It was cold and once again the sky was darkening, Zidane had lost all sense of time since being arrested. He pulled on a long cloak like garment to protect himself from the cold. His own was the same dark blue as his shirt, Freya wore one similar only hers was red.
"We'll blend right in then" Zidane said as they crossed the snow covered planes and entered Esto Gaza. The root from the Lifa Tree had been cut away and styled like an arch way at the entrance of the building. Zidane, Freya, Cid and several of his best soldiers filled the entranceway of the grand, candle lit building.
The priest who usually stood to welcome guests was left open mouthed as they merely walked right through. Suddenly Zidane wondered whether they reminded him of Kuja and the Black Mages who had also walked this same path not so long ago.
Zidane stood on the raised platform and looked at the doorway which entered Mount Gulug, Cid sent his soldiers forward to open the doors but they refused move.
"Magic" Zidane said, how could they not have thought that the doors would be sealed magically.
"It's a good thing I came along then"
The small voice made him jump, Eiko was strolling towards them, looking like the cat who got the cream.
"I thought you might not think of it, considering you rely on brute strength!"
"I don't" Zidane argued, but a rather large crash from the doorway as all the men charged it at once contradicted his argument.
"How on Gaia did you get here? You were supposed to stay in Alexandria 'till Hilda came to collect you!" Cid looked both angry and impressed.
"Simple. Mog!" she beamed.
"Mog? Your moogle?" Zidane questioned.
"No, Mog my Eidolon. She said she's watch over me and when she heard about Dagger being brought here, just like I had, she wanted to help. So she flew me here! Cool huh!"
Zidane was open mouthed, he reminded himself to never again doubt the resourcefulness of children, especially one like Eiko.
"Well what are we waiting for?"
All four of them ran to the doorway, Cid called his men back and Eiko stepped forwards, brandishing her flute.
"Hmmmm… I can sense a weird energy?"
"An eidolon?" said Freya
"No… not as strong… this is just ordinary binding magic… I think I can…"
Suddenly she brought the flute to her lips a from it emitted a golden light which enveloped the doorway. After a few minutes it began to vibrate as though it were fighting with the door. Eventually the light faded and the doors were both wide open.
"You did it, nice one Eiko!"
"Thank you Zidane" Eiko said with a small curtsy.
"Let's go, and Eiko, I think you should come. Your magic may come in handy"
Cid tried to protest, but when Freya agreed and Eiko threatened a tantrum he soon complied. The small army entered the building and made its way towards the bottom levels, careful of loose flooring and the crumbling buildings. When they were met with various creatures the soldiers took care of them to Zidane and Freya could press on.
Zidane carried Eiko piggy back style down the wells to where he prayed he would find Dagger waiting for him.
They walked the same floorboards as before, looking down on the area where Eiko had almost been killed.
"We should be quiet, if they are still here they may panic and hurt her" Freya whispered.
Zidane was having trouble controlling his heart rate, was she close?
Silently they made their was down wooden stairs and entered the large space where their fright from previous months had taken place.
Zidane could see the door leading to what had been Hilda's prison was slightly ajar, light was emitted from it and he could hear low voices.
"She's in there" he whispered. He made to run forwards, uncaring if he would meet Amarant or the clowns upon his entrance.
"Look out!" The scream came from Eiko as bars fell noisily from the ceiling, encircling them.
"HE HE HE, trapped them have we!"
"We have, we have trapped them!"
Zidane groaned inwardly, he had forgotten how annoying the two were.
Eiko ran up to the bar as the two came into view, "You let me out right now!"
"Oh it's the little brat! We get to kill her too!"
"What? Where's Dagger? What have you done with her?"
From the doorway Amarant walked out, pulling along a pale and exhausted looking Dagger. Her hair was tangled and she still wore the same long nightdress she had been kidnapped in. Amarant had to hold her up to stop her collapsing to the ground.
"Amarant let her go!"
He didn't respond.
"Amarant, you have been placed under a spell. You must fight it" Freya tried.
Zorn and Thorn cackled delightedly.
"Too far gone is he!"
"He has gone too far!"
"You slimy little bastards! Wait 'till I get my hands on you!"
"Yes yes, embrace the anger, feel it coursing through… let it all go!" coaxed Zorn.
"Zidane" said Freya nervously.
"Why do you want Dagger's Eidolons?" Eiko's voice echoed in Zidane's head as a strange feeling over took him.
"Her? No no, her powers are miniscule compared to his"
Zidane fell to his knees as his head began to pound.
"What do you mean? Is this because of Kuja?"
"That was a group effort!" gasped Zidane, his hands now against the ground, holding himself steady.
"Yes but our old master told us many secrets he did. He told us of Garland's plan… of the power of his angel of death"
"Not me" shouted Zidane.
"Oh but it will be, we lured you here to take from you what you loved most… with Kuja gone it is time to awaken the power within you! It was you who was supposed to end this world, but when we extract you dark powers we can control the sister planets Terra and Gaia"
"Terra is gone!" Freya shouted, now kneeling at Zidane's side, "Kuja destroyed it"
Zorn and Thorn looked at each other, they were obviously unaware of this fact.
"No matter" they sung, "We will take over Gaia alone! But first things first… revenge is a dish best served… with a nice sharp knife!"
From the corner of his eye, Zidane saw Amarant produce a Knife from his sleeve, he held it to Dagger's throat.
"NO!" he shouted, he didn't know how to control what was happening to his body, as he tried to lurch forwards he was held back by Freya. He tried breaking free but she whispered to him, "Watch Eiko!"
Zidane realised that while Zorn and Thorn had been talking to him, Eiko was facing Amarant, her hands outstretched with white light swirling around the red haired man.
"No the brat has removed our spell" the jesters shrieked.
"We must retreat!"
"No you don't!" before Zidane could stop himself he felt himself leave the ground, his body was burning with anger and he drew his daggers. He was oblivious to the chaos around him, Amarant was pulling away the bars restraining Freya and Eiko whilst Zidane merely crashed through them towards his targets.
Everything that followed was a blur for Zidane, he heard the screams from Eiko as the place began to collapse and the shrieks from the brothers as their lives ended at Zidane's hands. He began to calm down but still felt the power coursing through his body, he turned and picked up Dagger who lie unconscious on the ground. Amarant took Eiko and threw her across his shoulder and the group ran for the exit.
"There's no time for this! Freya you run ahead and get the soldiers and Cid out… Eiko, you know what to do!"
Eiko placed her flute to her lips and summoned, in a burst of light the giant form of Mog appeared and they each jumped onto her back, clinging to the fur as she flew up and crashed through the rocks above them.
Sunlight and cool air reached Zidane's eyes and skin, he felt relief only for a moment as the crashes and explosions from below them reached his ears. From the entrance soldiers ran out frantically, he could see Cid and hear his calls for Eiko. They landed, scaring many of the locals who were watching in horror and Eiko ran to her adoptive father. Amarant leapt from the Eidolons back and raced into the mountain, Zidane clung onto Dagger's tiny frame and looked at her. His heart stopped, her eyes were open but glassy and Zidane couldn't see her chest moving. She wasn't breathing.
Suddenly everyone screamed, the mountain had exploded throwing a debris of ash and rock into the sky.
"The Volcano! It's exploding!"
"Everybody onto my air ship" Cid roared.
"Amarant! Freya!" Eiko cried.
Zidane ran forward, ignoring Cid's shouts for everyone to evacuate.
"Eiko! Eiko! Do a resurrection charm… she isn't breathing!"
Eiko's eyes widened with shock and fear at Dagger's limp body.
"EIKO DO IT NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE"
XXX
So… who dies? Find out soon!
