The Outlaw of Madain Sari

Yay! Another update! This story is actually coming along quite nicely. At least, I hope so. haha. Hope you like this chapter! I like Eiko in this chapter, personally.

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Discussing Lindblum

Eiko told no one about the dream. All they knew was that people died. Everyone died. She would have liked to say that people treated her the same. That things went back to normal. They only got worse. Clearly, they were curious and concerned about what went on in that dream to cause Eiko to react the way she did.

For, after she made her way to the tower, she hadn't spoken another word. She remained silent for a couple days, mostly thinking things over. Decisions had to be made. She knew it; maybe they knew it. Eiko couldn't stay here. Not with her friends.

A couple nights after the dream, everyone was sitting at the dinner table in the Alexandria castle, eating their food silently. Every so often, Eiko got the glances of the others staring at her, but whenever she would look up at them, they would turn their attention back to their food. It got a little more than aggravating.

"I wish to return to Lindblum," she said, cutting the silence. Her attention was currently on her food as she played with her mashed potatoes with her fork, picking at it. She could feel everyone else staring at her and heard them all put their silverware down, ready for what was coming next. This was the first time she had spoken since that morning and her first words were rather surprising.

For anyone who knew Eiko knew that the last place she wanted to go was Lindblum castle. And that was exactly why.

"What?" Zidane was the first to speak. He was almost snapping at her, yelling.

"You heard me," Eiko said through almost gritted teeth. She knew Zidane would not be keen on hearing this. As the King of Alexandria, he couldn't really leave all that often, and he probably liked Eiko inside Alexandria where he could keep an eye on her.

"You're safe here, Eiko. The jewel is safe," Dagger assured her, trying to ease her worries.

"It's been over two weeks," Eiko told them. "By now, Gilgamesh will have figured out I'm still here. He's not stupid! He knows the last place I would be is back at the castle. There's not a place on Gaia I would be safer at."

"I broke into Lindblum castle without any trouble. For a thief like Gilgamesh-" started Zidane.

"But he wouldn't know I'd be there!"

"The Regent wouldn't keep your return secret!"

"If Cid is aware of the circumstances-"

"Enough," Dagger cut in. Zidane and Eiko were silenced but they were staring daggers at each other from across the table while everyone else sat there silently. It was clear throughout the room that Zidane had no idea what Eiko's angle was.

"Do you not feel safe here?" Dagger asked. "Zidane is just worried about you. We can protect you here. You are among friends, Eiko."

"That's just the problem!" Eiko screamed.

They didn't understand. According to her dream, she would break at the death of her friends. The danger. Aside from the dream, she had been thinking about it a lot recently. What if Zidane's life were in danger? What if Dagger and Leon were about to be killed in front of her? She wasn't so sure she would be able to stay confident through all that. She would break. In the end, she would be summoning Alexander. Without her friend's lives in danger, she wouldn't break. She could hold for a while until he finally lost patience and killed her. Then, there would be no one left to summon Alexander and even if Gilgamesh tried, Alexander would kill him. Just as it should be.

"I think she's right," Blank finally said. Zidane looked at Blank with the most hateful look. "Look, she ran away from Lindblum because she didn't want to be a princess. What are the chances of her returning? This is the only way for her and Alexander to be safe."

"And what if he figures it out and breaks into your room, huh? I won't be there. Neither will Steiner or Dagger or ANY of us? How are you going to protect yourself when you can't even perform a summon properly?"

That crossed a line and Eiko's hand clenched into a fist. To call her physically weak wasn't too far from the truth; but to insult her summoning capabilities? She could kill everyone in this room right now if she wanted to. Except maybe Dagger. Before she could fiercely retaliate, Blank responded, clearly trying to get rid of the anger that was about to come out of Eiko. "I could stay with her."

"No," Eiko said, automatically. "I want no one close to me in that castle other than the Regent and Hilda. And I mean no one."

"There's no way we're gonna let that happen-" Zidane started, again.

"I've escaped Gilgamesh many times before, I can do it again! I'm a lot younger than he is or any of you, for that matter. I'm much stealthier. " She looked from Blank to Zidane. Neither of them seemed to understand why she wanted to be left alone so badly. Was it so difficult to understand? "Besides, when I go to Lindblum, I want the jewel to be separate from me. If I don't have it, the number one person he would suspect to have it would be Dagger or Zidane. Which is why we're going to give it to Tantalus."

Zidane didn't have anything to say to that. Clearly, he wasn't happy about where this was going, but the more Eiko talked about it, the more it made sense.

"Tantalus is the most professional group of thieves in all of Gaia. If anyone can play keep away with Gilgamesh better than I can, it's them. I'm giving it to Blank first and once you get to Lindblum safely, I want it given to someone Gilgamesh has not actively seen with me. One of the triplets or Cinna. Not Ruby. But keep passing it around. Never with someone for more than a day and mix the order around a lot. Don't use a pattern. Travel in teams of two and always always have a weapon on you-"

"So, that's it, you call the shots, then?" Zidane snapped.

"Do you have a better plan?"

Zidane scoffed. "Uhm, how 'bout you stay here and I hold on to the jewel."

"I stay here longer than a week and Gilgamesh takes me AND the jewel and kills every single one of you in front of me." Except Blank. "I break; I summon Alexander and the whole world goes up in smoke!"

Everyone was silent and their eye contact with Eiko immediately shattered. This was the first time she actually talked about what her dream was about and although she didn't tell them it was her dream, it wasn't hard to figure out.

After her little rant, Eiko stood up and threw her silverware onto the table, kicked her chair onto the ground and stormed out of the dining hall. She could hear them quietly start to talk and Eiko rolled her eyes, slamming the door shut, making her exit known.

She wasn't that unpredictable as she made her way back to the lake, again. Hiding in the exact same hiding spot before, this time she didn't even bother to touch the rocks and throw them. She was simply too aggravated and worried to do anything otherwise. All she did was sit on the edge of the platform with her feet thrown over the side as she dangled the toes of her shoes into the water, still glancing acutely at the ripples in the water.

They didn't understand. How could they? Maybe she was weak. She couldn't watch her friends die. It was too painful. If any one of them were in her shoes, they probably wouldn't even bother. It'd be their duty to die for what is right. After all, wasn't that what they had been doing all along when they were saving the world? Willing to die for the sake of the world?

But to watch your friends die at your fault? Eiko wasn't strong enough to do that. Or maybe she'd gotten soft. She never had any friends before Zidane's group came along. Without them, her life would be miserable. They shaped her into the lovely sarcastic brat she is now, and she loved it. Being alone sucked…she didn't want to be alone again.

"I thought you'd be here."

Eiko jumped slightly and turned her head, seeing Blank. Expressionless, Eiko turned her head back to the lake as he sat next to her, once again.

"You know this is where we met?" Blank asked. Eiko looked at him. "You were sitting over there," he said, leaning his head towards one side of the platform. "And me and Marcus were over there," he told her with a smile, looking at the opposite side. "We were waiting for Rusty and that eye-patch chick to get it on. Marcus's nose starting bleeding and then the boss came in sneezing. And you yelled at him saying he ruined the moment."

Blank laughed and Eiko even managed to smile. She had forgotten all about that. Well, she had never forgotten the moment where Steiner and Beatrix almost kissed for the first time, but she forgot that it was Blank and Marcus over there. It had been over ten years and she was so young, then. He probably remembers it vividly.

"You've grown up since then."

Eiko rolled her eyes. "Perv."

The sides of Blank's lips widened into a devious smile as he stared forward. "I don't mean like that. You've matured. That was a good plan you had back there. A Tantalus-worthy plan." There was silence. "You're brave, Eiko, to go back there. I know you don't want to."

No, she didn't want to. Everyone knew that. Which is probably why they were so confused. What could a dream possibly do to scare her into going back to the life that she hated?

"You don't have to dance around the question, Blank. Go ahead. Ask me."

Blank nodded, clenching his hands together into one big fist. "Fair enough. What made you decide to go back? Why don't you want anyone around to protect you?"

"Simple…they'll all die."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that-" she protested.

"We're a lot stronger than you take us for, Eiko."

"Who do you think taught me to be so strong? How do you think I've strengthened my summons and my physical ability? Gilgamesh is strong, too."

Blank didn't say anything. He was in utter disagreement but he wouldn't deny the fact that Gilgamesh probably had his own strengths. And he did have a famous bounty hunter at his beck and call. He didn't say anything more but he stared at Eiko in an accusing manner. It was a stare forcing her to talk more. He knew there was something she was not telling him.

"In my dream…Gilgamesh captured everyone who came and tried to rescue me. Zidane, Dagger, Leon, Vivi, Freya, Steiner, Marcus…you," she finally said. Blank looked away when she said he was there, too. "He tortured them. He killed them. Zidane was decapitated. Marcus drowned. Vivi was burned. And…."

"What happened to me?" he asked, slightly curious.

Eiko pursed her lips together. How was she going to tell him that he was the one who broke her? That he didn't die like everyone else did? Her eyes drifted up towards the belt on his head and closed her eyes a bit.

"Never mind," he quickly said, sensing her hesitancy. "Look, Princess, it's not gonna happen. It was just a dream."

"In the end, I broke…and I summoned Alexander. Then, I woke up." Blank was silent for a while, looking out onto the lake. Eiko couldn't bear the silence. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"If he does find me-"

"He's not going to fi-"

"Would you just listen?" she yelled. He glared at her but let her continue. "If he finds me, and takes me…don't come after me."

"What?"

"Don't let anyone come. I can handle myself."

"You know Zidane won't ever stop looking for you."

"I don't care! You just have to…stop him. I'm a grown lady, now. I'll be fine. I just…I don't want to be alone again."

Blank sighed, looking at her through that belted gaze. "You'll be alone if he takes you."

"You'll still be alive," she said. Her 'you' was meant as everyone…but, the more she thought about it. Maybe it wasn't. "Promise!" she ordered.

It was clear Blank did not want to do this. To assure her that he wouldn't come after her if Gilgamesh captured and tortured her. How could he promise that? He saw her reasoning, though, and as much as he hated to admit it, every single one of Eiko's friends would get in the way if she was captured. Or even around. Eiko slightly caved when Leon was in danger. But if it was Zidane who practically nurtured her…it wouldn't be that easy. It would be like watching your father or brother die in front of your very eyes.

"I promise," he forced out. Eiko closed her eyes, thanking the Gods. If Blank saw reason, perhaps he could convince the others to not come after her, as well.

She had to live through one of the most terrible disasters in Madain Sari. Nearly everyone died. All her loved ones were gone. If she could go back in time, she wished that she was the one to die, and everyone else lived. That was her wish, and it still applied.

As long as her friends were alive, she wasn't alone.

Not another word was spoken. The two of them sat there in silence like they usually did. Every so often one would glance at the other and quickly glance away. Both of them were probably thinking about the same things. Just different points of view. Eiko knew that Blank didn't agree what she'd just forced him to promise; and that was okay. She was glad he wasn't okay with it. Still, she had a feeling that he was lying. The regular girl would be flattered. Eiko was terrified.

Suddenly, Eiko began fidgeting in her pocket and fished out the last jewel to Alexandria. Looking at it thoroughly, she noted the intricate light purple designs. The way it shone through the slight moonlight caused a small content smile on Eiko's face. No longer would she be the bearer of such a burden.

Blank looked down as Eiko lightly grabbed his hand and opened his palm, placing the gem inside it. It was his now. His responsibility. It was up to Tantalus to keep it safe. Before Eiko took her hand away, Blank clenched his hand, clenching her hand in his, as well. Eiko looked at the awkward handshake and then into Blank's belted eyes. She only saw the very bottom of his eyes, but they were both serious and sad. Like he would weep at any moment but couldn't, due to his pride of masculinity. Eiko could relate. She didn't like to cry.

"I won't let him find you," he said, very seriously, slightly putting comfortable pressure on her hand. Eiko bit her lip, touched by the gesture and thought. He could try. He could promise that. But even she knew he couldn't guarantee anything. Besides, he seemed to be trying to convince himself; not her.

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