CHAPTER 7:
ON THE DELICACY OF CONSENSUAL ABDUCTION
It was the day of Princess Garnet's birthday, and Amethyst had managed to slip out of the castle again, despite Brahne's admonishments. Quez and Siren, as usual, accompanied her. The town was busier than usual, with nobles from Treno and Lindblum coming to Alexandria. She found herself amused, as usual, by the annual antics of the Rooftop Brigade, the citizens who couldn't afford a ticket, so perched on the roofs of the houses to watch the play.
Even so, tonight was the night they intended to flee Alexandria. In fact, she looked up as a shadow passed overhead, and recognised it instantly as Tantalus' theatre-ship, the Prima Vista. Amethyst and Garnet's ticket to freedom.
Garnet had had another nightmare of their escape from Madain Sari this morning. Amethyst had tried her best to reassure her, but something within her considered the dream somewhat ominous.
So engrossed was she in her thoughts, that she didn't see the boy who ran into her until it was too late. They collided, and a ticket to the play was jarred from his hands. As she fell onto the ground, bruising her derriere (and her dignity into the bargain), she heard the kid say, "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," she said, getting to her feet, before she saw who she had collided with, and stared. She had seen (during her little secret sojourns to winkle out the secrets of Kuja) Black Mages, the golem sort that Kuja was making, dressed in robes and pointy hats, nothing visible of their faces barring glowing eyes. What she saw, sprawled on the cobbled ground in front of her, was a child version of them, dressed in a blue jacket and green striped trousers rather than the mahogany and purple of the others.
She froze, but only for a moment. As she picked the ticket off the ground, she frowned when she saw the ticket. Wait a moment, why is this for I Want to Be Your Crow? Amethyst thought. Oh, no, this is a fake.
"Hey, kid, where did you get the ticket from?" she asked.
"I bought it in Treno," the boy said. "I live n-n-near there. It cost a lot of gil."
"Well, kid, you lost that gil," Amethyst said. "It's a fake. Didn't you read it?"
"I…what?"
"Kid, the ticket says it's for a play called I Want to Be Your Crow. The play on tonight is I Want to Be Your Canary," she explained gently. Whatever apprehension she had towards the Black Mage kid had gone: the Black Mages she had seen were simple-minded at best, speaking only rarely, and never intelligently.
"No!" the kid howled in dismay.
"Sorry, kid, they aren't going to let you in. Treno, huh? That's pretty far to travel for a kid your age. Haven't you got any parents looking after you?"
"No. My grandfather d-d-died about a week ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Adoptive grandfather?" she asked.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Long story. Okay, kid, I don't think you're going to get much sympathy from the ticketmaster. He might give you some Tetra Master cards, but that's it. Luckily for you, I might be able to get you an interesting seat."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see. By the way, what's your name, kid?"
"Vivi. Vivi Orniter."
"The name's Rose. These two are my minders, Quez and Siren."
Speaking into her mind, Quezacotl said, This one is definitely like the Black Mages Kuja has created, but he's self-aware. I don't think he knows what he is, though. I am sensing no deceit from him. What do you intend to do?
Well, let's see if the poor kid might be able to see the play after all…
Vivi was certainly surprised when Amethyst got into the castle grounds, and made her way, briefly, to the Prima Vista. There, backstage, she found Ruby, who was holding forth with a teenaged boy with a shaggy mop of blonde hair, mischievous twinkling eyes…and was that a tail?!
Amethyst had seen him the last couple of productions, but hadn't really noted him that much at the time. This was the one Ruby had called Zidane.
"Ruby, got a problem that needs solving," Amethyst said.
Ruby whirled to look at Amethyst. "Hey, Princess, whut's up?"
"Princess?!" Vivi yelped.
"Yeah, sorry, Vivi. I'm actually Princess Amethyst til Alexandros IX. Anyway, Ruby, this kid got sold one of the fake tickets in Treno."
"Lemme see that here ticket," Ruby asked, and then took the ticket.
"Have we met?" Zidane asked.
"No, but you play your role quite well, Zidane," Amethyst said. There was something likeable about Zidane, as if he was full of boundless energy and joy.
"Ooh, a critic, and a pretty one at that, and royalty to boot," Zidane said with a smirk. "Well, I hope to entertain you, Princess."
"As long as it's through yer actin', and not yer flirtin'," Ruby said. She had a strong, strange accent, all drawling and loose. "But yeah, yer right, Princess. This here's a fake. Damned Treno scumbags. So, whut did y'all want me to do?"
"I wanted to ask if you could let Vivi watch from the wings," Amethyst said. "As a favour. I don't think the Queen would allow him onto the royal balcony. If it's money you're worried about…"
"Hey, I don't think Baku'd mind if it's just the one kid," Zidane said. "I'm sure he won't get in the way."
Ruby looked at Zidane. "Yeah, but Zidane, whut about the…" She indicated Amethyst with her eyes.
"It'll be fine."
Later that night, as the play started, Amethyst struggled to keep the anxiety off her face. The escape was soon to begin, once the fight against King Leo and his minions had concluded. Once they had done that, they would retire to their chambers, nominally to go to the toilet, but in reality, to get their hooded cloaks and start heading through the castle, ready to make their way to the Prima Vista. Garnet hit upon the idea of using the bunting, the flag-covered ropes, to swing across to the theatre-ship.
Soon, the fight against Leo was at an end, and as he limped away, and Blank confronted Zidane, Garnet and Amethyst stood, making their excuses, and leaving for their room. They met Steiner and Beatrix's eyes briefly, and received the faintest of nods in return. There was no going back now.
As they left their chambers, dressed in their hooded cloaks (Garnet dressed in a white number with red triangles lining it, and Amethyst wearing a black cloak), they were intercepted, by Zidane, dressed in the armour of a Pluto Knight. In the minutes they had been in their chambers, Zidane must have come inside, and stolen the armour of one of the Pluto Knights.
"Could you let us pass?" Garnet asked.
"Umm…wait a moment, have we met?" Zidane asked.
"I most certainly have not met you," Garnet said.
Zidane smiled, walking around them. "Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't have let someone as pretty as you get away."
"Quit with the flirting, Zidane," Amethyst said. "Why are you here?"
"Umm…that's a difficult question."
Suddenly, another Pluto Knight in full armour appeared, but spoke with Blank's voice. "What's going on, Zidane?"
Amethyst looked at her sister, before saying to the two, "Would you two do your duty and escort us where we need to go?"
Zidane and Blank looked at each other, before Zidane said, "Well, I guess."
They led Zidane and Blank to one of the towers, festooned with bunting, and with a good angle for them to end up on the Prima Vista. As they climbed the tower, Blank said, "We should've stuck with the plan."
"What plan?" Amethyst asked.
"Um, well…you see…" Zidane said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Were you going to kidnap us or something?" Amethyst asked. Judging by the way their mouths dropped open, that was exactly what they were going to do.
"Well, it is fortunate for you that we required your services," Garnet said with a smile.
"So why are we heading to the top of this tower?" Blank asked.
"Because we might be able to get onto your ship without being seen this way," Amethyst said. "As long as we don't swing too low, nobody will notice."
As they got to the top of the tower, Blank said, "They'll be sending someone to look for you two before long."
"They probably already have. Steiner and Beatrix intend to come along. At least this saves the trouble of asking Baku for passage to Lindblum," Amethyst said. She then plucked a flag-covered rope from the top of the tower. "So, shall we go?" she asked as Garnet did the same thing.
Zidane and Blank looked at each other, before Zidane grinned at Amethyst. "I like the way you think, Princess!" Zidane said as he grabbed his own rope, Blank following his lead.
Garnet tapped Amethyst on the shoulder, and indicated another tower. Beatrix and Steiner were there. Amethyst pointed to the Prima Vista, and then to the bunting she was holding. Then, without further ado, she leapt off the tower, the other three in tow.
They landed on the awning of the Prima Vista's orchestra pit. Soon, Steiner and Beatrix made their own landings. "This way, go, go, go," Zidane said, hurrying the others through into the theatre-ship's interior.
Soon, they were in a room with a library and a table in the middle. Amethyst, Garnet, Steiner, and Beatrix were standing opposite Zidane and Blank. "Well, this was lucky," Zidane said. "We were going to snatch the Princesses, and they wanted to be snatched, along with their bodyguards."
"Mind your tongue, knave!" Steiner snapped. "You are fortunate that their wishes coincide with your own, but we require passage to Lindblum, so that we may seek refuge with Regent Cid!"
"From what I heard," Blank said, the young man looking like he had different colours of skin sewn onto his face, "it was Cid who asked the boss to get you out of here. It wasn't a kidnapping to get the Princesses ransomed. Listen, the play's not over yet. Zidane and I are gonna have to head out and play our roles. Sit tight, and quietly, until we're ready to move out. Once we are, we'll get you guys to Lindblum in a few hours."
As the two actors and thieves left, Steiner scowled. "To beg for passage from scoundrels like them…"
"If Cid wanted them to abduct the Princesses, then he must be aware of something amiss in Alexandria," Beatrix said. "We'll confirm what Blank said with Baku."
"A shame we're missing the play," Garnet lamented.
A couple of hours later, Baku, a rotund, burly man with a pig-like snout and long ears entered. "So, we've got the Princesses, and their guards along for the ride? Name's Baku, head of Tantalus. Blank told me you guys know what's goin' on. Cid asked me to kidnap the Princesses, to get them outta Alexandria. If you guys are comin' along for the ride, I don't care, as long as you don't make trouble. We're gettin' the engines warmed up, and once we take off, we'll be at Lindblum in a few hours."
"Good," Beatrix said, crossing her arms. "But rest assured, I will reward any treachery with a length of cold steel through your throat. Should you prove true, though, I will owe you a debt."
"Hey, Cid's the one payin' me for this, you don't owe me anythin'," Baku said. "What about that Black Mage kid? He says he comes from Treno, but he hasn't got a home anymore. He's willin' to come to Lindblum with us, actually, as we can't really stop at Treno."
"You mean Vivi?" Amethyst asked. "Well, could you bring him here, please? I think there's something he needs to be told."
"Sure." Baku left, and as the theatre-ship shook, taking off, the Black Mage came in.
"What is this?" Beatrix asked, surprised.
"Guys, this is Vivi. I met him in Alexandria while I was out and about. Quez and Siren vouched for him. He comes from near Treno."
"H-h-hello," Vivi stammered, giving a brief bow. "Umm, are you Princess Garnet?"
"Indeed. I am Princess Garnet til Alexandros XVII. This is Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Pluto Knights, and Beatrix, General of the Alexandrian Army. Or at least, they were."
"Well met, Master Vivi," Steiner said, politely.
"So…what is he?" Beatrix asked.
"Well, I'm working that out," Amethyst said. "Vivi, would you mind telling us about your life?"
"Umm, okay," Vivi said. "Not that there's much to tell…"
Amethyst frowned as Vivi finished. Eventually, she said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Vivi, but…you're a Black Mage. More specifically, you're like a golem. You were created from Mist."
His glowing eyes widened. "Created? But why?!"
"My guess? I think you're a prototype, like a first try. Actually, that's a bad way of putting it, you're a sweet kid," Amethyst said, kneeling down next to Vivi and putting a consoling hand on his shoulder. "But the others like you, they're soldiers without any will of their own. Whereas you, well, you're like a person. Well, you are a person. Sorry to tell you this, Vivi. Maybe it's better that someone told you this before you got a nasty surprise."
Vivi seemed subdued, and Amethyst wondered if she had made a mistake, enlightening the poor kid. She then asked, "Hey, did you like the play anyway?"
"Y-y-yeah," he said. "It was good. Thanks, Princess."
"Just call me Amethyst, or Rose if you want."
Vivi nodded. The door opened, and Zidane walked through. "Okay, we're on our way to South Gate now," he said, smiling. "The boss said I'm to take you to Cid when we get to Lindblum."
"Good," Beatrix said. She then frowned. "Forgive me for asking, Zidane, but where do you come from? I have seen many peoples in my time, but you are the only human with a tail I have met to date."
Zidane looked around at his tail, before shrugging. "I dunno. Baku found me as an orphan when I was a baby. I went looking for my home a few years back, but, well, I didn't have much to go on. Just a weird blue light. Didn't find anything."
"Oh, so that's what Ruby meant when she said you'd gone travelling," Amethyst said.
"Yeah. Just out of curiosity, why did you guys want to leave anyway?"
"You'll find out when we meet Cid," Amethyst said. She then pointed to her forehead, and murmured, "Finite," before doing the same with Garnet. As Zidane gaped at their horns, Amethyst added, "But let's just say that this is part of the reason why…"
Some hours later, Brahne was scowling as she realised that her adopted daughters had fled the castle. And she was willing to bet that they had managed to escape on the Prima Vista. Not only that, but Beatrix and Steiner were missing. It was possible that they had turned traitor.
I never imagined either of you would do such a thing, Brahne thought to herself. I know you were spirited, Amethyst, but even this seemed beyond you. It certainly seemed beyond Garnet. Not so helpless any longer, are you? Well, that is fine. Your insolent rebellion will only buy you a small period of grace, ere you are brought under my aegis once more. And as for Beatrix and Steiner…well, traitors will be shown no mercy.
As Zorn and Thorn approached, she asked, "Is the little experiment we cooked up based on Kuja's designs ready?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, it is combat-ready," Zorn said. "All three Black Waltzes are ready."
"Easily terminate Princesses Amethyst and Garnet, they can, Your Majesty," Thorn remarked.
Brahne wheeled on them. "I need them both alive, you imbeciles! We still need to extract the Eidolons from Garnet, and we might be able to extract them from Amethyst as well! Have the Black Waltzes track them down and bring them to me, alive, and intact, at once! Anyone in the way will be exterminated!"
CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:
And so, the first divergence begins. Because there was less of a ruckus at the play, the Prima Vista didn't get shot down by Brahne, and the whole sequences involving the Evil Forest, the Ice Cavern, and Dali get skipped. Blank doesn't get petrified, either. Vivi's still learned something about his origins.
Anyway, we'll begin the shipping of Zidane and Amethyst in the next chapter.
Review-answering time! Guest 1: The pairing, as noted above, will be Amethyst/Zidane.
Guest 2/Guesst: While I've heard of Steven Universe, I've never watched it, and didn't know there was a character called Rose. I did see, on the Wikipedia disambiguation page for 'amethyst', that there was a character called Amethyst, but Steven Universe wasn't an inspiration.
No numbered annotations this time…
