A/N: T his chapter took longer than it should have. I've just been so busy with school lately. Anyways, I've taken some freedom with names in this chapter. I wasn't sure what's Beatrice's surname is, so I named her after the leading man of Final Fantasy XII, making her Beatrice Bunansa :D
Oh, and there'll be another faint-spell by Dagger. Believe me, I find it tiresome too, but I think that this will be the last one. And after all, she's always been a bit delicate (loosing her voice, fainting ect).
So I hope you like this next, slightly dramatic part!
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX is the property of Squaresoft.
Chapter six
As the sun made its steady was up over the horizon, chasing away the fog that settled in the damp streets of Alexandria during the night, the Steiner-residence was in an uproar.
Beatrice had had quite the fit when the news of this nickname reached her ears, insisting that it should be called the Steiner/Bunansa-residence (preferably the Bunansa/Steiner-residence, or just skip Steiner altogether) but the name had never caught on.
Nevertheless, in a household of one general and three small children, every morning was full of activity. But this morning was not like every morning. This morning Adelbert Steiner was back on the job.
There where naturally other, more pressing matters that far overshadowed a Plutoknight pulled out of retirement. But for Steiner it meant chaos.
They had been roused in the middle of the night by a distraught messenger with news of the queens disappearance and a letter for Beatrice. She had left at once to organize a search, while he had been ordered back to duty by his unyielding wife. Now he was alone with three children that would have to get dressed and then be disparaged at the friendly neighbors', and a suit of armor that simply was too rusty to be fit to be seen.
After ordering his children mercilessly over to the old hippo next door, he gave up cleaning the armor and donned another (that was getting a bit tight around the waist), then to make his way to the castle.
It was bad news indeed. As he reveled in the thoughts and curious emotions his return to the castle prompted, his wife came hurtling towards him across the hall. As much as the great general Beatrice ever hurtled. Nevertheless, she interrupted his train of thought by her worried frown and hasty movements.
"Steiner." She never called him Adelbert, and he'd never asked her to. It was a curious relationship; all respect, and decorum, and carefully concealed passion. "Come."
He nodded curtly and followed her out of the hall, into the queen's private rooms. She led him into the tea-room, to the chair by the window.
On a torn, blood-spattered cushion lay an envelope. Only one word adorned the front.
'Beatrice'
"This is from her Majesty?"
He turned to his wife, assuming she had already read it.
"Yes. Though we don't know who construed it."
"It was not the Queen?" he asked. At this she lunged for the letter and pressed into his glowed hand.
"Read," she commanded. It was no disobeying her when she got like that. In any case, he had no wish to. He loved following orders, the military-man that he was. And so he tore the envelope open without hesitance.
Inside there was an unofficial letter for Beatrice written in Garnet's own handwriting. There was also a document that stated the queen's abdication. Horror struck, his eyes shot up to meet his wife's.
"What's this? Surely Garnet would never abandon her duties?"
"Would she?"
She grabbed the letter, her distress plainly visible now.
"She says that she has left to repay her dues. That there are more important duties than the ones keeping her here. It's all pretty evasive."
"You imply…" Steiner's eyes dropped to the blood-spatter on the chair. "Some abduction of sorts? The Queen has been kidnapped?"
"I…it would seem that's the case. She's nowhere to be found…However-"
"Yes," Steiner urged her on, contemplating her uncertainty.
"Vivi is sick. Dying, I hear. Perhaps…"
Master Vivi sick? Why had nobody told him? Why hadn't his wife brought him this news before? She could be cold sometimes, he knew that. Not heartless exactly, just simply unaware that people could have feelings where she had none.
The news shocked him, saddened him. He knew of the little mages blatant fear of death. If there was one thing that could distract his power, it was that cloud of fear always hovering over him. If he was indeed dying, he would need his friends. But it seemed unlikely Garnet would abdicate, or indeed leave Alexandria to be with him. Even if he was a good friend. She was so changed…
He coughed, breaking his train of thought.
"Then we'll now where to begin."
"We?"
She stowed the letter away, looked at him in confusion.
"Now that the queen has abdicated, I am to take up her post."
"Not until we now for sure that that's what's going on. If you seem too eager to take the job, people might even suspect you to be behind this."
"Right," she curtly acknowledging the logic of his statement and nodded with that determination he so cherished.
"To the Black Mage Village then."
***
The bright light that emanated from inside the doorway stung her eyes as the door fell open. As she slowly adjusted to the brightness, the black contours in front of her came into sharper focus.
There stood Blank; face tan, hair red. The same as he'd always had been, save for a change of clothes and a web of fine lines about his eyes.
He glanced at her for a second, surprised and hesitant all at once. She stared over his shoulder into the room.
It was small and cramped with people. Vivi had plenty of friends to come see him off. The room was scarcely furnished, living-room and sleeping quarters where combined. For Garnet the notion of such a modest living space was outlandish, but it suited him in a way. He had no need for grand halls, only a small candlelit room filled with friends.
Friends that had not yet noticed her.
"It's really quite simple. Dying. I used to be so scared, remember?"
"…yes… I remember."
"Do you…do you recall the cargo ship that took us to Lindblum. All those mages…my brothers… they refused to step aside. Or Dagger's mom. When we left on her escape pod back to Mist Continent, and…we brought her body with us?"
"I remember Vivi. I remember it all."
"Tell us," another voice uttered from a corner. Garnet could glimpse the telltale signs of purple hair even through the darkness, but the voice was so soft she barely recognized it. "Tell the story Vivi. For those that weren't there."
Eiko understood its purpose, Garnet supposed. Maybe Zidane did not. Maybe he was too distraught to comprehend its meaning. They all gathered closer around, listening to the anecdote. Blank stepped quietly aside, granting her access into the room.
She was left standing at the door, not certain where to go. She did not want to interrupt the story, nor bring about the fight that was sure to come once Zidane saw her. So she did not move, but stood awkwardly a few paces away, listening intently to Vivi's story.
***
I don't know why Bahamut attached the one who summoned him. But we found Brahne on the beach, next to her escape pod. She could hardily move, and I thought she would come to a stop any second.
I hate Kuja a lot… But I hate Brahne a lot too…
…So much that I wanted this to happen to her.
I should be happy, but… Once I saw Dagger start to cry, I didn't know how I should feel. I kind of wanted to cry, too…
The Queen was lying spread eagled in the sand, her belly protruding upwards into the air. I couldn't see her face, only the ragged movements of her labored breathing. Her formidable figure had made a slant in the sand, as though she was slowly sinking down. Down beneath the earth.
Dagger, so slight in comparison, was kneeling beside her.
"…I…can hear…my daughter's voice."
"Yes mother. I'm here."
She looked as though she wanted to touch. To grab hold and with physical force hold her still, making sure she would not sink further. But she dared not touch for fear of injuring her. So she only leaned inn a little closer.
"Right here."
"I…I am empty now. Free… free… of that… terrible… greed."
With every word there was a pause as she drew a new breath. Even as she was speaking, her voice got weaker.
"Mother…"
"I haven't… felt this way… since I saw that play… with you… and your father. I led… Alexandria… down… the path… of ruin... The people… will be… happier… with you… on the throne…"
How right she was. And yet the crushed expression that marred Daggers features, made it seem so wrong. It wasn't her time yet. It wasn't her place. But she only nodded, as her mother stopped breathing, as her belly came to its ragged halt.
We went back to Alexandria in queen Brahne's escape pod. We also brought…Dagger's mother with us. She kept gazing at it the entire way back, as if asking, begging, for her help. Those dark eyes so scared, so confused.
***
"It used to be so scared of death. Of just stopping…like her… like my brothers."
Vivi was lying in his bed, buried beneath sheets and blankets. He bore his hat as always, the only visible feature being his eyes. Their glow was dimmed to only a pale, flickering light.
"Vivi! Stop this! You may not die at all."
It was Freya, kneeling by his bed. She appeared calm, stoic. Yet her words betrayed her. Unraveled the sorrow and denial underneath. Garnet would see to it that she would not be wrong.
She couched; a weak, dry sound, a pathetic call for attention. But it worked. Every face in the room turned towards her; Zidane, Vivi, Freya, Eiko, Blank, even Amarant skulking in the corner. Vivi's sons where there too, but she'd never been introduced to ether of them.
Flickering candle lights by the walls and nightstand gave the scene a suitably dramatic atmosphere. The shadows hovered on every face, carving out their features. A wall of shock and incredulity met her and none of them made any effort to conceal it.
Her old self-consciousness returned with full force, eyes wavering uncertainly before they settled on Zidane. He had been waiting, she knew. Waiting by the window for three days. She could spot the stool he'd been sitting on. It was no comfortable throne, but then again he'd only been using it for three days. Not ten whole years. Still, he had been waiting for her. Believing in her. Yet now that she was there he looked just as thunderstruck as the rest of them. Eyes a little glazed, glimmering in the candle light. His hair was mussed, with dark rings underneath his eyes. Eyes that stared and stared, as she walked across the room and sat by the foot of the bed.
"Vivi," she whispered, stretching out her arm and grabbing his tiny hand. "Don't welcome death quite yet. I might be able to help."
"Dagger!"
It wasn't Vivi, but Eiko's enthusiastic voice that responded.
"Oh, I can't believe you're here. We didn't think you would come. Oh, I'm so sorry for last time. I really am. Do you think you can help-"
"I believed you would," Vivi's weak whisper interrupted his energetic friend. She silenced down, eyes returning to him.
And still Zidane had not yet spoken.
"Thank you."
Squeezing his hand a little harder before letting go, she got out her Rod.
"I cannot be certain if this will help…"
"It's okay," he mumbled. "No pressure."
Feeling the corners of her mouth turning upwards despite the situation, she began preparing herself. Emptying her mind wasn't as easy as it had been. Especially given that a whole room was staring intently at her, all pinning the last of their hopes on her failing abilities.
She turned the Rod in her hands. They shook slightly from the pressure, no matter what Vivi said. Once she had been able to feel the sparks of magic respond in her mind from just laying hand on her weapon. It was all empty now. Dark. She reached out. Searched for that responsive tug that told her she had found it.
Summoning forth the cura-spell took longer than it should have. And like the cure-spell and the summoning, it utterly exhausted her. The silvery sparks that danced about her and Vivi drained her, as if drinking dry the pool that was her strength.
As the sparks dimmed she noticed her eyes had squeezed shut in the effort, little beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open to be met by Vivi's. Her heart fell as she saw the paleness of his eyes, only made a little stronger by the spell. The alteration was minuscule, not nearly enough to make the least of difference. But only she new that.
"Oh, it's working! How're you feelin', Vivi?"
"Well done, Garnet."
Freya rewarded her by a light touch on the shoulder. They had all tensed up, suddenly sitting that much straighter, everyone seized by sudden hope. All except Zidane. He looked the same; grim, sad, his mouth a straight line. And still he did not speak.
"A little better," Vivi answered Eiko who hovered over his bed, giddy with overflowing joy.
"Thank you."
But Vivi also new that it was not enough. Not nearly.
"Maybe you should do it again. Or that other spell, y'know," Blank exclaimed, met with a chorus of approval. Every head was once again directed at her, all eager faces lit. Did they not see her exhaustion? Did they not notice the drag of her eyelids when she blinked, the slump of her shoulders, the dimness of her eyes that was so utterly outshone by those hopeful ones that met hers.
She met the eyes of her former lover, usually blue like a cloudless sky, now faint like hers. He knew. He knew her better than anyone, knew that if she had not yet healed the mage it was because she couldn't. Yet still he did not speak.
Pushed on by their hope and trust, she gathered the Rod for another attempt.
"I think you must use curaga. Perhaps even curaja. It's okay, I've got some ether if you need it," Eiko urged her on.
As she was concentrating on the spell, trying to rid any stray thought from her mind, she knew why. He was punishing her. Zidane was punishing her. For she may have been waiting by that window for ten years, but she had never given him a reason to stay once he'd come.
He had been waiting for her. Sitting by the window, watching the trail, listening for footsteps that resembled hers. She he would forgive her eventually, but right now she was being punished.
They all expected her to save Vivi. And all of them would, on some level, hold her to blame when she could not. After all, she'd once defeated the great Necron with her spells and summons. This should be easy. And he did not speak up, warning them that she was greatly weakened, that she would not be able to heal him.
He watched as she centered herself and held the Rod out. Watched as the golden sparks of the curaga-spell began to flow. Light burst and danced about them. Flowing and draining just as before. As the draining increased and the flowing slowed, the sparks dimmed. Or perhaps it was just her faltering vision.
The world grew black, darkness creeping up and swallowing it. She heard the staff hit the floor, as if it all happened far away.
And still he did not speak…
***
"…He's gone…"
A light brush through her hair and the familiar voice so close brought her back to consciousness.
"Vivi."
"I'm so sorry, Dag. There was nothing you could do."
His face was turned against the light that flowed through the open windows of the inn. His face was in darkness, a sharp contrast to the brightness of his hair. The sun caught every strand, reflecting it back with twice the force. It made him glow.
"No…There wasn't."
Her voice was hoarse with strain.
"It's okay. You did your best."
As her eyes fluttered shut, shielding her from the persistent light, she new she was forgiven. She was forgiven, and Vivi was gone.
