A/N: Wow, it's been awhile, ne? Well, sorry, I actually did finish, then deleted, then almost finished, and then slammed into a ginormous writer's block. And I've been writing SI's for both FF9 and FF7 to hack away at the writer's block.
It was successful, and for those who have read my stories, thank you for politely reviewing.
Well, this is probably one of the only hardest chapters to write. Damn rendezvous suck. X3
But yes, here's yet another chapter.
--------
Disclaimer: FF7 AND FF9 are not mine. X3 Of course they aren't!!!
--------
Hmm . . . well, I just HAVE to!
QUOTE OF THE CHAPTER:
"The only real valuable thing is intuition."
----Albert Einstein
Kuro's Translation:
Trust your instincts, not your logic you ass!!!
XD
--------
Chapter VI.
Rendezvous Point.
--------
Zidane grumbled, not liking the fanciness of the very facilities he was housed in. The beds were nice, sure. And the people were polite enough. But when you have rooms larger than houses, architecture that came from hundreds of years ago, and flanks of servants at your call.
It becomes a bit disgusting.
The boy of 16 at first imagined a life such as this. Waking up to see the well-renowned city of Lindblum from his balcony, a readied meal at his beckon, but, that was just a dream. Nothing like that could ever happen. And besides, he was a thief, and he could not be contained in such secured walls.
The actual reality that laid about him was too strange for him.
When Dagger was able to bring the Cargoship in, they were questioned immediately. But upon showing the strange pendant she wore, they were allowed to see Regent Cid.
Who turned out to be an oglop.
-
A/N: An oglop is a beetle-like bug with a strange carrot-colored exoskeleton. The front of it's facial area (the frontal top area) has black markings, all in the same skull-like design. Usually, it's about the size of your palm, but in regards to THIS oglop, imagine your head. Then replace it with an oglop, legs that looked like hairy toothpicks. There you go, an oglop.
X3 I just love describing such ridiculous things to my fellow readers. Very sorry, I apologize greatly.
-
And well, it's funny to see Steiner react so violently at the sight of an oglop on the throne of the Regent. When he had punched the poor Regent, you could say the reaction of finding out that HE was the ruler of Lindblum was the most hilarious he had ever seen in Rusty's reactions. Turned out that the guy was a womanizer, and his wife Lady Hilda had enough, and her being a sorceress didn't help, as she turned the genius of a man into a hideous bug.
But these past few days, the luxury . . .
It was too much.
He lay on the bed, not minding its softness. Unlike the beds at the Inn in Dali, there was something else stuffed within the mattresses. He didn't even need to lie on his side due to his tail's aching, as the bed itself made it comfortable for the extra appendage.
"This is boring." He said, rolling off the bed. After a patrol around, and an extra look, he found that Tantalus's absence had caused a change in the gangs' activities in the city. Luckily, he was able to straighten it out, and made sure to reestablish Tantalus's territory of the city.
It was a short day actually, as in a little over an hour, the Hunt would begin. Feelings of anxiety were pushed down as he secured his newest weapon on his back. "Can't believe I actually had the dough to get this. Damn, the spoils always sell well. Can't believe how much that stupid Sealion's tusk cost. 10,000 gil? Wow!"
-
A/N: As you notice, monsters aren't dropping items and gold. I will make them drop it OCCASIONALLY, but other than that, I'm making it so that spoils of the battle can be sold off for profit. I'm sorry, I had realized, oh, however will they buy new items? So this is it. And now, back to the story.
-
He had finished cleaning his weapon. Consisting of two newly bought Mage Mashers (daggers), he had paid a mandatory gil payment for a synthesis procedure.
-
A/N: A synthesis is a procedure in which two different or similar items can be fused together through the processing of smithing-techniques. It is first paid in full in the front, and then the supplies are given. Once given, the weapons-smith and apprentice work and mold these two objects together. This creates completely new weapons, defense clothing, and even rare items that can support or allow the user to acquire special skills. However, the synthesis can only be made by those familiar with smithing-magic. Also, there is a 50 chance of it failing, so it is a risk for the one paying a great amount of money for the wanted results.
-
It was successful, binding and lengthening the metal within the hilts of the daggers. A new binding was wrapped around the strangely molded weapon, it's semblance that of a two ended spear. The hilt was only 2 ½ feet long, compared to the blades that were 2 feet long each in length. The man who had finished making the weapon made it so it was detachable, and was a two pieced weapon. He had taken it for a test run.
But hell, it was an awesome weapon.
He smiled. He had done a lot during his stay in Tantalus. He was happy.
And his stomach was beginning to churn.
"Blech. Can't . . . stand . . . richness of food." Zidane grumbled, pounding his pained stomach. "Dammit, shut up." If anyone saw this, they'd more then likely chuckle, or just eye the teen's strange behavior and communication with the organ. "You'll be fed soon. Can't kill monsters with a full stomach! You know that you stupid thing!"
Feeling that his stomach had diminished its protests, he looked outward once more. The sun was so nice. And the clouds were strangely condensed together. Not grey, but white. "That's a good sign. Today's Hunt's gonna be great!" He cheered.
"Z-Z—Zidane?" Hearing his name, he turned to find Vivi. Vivi was walking up the steps to the upper part of the bedchambers they were provided. His gloved hands were gripping the staff a little too tightly for comfort.
He couldn't help but feel bad for Vivi. Although Vincent's presence was short, he had made an impact on Vivi's life. And when he saw the vampire fall from the ship, he had lost the light that had begun to form.
He knew that the man was still alive, despite the rather, death-like way to die. His intuition was telling him so. But despite that, no matter how much he tried, Vivi just couldn't believe. He hoped, but couldn't believe.
After all, how can you make someone believe what they had seen, wasn't what it seemed to be?
"Yeah Viv?"
"I—I—I'm not sure if I should participate. I'm not strong." Vivi sounded so downfallen. Hopeless even.
"Viv, you're a powerful kid. Seriously, I envy those powers! And besides, it'll be training for you!"
"Training?"
"Yeah! Just think about it! If you fight more monsters, you'll be more comfortable with calling up spells without the incantations! Remember when you went into Trance? You were able to fight without incantations." Zidane gave a thumbs up. "But you'll have to beat me in the points to get your prize for this competition. Though I don't know why you just want a card. You could have asked for something pricey . . . Oh, sorry, I'm trailing away—"
"KUPO!!! MAIL!!!" Zidane practically jumped, his tail now pointing upward in surprise. But the sound of fluttering wings caused him to turn to find himself face to face with a moogle.
"WAH!" Zidane fell now. Having the creature's face just a few millimeters away doesn't make things great. "Ouchie." He rubbed a sorespot forming on the back of his head. "Wait, mail?"
With natural ease, he rolled and let his body whip upward, landing on his two feet. He swiped the envelope in the moogle's hand. He noticed that his name was written on top with rather fancy looking cursive, and opened it. Unfolding the paper, his eyes began skimming through its contents.
--
Zidane.
I have received your letter. Your status in Lindblum is a good sign. Your goal was fulfilled, Dagger was successfully sent to Lindblum.
Status:
Healthy. No signs of physical/mental ailments.
Summary:
Gravity was fortunate, and vengeful. The foliage of the forest near the South Gate, and an unknown monster caught my fall. I came out unharmed. I was unconscious for a half day, but recovered consciousness on the 2nd day.
I am on the train car to the other side of the South Gate. I have received your letter two days delayed. I will come to Lindblum, as it seems the leader of Lindblum wishes to meet me.
Overall:
I am alive. I am well. If necessary, show this message to any who disbelieve my status.
Vincent V.
An afterword:
If my observations are correct, you shall participate in this "Hunt." If so, heed caution. And if Vivi is participating, I wish both you and him luck.
You will need it.
--
Zidane felt a question-mark appear on his head. Summary? Overall? Status? How in-line can the guy write? But nonetheless, he received the message.
He smirked.
"Yo Viv." He waved the letter in front of Vivi's face. "Got something from Vince. Wanna see?"
Vivi's orb-like eyes widened. He almost seemed hesitant when he saw the paper. But his two small hands took hold of the paper, and though it looked like he was staring at the paper, he was reading it. It's just his eyes don't show it, being nothing more than pupil-less orbs of yellow.
But Zidane waited for the reaction.
Vivi's eyes widened.
Zidane smirked.
"He's . . . alive?"
"He wished us luck. You sure you wanna back off?" Zidane asked, knowing what he'd say next.
"I'll—I'll do my best!"
Zidane shook his head, inwardly thanking him for the last words.
Hopefully, they'd see Vincent soon. And if they had to wait, they will.
--
But little did they know, they will.
-
-
-
-
Soon.
-
-
-
-
Vincent flew, his body feeling the cold sensations of the winds and mist that passed around his black-suited body. His hair lashed behind him, his cloak as well. His eyes showed no strain against the increasing speeds of his body traveling in the skies, right below the layer of mist. If he flew to high, he'd be spotted by airship. Too low and travelers would spot him.
And so he flew, his body feeling strangely stronger and energized. It seemed that bringing a sense of unconsciousness in his body had given yet another boost of power for a temporary amount of time. In doing this, and preserving his energy during his train car ride (minus his previous battles), he had more then enough to keep this strange metamorphosis power in use for a longer period of time.
He found the cliff supporting Lindblum closing in, and he knew immediately that he needed to land. The Dragon's Gate as Nataku said might be guarded, and anyone seeing his strange power would only assume the worst.
Looking downward, he saw no signs of life. At first.
But he heard something. And a strange squawk.
With controlled ease, he shot down, his cloak snapping behind him. He made no sign of annoyance at the behavior of his cape as he slowed his descent at a mere distance from the ground.
One foot pressed upon earth, and the other did the same. His cloak now stilled, only flapping as he moved. He control allowed him to glide to a stop onto the surface below.
Vincent took a breath, and made his way to the noise, intending to investigate its origins.
He came across a large bird, whose feathers were golden and elegantly long. Its beak was a strange sheen, which glimmered despite the darkened light due to the impeding mist clouds above. It had been awhile since he had seen a chocobo just out of the blue like this. And it was a strange one, as its feathers almost glowed in the dimmed surroundings. But scavenger-like monsters surrounded it, and it thrashed, trying to shake off the Fangs that held on to its body, with sharp teeth, embedding itself within the poor bird's flesh.
Without hesitation or thought, he brought out Cerberus, detaching the Normal Barrel and attaching the Long Barrel to it. He placed a cartridge within, and unlocked the safety in a matter of seconds. With precision and long attained mastery, he fired several shots.
Headshots to be precise. And the power had obliterated whatever was surrounding the bullets' path. In other words, holes in the skull that caused these Fangs to shudder profusively.
The Fangs collapsed, dead. The other monsters had scattered, scared of the sound of the gun releasing the bullets. Even the Chocobo tried to escape, but it screeched and collapsed, weakened.
"Hm?" Vincent said to himself, crouching down, causing the bird to thrash about more. Well, before it screeched in pain once more.
It seemed that parts of its thin legs were mangled, which could cause any living being waves of pain instantly. He sighed as he continued to watch the Chocobo screech, trying to flee with it's legless attempts. And it's wings were flapping about, but were too bloodied and torn up to possibly use.
And chocobos aren't supposed to fly. Well, except those special few.
"I won't hurt you."
It continued to squawk and screech.
"Do not panic."
Continued.
"STOP, NOW." Vincent snarled, his patience being eaten.
At that moment, the Chocobo stopped, and stared. Its black eyes reflected his very reflection.
He brought the gun up, and the Chocobo's eyes almost widened at the sight of the barrels. But it didn't screech or struggle. It seemed fixated by it.
He uncocked the gun, and took out the Restore materia. He had an easier time controlling the power of the materia when he was in actual contact with it. He held it within his grasp, and allowed it to glow, gathering energy as he did so.
"Cure3." Vincent activated the Restore materia. Wisps of light fabricated from the space around them, creating a sea of glowing green and white. The Chocobo looked about, fascinated by the light show, and almost, cooed at the sight of the fire-fly-like lights. Lights and shining sparkles seemed to wrap around the wounds of the Chocobo, regenerating those parts instantly.
The Chocobo voiced its pleasure as it felt its wounds close, the blood that stained its shimmering coat disappeared, and strength returned to him.
Vincent in the meantime felt a slight bit lagged. That cure always took a lot of mental power, but he was the immortal. He could always let his reserves collect.
"Hm, seems it worked. Good." Vincent began walking off, leaving the Chocobo be. Like any other creature, it would leave upon having the ability to use its' legs.
But he then heard something behind him. He snapped his body around.
The Chocobo froze, and snapped it's head sidewards. "Wark?"
"Go." Vincent huffed, before continuing to walk away.
It followed.
He turned.
"Go away." He said with a bit more force.
It just stood there.
Staring.
Looking too cute.
Damn the cute.
Vincent turned around and continued to walk, ignoring the Chocobo that trotted behind him.
--------
Zidane cursed, switching his hands on the weapon. The damn Ogre (the name of his weapon) was heavy to use, but luckily, that meant more damage for the monsters.
Unfortunately, these monsters looked to be on some strange sort of potion. They were bigger, tougher, and smarter then the average monsters. They had the muscle, the lean legs, and that intelligent glint in their eyes.
But that didn't mean he had to give them mercy.
"Help me!!" Zidane's eyes widened and he turned to find three Fangs cornering a citizen, and made his way over with great haste.
"Damn, stupid soldiers not doing their job!" He cursed. He ran over, and without hesitation brought down the weapon downward. With great force, he was able to slice the Fang in two. The other two jumped away reflexively, baring their fangs at him. "Come on boys, want some, come and get some!"
They lunged at him, and instantly he twirled the twin-sided spear like a baton.
Though this was a life and death situation, it was fun.
"Dammit. Vivi, you better be alright . . ." Zidane said beneath his breath, before cutting down both Fangs in one swing.
--------
Vincent saw through the mist's veil, and found the giant gate. He finally found himself face to face with the Dragon's Gate. But there was a problem.
It was closed.
"Damn." That was certainly something he hardly said. Vincent felt slightly surprised, but began to think of the possibilities, ignoring his strange outburst.
One.
The Hunt could have shut down the facility.
Or Two.
They just neglected to open the Dragon's Gate.
He went with the first option. And he saw a piece of paper, or parchment tacked onto the gate. He ripped it off and read its contents.
It was announced by order of Regent Cid that due to the Hunt, all airships and travelers were to be refused or denied entry through Dragon's Gate. And due to lack of security, the gate was sealed for the time being, until the Hunt was over and guards could be reordered about in their duties.
In other words, there was no way in.
"Wark?" Vincent ignored the golden fluffball that tried to grab his attention. He promptly knocked on the gate, hoping that there was someone on the other side.
No one answered.
Then it was true.
"Wark!" Vincent shook his head, feeling a part of his hair being tugged by the Chocobo. Great, the damn bird wouldn't leave him alone. He massaged his bandanna covered forehead with his human hand, feeling pains within his skull. And that wasn't from Chaos, the Galian Beast, or any other sort of creatures that were housed within him.
He snatched his hair and pulled it away. Though he didn't do anything to his hair, he still felt uncomfortable with anyone, or anything touching it, as it was a part of him.
He turned around, and took a few steps back, the Chocobo still in sight. The Chocobo, like some obedient pet, stayed there, watching him. It was amusing, but amusing can only go so far.
He let his power release, and his cloak began to billow around him. His hair was taken back by an unknown wind, and his eyes began to glow a darker crimson. He gripped his hands, both human and demonic. His arms were crossed on his chest, and his legs were snapped together.
His eyes were locked on the Chocobo, who only stared back. Like some pet.
"Goodbye."
Vincent snapped his arms downward, breaking the crossed pattern. His legs remained together, but made a slight push off the ground.
He heard a large "WARK!!" and left it as that.
-
His cloak wrapped around him, and he felt his body change, disappearing within the folds of crimson. He crossed his arms once more, allowing the cloak to wrap around his body, initiating the metamorphosis. And now in his cloak form, he shot up, flying upward, a bare few inches from the wall of earth before him.
He flew high into the air, and pierced the mist. No airships were to come, so it was safe. Flying a bare few inches from the high wall, he allowed partial fingers to escape the folds of his cloak, feeling the sharpness of the wall ever so slightly. But he concentrated as he held his form, not wishing for any citizens or travelers to be near to see any trace of the crimson wind.
Within the cloak, his eyes squinted, concentrating on the sight beyond his human ones.
And suddenly, he stopped himself, and floated in the air, his cloak and hair now floated softly around him, as if a strange magical miasma was preventing it from floating downward.
From within his shell, he heard cheering crowds, and by the sounds of it, the Hunt was in progress.
'It seems I'm on time.' He thought within. And without a second of hesitation, he quickly slipped beyond the walls, and floated between the legs of the people, making sure to not raise any of the citizens' awareness of his presence.
"The man with the daggers' sucks."
"That Burmecian's pretty lethal with her lance."
"But not as good as the kid with the tail, that's some weapon he's got there. Looks heavier than him though."
"What about the mage? He's firing away . . ."
The words entered his ears, and immediately he knew what to do.
Flowing around the crowds, slipping through small crannies and spaces, he finally found a darkened space where no one resided, and slipped in. He released his form, expelling the cloak outward, revealing his black-suited body once more.
He began walking through the crowds, most of them paid no attention as their's were on the battles alone, but a good few of them backed away, allowing him passage. He did not blame their behavior, for he did look somewhat eerie, especially in this light. But of course, this allowed him to have a closer view of what was going on.
A giant beast was rampaging a certain part of the city, smashing obstacles in its path. It looked to be a giant 10 ton hunchbacked pig, w/ tusks of ivory and a mane of freakish green going down its spine. It had two sets of horns, a pair of devil-like arranged horns upon its head, and another pair jutted just below it's mouth. And by the looks of it, its level of intelligence was probably, not that high. Currently, three individuals were engaging with it.
"Holy! That Zaghnol's giant! What did they do to it?!?" He heard someone from the audience gasp.
"Dunno, the Lindblum Beastmaster was talking about feeding it gyshal greens." The man who was listening screwd up his face.
"But ain't that guy supposed to be insane?"
"The Regent trusts him, so he should have some sanity in him."
Vincent was suddenly glad that he was taller than most of the citizens. He could observe without having to keep eye contact with his subjects of interest.
"But isn't that supposed to calm monsters down?" That was true. Usually, there was a calming effect from the gyshal greens, especially on chocobos. That was the reason why chocobos were given these things to tame them.
"No. The guy said it has the opposite effect on Zaghnols."
Well.
That . . . didn't sound too good.
The battle before him unfolded, and hopefully, he had no need to intervene. He watched as the three barely avoided a powerful Thunder Spell created by the Zaghnol.
--------
Vivi stood next to Zidane, shaking only so slightly. He however held his staff at ready, and was on the balls of his feet, intending to run if necessary because of the charging beast.
On the other side of Zidane was a rodent-humanoid person. Her lavender skin and sharp green eyes immediately made her stand out. Her dulled red clothing looked guarded with certain plates and guards. Her feet and hands were bare, only covered by a thin layer of leather, her wrists and arms hidden beneath the poncho like-attire. A pointed hat had holes for the strange dragon-like ears she possessed, and her white hair shined in the sun. A tail was sticking out from behind, and had a single bow of dirtied yellow tied upon it.
In her hands was a spear, its sharp side already dripping with darkened crimson. It was obvious that she had attacked many of the creatures in the Hunt.
Zidane looked at the creature that was running at him. He frowned, and kept up his guard. Looking at the individuals at his side, he barked out commands while readying himself to jump away.
"Freya, attack it from above! Vivi! Aim at the eyes!" Zidane commanded as he flew back from a previous attack. The hide of the beast was thick, and it's breath was in need of freshening. "You hideous and stupid! BLEEE!" Zidane provoked the monster, which now had only its killing intent on the thief.
This gave the others the chance to fight.
"Alright." She confirmed, before flexing naturally sinew muscles, and launching into the air. Many gasped at the height she flew into the air, and her graceful leaps as she began to run on the rooftops, the Zaghnol her prize.
"Okay!" Vivi ran to the right and on the side of the Zaghnol's rampage. began to wave his staff in a circular motion, heightening his concentration. "FIRE!" He yelled, and a burst of fiery flames erupted at the side of the Zaghnol's left eye. It roared, leaving it temporarily open. It stopped it's rampaging, and Zidane shot his hand into the air. It was a signal.
"NOW FREYA!"
Upon call, the Burmecian launched herself high into the air. Many spectators watched with anticipated need as she seemingly floated in the air, before being pushed downward with a flare of magic from her body.
"HYA!" She aimed the spear downward, and then sank its metallic blade into the beast's back.
The Zaghnol squealed, yes, it squealed upon being attacked. It rose on its hind legs, intending to buck off Freya. Zidane however saw another chance of attack.
"Yes!" Zidane sprinted in, and swung his double edged Ogre, each sharp side slashing into the underbelly of the monster. The Zaghnol squealed in pain, and brought its bulk down. Anyone in the front row could hear Zidane curse loudly as he barely got out from beneath the Zaghnol's blunderous bulk.
"Get him again Vivi!" Vivi nodded to the commander of the team, and concentrated once more.
The Zaghnol began to release jolts of light, making Zidane widen his eyes.
"HOLY SH—" But the jolts were released, and a Thunder Spell was unleashed. It hit the monkey-tailed boy straight on, causing him to twitch as the lightning laced throughout his body, tightening his body as it naturally defended against the painful attack.
"Zidane!!" Vivi cried out in worry.
The spell was released, and Zidane fell on his knees, his weapon supporting the whole of his weight. He shook his head, his body feeling burnt. He glared at Vivi, "carry out the SPELL!!"
This shook Vivi out of worrying as he went back to concentrating on attacking.
"Frosty Wind, Endless Ice . . . BLIZZARD!!" It seemed he still had difficulty with that spell, but his bright glowing eyes shimmered a faint tint of blue as he chanted the spell. He brought his two hands forward, and shards of ice erupted like missiles from them.
The Zaghnol dodged the majority of them, but a single one sank within its eye socket, disabling half of its vision.
It shook its head about, its roar erupting with pain. It whipped itself up into the air, and stomped back down. The ground shook, causing both Zidane and Vivi to stumble slightly. Freya flew from the Zaghnol's back, but landed on the ground with experienced balance by her comrade's side.
The Zaghnol began to buck about, and continued it's trampling, furthering its path toward them. All naturally leapt and rolled out of the way as its side began to grind away at the district's walls.
Zidane sneered upon seeing the recklessness of the Zaghnol, and the headache that was emerging. The thunder spell was quite powerful. "Okay, it's weak; we can strike it when it collides. It's obviously off-balanced."
"Zidane, LOOK!!!" Vivi pointed in the direction of the Zaghnol's predicted path. There stood two children, who looked more than frightened, and frozen in fear.
The gap was too large for either one of them to possible confront the beast.
--------
Vincent saw this from above, and knew what was to come. And he had a good feeling that the rat would confront the beast.
She was not strong enough. Nor did she wield a weapon meant for hunting. Not this sort of hunting.
Vincent swept through the crowds, alarming many, who but shrugged the man off. He paid no mind, and entered the alley, and allowed the metamorphosis to take effect once more.
His body disappeared, and only his mind remained within the moving fabric.
And like a ghost, he floated from the sights of man, slipping away from human eyes.
--------
Zidane and Vivi ran towards the children. Vivi released a spell of fire, but it did nothing as it merely extinguished against the Zaghnol's steel-like hide.
A release of air burst about them, and eyes went to the Burmecian, who skid in front of the children, spear in hand. A true dragon's knight she was, as she took no time to possibly think of the impossibilities of her survival.
But unknowing to them, within the mind of the Burmecian, her fur had prickled, and her mind was frozen. Only these two words were uttered beneath her breath ever so softly.
"Oh shit."
She looked at the children, who both stared wide eyed at her. She only nodded to them, before looking at the beast once more.
She had only one shot, and one shot only. If she made a single mistaken move, she'd be impaled by the horns of the beast.
Of course, Zidane could always use a phoenix down on her. But he'd have a very small time limit to do so.
She twisted the spear to the side, intending to stab it right at its other eye. Hopefully, if she was lucky, its pea-sized brain would be stabbed by the point of her spear.
The Zaghnol soon took the majority of her vision. She banished all fear, all doubt. Her mind was now only on the slaying of this foul beast. And if she was killed in the process, so be it.
-
But then, a single part of doubt did enter her mind. Without her consent, the image of someone she considered precious, someone valuable . . .
-
Someone lost.
-
"Fratley."
-
And upon the utterance of this person's name, her vision was enveloped in crimson.
--------
If anyone saw, a cloud of billowing blood red shot around the three, before floating before the Zaghnol. The Zaghnol however did not stop it's approach, as it seemed only angered by the appearance of the cloak.
Suddenly, the sound of cannon shots was emanated from the cloak, and flashes of light signaled each sound, from a certain part of the cloak's flowing visage. The piercing sound caused silence in the crowds, everyone kept their attention on the unknown power that seemed to play its hand.
The Zaghnol did not squeal, or grunt, or growl as it felt pain.
It screamed.
Four shots crashed in the silence, each ankle of the beast was shot down instantly, spraying showers of blood splattered. The Zaghnol fell, the knee-cap-like parts destroyed instantly.
No one knew of the Long Barrel's true capability. Only a gunman would know of it. And he unleashed the power, disabling the most powerful monster of its precious ability to move.
The cloak disappeared, whisking itself away from it all, leaving them all be.
--------
No one made a sound. No one even moved, as their eyes were only trained on the now unmoving Zaghnol.
No one dared to even utter a sharp breath of relief, or surprise.
Freya was the first to move. She came forward, and took observations of the beast's condition. The very eyes of the beast were cloaked in murky grey.
It was dead.
"Get back! Get back!!" Someone yelled. Freya did so, and an official ran in, checking on the Zaghnol himself. Looking at the wounds, and taking the pulse of the creature at who-knows-where, he stood back. "The BEAST IS DEAD. This Hunt is OVER!"
Still, no reponse.
But a single voice did cry out.
"Who is the winner?" This person will be known as Bob.
Another voiced out.
"Is it the Burmecian? The monkey-tailed boy? The mage?" This one is Tom.
"Who?!?" Yelled out Sam.
"WHO!!" Todd yelled louder than his friend's proclamation.
-
A/N: Yes, the horrid randomness is dreadful.
-
The crowds burst in confusion. No one was sure who it was. And soon enough, there were arguments over what had happened. Who won? Who killed the beast? What the f--- was going on here?!?
But a loud voice billowed throughout the city. It was one of authority. One of power.
It was not the Regent of Lindblum.
It was the Head Official, the one known as Artecian (he is supposedly the right-hand man of the ruler of Lindblum. Sorry to say, but I have forgotten the poor man's name X(. . . .).
"SILENCE!!!!!"
And there was silence. Even the four who had made themselves known were silent as well. They wouldn't think of mouthing off against the second most powerful man in Lindblum. Not at all.
The man stepped forward, his voice bellowing into the skies for all to hear.
"UPON OBSERVATION OF THE BATTLE . . . I HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE EACH HUNTER WHO HAS HALTED THIS CREATURE'S DESTRUCTION RECEIVES THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POINTS POSSIBLE FOR THE SLAYING. FROM TALLYING THESE VOTES, HUNTER ZIDANE TRIBAL WINS THIS YEAR'S HUNT!!!"
There were mutters in the crowd, making many other individuals wonder if they were going to create a ruckus over the results.
"YEAH!!!"
"GOOD JOB KID!!"
But instead, cheers erupted in the crowds.
It was official.
The Hunt had ended.
--------
Vivi fell on his knees, relieved. He could only take a deep breath of relief. He was just glad the children were not hurt. He went to the children, who began to weep, and began to talk to them. Though they were the same age, he was still ages older in mental capacity. He could help them at the very least rid of their anxieties.
-
Freya put the spear away on her back, shaking her head. The cloud of confusion was too much for her to handle. She went to comfort the children who continued to cry and weep as they were too close to death's horrendous embrace. Upon seeing Vivi, she congratulated Vivi, who only blushed beneath the darkened skin he was cursed to possess.
-
And Zidane was leaning against the wall, ignoring the cheers that had erupted from the crowds. Taking a potion, he offered it upward to the sky, and drank it, almost treating it as a toast to the Hunt itself. He smiled to himself. But not just because of the Hunt. No, he could care less. The money he'd win was nothing. He had won a date with the lovely Princess of Alexandria herself, as her part of the deal was said to be. And there was something else to smile, or rather, smirk about.
Upon finishing his drink, his cat-like eyes stared in the darkness of the alleyway, seemingly knowing of the two presences that were approaching him.
Vivi had unknowingly walked over to Zidane, in order to congratulate his friend. And Freya was going to congratulate her friend of a job well done. After all, it was something to see a thief outkill a Burmecian dragon knight.
Zidane smirked, and nodded to the darkness.
"Welcome back Vince."
Vivi froze, Freya eyed, and a tall man walked out of the alleyway. A man of raven locks, and pale porcelain skin. A man whose eyes burned with blood crimson, and silence paled all foes. A person who remained clothed in a black suit, but basked in his blood red cape. The two who were shocked recognized that shade of crimson, and the single black mage uttered the man's name.
"Vin . . . cent . . ."
Vincent nodded.
-
Yes.
-
-
-
He was back.
-
-
-
-
A/N: FINALLY!! I FRICKEN FINISHED THE TRANSITION!!
I feel so proud! XD
God, seriously, I had this finished at least a few weeks ago, then I got THIS (shows giant steel-like container) fricken God-complex of the writer's block. It's name is Ted.
Reiko: This is Ted. Ted, these are the readers.
Ted: Hi.
Anyways, he's not talkative, so he wasn't exactly the GREATEST writer's block. I was able to kick him out due to the creations of my two SI stories.
I believe I have become partially insane. Oh yes, and Reiko's been accepted in PSU, which I made a giant Yule's log for her. Yes, it ain't X-mas, but I made one anyways, and surprised her at work. Love the girl, she's just a hard worker, unlike me! X3 But yes, I named my writer's block Ted because he just looks like a Ted.
He has moved out, so I won't have that many problems. And hopefully, the ad for a new writer's block is not answered or applied for.
Yes, insanity is lovely.
Well, for those who want to know, I am not creating a Reviewer Reply Stop. I am answering your questions by PM though. For those who will review anonymously for this chapter, I will reply through the future chapters.
But yes, I finished this chapter. Sorry, I am SO sorry for the grave delay.
But yes, another chapter finished. And now, hopefully, the next arc or this story can commence. And if you have questions, either PM Reiko's account, or simply email me at: kuro(underscore)aku(underscore)kaze(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Sincerely,
Kuro V. Higarashi