A/N: HEEEYY! WOW I know it's been two weeks but I'm finally updating! YEY! 2 weeks may not seem too long but I've been trying hard to keep my whole 'one chapter a week' plan going but obviously I kinda messed up :/ anyway updates are going to now be every 2-3 weeks because that little, dreaded thing called 'school' is coming up not too happy about it but, ehh I gotta do it :P
Also thank you all for reading so far! I know sometimes 'RE TELLINGS' of games and stuff can be boring to read but I'm happy that you guys have found my work interesting enough to stick with. ALSO thanks to those you who added me to your authors lists and favorites list AND alerts list. It really brought a smile to my face to see that.
Also, at first this chapter was pretty straight forward just because I was wrapping it up since it's towards the end of the Clerya drama BUT I added a few scenes in and I hope you like them!
And remember…
Emphasis on words
'thinking'
Flash backs
"talking"
Normal text.
Here's the chapter…enjoy!
'No...memory...of me?' -Freya
~Twists of Fate~
Chapter 21
Moments
"Hey, follow me! We gotta get to the cathedral!"
"Come on kids, we have to follow the nice man."
"But where's daddy!"
"Oh shit, more mages! Stand back!"
Chaos had officially hit the town of Cleyra. Alexandrian soldiers and black mages had invaded the peaceful town and were killing anything and everything that stood in their way. Brahne really was to blame…but who was at fault wasn't the matter to be concerned with at the moment. All the townspeople had to be evacuated to the cathedral for safety, but Zidane was having a hard time doing that since he didn't know where the next set of black mages were going to pop up next.
"Head to the right!" yelled Zidane as he pointed to the wooden bridge that led to the upper level of town.
Zidane just had to have this small group of people led to safety so that most of the town could be spared. Unfortunately, some townspeople didn't survive the death blows from the demotic mages. So Zidane wanted to make sure that the people he was protecting made it to the cathedral in one piece. He only hoped that Vivi and Freya were doing alright since they agreed to separate and evacuate the people by themselves as well…
Freya ran through the town of Cleyra searching thoroughly for townspeople to take with her back to the cathedral. As much as Freya didn't want to admit it, she was terrified. She feared for what was to come. On the outside, Freya was the epiphany of a calm, cool and collected young woman…but on the inside, she was a frightened child. Not that she was going to let anyone know that…she had to be strong.
Freya stopped in front of the Inn to catch her breath for a few seconds and wiped the dripping sweat off of her forehead. She looked around the area to make sure that no one was in need of help and began to press on until she heard the yells of children. The dragon knight turned around and found three black mages preparing to cast some nasty spells on the frightened children. Freya ran to the kids and readied her spear until she felt the flesh of her back burn horribly; there were another two mages behind her.
Freya ignored the agonizing burn on her back and made her way to the kids as the mages all raised the palm of their hands to her. She knew that if all three were to fire at her simultaneously, she'll be dead for sure. She grabbed the two children by their arms and drew them to her. Right as she raised her spear to inflict whatever damage she could to the possessed mages, someone had come to her rescue. A male dragon knight looking similar to Freya's kind, with a long, bladed weapon, had jumped down from the roof of the Inn and stabbed the mages behind Freya resulting in their death almost instantly. Freya then ushered the kids away from the mages in front of her as their savior slashed his blade through the chests of the mages, ending their lives as well.
The man looked down at the mages before turning around and facing Freya who was staring at him with longing in her dark beady eyes as her grip on the kid's arm slightly loosened.
"Si-Sir Fratley," stuttered Freya as she walked closer to the man she'd been looking for. "I've been searching for you for so long…I thought you might have been…"
"Excuse me?" asked Fratley with a baffled expression. "How could you've been searching for me? I believe this is the first time we've met."
Now it was Freya's turn to be confused. "Wh-What do you mean?" asked Freya frantically. "It is I! Freya!"
"I'm sorry…I have no memory of you…Miss Freya."
"No…memory…of me?" asked Freya hurtfully. 'How can he not remember me!'
Freya and Fratley were together at the center square of Burmecia as the rain fell just as hard as it always had. The two lovers were entangled in each others arms as Freya rested her head on his chest while listening to his beating heart. Fratley was enjoying the moment just as much as she was as he rested his arm on her back and lifted his face to the sky for all the rain to fall upon it.
Both of them enjoyed just hearing the constant drops of rain falling on top of them until Fratley began to speak to Freya.
"Freya?"
"Yes Fratley?" asked Freya not bothering to move from her current position.
"…I love you."
Freya smiled against Fratley's chest and hugged him even tighter. She already knew that he loved her but hearing those words from his mouth sent a warm sensation throughout her entire body. Despite the cold rain hitting them, she felt warm and protected with her Fratley, especially when he spoke his feelings to her.
There they both remained, drenched from the rain but happier than anyone else could've been at that moment…
Freya's eyes were closed shut as more flash backs of her and Fratley came to mind. The first time they met, the first time they'd confessed their love, the first time they'd kissed...She never forgot him and all they shared…so how could he? Nothing was making sense.
Fratley stared at Freya with an emotionless face as he spoke. "Freya…I'm sorry but I must go…take care."
"No! Wait! How can you-"
Before Freya could finish her pleas and yells…he was gone. He left the same way he came from the rooftops. Freya stared at the roofs as tears began to well up in her eyes. She would've stayed there longer if the two kids that Fratley had saved earlier hadn't pulled at the cuffs of her long red coat.
"Miss Freya! We have to get to the cathedral!" yelled one of the little girls.
"Yeah! Come on!" agreed the other.
"Yes…I'm sorry, we must meet everyone at the cathedral," said Freya. She grabbed each hand of the two little girls and ran with them up the wooden bridge to their destination. She had a duty to fufill but the image of Fratley was still in the front of her mind.
Luckily Zidane, Freya, Vivi and even Quina had all made it safe to the cathedral with whatever people they could gather. Zidane found most of the townspeople and protected them quite well. Freya brought two little girls along with some elders, and Vivi didn't have any luck helping or finding people but he did find Quina near an over sized mushroom.
All the townspeople were gathered in the front area of the cathedral chatting excessively about all the recent events and reuniting with lost family members as Zidane and his friends gathered in the back of the cathedral where the king was waiting for them. As they walked through the double doors to the king, they found him pacing the room with his hand on his chin until the sound of the doors closing alerted him that he had company.
"You're all safe!" exclaimed the King as some relief was apparent on his aging face.
"Yeah we're all good," said Zidane as he looked from right to left at his comrades. "We saved as many people as we could, their all in the first room."
"Thank you," said the king sincerely. "So…the mages and soldiers have overrun the town?"
"Pretty much," replied Zidane gloomily.
"I see,' sad the king as he turned his gaze to Freya. "Freya, you seem too quiet…what is on your mind?"
"I'm sorry your highness…I…it's just that…I saw Sir Fratley-"
"Boy is it packed back there!"
In came Puck as loud as ever into the king's room joining the others as everyone looked at him with wide eyes. Puck eyed everyone back as he furrowed his eyebrows and walked towards the center of the room.
"I overheard you say that you saw Fratley," said Puck as he looked to Freya.
"Yes, I did," she replied.
"Well I saw him too! On my travels I ran into the guy and he didn't even remember me or the king! Nonthin'!"
"Incredible," said Freya with a little more interest in her voice. "When I saw him he didn't even have the faintest memory of me…he said that we'd never met before."
Puck smiled to Freya apologetically as Freya tried to cover the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes once again. Vivi walked over to Freya and grabbed her arm comfortingly as she smiled to the sweet mage.
Zidane wasn't sure what to do or say to make Freya feel better. He could only imagine how tough it'd be to not have someone you care so deeply about not remember you. Thinking of Freya and Fratley made him think of Dagger and himself. If he ever came across her and she didn't remember him or what they'd been through together, it would shred him to pieces. He didn't want to even think of that ever happening to him. Zidane knew that this wasn't the time or place for him to be thinking about Dagger, but he couldn't help himself…
"Zidane…am I doing this right?"
"Yeah! You're doing great actually. To be honest, I'm pretty surprised that you can even hold that thing…it's pretty heavy."
"Yeah, it is."
Dagger and Zidane were in the small crop field of Dali as he showed her how to handle his weapon. It had only been a few hours since they had gotten there from the blistering cold Ice Cavern so he decided to give her a crash course in dagger wielding, and to his surprise she was doing pretty well.
"Ha! Damn, if Steiner were to see me now, he'd kill me for letting you hold a 'dangerous weapon'," said Zidane as he made air quotes to Dagger.
She simply smiled her elegant grin that she always wore and let out a small laugh at the thought of Steiner finding her with a weapon in her hand. Oh what a sight that would be.
"Try hitting something," suggested Zidane.
"Like what?" asked Dagger confusingly as she scanned her surroundings. "You're not suggesting that I cut down these crops are you?"
Zidane laughed at Dagger's concern. "Nah, of course not. I was meaning for you to hit me."
"Wh-What? Are you insane?"
"Hmm, so cocky already on your dagger skills that you think you might actually hurt me? I like that," said Zidane as he crossed his arms and pulled out his other dagger from his hip.
Dagger stared at Zidane as if he'd gone mad. She looked down at the dagger in her gloved hand and decided to just go along with Zidane's idea. She raised the dagger and timidly yet forcefully swung it at Zidane as his other dagger countered it. So she tried it again.
And again.
…and again.
He blocked himself every time she tried to hit him…not that she didn't expect that though, he was a skilled fighter. She'd come to realize that.
Dagger then swung at him one more time just for fun but Zidane didn't block himself. Instead, as the princess swung her dagger at him, he caught it with his arm and smashed it between his arm and abdomen as he pretend to act as is she really did stab him.
"Ahhhh!" yelled Zidane as he fell backward on the grassy ground. "Dagger…you...got me..."
Dagger looked down at the 'injured' Zidane and placed her hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow at his sprawled out body. "Oh please…it's a shame that I didn't actually stab you."
"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" asked Zidane as he instantly lifted his body to his elbows and looked up at the gorgeous princess.
Dagger laughed louder this time at Zidane's reaction. She continued to laugh whole heartedly as she offered a hand to Zidane for him to get up. He looked at her outstretch arm and reached for it, but instead of lifting himself up like she expected, he pulled her to the ground with him.
Dagger was completely caught off guard by this and fell to the ground next to Zidane. Zidane tired to contain his laughter thinking that she might get offended, but instead she began to laugh again…so he joined in too.
Zidane turned his head over to Dagger as he saw her laughing towards the sky. He scanned every inch of her face and came to realize that she was in fact perfect…at least to him she was.
Zidane believed that nothing could have made that moment any better but he was proven wrong when she turned her head to him and smiled her most beautiful smile he'd ever seen on a woman…that's when he knew for sure that nothing was better than that moment.
More and more memories of Dagger were coming to Zidane until the sound of Pucks voice broke his train of thought. Right now he had to help Freya and worry about his personal feelings later.
"I'm sorry Freya," said Puck sadly. "I knew now wouldn't be the best of times for you to see him."
"You have nothing to apologize for," said Freya as she tried her best to smile. "It's just that-"
"Ahhhh! Please, have Mercy!"
A Cleyran High Priest yelped as non-other than Beatrix made her way through the window of the king's room undetected as she placed her foot on the High Priest's chest triumphantly while holding the red jewel form the harp in her gloved hand.
Zidane and the others looked at the General with rage in their eyes as the monkey tailed hero began to speak. "We're not letting you get away this time Beatrix!"
The General was amused by Zidane's words and let out a loud laugh that angered Zidane even more. "I would love to watch you try and stop me."
Beatrix kicked the Cleyran in the face with her boot and tossed him aside as she ran past Zidane and others out of the Cathedral to the outside area. Freya was the first to follow Beatrix out as Quina, Vivi and Zidane joined her. They all ran past the townspeople that were in the front area of the cathedral and met up with Beatrix who was securing the jewel she's stolen in a pocket of her pants.
"You're gonna pay for everything you and you're Queen have done!" yelled Zidane as he drew his weapon.
Freya, Vivi and Quina mimicked Zidane's actions until they all had their weapons out and pointed them threateningly towards Beatrix.
"Really?" asked Beatrix in an amused tone as she eyed the foursome. "Have you all already forgotten how easily I defeated you back in Burmecia?"
No one answered; they just kept eyeing her dangerously.
Beatrix let out a deep sigh and spoke once more as she took out her deathly sword. "Well…if you're offering your lives…I will have to take them."
Without further ado, Zidane charged towards Beatrix and collided his weapon with his. They held that position for a few seconds until she quickly slid past him and grazed his arm with her sword. The battle had only just begun and already Zidane could tell that Beatrix was even better than before.
Freya was the next one to attack, she jumped as high as she could in hope that she'd penetrate her spear through the enemy, but the general was just too fast. Beatrix's light laugh could be heard as she performed her deadly 'shock' attack to Vivi that caused him to lose a lot of his strength. Quina hastily threw a hi-potion to Vivi and aided him as Zidane tried effortlessly to attack Beatrix despite her swift movements.
The foursome tried their hardest to weaken Beatrix but none of them were fast enough to hit her. Freya hated the possibility of Beatrix fleeing with the precious jewel unscathed. A lot was bothering Freya at this moment. It wasn't just because Betrix and Brahne were here stirring up trouble, and it wasn't just because the love of her life had no idea who she was, it was everything combined into one. The dragon knight knew that now was not the time for her to be worrying about such matters but everything just hit her all at once. That's when she felt something inside her explode…and almost instantly she was engulfed in a warm, white light…she was having her trance.
This feeling was new to Freya. She had no idea what as going on. She looked down at her glowing white hands and looked to Zidane as if he'd have some sort of answer for her.
"Just fight!" yelled Zidane encouragingly as he ducked before Beatrix's sword could connect with his head. "Come on Freya!"
Freya nodded to Zidane and did exactly what he said. She fought. Freya ran to Beatrix from behind and caught the general completely off guard. She slashed her long spear against the small of Beatrix's back causing her to grunt in pain. Beatrix turned around; clearly ticked off for the fact of someone attacking her and raised her sword to stab Freya. Freya immediately jumped to the side and attempted to slash at Beatrix again until both their weapons met and made a loud 'clank' sound at the touch.
The two women stared at each other dangerously and Beatrix jumped back and performed another 'shock' attack on Freya as Vivi casted a blizzara spell on her. Freya sustained Beatrix's move quite well as the general just shook off the blizzara spell as if it were nothing.
Although some damage was final being done to Beatrix, it wouldn't be enough to kill her…it wouldn't even be enough to weaken her.
Freya was readying herself to do another jump attack on Beatrix but right as she jumped to the air, a massive blue and green light threw her back. Freya remembered this feeling and quickly knew that Beatrix had just made one of her deadliest moves…'stock break'.
Everyone fell to the floor in a heartbeat. Zidane, Vivi, Quina and Freya were all on their backs as Beatrix put her sword back in her holster with pride.
A few black mages made their way to Beatrix as she spoke to them all. "Black mages, out work here is done…commence withdrawal immediately!"
At sound of Beatrix's command, one of the black mages raised his hand as if to cast a spell but instead a colorful bubble appeared. The mage and Beatrix jumped inside as the bubble teleported elsewhere. Another mage walked up and did the same exact thing again.
Zidane noticed this and quickly got up from the ground despite all the pain he was still feeling from Beatrix's last attack.
"You guys!" yelled Zidane as he tried to walk as fast as he could to the ball of colorful light. "Get in one of these bubbles and it'll probably lead us to Beatrix and everyone else! Come on!"
Zidane jumped into the bubble before it teleported away. Freya and Vivi looked to each other and stood up simultaneously as the next mage made another bubble. This time Freya and Vivi jumped together into the light as it sent them away as well. Now all that was left was Quina.
Quina stood up and saw as another mage who was raising his arms for another bubble to appear. Quina thought over his/her options for a few quick moments until he/she finally came to a decision.
"I no like heights…I walk."
Needless to say, Quina didn't follow the others.
A/N: hope you liked it, leave a review if ya did:D