We snuck along the balcony of the throne room and got as close as we could to the attackers without being seen. As we all suspected there stood Queen Brahne of Alexandria, the Alexandrian General Beatrix and a third woman. Pale skin with greying-black hair despite her youth, bizzarely yellow eyes that glistened in the darkness of the palace and wore armour similar to the Alexandrian soldiers but it was pitch black, she wore marroon tights and knee high black boots, along with a long black cape. Her hands looked like they were covered in blood and a sword was sheathed by her hip. She looked familiar actually...

"I knew she was behind all of this," Freya growled, clenching her fists in rage.

"You knew?" Zidane asked, peeking around the pillars we were hiding behind. "What do you mean?"

"I returned because I had heard rumours of Brahne," Freya explained. "That she had set sights on Burmecia but... I hoped that they weren't true."

"Then that's General Beatrix with her," Zidane frowned. "And Lieutenant-General Willow."

"That's Beatrix?" Freya looked at the brunette woman who stood with her comrade and Queen. "The cold blooded knight who show's no mercy...?" Freya lowered her head and fell silent. I looked to Lucifer, who stared at Willow.

"When in Paris, eh?" He remarked. So Willow was in Paris. That woman I bumped into when trying to get away from Lucifer.

"What's her story?" I asked generally.

"I heard that a year ago she just appeared, becoming second-in-command underneath Beatrix," Zidane explained. "Remember Dagger said she didn't trust her? You don't think she's influencing Brahne?"

"What makes you sure?" I looked at the thief who shrugged.

"Me and Dags talked in Dali, she though there was connection between the two things," He answered. "Still she's been very secretive, a lot of her life's just rumours," Zidane turned to Freya, who was shaking a little but from which emotion I wasn't sure. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," She answered, sighing. "I was just thinking... about the past..."

"You still can't get over him huh?" The boy asked sympathectically. I looked around the pillar to see a tall man walking through the doors. Tall with silvery hair and extravagent clothing. His eyes were a brilliant lavender and he walked with such confidence, concealing arrogance with each step.

"Wow..." I whispered, staring at the antagonist in awe. Why I wasn't sure but I did. "Can we get closer or can we hear them from here?" I asked. Lucifer stared and looked up, watching the rain fall down heavily.

"Well regardless of the lack of roof I do believe we could hear them, if only vaguely," He replied, hand on chin. "Castles and palaces are always subconsiously built with excellent acoustics for the benefit of performers and the royal family. However since they aren't performing I think we won't hear too well."

"Okay..." I crouched down and strained my hearing. I couldn't actually hear anything except some bellows of anger from Queen Brahne at Beatrix and Willow. The man... Kuja. This moment made me realise how real this world was. I was in Gaia, this wasn't a game or a dream. It was real.

It got even more real when I stumbled forward, both Zidane and Lucifer grabbing me and pulling me backwards. Freya looked at the enemies, being able to hear better than us.

"They... they're going to attack Cleyra!" She gasped in anger. "I can't believe that woman, wasn't Burmecia enough!"

"Freya calm down," Zidane said. "We'll get to Cleyra first and warn them. It's the only way," The Dragon Knight nodded, calming herself. "Always wondered why they called it the 'City of Illusion'..."

"Problem!" Lucifer interrupted as we found a Burmecian Knight charging towards the four villains. Both Freya and Zidane immediantly jumped down to help and I looked at Lucifer, who nodded. I grabbed onto a statue and dropped down with a thud, hurting my legs a bit.

We ran towards the four people and the Burmecian soldier. Zidane whistled and grabbed both Beatrix and Willow's attention, as well as Brahne and Kuja's. I clenched my fists and acted confident, standing tall as Zidane and Freya drew their weapons. Wait where was Lucifer?

"Hey! Why don't you take us!" Zidane provoked, giving time for the soldier to get away, going to Freya who seemed relieved another person was okay.

"Go to your King, protect him with your life," She told him.

"T-thank you Freya!" He sighed with relief. Beatrix laughed and pointed her sword at us. I heard the doors open and Vivi and Quina burst in.

"Never have I been so humilated," She General laughed, coming closer to us. "You forget that I have defeated one hundred knights single-handedly. To me you are just mere insects." Immediantly her sword sparked with lightning and she ran at Quina, dispatching the Qu easily. I gasped loudly and backed away, trying to aim a spell that would revive him.

Zidane ran towards the General, ready to impale her with his daggers as Freya leapt at her, spearready to kill. Beatrix easily and effortlessly threw Zidane back and broke Freya's spear in two. She ran towards Vivi and I immediantly ran in front of him, holding out my hands.

"Stop!" I yelled, only managing to slow her movements. I pushed Vivi out of the way but she got my shoulder, kicking me off her sword before going for Vivi again.

Zidane got up and yelled out as Vivi was thrown down to the ground roughly by the Alexandrian. He tackled her before she could stab Vivi fatally and Freya leapt at her again, only to be knocked back by Zidane. I screamed as Beatrix came at me, so I drew out my knife and pointed it at her.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled. Willow ganged up on me and drew her sword, walking faster than Beatrix. I screamed as she roughly batted the knife out my hand, breaking the blade from the handle and snapping my wrist.

"Oi, pick on someone of your own skill!" Lucifer yelled, drawing out his own sword. "Now I can only dance with one lady at a time, who will it be?" I noticed Willow's face grimace as her yellow eyes narrowed before turning to her superior.

"General?" She didn't ask it like a question. She didn't even wait for an answer she just charged at Lucifer who blocked every one of her blows and trapped her in a cage of fire. She burst out of it as Lucifer started to make a run for it, I would have done the same if Beatrix hadn't grabbed my wrist.

Out of panic I felt gravity distort around us and I ended up further away from her. As she ran for me I blasted her with weak energy that she deflected before knocking me down with the blunt side of her sword, taking down Freya and Zidane shortly after I went.

"Ignorant fools..." She laughed mockingly as we lay half dead on the ground. "Is there no one worthy of challenging me?"

"Beatrix, come!" Queen Brahne ordered. "Willow has probably dispatched that scoundrel now. We shall head to Cleyra."

"At once, Your Majesty," Beatrix said. I heard their footsteps fade and I rolled onto my stomach, looking up at the man who aided them. He looked down on us as we lay helpless, not even bothering to finish us off or help us.

"Now, what do we have here?" He asked himself, walking closer. "Another pathetic rodent, a Qu, a defect Black Mage and... this boy may be a problem," He said referring to Zidane. The man then looked at me, not even blinking. Well as far as I could tell but my vision was blurry. "And an unstable Mage. How cute..." He pushed his hair from his face, rain dripping from his clothes, hair and skin.

He walked around us slowly, snapping his fingers and sending a purple light to the skies, signalling a beautiful silvery feathered dragon to come down and land inside the palace.

"Damn... you..." Freya groaned. I could hear Zidane's heavy breathing as well as Vivi and Quina's panting. Where was Lucifer?

I don't know what possessed me to do it but I used my remaining strength to reach out, taking hold of Kuja's ankle with my good hand as he walked past me. I gripped onto him and it got his attention as I felt myself slipping.

"Kuja... wait..." I said weakly. He looked down at me and I lifted my head. I locked my eyes with him, doing my best, trying my hardest, to give him a defiant stare. To tell him silently that he wouldn't win. That we were stronger.

However all I saw was his eyes change from digust to disbelief to sympathy. Why sympathy I didn't know but that was what his eyes said to me. Was it because of my Magic? Was he prosecuted too for his Magic?

I didn't know. I let my cold fingers loosen the grip on his ankle and loosened my grip on surviving. I slipped away...

End of Act 1