Duelist of Dawn: Welcome back, party people! (Audience cheers) And if you're new to the story; hello! Read and be welcome! It's been crazy! College work, volunteer work and job searching, man I need to relax! (Laughter)
Machina: Hey boss!
Duelist of Dawn: Hmm, oh Machina! What's good, tech man?
Machina: All good! I went over to Cyrus Truth's place and installed the security system like ya asked. Even got a bonus from the dude!
Duelist of Dawn: Very good! He's been having some trouble with some 'red-suited demon.' And it's freaking Santa Claus! (Audience gasps)
Machina: No wonder! I asked for a PSP with a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy game! Now I know where he's been last Christmas! (Pulls out a Machine Gun) I say we take the North Pole and burn the mother down! (Audience: oohs! And laughs among them)
Duelist of Dawn: Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, man! That security system should trap good ol' Saint Nick and our friend The Exile should be kicking his ass when it happens! And give that gun back! (Takes gun from Machina) What happen to the gun I gave you?
Machina: That Noisy Cricket from the MIBs? I felt like breaking that thing! But I got it. (Pulls out a tiny gun) (Audience laughs) Besides, how you get this?
Duelist of Dawn: Uh...Hey! Don't put this on me! Just take your payment from me for the week! (Hands Machina a paycheck)
Machina: Thank you sir! Mind if I help you with the starting festivities?
Duelist of Dawn: Sure! The Disclaimer's yours after my 'Thanking of the Reviewers' moment.
Machina: Sweet!
Duelist of Dawn: Okay, I bring thanks to the following reviewers: Rytir, lilypop8 (for my last two chapters), FF & STH, Hiiro Mizutani and Cyrus Truth! You are all good peoples! I have almost reached the 40th review mark! And I know this next chapter, oughta do it! Also pass it! And now, Machina will give out the Disclaimer!
Machina: The Duelist of Dawn does not own Final Fantasy 9, the characters or anything else of the game. All he does own is his OC Ron and any changes done to compensate his existence in the story.
Duelist of Dawn: Oh and this: I'll might be redoing chapter line ups like this: (B2: Ch 17) B= the story and Ch is chapter! Even though you guys have been keeping up, I think it's best to do that, just in case. Also, if you want to do an intro, like this, with me; send me a PM and we'll have some fun!
Machina: All right, your popcorn is ready!
Duelist of Dawn: Man, I got the habit ever since Cyrus came over. (Audience laughs) Anyway, let's start this chapter!
(Audience cheers)
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Book 2: Chapter 19
Judgement Day
(Alexandria-Dungeon Room) (3rd POV)
Alexandria's dungeon room; like all castle dungeons hold the criminals of their country. It was a coliseum-shaped prison where jail cells were set up in a circular fashion. It had to be about a hundred of them present! Well, hundred and one to be precise; one cell was basically a giant, suspended cage where Steiner and Marcus are locked up and being guarded by Alexandrian knights. When they got to the underground of Alexandria, they along with Dagger were trapped by Zorn and Thorn. They had her locked up in her room, while Marcus and Steiner are in the place they're in now.
"How dare they imprison us like this!?" Steiner yelled. "Those wretched court jesters! Zorn and Thorn will never get away with this!"
Marcus sighed. "I can't believe I got dragged into this."
Steiner looked at him with annoyance. "No one asked you to meddle in our affairs!"
"I gotta say, it's pretty sad, gettin' backstabbed by your own queen." Marcus said nonchalantly.
Steiner growled. "This is all some kind of mistake! I know the queen! She would never betray me!"
"Wishful thinking, dude!" Marcus retorted. "If you knew her as well you say you do, she wouldn't be locking you up! And besides, who knows what she's gonna do to the princess..."
Steiner fell silent for a moment after hearing that. "...... I must save the princess at all costs!"
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(Meanwhile, in the princess's room...)
Dagger sits in her bed after, being told to stay in her room by Zorn and Thorn until the Queen arrives. She starts thinking about her current position... "I wonder if Mother will even listen to me..." She wonders, walking around her room. "Why did she attack Burmecia? And why did she arrest us like this?" She said that a little harshly, and then calmed herself down. "I must be sincere with her. She hasn't been herself lately... Actually, she's been acting rather strange since my birthday last year. The same day that tall man visited us... Maybe he had something to do with it..." She gasped. "Come to think of it, that was when things began to change." She realized. "Doctor Tot left Alexandria shortly afterwards, too. What happened on that day?"
While she was figuring that out, Zorn and Thorn opened the door and walked up to her.
"Queen Brahne summons you!" Zorn says.
"Come with us!" Thorn follows.
Dagger noticed something wrong with how they said that; she was being ordered by her servants as if she was a common girl.
"What!?" And it got her angry. "How dare you speak to me like that!?"
"Quiet!" Zorn silenced her.
"With us, you are coming, and that is that!" Thorn added.
Dagger thought back to when she, Ron and Zidane saved Vivi in Dali...'What was that phrase again...? Oh yeah.' And out loud she said... "Get off me, you scumbag!"
Zorn looked at Dagger strangely before addressing his partner. "What was that? I do not understand."
Thorn had the same expression as Zorn before answering. "Understand what she said, I do not, either."
They decided enough was enough...
"Enough! Now come with us!" They shouted and pulled her out of the room.
(Minutes later...)
Inside the Queen's chambers, Queen Brahne had returned from Burmecia after noticing that the survivors, including the king of Burmecia, had fled to Cleyra. She knew that any resources she had currently, couldn't get past the sandstorm that protected the giant tree. So she went straight to Plan B...
"Hurry up!"
"For so long, the queen has waited."
She saw that Zorn and Thorn had done what she had ordered her to do.
Dagger enters the room and bows to her mother.
(Play Beyond the Twilight form Final Fantasy IX)
"Mother..." She greets.
Brahne looked at her with a relived expression, and if you looked closer... a greedier one as well. "Darling, there you are. Where were you? I've been worried sick. Here, come closer."
Dagger obliged and walked up to her.
"Mother, there is something I need to ask you." Dagger addressed her.
"What is it, darling?" Brahne asked in a motherly tone. "I will tell you anything you wish to know."
"Did you... Is it true that you are responsible for the destruction of Burmecia?" Dagger finally asked.
"Oh... Well, no wonder you look so concerned." Brahne said. "That is far from the truth, Garnet. You see, those Burmecian rats have been planning to destroy Alexandria for some time. I couldn't just wait for them to attack and destroy our precious kingdom. So, I had no choice but to take the initiative."
Dagger wasn't convinced. 'Why is she lying?' She thought. 'I remember when that dying Burmecian soldier said that HE was suddenly attacked by the Black Mages.' She had to be sure... "Mother, is that really the truth?"
"Of course. I would never lie to my only daughter." Brahne said. And that was when Dagger noticed the glint in her mother's eye, she WAS lying!
"I don't believe you!" Dagger shouted startling Brahne.
"Oh, darling, what's wrong?" She pretended to look heartbroken. "Why wouldn't you believe your own mother?"
"Because I know for a fact that you ARE behind Burmecia's invasion!" Dagger said, angrily. "I saw the factory in Dali!" Brahne gasped. "I saw all the black mages being built AND I saw that their transport's symbol: Alexandria's!"
"Well, I..."
"May I play a part in this act?" Brahne's next line, was interrupted by Kuja's appearance.
"Act?" Dagger asked.
"Yes, an act from a beautiful play..." Kuja got into a narrating voice. "There is a knight on a white horse.." He raises his hands towards himself. "...and a beautiful princess." He then gestures to Dagger. "It is a tale of tragic love. Overcome by grief, the princess must sleep for a hundred years..."
Dagger gasps as she remembers the man before her...
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(Flashback to the Auction House in Treno)
Oh... This must be the auction house." Dagger says looking around the place. It had a large, red carpet covering the floor and the plase itself, looks like the interior of a church, it even has a chandelier and balconies. "Maybe I can find the Supersoft here...Hmm?"
Dagger looks up to a balcony and sees a man watching the auction as well. An androgynous man in white with long, silver hair.
(End Flashback)
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"You..." Dagger steps back a bit. "I've seen you before..."
Kuja smiles in a sinister fashion. "It appears we were destined to meet again." He proceeds to walk towards her. Dagger tries to get away but is held securely in place with her arms behind her. She turns around to see Queen Brahne with her own sinister smile which terrifies her as Kuja steps up to her. "My sweet angel, the time has arrived. I will take you to a world of dreams."
Kuja waves his hand and casts a spell over Dagger which sends her to a deep sleep. He then flicks of strand of hair from his face and says, "She is beautiful, even in sleep."
"Hmph, impudent little girl." Brahne says, looking over Dagger's sleeping form. "No matter, I'll have what I want from her soon." She then turns to the jester duo. "Zorn, Thorn! Prepare to extract the eidolons from Garnet."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" They say together.
(End Music)
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(Unknown Location in Alexandria)
(Play The Extraction From Final Fantasy IX)
Sometime after, deep in the castle bowels, Zorn and Thorn hover over a sleeping Garnet, lying on a raised platform.
"A belated happy birthday, Princess. Hee-hee-heee!" Zorn laughs.
"Sixteen years old, the princess has become." Thorn says. "Draw the eidolons from her, finally, we can."
They take their positions on both sides of Dagger's form and charge their magic and begin to chant the extraction spell...
Zorn: "Eidolons of eternal life!"
Thorn: "Eidolons of eternal power!"
They raise their hands and waved them over Dagger's body...
"Depart after a 16 year sleep!"
"Depart after a 16 year wait!"
Blue light comes from under and around Dagger, while Zorn and Thorn switch places by flipping around the platform to strengthen...
"Let there be light!"
"Let there be life!"
The blue light expands in circles as red sparkles start to appear from Dagger's body as Zorn and Thorn switch places again...
"The time has come!"
"The time is now!"
Dagger starts rising in mid-air as Zorn and Thorn continue to charge magic in their right arms...
"Come forth!"
"Odin, warrior of the dark!"
White sparkles go into her body and red spiral sparkles come out, extracting a Dark Matter substance from her, which is now hovering...
"Come forth!"
"Atomos, demon of gravity!"
The red spirals now extract a purple colored gemstone called.
"Come forth!"
"Bahamut, king of dragons!"
Now the spirals extract a dragonic seedling...
The process continues...
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(Cleyrian inn) (Ron's POV)
After the disappearance of the sandstorm, I went back to the inn to rest.
'Dammit!' I thought worriedly. 'With the sandstorm gone, Cleyra's going to get ransacked by Alexandria! I remember that they want the jewel on the harp...Then they are going to blow Cleyra sky high!' I stood up from my bed and proceed to the lower floor. 'I gotta help out...'
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(Observatory) (3rd POV)
Freya was inside the observatory, contemplating on the sandstorm's disappearance as well.
'I won't let Brahne harm my people anymore!' She thought. 'I will defend my people, no matter what she brings to the fight!'
"Hey Freya!" She turns around to see Zidane running up to her. "What are you doing here?"
"Tell me. Why do you think the sandstorm disappeared?" Freya asks.
"I don't know. I was surprised that there even was a sandstorm."
Freya sighs. "Did you know the sandstorm was here for a thousand years...? And in all that time, it never disappeared, not even once. Perhaps Brahne is behind all this."
"Actually, I'm more concerned about who that guy with Brahne in Burmecia was." Zidane says. "He might have the same type of magic that did this."
"That man... I wonder who he was..." Freya wonders. "...... Zidane, I'm going to head down to find out why the sandstorm disappeared."
"Hey, I was thinking the same thing! Let's go together. I'm gonna find Ron, Vivi and Quina. I'll meet you at the town entrance." He runs off to find the people in question.
Freya takes the time to reflect on certain things before leaving...
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(Outside the Cathedral) (Ron's POV)
I walked on up to cathedral to try to talk to the King and High Priest when...
"Ron!"
I turned around to find Quina and Vivi running up to me.
"What's up guys?" I asked them.
"We were wondering what you were doing." Vivi said.
I turned to the cathedral as I spoke. "I was going to talk with the King and High Priest about something." I faced Vivi and Quina again. "If Brahne comes, I need to find out about what they could want from this place, and protect it before they get it."
"Why?" Quina asked.
"I believe that once Brahne has this important item, she'll completely destroy Cleyra!" I said.
Vivi and Quina gasped at my relevation.
"There you are!"
Zidane came up to approach us.
"We're going with Freya to head down the trunk." He told us.
"What for?" Vivi asked.
"We're trying to find out what caused the sandstorm to disappear." He said. "So let's go." Vivi and Quina were following, until they noticed I wasn't. "Ron, come on! Move your butt!"
"I think I should stay." I said.
"What!? Why?" Zidane asked.
"Think about it..." I said as I pointed up to the sky. "Now that the sandstorm's gone, we could be attacked from the sky as well!"
"That couldn't happen," Zidane said. "Those guys can only enter here from the bottom, so if anyone from Alexandria comes up, we smash 'em up! I mean, come on even if they could enter from the sky, what're they going to do jump? Plus, this place doesn't have an airship dock!"
"Well, you're right about one thing," I said. "They can come from the bottom, but they could have a way of getting down without landing, I just don't know how..."
Zidane looked thought for a moment. "Hmm, well if you're sure..."
"I'm positive; the land attack could be a chance to lure us away from town, so the real assault can begin!" I said.
"Okay, I'm still not sure about what you're doing, but I'll let you do what you have to do." Zidane said. "We need to do whatever we can to save Cleyra."
"Thank you." I said, and then I turned to Quina. "Quina, I need to stick around with me; Vivi, Zidane and Freya will be okay together, but I know if something does happen here while they're gone, I need backup."
"Right!" Quina said, raising her fork.
"Well, we got a plan!" Zidane said. "Vivi, let's meet up with Freya."
"Okay." Vivi nodded, and turned to me and Quina. "Be safe, you guys."
I patted Vivi on the head. "You stay safe yourself, little man."
He nodded and left with Zidane to the entrance.
"What we do now?" Quina asked me.
"Let's go see the High Priest, I need to ensure something." I said. We both walked into the cathedral.
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(Cleyra's Entrance) (3rd POV)
Zidane and Vivi raced down to the entrance in no time flat. After, taking the tour they knew all the shortcuts to each destination they chose, now they had to wait for...
"Hey Freya, what took you so long?" On cue, Freya showed herself.
"Sorry, I had to get some things..." She pulled out her new weapon, a bronze spear, with a hook-looking point at the top. But the she noticed, they are two heads short. "Where's Quina and Ron?"
"Ron thinks that Alexandria could attack from land and sky, so he decided to stay topside." Zidane informs her.
"Good thinking." Freya said.
"Alright, let's get going." Zidane says going down the trunk.
"I couldn't find Puck on my way down here..." Vivi said. "I wonder if he went down the trunk?" He then runs after Zidane.
"I failed Burmecia...but I won't fail Cleyra, no matter what." Freya says to herself.
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(Back with Ron and Quina)
Quina and I made our way to the top of the cathedral to find King and High Priest talking to each other.
"Excuse, Your Majesty, High Priest ma'am..." I addressed them and bowing as they noticed me and Quina.
"Ah, Freya's friends!" The King said. "What can I do for you?"
"Does your town have any escape hatches here?" I asked.
"Yes, why?" The high priest asked. I felt a wave of relief after she said that.
"Yes!" I excitedly, but regained my composure. "Sorry!"
"It's quite alright, but why may I ask if there are any escape tunnels?" The King asked.
"Because, I believe when the enemy gets here," I began. "And get something that they want from you, they'll likely destroy the place to wipe out any survivors."
Both of them gasped. "How's that possible? The only possible way to town is up the trunk, I've already setup reinforcements to blockade the entrance!" The king said.
"With Black Mages using the magic they posess, they'll find a way to bypass all of that and hit the town." I said. They looked worried. "Where's the escape tunnels?"
"It's at the entrance room of this cathedral." The high priest explained. "The tunnels were made 300 hundred years by our ancestors just in case if anything bad were ever to befall our home."
"Well, not to be rude, but this qualifies as a major bad thing!" I told them. "Since the Burmecians were chased here, and the Cleyrians were descended from them, you're gonna get the same treatment."
"So, what do we do?" The king asks.
"Since your forces have assembled already, I'll sneak the townsfolk here to get them to the tunnels." I inform them. "Quina will back me up; I'm fast enough to get around, but Quina's going to have to be my wingman, or this case wing-woman to fight off any enemies."
"Okay, go help our people!" The high priest said. I nodded.
"Quina, let's go!" I said.
"Ron?" Quina asked.
"Yeah."
"Is wingman and wing-woman good food?" Quina asked.
"Oh..." I slapped my forehead, this was going to be harder than I thought... "It's a term for partner, a comrade in battle, a friend to put it simply."
"So I friend?" Quina asked, pointing to yourself.
"Yeah; granted we haven't known you long but ya know we should be grateful to you." I said.
"Huh?"
"You really have no reason behind helping us, and yet you are." I tell her. "I mean, you could've just said no to the offer to join, back at your home."
"I do what I want!" She yelled suddenly "You have problem?"
"No, no!" I said. "I'm saying 'thank you' for your help."
"Okay!" Quina said.
We decided to get the people who can't fight to the cathedral first; the less innocents dying, the better. I reached the plaza and got the attention of every able listener.
"Everyone, may I please have your attention!?" I yelled, getting a crowd going, small though but it could expand. "Listen, with the sandstorm down, we have to get every Burmecian and Cleyrian that does not fight, to the cathedral."
"Why's that?" I heard someone asked.
"The enemy is coming to..."
"AAAAHHHHH!!!!"
I heard a blood-curdling scream from my right and saw a Cleyrian being chased by a black mage. I rushed in and crushed it with an Air Stomp Drill and it disintegrated in black mist. I was lucky that one hit took it out, but it was just one; more was on the way.
"Was that the enemy?" A Burmecian child asked.
"Yeah, more are coming." I told them earning collective gasps from the crowd. "Okay, all Burmecian soldiers, prepare for battle! My friend Quina will help you out!"
"What about you, you can stop all these black mage things by yourself!" A solider said.
"One, yes. A whole army of them, I'll be asking to die!" I shouted. "I'll do my best to keep the rest of the people from being attacked while leading them to safety. Now all civilians, please enter the inn, I can escort a few of you at a time."
"AAAAHHH!!!"
People screamed as they pointed up as the multi-colored lights were being dropped down from the sky.
"Here we go! Everyone get ready!" I shouted as the lights dropped to the ground and materialized into 5 black mages. But these were different than the ones in Burmecia; they had the same kind of hat, but they wore purple and red sweaters now. Type B black mages.
"KILL!" They shouted.
"This is it, let's hope we get out of this alive." I muttered as I balled up my fists and got ready to fight...
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(With Zidane, Vivi and Freya)
Zidane led Freya and Vivi down the trunk, so far no more monsters showed up. They must have left when the sandstorm did, like the Zuus and Dragonflies were able to fly away, and with lack if sand, the sand golems and scorpions wouldn't have a place to hide and wouldn't provide good pre-emptive strikes.
"I hope Ron and Quina will find away to defend the town." Freya hoped. "There are only a handful of soldiers in Cleyra; the rest are in Lindblum or who knows where!"
"We're just gonna have to hope that Ron's plan rolls through." Zidane said. They reached the spot where the giant scorpion was but found...
"Alexandrian soldiers!" Two soldiers leapt off the ledges and charged. Zidane and Freya flipped over them and struck them down on their blind spots. Vivi then use a Bilzzara spell to freeze them in place.
"Well, I was right about them coming up the trunk." Zidane said. "This is the only way, the soldiers can come up."
They proceed further down fighting off two person squads of Alexandria soldiers, unusually easy, I know but that's how it was until they reached the bridge. When they all arrived, Freya stops the group.
"A moment, Zidane." She says. "Those Alexadrian soldiers back there... Weren't they too few in numbers to constitute a determined attack?"
"Well..." Zidane tried to look back and found out she was right. "Yeah, I thought so, too."
"There you are!"
Vivi turns around to see Puck running into him.
"Ow!" They both said as they collided. But Puck was able to get up quickly and run to Freya.
"Freya! The town's in trouble! Ya gotta come back, please!" He pleaded. "Your friends are putting up a good fight, but they can't last much longer!"
Freya gasped. "No! My fears were true! At once, my lord!" She ran back up the trunk.
"C'mon, you deadweights! Hustle!" Puck yelled at Zidane and Vivi, who was now getting up.
"You heard him, Vivi! Let's go!" Zidane said as he, Vivi and Puck run back up the trunk to go back. But as they run back, they just miss Beatrix' appearance from behind as she smirks and flips her hair back.
"Ha! They fell for it!" She says triumphantly. "All right, soldiers! Attack!" At her command, more Alexandrian soldiers by the dozen came after.
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(Ron's POV) (Town Plaza)
Things were not looking good for me, Quina and the Burmecian army. I was only able to get about five people safely to the cathedral. After that, the Black mage armies were continuing to pile up! The rest of the survivors took shelter in the inn. We all put up a good fight, but now we were backed into a corner. We had three wounded soldiers, one knocked out and the rest were killed by the spells. In my current state, I had to resort to using my abilities, even use the Drain Punch technique to save Quina up on magic. Even then, we were both exhausted to the point of being ambushed by the remaining Black mages. If they got through, they'll burn down the inn...
"Man...How did I let...this happen?" I asked myself. I turned to see Quina sitting down, breathing heavily.
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(Flash back)
"KILL!!!" The Black mages advanced charging magic as they ran. I got first jump and Dragon Kicked one of the stairs, sliced open one black mage and threw it into another. Quina followed up using a blue magic technique called 'The Frog Drop." It's just as the name implies, a frog drops in on the enemy and crushes them flat. And this frog was about 2 tons to take them out like that. Afterwards, three more on each side appeared and got the drop on two soldiers, killing them. I got so pissed off, I used Thunder Blade on the first three and cut them open. Quina used Matra Magic to soften the rest of them up before the remaining soldiers struck them down to black mist.
Without a hitch, seven more showed up and wounded some soldiers and knocked out one, leaving Quina to storm them down again. I used the Drain Punch to restore my health and used Ice Tomb to skewer three more. Quina used her fork to stab one and used it as a battering ram and knocked them off the tree. The final one, on the fork, was stabbed to death, oozing in black mist.
That's what left us exhausted when five mages appeared on the bottom steps and walk towards us...
(End Flashback)
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"Damn you Brahne, Kuja..." I muttered as I waited for the end...
"THUNDARA!"
The Black Mages were getting fried by numerous lightning bolts that Vivi casted as Zidane and Freya chopped them down with swift strikes. Puck came in from behind when the battle was over.
"Ha! They got nothin' on me!" Zidane yelled.
"Are you both alright?" Freya said, checking on me and Quina.
"I could be better." I said.
"Here, drink..." Freya handed me a hi-potion and I drunk it down. I was able to stand up, but I was still sore from the beatings. At least the exhaustion passed... "How are you now?"
"Better." I said. "Where's Quina?"
I turned to the side seeing Quina looking as fit as a fiddle as Vivi and Zidane helped her up.
"How's everyone else?" Zidane asked.
"I just got five people to the cathedral with the king and high priest, there are 8 left in the inn and the rest ran up to the cathedral, in the commotion. The rest died during the numerous black mage drops, I'm sorry, Freya." I said.
"You tried your best, at least you able to warn my people of the attack and saved some." Freya consoled me.
"Yeah." I said.
"Okay, we can pat each other on the back later!" Zidane said. "We need to get to the cathedral!"
Vivi and Puck came out the inn with the remaining civilians. "Let's move!" Puck shouted. He, Freya and Zidane led the front as Quina, Vivi and I defended the rear. We all ran upstairs and found the oracles from the entrance.
"Enemies are on their way up!" Zidane warns them. "How about your side?"
"The Burmecians are fighting back, but the demons keep coming..." The tree oracle says.
"We fled, unable to resist any longer..." The sand oracle adds.
All of us were mad, sad and worried at the same time. "Damn those Alexandrians!" Zidane cursed.
"What are we to do...?" The oracles ask.
"Let's head to the left!" Puck yells with everyone following. We all head right into the windmill area with three possible ways to go... We see the family of solider Dan running up the stairs. His wife Learie came to me and asked...
"Excuse me... Have you seen my husband?" The wife asked.
"Yeah, he's hurt but safe in the cathedral." I say. The family was overjoyed at the news.
"Daddy's still alive!"
"Yaay!"
"Thank you, I hoped I could see my husband again!" Learie said with tears of joy. But the happiness is cut short when footsteps are heard coming up the stairs.
"Hurry, tell us!"
"Which way to go!?"
Both children ask us.
"Let's see..." Puck muttered. "Cross the bridge on the right!" The civilians with Puck, Freya and Zidane escape in the intended direction as three soldiers advance up the stairs.
"Persistant bastards!" I shout. Quina, Vivi and I stay back to fight. The Alexandrians had only one way to fight as the rest of us had room to fight. But we cut it short when Vivi froze the stairs, causing them to slip and fall down the stairs. Luckily, I was told by a soldier that the only spell they knew was Blizzara, no way they'll come up.
"We can't hold them off forever!" I say as Quina, Vivi and I catch up to the rest of the people. When we reached the observatory I noticed most of the civilians were gone. I panicked until Freya spoke,
"They're already reached the cathedral thanks to Prince Puck, no one else came." I breathe softly as I heard that. Then the kids came up to us and asked us:
"Are we safe now?"
"No more monsters?"
I couldn't lie to these kids, they already had to endure people attacking them for no reason, and they need to hear this...
"We're not safe yet... There's always a chance more could appear."
"Waaa!!!""
"No!"
The children cried.
"I knew it wasn't over yet." The flower maiden Sharon appeared from the observatory with Water maiden Shannon.
"Huh? What are you guys still doing here?" Zidane asked them.
"We like this place very much." Shannon said as she and Sharon walked back in the observatory.
"Even though we have lost the soul-soothing view of the sandstorm..." Sharon said in a sad tone.
"Yeah, I think it's pretty, too." I said. "This whole town is pretty. And everyone here is so nice. That's why we all wanna protect you!" What I said, startled the maidens but they came out of hiding to join the rest of us. "C'mon, let's head to the cathedral. We can make our stand there!"
We all ran the last flight of stairs to reach the outside of the cathedral. I could hear the faint voices of the people inside the cathedral; must be trying to get out...
"So, these are the only survivors we picked up..." Zidane said as he looked around the people.
"I can't believe this had to happen..." Freya said.
"I don't think anyone would see me as a good person after all this..." Vivi muttered as well. Quina and I chose to stay slient.
"Where is the high priest?" Sharon asked.
"Where is the king?" Shannon also asked.
"Where's dad?"
"Where?"
The Burmecian children asked.
"I hope they're all safe inside the cathedral..." He said, trying to calm everyone down. Once he did... "Alright, everyone inside!"
We all start to head in, but three more multi-colored lights transported three black mage in front of the cathedral.
"They're back!" Vivi shouted. Shannon tried to run away but... "Yeeow!"
Three more black mages blocked her way as she runs back to us.
"Over there!" Freya shouts.
Sharon tries to run away this time but... "Aaaa!"
A trio of black mages blocks her way out, too. The nine black mages surrounded us getting ready to cast magic.
"Dammit! We're surrounded!" Zidane shouted.
"Shit! This is way bad!" I added.
"KILL!" The black mages shouted at the same time getting ready to fire.
"Dammit! We can't save 'em all!" Zidane shouted, as we all prepared for the worse...
"Minions of evil, you have gone too far!" A noble and righteous voice echoed over the area.
"Huh?" Zidane and I said at the same time.
Everyone, including the black mages turned to the top of the cathedral to see someone standing atop the cathedral's spire, with a dragon lance. He wore a grey hat with a brown feather over his teal hair but with his ears stick out the back. He wore a black shirt under his dark green coat with yellow sleeves. He also wore dark green cargo pants.
He jumped down from the spire and landed outside the circle of black mages.
"My spear will purge the land of you!" The stranger said. "You shall fall like leaves in the wind under the force of my blade!"
In a split-second, he disappeared and reappeared in the same spot. And when he stood up and stuck his spear to the ground, all 9 black mages disintegrated!
"Whoa!" I said, awed by his speed and strength.
"Now, run!" The stranger spoke breaking us out of the astonishment. All the civilians didn't need to be told twice as they ran inside the cathedral.
"Dunno who you are, but I owe you one!" Zidane said.
"Big time!" I added. Zidane, Vivi and Quina ran in next. I was about to follow until I noticed Freya didn't move an inch ever since that stranger came. "Hey Freya, let's go!" I tried to get her attention to no avail.
"F-Fratley..." She muttered with her voice breaking and tears falling from her eyes.
"Wait! That's Frately!?" I asked her.
"He's alive!" Freya said as Fratley jumped inside the cathedral, and she ran after him.
"I better get inside." I said walking in at last.
I was met with enjoyed laughter and family reunions inside the cathedral.
'That's how it's supposed to be." I smiled as I walked up the stairs seeing the high priest, the king, Zidane, Quina and Vivi staring off to the left.
"Guys..."
"Shhh!" I was cut off by Zidane as he pointed to Freya talking with Frately.
[Play Unforgettable Silhouette from Final Fantasy IX]
"Sir Fratley, I... I have missed you so much..." Freya began. I began my search for you immediately after you left Burmecia. Where have you been all these years...? To what corners of the world have you traveled?" She wondered as held her hands to heart. "My dear Fratley... I climbed the highest mountains only to hear rumors of your victories... I searched the deepest valleys only to find your footsteps. But I never found you. And in the end, I heard something..." She kneeled down. "Something unbearable!"
Fratley then walked towards her. "Freya, you say?" He said, but in a tone I didn't expect... "I believe this is the first time we have met..."
'What!?' I was alarmed by that fact, while we were at Burmecia, she was speaking about him all the time. Now he shows up and doesn't remember her...Oh man...
"What...did you just say?" Freya was on the verge of crying.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot remember you for the life of me..." Fratley spoke in a sincere tone.
Freya couldn't believe it. Hell, I bet everyone in this room couldn't believe it. "Y-You jest! You cannot have forgotten me! It's me, Freya! Freya of Burmecia!!"
Fratley shook his head softly. "I am sorry..."
"No..." Freya finally broke down and cried. 'To be forgotten is worse than death' is right... as much as that hurt, it was true after seeing it happen for the first time.
Zidane growled and ran up to Fratley "Wait a minute! You can't be serious!" He pointed to Freya. "It's Freya, your lost love! How could you forget her!?" Fratley stayed silent. "Well, say something!!!"
"That is enough, Zidane..." Freya said regaining her voice but stayed on the ground kneeling.
Zidane was bewilidered. "What!!!? You've been searching for this guy for years, and now he's right here!"
"Fratley!" The king stood up and addressed him. "Do you remember me, the King of Burmecia?"
Fratley took a good look at him before answering... "Not at all, I'm afraid."
The King of Burmecia gasped at this. "Impossible! Have you forgotten everything that has passed!?" He asked. "Then let me ask you this: What brought you back to Burmecia? Is it not because you learned of the crisis in Cleyra, whose people are our brothers and sisters?"
"As a matter of fact..."
"As a matter of fact, I'll tell ya!"
Fratley was cut off by the appearance of Puck coming up the stairs
"Puck!"
"Prince Puck!"
"Lord Puck!"
"Puck!"
"Puck!"
Zidane, Freya, Fratley, the King and I (A/N: Excuse the pun) greeted him.
"I found Fratley during my travels around the world!" Puck informed us. "And you guessed it, he didn't know who I was! Or even who he was!"
'Whoa! That's a real bad case of amnesia he's got!' I thought as Puck continued his story on Fratley.
"But when Burmecia was attacked and he heard that Cleyra was in danger... His faint memories as a dragon knight called him back here!"
"Dragon knight..." Fratley muttered. "Yes, I was once called that... But now, that is all I can remember..."
"Fratley..." Freya muttered.
"I must go." Fratley jumps out the cathedral window and disappears in a single bound.
"Freya, aren't you gonna follow him?" I asked her.
Freya shook her head. "No... I am happy simply knowing Sir Fratley still lives."
Puck walked up to her. "I'm sorry, Freya." He said. "I knew you weren't ready to see him, but with Cleyra under attack and all..."
Freya sighed. "I need no such courtesy, Your Highness."
Puck scratched his head at that. "Uh...well, I'm gonna go after Fratley! Later!"
Puck then runs off, zooming past Vivi who didn't have the time to notice.
"Wait, Puck! I haven't seen you in ages!" The king shouted. But Puck was long gone...
Vivi got up and looked back at the stairs. "Wh-What? That was Puck?" He asked and turned around to see Freya kneeling down and in tears. "So what happened? What's the matter, Freya? Are you crying?"
"Ahahaha..." Surprisingly, Freya was laughing. "What irony. To find the man about whom I have dreamt endlessly... ...only to discover that he cannot even remember who I am! Come, Zidane, Ron! The enemy's hand has not been stilled! We must regroup!"
"Freya..." Zidane muttered.
"Eeeeek!"
(End Unforgettable Silhouette; Play The Wavering Blade (Beatrix Battles) from Final Fantasy IX)
We turn around to see...
"Eeeeek! Have mercy!"
The High Priest shrieking in fear as Beatrix appears and points her sword at her...
"Hmph! Pathetic rodents!" Beatrix says. "You fail to grasp the true power of this jewel!"
Beatrix cuts the red jewel from the harp loose and takes it as it falls into her hands.
"Our magic stone!" The High Priest cried.
"Now that I have this jewel, I am through with your city!" Beatrix jumps into the air, over our heads and runs down the stairs.
"Wait!"
"Halt, villain!"
"Get back here!"
Zidane, Freya and I shout after Beatrix as we, Vivi and Quina run after her. We run by the people inside the cathedral and I yell "Use the Escape hatch!" I hear the people proceed to do so.
'There goes one problem solved' I thought. 'Just wish it could've been everybody...'
We all continued the chase outside when Zidane shouted...
"Think you can get away?"
Beatrix heard this and stops running. "Get away?" She asks and turns around. "Hahaha. You're a bigger fool than I imagined...Have you forgotten how badly I beat you back in Burmecia?"
Freya pulls out her spear. "So, you are more of a fool for not finishing what you started!"
"You're gonna pay!" Vivi shouts readying his staff.
Quina pulls out her fork. "I find no tasties in this town, so we cook you for breakfast!"
"And last I checked, I left you whimpering before Kuja got to me!" I said, putting up my dukes.
"You!" Beatrix shouts at me. "You humiliated me, you trash!"
"Hey, you shouldn't have killed so many innocents during your stay at Burmecia." I retorted. "I'll be happy to show you why you shouldn't listen to your Queen!"
Beatrix gets furious. "Then allow me to shatter your delusions of grandeur, and I'll gladly kill you for questioning my Queen like that!"
Beatrix starts charging magic and readies it at me. "Shock!" But the target was...
"Vivi!" Zidane shouted as Vivi was thrown unconscious by the skill she threw. Zidane runs to his side to try and revive him...
"One of your combinations has been vanquished!" Beatrix declared.
"Dragon Kick!" I shouted as I delivered a flaming kick to her sword, as she raised it to block.
"Not this time!" Beatrix shouts.
"Lancer!" Freya took control of the general's distraction and charged in with her powered up spear and struck in the leg. I followed with a kick to the jaw and sent her down.
"Yeah!" I shouted. But Beatrix got back up and stood up, and had blood seeping from her mouth. She wiped it off with her right hand and looked at it with narrowed eyes. "What's the matter? You quit?"
"Far from it." She said in a low tone. "Guess I'll have to use this new spell after all..."
"Huh?" I asked.
"Cura!" White waves and blue light began to circle around her as the wound of her leg and mouth healed leaving her well again.
"Damn!" I muttered.
"Now you do you see it's hopeless?" Beatrix said. "I can keep taking any kind of punishment you give me, and I'll heal from it."
I scoffed at the statement. "Guess we'll have to keep pummeling you until you use up your magic." I rushed in to get in close to hit her, but she dodged and countered with a kick. While I was reeling from it, she rushed at me this time... "Thunder Slash!" The electricity danced on her blade as she brought it close to me.
"Thunder Blade!" I brought my left arm to create an electric scythe to block the hit, but she stopped and swung it under my arm and swatted it away before stomping my chest to the ground.
"Now die!" She pointed her sword down but was tackled by Freya. They rolled over and over until Beatrix pushed her off.
"Thunder Slash!"
"Lancer!"
The two female knights of opposing kingdoms charged at each other and passed each other as their skills hit each other. At first glance, it looked like nobody did anything until...
"Shock!"
Freya suddenly dropped to the ground as the light energy shot her from long distance, knocking her down.
"Freya!" Zidane shouted as he, Quina and I ran towards her, intending to triple team her. Beatrix brought up her sword to defend the three attack assault until...
"Split!"
Zidane hopped over her, I went left and Quina went right surrounding her in triangular formation.
"Improved your team tactics have you?" Beatrix asked. "You'll still fall to me again."
"We'll see!" Zidane says. "Ron now!"
"Ice Tomb!" I hit the ground send the ice path towards her and as expected, she jumps into the air at the opportune moment to avoid being skewered. But as she jumps, Zidane is in the air with her. They engage in a mid-air sword clash, testing the endurance of their metal weapons. As they quickly descend, Quina runs towards the falling battle. As Zidane see it coming, he pushes away from Beatrix just in time for Quina to belly bump her towards me.
"Aerial--!" I uppercut her back, sending her to the air about 10 feet, jump after her, "Drive!" And elbow her on the head, dropping her to the ground making a dust cloud build upon her impact on the ground.
"All right!" Zidane back flipped for joy. "She's finally put down!"
"Yay, plan work!" Quina said dancing around.
"At least I didn't do it on my own this time." I said catching my breath. "Zidane, get Freya, I'll grab Vivi."
Zidane walked up to Freya and as soon as he stood over her...
"Shock!"
A hand appeared out the dust and blasted Zidane from behind as he dropped to the ground near Freya.
"Ron! Zidane down!" Quina shouted to me.
I rushed next to Quina found out she wasn't lying about it.
"Damn you Beatrix!" I shouted as she stood up.
"So who's next?" Beatrix said, casting Cura again.
Quina charged up her blue magic and called, "Magic Hammer!" In a puff of pink smoke, Quina's fork changed into a giant magic mallet. With incredible strength none of us knew she possessed, she wielded the hammer and bopped Beatrix on the head with it. But strangely enough, she didn't get flatten, hurt, not even a sign of pain on her head...
"You're so pathetic; a giant hammer that can't do anything but a light tap on the head." Beatrix laughed.
"Hammer not meant to hurt..." Quina said. "Hammer meant to drain magic!"
"What!?" Beatrix shouted. "Shock!" The blade collected a shimmer of light, but it fizzled out. "No! Shock!" She growled. "Why you--!" She ran at Quina and slash furiously at her. Quina was dodging but from her movements, she wasn't going to last...
"I gotcha!" I shouted as I disrupted her slashes by pulling Quina back.
Beatrix then my furious as she charged up more power. "No more games."
"Uh oh." I said.
(Flashback)
"You're no match for me!" Beatrix says as she charges her blade. "Stock Break!" Zidane and the others turned to catch an orange shockwave blasting them down to the ground. "Ignorant fools." She looks over the fallen fighters who are gasping for air. "How ridiculously weak... Isn't there anyone who is worthy of facing me?" She says, bluntly.
(End Flashback)
"Stock Break!" She rushes at us with an orange aura covering her blade.
"Mighty Guard!" Quina thought fast and pulled out her ultimate defense spell, making us both have Protect and Shell over our bodies as we took the orange shockwave. I felt the attack send me to the ground as well as Quina. She caught the worst of it, being as Mighty Guard exhausts her magic power, me I was able to stand on one knee, catching my breath.
"I shall leave with the jewel now." Beatrix says, but from her voice, she doesn't have much in her either as she falls to her knee as well.
The battle ended there.
Zidane got up in time to see what the battle with her left. "She's t-too powerful!" He let out.
"Black mages, our work here is done." Beatrix says. "Commence withdrawal immediately!"
A black mage comes behind her and creates a teleport sphere using its own body, before Beatrix goes in, she points her sword at me.
"If you survive, the next battle will be our last!" She declared.
"Yeah, and make sure you do it of your own free will instead of being blind to your queen!" I shout back.
Beatrix then jumps into the sphere as it flies away from Cleyra. Everyone takes some kind of potion as they get up to see the sphere.
(End music)
"Hey, they disappeared!" Zidane shouts. "What now, Freya?"
Freya looks at the sky. "Good question..." She ponders. Just then, a black mage appear behind Zidane. "Zidane! Look out behind you!"
He turns around only to see the black mage become a teleport sphere...
"There! I'm gonna follow 'em! Everyone follow me!" Zidane says as he jumps into the sphere before it dissipates, and he zooms off into the horizon, too.
Vivi screamed. "Zidane! He's gone!"
"Calm down, Vivi." I said. "He just teleported. Beatrix wouldn't use it if it did anything bad to her."
"Hmm..." We turned to Freya as she spoke. "I highly doubt I will return to this place... Besides, this may be your last chance to find the truth about who you are... Come, Vivi! Show us your courage!"
Freya jumps into the next teleport sphere as the black mage comes up near her.
"Oh no... Freya's gone, too!" Vivi shouts. Then another black mage appeared, but stayed still. I knew what was going on...
"Vivi, you coming with?" I asked my black mage friend. "We need to get to Freya and Zidane."
"Okay, nothing bad will happen right?" He asked.
"I'll make sure." I held out my hand to him. And he took it. "Quina, let's go."
Quina shook her head. "I no like heights..." And she hightails it out of there, with impressive speed.
"Quina!!" I shout, but she's long gone. I bowed my head a little, hoping she'll survive the big bang that's sure to come... "You better be at the marsh when I get there..." I muttered. "Let's go, Vivi!" I ran into the sphere, with Vivi hanging on to me and we follow Zidane and Freya trail...
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
(3rd Pov) (An airship in the sky)
Meanwhile, up on a red airship called the Red Rose, as it looms over Cleyra somewhere, Brahne sits on the front deck. She watches as the last of the teleports spheres
Reach her airship...
"It's time..." She says. "Without her summoning powers, Garnet is helpless and useless to me." She holds up the Dark matter... "With this Dark Matter, I now hold the power to summon an eidolon." She thinks back to Kuja's words...
(Flash back) (Queen's Room)
After the eidolon's were extracted successfully from her daughter's body, Queen Brahne is approached by Kuja.
"The process was a success, I hope?" He asks.
"Yes, I have the power of the long extinct summoner's tribe!" She laughs triumphantly. "Will I truly be able to summon the powers without being of their blood?"
Kuja laughs lightly. "Do not fear, Your Majesty... You hold their symbol, that's all you need to call forth the great beasts..."
(End Flashback)
"Now, I'll find out if Kuja's claims are true. Odin, come to me!!!"
On her call, the Dark Matter springs to life as it expands in the Queen's hands. The nearby soldiers look in awe as the matter shoots open a portal of darkness.
(Play Summoning to Destroy Cleyra from Final Fantasy IX)
And from that same portal, the frightening eidolon Odin appears on his horse Sleipner. Odin was a giant warrior with a bronze face with two horns out of his head. He wore a white and bronze armor and carried a massive lance called Gungnir that also looked like a sword. His horse, Sleipner was a six-legged animal made of the hardest ore stone imaginable. As he appears, he charges his sword with red lightning and throws his lance into the tree-town below. As soon as the weapon lands onto the tree, the lighting expands ripping the town and tree apart. Satisfied with the destruction, Brahne dismisses Odin and flies away.
To any people left behind or haven't escaped Cleyra, Rest in Peace...
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************
This has got to be the longest chapter I have ever made...
Hopefully I did a good a job, especially around the town attack.
Also, hope you like the latest battle with Beatrix, because the next one might comes as soon as you think...
Next time on Sorrow: As we escape on the Red Rose undetected (Scene of Ron and the Gang on the Red Rose)
We found out that Dagger's in grave danger! (Scene of Dagger still sleeping peacefully)
It's now a race to get to Alexandria, but how? (Scene of Ron and the gang near the teleport pods)
Next Chapter: To save a Princess from a Queen
Please Rate & Review! Until next time!
