant muttered.

"Maybe there's a proper order to it all." Zidane figured.

"Well, let's find the order." I said. "I'll go check upstairs." Heading up there, I find Choco still searching around, but nothing was there. But a strange stone statue was there near the two pods up here, but I ignored them and went to cut on one of the pods. Stepping on the similar trigger, it cut on! "Guys, I got one!" Everyone ran up the stairs and saw this old airship displayed in black and white.

"Aha, it worked!" Zidane said patting himself on the back. "I knew you just had to do it in the right order!"

"Ancient Terran ship... The Oldest model in history..." I read the small description in the hologram.

"That's funny, I'm still getting bits and pieces of it." Zidane pondered. "How come you're seeing more of it?"

I shrugged. "Beats me, I thought it was just gibberish until I looked at after you did."

"Well, let's see what the next one says..." Steiner said, stepping on the next pod. It was the same airship from the first one, but now it had a faint blue color to it now.

"'The ship was built for war... But the shipbuilding technology was primitive...'" I read.

"I guess it's all about this ancient ship these guys built." Lani deduced.

"Let's see what the two downstairs say..." All of us walk down stairs again and go on to the next pod. The airship from before now had wings on the bottom.

"Battleship Invincible: prototype... The prototype became a failure..." Zidane and I gasped.

"The Invincible!" I said. "That's Eclipse's airship."

"That Kuja somehow lost..." Zidane added.

"Is that the airship that devastated Alexandria?" Steiner asked.

"From what I hear, yes." I replied. "But it says here that, this one is a prototype."

"Then, how come it's working?" Lani asked. We all turned to the last pod.

"Let's find out..." I stepped on the last one, showing that airship that we've seen in Alexandria.

"The first true battleship, the Invincible... The improved version thanks to Eclipse's aura... currently put in use... For Project: Eclipse..." That last one really put me on the edge.

"That's the one..." I finalized. "But if it's Eclipse's battleship, how come Kuja was able to control it?" I looked at my hands. "And if there's the possibility of Eclipse being inside me..." I trailed off when Zidane stopped me.

"Let's figure that out later, and find that stone." He said.

"Okay..." I nodded.

"You won't be finding anything!" We gasped as we heard some kind of voice coming from upstairs. As we ran back upstairs, we saw nothing but those holographic pods and that stone statue.

"The Hell?" I looked around for the source of the voice.

"Somebody else is here?"

"Use your mirror, Epitaph!" That voice shouted again.

"Epitaph?" We all asked. That's when we figured it out... "The statue!"

The Epitaph opened it up its tablet, as light enveloped this room. The light flash disappeared, as the statue closed the tablet. But nothing happened...

"Nice light trick." I muttered, and turned around to the others. "Hey guys I... AAH!" I leapt over the Epitaph, once Zidane was about to strike me with his blade. "What's your problem!?" I then dodged a slash from Amarant, then Steiner and then Lani, only to be kicked to the wall by Choco. "Ugh... Are you guys..." I widened my eyes when I saw my friends...

All of them were shrouded in darkness and their eyes were glowing icy blue!

"Attack!" The voice said.

"Ice Tomb!" I quickly slammed the ground to just make an ice path, causing Steiner, Lani and Choco to fall. But Zidane and Amarant were more acrobatic and had lighter weapons as they hopped over it and advanced towards me. "Damn!" I had to stay on my toes as Amarant kept slashing at me. Since he was doing it so recklessly, I couldn't read his movements but could easily catch an opening. "Sorry!" I was able to score a powerful kick to his gut, pushing him back to the others who were still on the ice. But I was not out of the woods yet...

Zidane took this time to strike, once I thought I was relieved. He nearly slashed my shirt off. "Electric Blades!" I jumped away from his next slash and charged my arms for my thunder-based attack. It basically became like those light saber fights as we kept blocking and missing each other, but of course I wanted miss. "Zidane, what's wrong with you guys!?" My answer was an enraged growl as he threw his double bladed sword, which I blocked and knocked him out with a hard headbutt.

"Now, to take out that statue before they get back up..." I turned around to find the Epitaph about to open up its tablet again. Lucky for me, I had a spare Soft on me that I tossed on it, making it melt into soft cement. "That was different..." I sat down on the ground. "I was expecting doppelgangers of us, not possessed people." Then I remembered what happened before the Epitaph struck. "And who was telling the monster what to do?"

"Ron..." I turned around to see everyone waking up.

"Guys..." I put up my fists just in case. "You cool?"

"Yeah, we should ask you the same thing." Zidane said.

"Huh?"

"You knocked us out!" Lani got in my face, yelling.

"Kwehhh!" Choco added.

"You better have good explanation." Steiner said.

Now I was confused. "You don't remember that statue blinding you guys?"

Now it was their turn to be confused... "Yeah, but it doesn't explain..."

"That flash you saw possessed you guys into fight me." I interrupted. "If I didn't do what did, I'd be dead and you guys would be walking zombies."

"Okay..." Amarant said.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I wouldn't have any reason for hurting you guys the way I did." I explained.

"Alright..." Zidane said. "We'll believe it, since we did see that flash and just woke up."

"Good, now can we get going?" I asked, pointing to the door behind me.


Behind the door, got ourselves on a bridge lit with blue torches and electricity lining the ceiling. With it being narrow, we walked in a single file line until we saw a glowing orb in the middle of the bridge.

"Huh?" Zidane went over to touch it, but the flash left. "It's gone. Whoa!" The flash came back on displaying a land burning with blue flames with the words again. "Beginning...of the city..." The light went out again, allowing me to get near the orb.

"Now it's gone again?" I asked.

"Yeah..." The light came back on, nearly blinding us. "Whoa!" Another hologram displayed a village that seemed to be made on the wasteland, and was know void of any flames. More words came... "At first...the city...flourished..." Another picture replaced the other showing the same village, burning again. "Soon it began to decline..." The next picture was of the planet from the first room, with a red core. "At its peak, the cities...all over... Terra... Then...the decline...began..." All the holograms left, leaving everyone to ponder, "So what the heck is all this?"

"Another planet in turmoil?" I asked.

"Glad, I'm here." Lani quipped.

"Me too." Amarant added.

"Well, let's press on..." Steiner said, urging us to continue.


We left out the bridge and it led us right back to the room with the planet.

"Back to square one..." I muttered. But then we find a blue door, being unlocked and opened. "Okay... I'm really freaked; first that stone turning all of you into zombies, now a mystic door with God knows what inside."

"Chill, man." Zidane assured me.

"Kweh..." Choco nuzzled my neck, to assure me as well.

"Let's just find out where it is..." Lani said. From her tone of voice, she's had it with this place as well...

We all head for the passage, making sure no ambushes were happening. Inside the room, they had many stone faces, some altogether, some broken, and some with empty sockets carved into walls. Below the platform, was a white smoke covering the ground.

"What is this place?" I asked.

Steiner cringed at all the faces. "Wh-What a disturbing room!"

Suddenly, one of the faces on the bottom lights up orange.

"%/\[]oo#+x..."

We heard some words from it that we couldn't understand and we immediately got ready to fight.

"KWEH!!" Choco shrieked.

"This is really irritating!?" Lani shouted, ready to storm the battlefield.

"Wait!" Zidane held us back. "It's saying something..."

"Visitors... Climb atop the stone..." The face says.

"I could understand it!" Amarant exclaims.

"I guess it's speaking directly into our minds." Zidane figured. "Well, let's go!" We all climb onto the stone and it rises up midway into the room. The face continues to speak.

"Visitors, listen well... This is the record of our civilization..."

The face stops glowing as another one lights up to our left. "The seeds' decline was not our fault..." It explained. "All vegetation and... vessels...died out... The decay of our Terra...triggered it all... In order to stop the decay, many methods were considered..."

Now another face on our right bottom corner spoke. "Ultimately, the best minds of Terra's civilization gathered... Then, a final resuscitation was attempted on the mother continent... Unfortunately, it ended in failure... It was later discovered to have been the catalyst... Subjects were selected..."

Another face from above spoke... "After four tremendous sacrifices, eternal prosperity seemed within reach... Flora and fauna were revived, but...is still in stasis. But with the final subject, Project: Eclispe, was born. We used its vast power of the aura to expand its power on to the assimilation candidate, to help save the mother continent..."

Now the original face spoke again. "In order that our glorious history not dies with us, we were constructed..."

After that, I was stumped as the stone descended, 'Is Eclipse alive...?'

"Zidane, what could this possibly be!?" Steiner asked.

"I wanna know, too..." He admits. "But our friends are in danger! So let's save them first!"

"Right!" We all shout leaving the room. I really had to put it away until I have a chance to see Eclipse with my own eyes.


After walking out of the room, we decided to run into the room on the right of the entrance. There was another display of that planet, Terra with its red moon, but...

"It looks different than before." Zidane said. "It kinda looks like that other planet."

"Only a little dead..." I added.

"Hold on, there's something else..." Lani pointed to another planet that appeared beside the other hologram with a blue moon.

"Another planet?" Amarant asked. Then we saw the two planets merge into a healthier planet with the two moons orbiting around it.

"What the heck could this mean?" Zidane wondered. A light shined from a room behind the hologram.

"I don't know, but let's figure out where that Gulug Stone is and get the Hell outta here." I said, walking to the next room. It was hollow tunnel with a large plate like the room with the faces. Once all of us got on, the plate started to move clockwise down the tunnel.


Once we reached the bottom, we were led into a dark room with only that triangular symbol staring at us. It's with that I dubbed it the 'Terran Symbol' just to stop naming it a shape. As we walked up to it, the symbol drops to our level and opens up, revealing a small version of it with a black crystal embedded with it.

"So this is what Kuja was harping about." Zidane muttered.

"Talk about hard work for nothing..." Lani muttered also.

"Kwehh..." Choco groaned.

"Time to head back." I reached for the stone when...

"Finally, you're here!"

I jumped back from the stone and got into a battle stance, as did everyone else.

"Show yourself!" I shouted.

"Why should I, when you already know me!?" The voice asked.

"You know this person, Ron?" Steiner asked.

"No!" I told him. "I don't know anyone in this continent!"

"Of course you don't!" The voice said. "You know me from those little dreams you had... Or rather lived it..."

I widened my eyes and gasped. "Eclipse!!"

We all heard clapping coming from the darkness. "Very good, my friend! Very good!"

"Shut up!" I shouted, looking around the darkness. "You know, Kuja's been giving us all Hell because you, and mainly I'm paying the price for it!"

"Oh right, he does have a grudge on anyone with power that exceeds him." Eclipse chuckled. "You know, it's the reason he why he's torment you. But I digress, I've come to give you a reward for helping me out."

"For what?" I asked.

"Letting me have another chance at life!" He rejoiced. "If it weren't for you coming here, and walking in front of that Epitaph, I would never be alive!"

"But I killed that stone monster!" I shouted. "Anything coming from it would have worn off!"

"Yet, I'm superior to all that I'm afraid." He said. "But now, the reward... your eternal reward..."

"I don't like the way he said that..." Zidane said, getting ready for anything.

"Yeah, it sounded like bloodlust..." Amarant added. We suddenly felt the ground shaking.

(Play the 13th Dilemma from Kingdom Hearts 2)

"Something's coming!" Zidane shouted.

"Kweh!!" Choco yelled.

"No joke!" I added.

"Powers of Darkness!" We heard Eclipse chant as if he were summoning an Eidolon. "The time has come to smite my foes from the sky! Raining doom, Ark!!"

A bright light pierced through the darkness, giant airship flew through the darkness. It was mainly gray with propellers helping it to stay aloft. The bow had a golden dragon head and sliver spear. And the back has these two, three-pronged boomerangs attached. Also we can faintly make out a figure, manning the steering wheel.

"That's an eidolon!?" Zidane shouted.

"From that chant he just gave, yeah." I replied.

"Now, let the fun begin!" Eclipse shouted from somewhere inside the eidolon using an intercom. "Fire Boomerangs!"

The airship's back grabbed the boomerangs and prepared to launch.

"Duck!!" Steiner yelled as the boomerangs were launched. We all hit the dirt, as it flew over to our heads.

"As soon as it comes back, we hit with everything we got..." Zidane said. After a few minutes, the boomerangs went over us again... "Now!"

Amarant started by throwing more of those disks we found at the hull, with Zidane leaping and striking the places the disks struck.

"Raider's Slash!" Lani's axe started to glow white and hopped onto the bow and cut into dragon's head.

"KWEH!!" Choco runs and charges the hull with his Spiral Impact.

"Thunder Blades!" Taking my arms into an X-formation, I leap towards the airship and slashed it twice, creating an electrical current against the spear. "That's should hold it for awhile."

Eclipse scoffed. "Is that the best you can do against Ark? You're not even as half as powerful as I thought you'd be."

"Well it is an eidolon..." I muttered.

"I wanted to see how my replacement's been doing," Eclipse continued. "But it seems the old man screwed up."

"Huh?" Everyone asked.

"Ark, blow them away!"

The airship eidolon started to brim with magic and suddenly we felt a harsh wind coming by.

"Whirlwind!"

"Kweeehhhh!!!"

A giant tornado dropped onto and blew over us. The good (and strange) news was that it never sucked us into. Of course, the bad news was the tornado was armed with electricity that gave us a real unpleasant feeling that only went away once the whirlwind subsided, and leaving kneeling on the ground.

"I'm really... hating the fact that... any person can summon... eidolon..." I groaned.

"Uh-huh..." Lani groaned also.

"Disappointing..." Eclipse said. "I was glad to get resurrected when I did."

"Like you could do any better?" I asked.

"Fulfilling the project of course." He replied. "At least I have my own personality now to enjoy it! I was tired of being a mindless puppet... Kuja can be right about some things when he actually says something worthwhile."

"You're gonna side with Kuja!?" Zidane shouted.

"Hell no!" Eclipse shouted. "I'm not siding with him or your little band of weaklings." He laughed loudly. "After finishing you and your little chicken, Kuja's going to get his!"

"Dragon Kick!" I saw the chance to strike the hull, setting it on fire.

"Okay, now you're a pain! Fire Photons!"

The dragon head's eyes shot out white blasts that headed straight for me.

"Run!" Zidane and the gang dived out the way, but I had other plans...

"Ice Tomb!" I slammed the ground around me creating an ice barrier that bounced the photons away from me. One of them actually hit the spear point!

"What!?" Eclipse shouted. The spear was actually a balance, evident as Ark raised its back up. "Damn!"

"I'm going in, guys!" I told the others, while taking an elixir and downing the drink. "Start breaking this eidolon apart!" I immediately ran on top of the eidolon and broke off the front two propellers in the process. "Alright, where are you?"

"Over here!" I ducked to avoid a roundhouse kick and rolled out the way. I turned around to avoid another punch and pushed off, now seeing him for the first time. Eclipse was outfitted in a dark green vest and pants, with his muscles visible through them. He had a black, spiky hair and a white mask on that hid his face. "So this is the face of my replacement..." He started to shine with aura. "Hmm... your aura..."

"What about it?" I asked.

"It's what helped you counter my attacks just now..." He said. "But why are you not using it to the true potential?"

"It's my Trance, what's it to you?" I asked.

"Nothing... just this!" He raised his hand. "Aura Sphere!" A white orb shot of his hand and knocked me into the back of the airship, making me cry out in pain. "Pathetic..."

"Try this... Ice Tomb!!" I slammed the ground, stabbing him with the ice. "Yes!"

"Well, you getting better with that attack..." I gasped and saw Eclipse holding up some strange diamond. "But you have a long way to go little man!" He crushed the diamond in his hand and broke it in two. It had a reaction to Ark as it started shaking around like it was in pain.

"Huh?" I wondered.

"This..." Eclipse held up the broken jewel pieces. "...is the jewel that bounds Ark! Without them together, one of the legendary eidolons is out of the picture." He threw one of the pieces at me, and I caught it on reflex. "Want the other piece? Seek me out at another monument of Terra; we'll have a more... fitting location and you'll have time to work on your mediocre skills."

"Mediocre!?" I've been fighting throughout this whole journey and he calls it weak! "Grr..."

"Don't pout; makes you even more pathetic." He mocked.

"Rraa!" I stomped the floor, which caught him off guard. I saw the chance to give him a quick punch, but...

"Here!" He struck me with a super kick that knocked me off the disappearing eidolon.

"Grab him, quick!" I heard Lani shout as was falling down. Then, I fell right onto Zidane and Steiner.

(End music)

"Uhh... Get off me..." I heard Zidane say, pushing me off.

"Ron, what happened up there?" Lani asked.

"Kweh!" Choco said.

"I fought... Eclipse..." I told them.

"So, he was inside you the entire time?" Zidane asked.

"No, that statue created his own form so that he can come back to life." I said. I then pulled out the crystal the revived being gave me. "And this is part of what he used to summon that eidolon."

"He's got the other piece..." Amarant said.

"Right." I nodded. "And he wants a fight."

"But we can't..." Steiner protested.

Zidane went up to the Terran Symbol and grabbed the Gulug Stone.

"Yeah, we gotta get back to the others!" He added.

"I know..." I muttered. "I'll find him later..."

"Then let's get back!" He said, as everyone headed back to the elevator. I took another look at the dark room and thought, 'This just now got heavy...' With that I left for the Hilda Garde I.


That's right! Eclipse is alive!! And he's out to terrorize!! I've been working to get this up in my head for a while, now it's only gonna get better...

Next time: While Zidane and the guys are heading back... (Scene of the Gulug Stone)

We find out that Kuja's not exactly one to keep promises... (Scene of Kuja, springing a switch...)

But who's gonna save the others!? (Scene of Regent Cid hopping into action)

Next chapter: The Desert Palace

Rate and Review, Later!!