CHAPTER 6:

ENEMIES BECOME ALLIES

Zidane and Amarant were locked in a bellicose dance. Despite Zidane's speed and agility, Amarant himself was no slouch when it came to speed. Harry had to admit, it was an impressive fight.

However, Zidane's speed and energy eventually won out, and Amarant was soon sprawled on the ground, barely conscious. "Finish me…" rasped the man.

"Where's the jewel your partner stole?" Zidane demanded.

With an effort, Amarant got to his knees, and pulled the jewel from a pocket in his clothes. Zidane took it, and handed it back to Eiko. "Well?" Amarant demanded. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to kill me? Or are you going to banish me?"

"I just spared your life. Go if you want, I won't follow you."

Amarant snorted, getting unsteadily to his feet. "And have you stab me in the back when I least expect it? I tried to kill you, why are you letting me go?"

"We fought, you lost, and we got back what was stolen," Zidane said. "And you helped the two kids."

Amarant scoffed. "I did it to level the playing field, only to lose to a spineless thief!"

"The sly eagle doesn't kill on a whim," Zidane remarked.

As Amarant seemed to make to leave, Harry darted forward. "What's your deal with him, anyway?"

The red-haired man paused, before glaring at the boy. "The King Auction House. Treno. Ask him if he remembers that time." And with that, he was off, leaping over the wall and fleeing.

Zidane blinked, and seemed to think for a few seconds, before he began laughing. "What's so funny, Zidane?!" Garnet asked.

"I remember him now!" Zidane laughed. "He was some thug for hire the King family retained to guard their auction house in Treno a year or so back. He wanted to fight me to test his skills while I was escaping after a burglary. I managed to trick the guards into thinking he was the thief!" He clutched his guts and began laughing even harder. Vivi, Eiko and Harry began laughing too, while Garnet facepalmed.


It was decided that they would rest in Madain Sari overnight. Harry's Eidolons guarded them as they slept, in case either Lani or Amarant made another attempt at attacking. Yojimbo even sent out Daigoro to scout out where the two bounty hunters were hiding. Amarant was lurking within one of the ruins on the outskirts of the village, but he seemed to be in a contemplative mood rather than a planning one, so he was left alone, for the time being. Lani, meanwhile, was found to be camping out in a cave in one of the hills near Madain Sari. Like Amarant, she seemed in a somewhat pensive mood, rather than the 'plotting to get revenge' mood.

Yojimbo decided to visit the latter, feel her out, so to speak, after Daigoro returned and reported. He had to admit, her senses were pretty good. Even though he made an effort to be stealthy, she had her axe at the ready. "Okay, you bastard, step into the light, slowly."

"If I wished," Yojimbo said quietly, "I would only have to draw my sword once, and your head would be rolling on the floor, spinning in a pool of your own blood." He stepped forward into the firelight, though, slowly.

"And who're you?"

"Yojimbo, one of Harry's guardians. The boy whom you threatened mere hours before," the Eidolon replied. "And an Eidolon. You are incapable of killing me…but the reverse is far from true. I came to parley first, though. After all, you are a mercenary. You may be working for Brahne, but your services can be bought out, can they not?"

The bounty hunter blinked. Then, a glitter of greed entered her eyes. "I prefer to listen to the clink of coin in great quantities than the clash of metal against metal. Brahne offered me a hundred thousand gil, as well as expenses, to retrieve Garnet's pendant, kill the Black Mage, and I heard she offered a bonus for the head of the thief. Fat bitch didn't pay me much of an advance, though."

"I will offer you 250 thousand gil," Yojimbo said, simply. "In coin or in equipment. In exchange, you will cease your allegiance to Queen Brahne, and act as guardian to Princess Garnet instead, until such time as you are dismissed."

Lani scoffed. "And where do you carry such coin?"

"I'm an Eidolon," Yojimbo said. As he brought a bulging sack of coins from a dark portal that appeared nearby, he said, "Long ago, I charged for my services. Harry is the first summoner that I work pro bono for, partly because his parents paid for my allegiance long ago, and partly because I have amassed quite the fortune already. I charge now mostly for entertaining the Dwarves of Conde Petie with my skills. This would not make a dent in my fortune. But I am sure that you would appreciate this boon."

Lani looked at the bag, opening it and looking at the coins, lifting a few out and biting them. She gave a grin at Yojimbo. "You've got yourself a deal, though for your sake, these coins have better be real." She took the sack, and then poured it into a purse. Seeing his look, she said, "Anyone worth their salt gets a wallet with an expanded space on the inside. I didn't see you carrying one, hence my suspicions. It even counts the coin and verifies its quality. And it seems like you held up your end of the bargain." She stood. "My axe is yours to command, then. I'll be honest, I think you've overpayed."

"Not necessarily. What do you know of Kuja?"

The young bounty hunter frowned. "I know something. He's apparently an arms-dealer, has the ear of that elephantine bitch Brahne. Effeminate, and has links to the King family in Treno. Only saw him once while I was in Treno, but never actually met him. Why?"

"Well, we're going to be confronting him tomorrow, at the Iifa Tree," Yojimbo said.

"Interesting…" Lani said with a smirk.


Amarant was, surprisingly, only slightly more difficult to persuade, and the difficulty was mainly because he didn't want money. "Why didn't he kill me? For that matter, why don't you?"

"Zidane has a sense of honour, despite what you think. I, however, am a more pragmatic person. If coin does not sway you, what will?"

Amarant looked into his fire, before saying, "I'd rather die a warrior's death than live a life as an impoverished vagabond."

"Then would you prefer to fight a battle against a man who stokes the fires of war?"

Amarant looked up. "Who?"

"Kuja, a man who has given Queen Brahne weapons to wage war. If you wish for someone to fight in battle, then Kuja would be a test of your mettle, and we could do with more people to help fight him. There is strength in numbers, after all, and you have shown your fighting ability. I have retained Lani's services as bodyguard to Princess Garnet. Should you miss your chance to fight Kuja, I would ask the same of you."

"No. I will follow in order to find out what makes Zidane strong," Amarant said. "Money and prestige mean little to me."


Yojimbo had at least the good sense to warn the Moogles and the other Eidolons. Once Harry, Eiko, and the others woke up, they were notified of what had happened as well. Harry trusted that Yojimbo had secured the allegiances of the two bounty hunters, and Zidane seemed to trust that too. The Moogles were still rather skittish, and Eiko wasn't happy. Neither was Garnet, though she was at least mollified by a lecture from Yojimbo.

"You are fortunate, Princess, to have those who swear allegiance to you out of honour, patriotism, and altruism alone," he had said. "But there are others to whom their only loyalty is to coin in ready quantities. Others need different incentives. By paying Lani and persuading Amarant, I have just turned a pair of enemies into allies, even if their allegiances are uncertain after our business is done. Your family had doubtless hired mercenaries of varying stripes before, of uncertain allegiance and honour. You have in your party an unabashed thief, a weapon of war who can think for himself, a food-obsessed glutton…and a bratty half-pint." This last had been directed at Eiko, who promptly stuck her tongue out at Yojimbo. "A pair of mercenary bounty hunters should be little stretch."

Once more, Quina had opted not to accompany them to the Iifa Tree. However, waiting at the entrance to Madain Sari were Lani and Amarant. The former kept her axe on her back. "Well, your majesty," she said with a certain acid edge, "you're lucky you have such…persuasive followers. You can keep your pendant and your pretty little head. The same goes for the Black Mage and Monkey Boy there."

"Hey, his name's Vivi," Zidane retorted, more offended by Lani's disdain towards the young Black Mage than Lani's nickname for Zidane himself.

"Fine then. You wanna head to the Iifa Tree, Monkey Boy? Time's a-wasting."

Zidane shrugged, before moving forward, the others in tow. Soon, this unlikely group were on their way to the Iifa Tree.


After some time, they made it there. Amarant and Lani stared. "Where the hell did all the Mist go?" Lani demanded. "We looked at this place on the way to Madain Sari, and it was infested with it. Now there's only a bit left."

"We stopped it," Harry said. "There was a monster that created it."

"Yeah. The Mist Continent's gonna need a new name," Eiko remarked.

Amarant seemed to view the others with a renewed respect. However, his musings were interrupted when they heard a screeching roar overhead. They all looked to the sky, and saw a silver dragon flying, with a figure perched on top.

Garnet exclaimed, "It's a silver dragon!"

"That's him!" Zidane yelled. "I know that dragon from anywhere! Bastard flew away from Burmecia on it!"

They ran along the roots, keeping an eye on Kuja as he made to land on part of the trunk. Soon, Zidane called a halt: they were going to pass that part if they continued. "We'll have to climb."

"But I can't climb that!" Eiko snapped.

"Neither can I," Vivi stammered.

"I don't think I can, either," Garnet said.

"We'll need to get there somehow," Zidane said.

Amarant snorted. "You're letting these brats slow us down? If we don't get there soon, Kuja might leave."

"We go there together," Zidane retorted.

"And you have a plan?" Lani asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do!" Harry said. And with that, he summoned Valefor, who appeared before Harry in her human form. "Valefor, how many of us do you think you can carry?"

"The three children, and one more," the Eidolon said.

"Dagger, I think you're up. Unless you can't climb, Lani?" Zidane asked.

The dark-skinned bounty hunter snorted. "Just watch me."

Valefor smiled, before changing her form into a massive, bird-like creature. "On my back. Hurry."

Garnet, Vivi, Eiko and Harry clambered onto Valefor's back. "Don't confront Kuja yet," Zidane said. "We'll do it together."

Then, Valefor beat her wings, and took off into the sky. As she soared to the trunk area where Kuja awaited, Garnet's eyes were drawn to the ocean nearby, and she gasped. "Oh no, Mother!"

"What's the matter, Garnet?" Harry asked, before looking to where she was gazing. The ocean was filled with ships. Military ships. "What is that?"

"The Alexandrian Navy," Garnet whispered. "My mother must have most of Alexandria's military on those ships. But why? What is she doing here? Is she here for me? Or Kuja?"


Upon landing, they waited for Amarant, Lani, and Zidane to climb up after them, Valefor being dismissed. The three outlaws were surprisingly quick, and they soon made their way over to where Kuja was waiting.

Harry felt his blood run cold when he finally saw the effeminate arms dealer. Despite his androgynous features and bearing, you could feel the raw power radiating from the man. Kuja frowned when he noticed Harry amongst the small party that was confronting him.

"Your name is Kuja, is it not?" Garnet asked. "I am Princess Garnet til Alexandros. I want to know…was it really you who stirred the avarice of my mother…"

"And provoked the war still gripping the Mist Continent?" Kuja asked, his voice light and cultured. "Of course."

"And turned the Black Mages into weapons of war?" Vivi demanded.

"Oh my," Kuja said, raising an eyebrow. "You have a bellicose little puppet there, Your Highness. I never did such a thing. All I did was give them a recipe. Begin with broth of Mist, add fermented souls, and boil…"

"Wish Quina was here," Harry muttered. "S/he could take notes."

"I doubt a Qu would be interested in the results," Kuja remarked. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure, Mr…?"

"Harry Potter. And the pleasure is all yours," Harry said.

"Indeed. I saw you using a summon. Yet another summoner who survived Madain Sari. Dear me, I got careless. Now, where was I…?"

"Cut the crap, Kuja," Zidane said. "That Soulcage thing told me I come from the same place as you do. Another world, like Harry, only he comes from a different one to Gaia or ours. So tell me, what's your game?"

Kuja laughed, long and hard, before saying, "Oh my, Soulcage was indiscreet. My game, brother, is the same as yours. Death and destruction. We were created that way."

"Zidane's nothing like that!" Vivi yelled, even as Zidane stared at Kuja in shock. Zidane was Kuja's brother? Kin was one thing, but being a brother was another.

"How dare you compare Zidane to yourself, even if you are brothers?" Garnet snapped. "And how dare you revel in the loss of so many lives?"

"Full of righteous anger, are we, Your Majesty?" Kuja asked. "Spare me your rebukes based in a spurious and superficial morality. Lives are lost all the time around the world. People have died. So what? That's what people do(1)." He chuckled. "It's so easy to discard the trappings of morality. Like your mother, Princess Garnet. You may not wish to see it, but greed and avarice were lurking within her all along, like footpads and rapists of the soul. She told me she wouldn't feel alive until she had everything the world could offer! All I did was give her a little push. I was but the merest spark that ignited the firestorm of greed and avarice!"

"You're a liar!" Garnet retorted in her most regal tone. "My mother was the sweetest and kindest of people. You warped and twisted her mind out of shape!"

"So naïve," Kuja smiled. "But behold, my little songbird, my canary. The curtain is rising. See over yonder?" He pointed at the fleet of ships. "That is the truth about your mother. The final scene of the first act of this vicious cabaret: The End of the Ugly Desire. See that shimmering in the air? Unlike you, she needs to use the magic of others to summon Eidolons. She's using her Black Mage army to pour their magic into a single point. I do believe she is going to use Bahamut. Can't you see, you silly little girl? This is the truth, harsh and stark: your mother is a greedy sow masquerading as a benign monarch, her heart as ugly as her corpulent visage! And her greed is as impressive as her girth! She won't be satisfied until everything in the world is hers!"

Kuja cackled with sadistic glee, throwing his arms high to the sky, like the perverse Master of Ceremonies of a stage performance. But this play would be no entertainment for them: it would be bloody, brutal, and deadly…

CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:

Amarant and Lani become allies, and the party confront Kuja. Marvellous.

A few things of note: why bring Lani into the party? Well, I did something not dissimilar (although of greater impact) with Jenova in Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage. I thought it would be interesting to bring Lani in as an ally, something I didn't think of until after I wrote the conclusion of the Zidane/Amarant fight. I found her becoming 'nice' later in the game a bit weird, considering how bloodthirsty and pragmatic she was, so I thought about doing something like this, more in keeping with how her character was portrayed initially in the game.

I also decided to make Kuja's dialogue a touch more theatrical. Not that it wasn't already like that in the game, but I thought I'd kick it up a notch.

1. A reference to a similar bit of dialogue from Sherlock: The Great Game. Unlike Moriarty, Kuja doesn't shout the last word. He merely growls it.