Chapter Twenty
The frogs and cicadas chirped loudly that cool night. Zidane had left all his windows open in his chambers as he flopped about in bed like a fish out of water. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Dagger. He could see the faintest of her freckles twinkling at the edge of her round eyes. He could feel her thick eyelashes fluttering against his skin. Kuja had suceeded with his little trick. Allowing Zidane to feel Dagger like that again had him absolutely drained and frustrated that he couldn't have her back. In the outskirts of war, Zidane was angry Kuja had redirected his attention to the cheapest shot he could take; playing with the heart strings of his lost love. Zidane couldn't help but lust over her touch and the desire he had for Dagger became the most unbearable he had fallen victim to in the aftermath of her death. He missed her from the deepest fathoms of his being. What he wouldn't do to have her back again. To hold her in his arms. For her to see the wonderful young women their daughter's were budding into. To help keep him in check and grounded. Without her, he had lost his anchor and he felt at the mercy of the rolling tides. The pressure mounted deeper and deeper into his core and Zidane sighed, turning in bed to gaze at the empty spot beside him. When Dagger was alive, the bed was only allowed to be drenched in smooth silk. Dagger loved the fabric. But after her death, Zidane insisted on the bear minimal of cotton. The silk burned his skin after she had died. In the beginning, it had been a task coaxing Zidane to return to the chamber where Dagger had taken her last breath. He felt the weight of it all coming in on him. He looked around the dark room, bathed in pale moonlight, trying to force Dagger to appear. Kuja had made her seem so real. Her warm body and smooth skin. Her silky hair and her vibrant eyes. It's like he had truly been holding her again. As if he had transcended through time and life to meet her again. Zidane shuddered at the very thought of Dagger.
The sounds of boots scuffing to stone pricked Zidane's ears and he sat up, looking towards the window. Fauna was climbing in, her red hair glowing in the moonlight. She stopped when she saw Zidane was alert and awake. She grinned. "Good evening, Your Majesty. I didn't expect to find you awake."
Slowly, Zidane came to stand beside his bed. It was quite chilly, however, with the approaching winter, so he grabbed his gray woolen coat off the chest by the end of his bed. As he shrugged into it, he watched Fauna's slender body come completely through the window and she looked around the dark and vacant chambers.
"But a lone little bird locked away in your nocturnal cage," Fauna grinned, walking a few paces around the room. A leather satchel beat against her hip. "All on your own, you wait for the next morning's rays to bring you hope..."
"Just give me what you have and then go," Zidane crossed his arms over his chest, completely unamused.
Fauna turned to him with pursed lips. "Spoil sport..." She muttered before she reached into her satchel, extending a pile of neatly folded black clothes that gleamed in the moonlight pouring through the windows. "Kuja had this made just for you, delicately, and percisely. You'll look sharp in it, I'm sure, my dashing king."
"You can quit it with the goofy talk and formalities," Zidane took the clothes into his hand, a chill coming over him as he felt the cool fabric. Quickly, he placed the clothes on his nightstand, spying on the sleeve of the form-fitting shirt the outline of a life crystal. He tore his eyes away, looking to Fauna who still seemed amused despite his agitated state.
"Why do you stew, my king?" She asked, coming towards him. Zidane tried to step away, but backed directly into the frame of his bed, nearly falling over. "We must all make hard decisions in our lives. You, of all people, are no stranger to this concept. It's of better value to make the best of what you have to do."
"When what I have to do is betray my family and friends?" Zidane looked to her with dark eyes piercing through the night time. "Your little speech would be better wasted on a fool without an option."
"I believe that'd be you," Fauna grinned, almost mysteriously, in the pale light of the night. Her gloved hands came forward, carressing against Zidane's chest, who tensed at the touch. She pressed her hands to his arms. "No wife, left to raise three wretched little girl's on your own... why do you stay, Zidane? What commands your liberty to them?"
Zidane pressed himself against the bed frame, trying to get away from Fauna's unnerving touch. "Those 'wretched little girl's' are my entire world."
"You've said it yourself," Fauna shrugged. "You never wanted to be a king."
"There's a lot of things I don't want to be," Zidane said, his eyes spying the uniform on his night stand. Fauna glanced over her shoulder and he took that moment to free himself from being pinned against the bed. He walked a few paces. "But if it means keeping my daughter's safe, I have to do it. No matter how much Kuja sickens me."
Fauna's boots scuffed to the polished marble floor, her red hair tumbling over her wiry shoulder. "You're a fool and only have yourself to blame for that. All your life, Zidane, you have done nothing but run from your destiny. You act like a superior man who can outrun it, but you can't. Nobody can deny the fate they were born into, no matter how hard you try to look the other way."
"Don't act like you know me," Zidane kept his back to her, his nerves slowly coming to the surface. "And don't pretend you understand. You can't understand, Fauna. You're a human with a Terran soul. Your alliegance will never waver. And you have no free will of your own."
"You and I aren't much different."
Zidane turned around, feeling his blood boil beneath his skin. But when he did, nobody was there. Fauna was gone and he was again left to his dark, empty, brooding chambers. Zidane let out an uneven breath as he came to lower himself onto his bed. Cautiously, he took the fabric of the uniform into his hand, slowly unfolding it to reveal his destiny.
...
Zidane certainly wasn't the only person not catching a good night's sleep. In Bella's chambers, she sat all alone in her bed, propped up against her pillows. Another nightmare had awakened her. She shook nervously in her blankets. Kuja. A name to the face. As she recalled his porcelain skin and ashen hair falling around his shoulders, she couldn't help but shudder. Bella strived to understand. It was fruitless, however, in her frightened state. She couldn't piece together the stories she had heard over the years. None of it made sense. What did Kuja want with her family? Why had he made her father so vehemently sick? Bella couldn't help but still blame herself for all of it. All these people shifting castle to castle, whispering furiously in hallways and departing on airships without even so much as a nap. It seemed that once again the world was up-rooted into turmoil. And Bella felt like she was the embodiment of it.
I've already lost Mother... Bella cast her eyes down, following the shadows that fell across her bedsheets. I was too young to change that. But... I can't sit here and let my own father slip through my fingers. She pursed her lip and furrowed her brow. Bella dug deep into her memories, trying to procure an image of her mother. It was so difficult, however. Her memories of her mother were often white washed, with a beaming sun coming over her shoulder and obscuring her face. All Bella really could remember was her voice. But the young girl worried that, with time, that would fade, too.
"I can't let her legacy just die," Bella whispered to herself. She pulled herself from bed, going to her amoir and quickly dressing. She chose the plainest of dresses she owned, as to not attract attention. It was a long sleeve light blue cotton dress with white lace accenting the cuffs, skirt, and collar. She rolled black stockings up her legs to keep the chill of the descending winter away. She then shrugged into a heavy woolen coat, buttoning it up, and laced a pair of boots. With shaking hands, the young girl snagged a few dresses down and stuffed them into a backpack she had. It had once been her father's in his youthful worldly travels. It was a worn dark blue with several patches affixed to it. She also balled more stockings up, dropping them into the bag. A few books were collected and a hand mirror that had once been her mother's. Bella turned it over in her hands, running her fingers along the intricate carvings on the back meant to resemble rolling waves and collectible sea shells. Bella pursed her lips and quickly jammed it into her bag. "Have it your way, Kuja..." She muttered to herself as she fought the zippers shut. "If you won't leave my father alone, I'll make sure to it that you do."
Bella knew she'd need food for her journey. In her dream, Kuja had made his hideaway seem so far away. She knew she would have a long travel across the Mist Continent. And then she would need to cross an ocean. From there, she expected an even longer foot travel across the Forgotten Continent to find Kuja's place. But it was too risky to be seen by the night time patrol. A princess fully dressed with a backpack on at two in the morning? The guards would sound the alarm. Bella pushed her window open and was greeted with a cold gusty breeze of air that fluffed her skirt up. Cautiously, the slender princess leaned out the window, lowering her leg down to a ledge. Her heart thundered in her chest as she looked down at the spiraling fall. The wind ripped through her hair and made her eyes water as carefully, she began to navigate herself along the carved balustrades and ledges of the castle. It was quite a daring escape, but the princess was so distraught with the world and her father, that she saw this as the only way. She couldn't allow these people to fight on her behalf. In many ways, she felt like she was the only person who could stop this. Seeing her father's head hit the ground and watching his body jolt had filled her with a new definition of dread. It was much more exacberated than the dread she had felt since Sarah's birthday all those weeks and months ago. Bella was determined to prove she could clean her own messes up. And she wouldn't take kindly to someone tarnishing her mother's legacy. Just as Sarah was fired up, Bella had her own personal mission. If Kuja wanted her, then so be it. She wouldn't allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves for her own mistakes.
Her foot slipped and Bella gasped sharply, clinging tightly to the ledge above her. She pressed herself to the cool stone of the castle and hurriedly brought her foot back to the edge. For a moment, she took in deep breaths as the wind continued to ravage against her. After a few beats, she continued to scoot along the edge. Cautiously, she lowered herself down to the next ledge. And then the next. She spiralled around the castle as she slowly found herself reaching the bottom. Wanting to feel the planet beneath her, she leapt and staggered to the ground, falling on her knees. The garden was very dark that night and the rustling foliage set Bella's nerves on edge. She pressed herself into the shadows as she navigated out of the garden. The river that night had a ghastly fog rising from it and it curled around Bella's ankles as she hurried down to the empty gondola. Looking all around for just a moment, the young princess hobbled into the gondola that rocked back and forth precariously. She grabbed the oar and with all her might, pushed herself from the stairs. As she sailed across the muggy surface of the calm river, she looked towards the tall and mighty Alexandrian Castle. Her home. Her entire world as she knew it. Her stomach tossed and turned in turmoil at what she was doing. She knew by morning, the castle would be in havoc at the discovery of her disappearance. But Bella knew it had to be this way. After seeing her father awaken in the infirmary, begging for her not to be taken away, and swearing to come up with a plan, Bella knew she couldn't wait a moment more for Kuja to play his deadly tricks. Her father had always been the one saving her. This time, Bella wanted to save him.
The gondola ran up against the uneven marble stairs on the other side of the river and Bella hurriedly clambered out. She took one more glance at the castle before she disappeared into Alexandria.
...
Zidane hadn't slept all night as he contemplated his chat with Fauna and he stewed over the idea of working for Kuja. He knew he had to do it for the safety of his daughter's. But something still held him back. What if Kuja was just lying again? Then Zidane would be a betrayer without a cause. He would go down infamously in history after being the very savior of the history books themselves. He knew he would have explaining to do to Eiko that morning at breakfast. As the sun began to break into his chambers, he could only sigh as the idea of his morning meal being more of an interrogation. He dressed quickly, hoping to be in the dining room with bright eyes and a bushy tail for the girl's. There was no shooing away the tensity and uncertainty that stewed inside the castle walls. But he knew he still had to try for his daughter's, to make sure they were the least worried for their safety. And his.
When he emerged from his chambers and came to the first platform, a shrill shouting caught his attention and he felt himself freeze. Zidane heard several doors opening. Furious screaming. Feet stamping to the carpet. Quickly, Zidane turned and dashed up those stairs, his heart pounding in his chest. The shouting was coming from his daughter's chambers. Zidane felt a chill come over him as he rounded the corner to find three maids absolutely beside themselves, scurrying up and down the hallways.
"What's going on?!" Zidane asked, nearly breathless. Sarah and Alex stood in the door of their chambers. Sarah's face was stone hard. Alex was in tears. Upon seeing her father, she raced towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Bella's gone!" Alex nearly screeched. Zidane felt his entire body blanche.
"What?" Zidane said, nearly numb.
"What if Kuja took her?!" Alex was inconsolable as the tears fell. Sarah came to her side, wrapping her arms around her younger sister as their father stood there, utterly shocked. Zidane was still reeling, his mind running through all the scenarios.
"She didn't leave a note," Sarah told him as Alex's tears soaked her dress. "And there wasn't a struggle in her room. Some of her dresses are missing. And her window was open."
Zidane felt his hands curl into fists and he pursed his lips. "Dammit. Dammit all!" Zidane whirled around, racing back down the stairs. Sarah watched, nearly stunned. She also felt the presence of anger welling up into the pit of her stomach and she tightly gripped Alex's shoulders as the young princess sobbed and hiccuped.
"Alex," Sarah knelt down. "You should go take a bath and wash your face."
"But... Bella...!" Alex hiccuped.
"Chin up," Sarah said firmly. "Now is not the time for tears. Maid, please take her away." Sarah briskly walked a few steps towards where her father disappeared as the maids, in their ferverous desire to make things right, coaxed the crying young Alex away, whose tail nearly drooped on the floor behind her. Sarah didn't wait a moment more before she also dashed away in her father's footsteps.
She thundered down the stairs, not even bothering to pick her skirt up. Down and down again she piled until she appeared on the final platform for the grand foyer of the castle. There, she found her father with Eiko, Steiner, and Beatrix. The group was frantically speaking. Several knights and guards lined the edges of the foyer, awaiting their emergency orders.
"Where is she!?" Sarah demanded, not even caring if she interrupted. The adults of the room noticed the rather firery princess on the platform, but nobody said a word. Sarah came down the stairs now, her heels echoing through the foyer. "Eiko, what did you do?!"
"Princess Sarah..." Eiko stepped forward.
"There's no time for formalities!" Sarah barked. Beatrix and Steiner could see the inner Zidane unleashing from the girl's body. She was angry. She wanted answers. "Where did my sister go!?"
Eiko glanced towards Zidane, pursing her lips. "We believe she is going to Kuja at Iifa Tree."
"Then what are we waiting for!?" Sarah threw her arms out at her side, turning to the soldiers waiting. "Fire the airships up and take to the sky! Everyone is way too calm about this. A princess is missing!"
"We've already deployed a fleet of foot soldiers to comb the town and surrounding area," Beatrix told her as calmly as possible. Inside, the general was anything but. "Perhaps she hasn't gotten too far yet. It's too foggy to fly, however. We will have to wait until later this morning."
"I don't accept that answer."
"Sarah," Zidane pressed a hand to her tense shoulder. Sarah pulled away from it, however, a fire searing in her blue eyes. "You should stay with Alex. She's upset."
"Upset?! Of course she's upset!" Sarah shook her head. "Eiko's made Bella feel so bad about herself, she's probably just giving herself up to Kuja to save everyone the hassle. We have to stop her!"
"We are going to stop her, I promise," Zidane said, feeling his cool slowly coming undone.
Sarah's eyes darted between the adults and she ground her teeth together. "Well, I don't see anyone doing a damn thing!"
Before anyone could reply, the princess turned sharply on her feet, pounding back up the many staircases to her bedroom chambers. Luckily, nobody followed her. She was sure she was leaving a steaming path behind her as she barged into the sitting room. Alex was still away with the maids. Sarah dropped to her knees, rustling her duffel bag out from beneath the couch. She glanced out the window at the awakening sky, spying the rolling fog that enveloped the cliffside city. Taking in a deep breath, Sarah withdrew the long shiney sword from it's sheath. It was so sharp and the garnet faithfully gleamed in the dewey morning light. Without hesitation, she wrangled the sheath around across her chest. With the sword beating against her back, she left her room and reappeared in the foyer.
"All of you," Sarah pointed to the left side of the awaiting soldiers. "You're coming with me."
"Sarah?" Zidane turned now, watching as she came down the stairs. The soldiers were slightly confused and a little unnerved. Some took cautious steps to follow in the wake of the demanding and angry princess. "What... what are you doing?" Zidane leapt in front of her. "Where did you get that sword?!"
"It's mine," Sarah said, plainly. "And I know how to use it. I'm taking my infantry and we're going to the outskirts of Evil Forest. With any luck, Bella hasn't crossed the mountain range to Burmecia yet. I'll go all the way to Burmecia by foot if I have to."
"Princess Sarah, we have the situation under control," Eiko said. "This isn't necessary."
"Nothing has been under control since you've decided to play a bigger role in Bella's life," Sarah said, steely and cold. Eiko was rather taken aback. "My sister is out there. She needs to be brought back before she falls into the hands of Kuja. Now, get out of my way."
"Zidane!" Beatrix interjected, looking to him for help.
At the call of his name, he felt a sharp pain come into his head. Zidane cringed, his brow furrowing together. He grasped his forehead as the pain seared into his mind. He ground his teeth together as the pressure built in his head. And just as quick, it left. Zidane's head throbbed as he lifted his eyes to Sarah.
"Let her go," Zidane said.
"Zidane?!" Beatrix shook her head.
Sarah turned to the soldiers waiting behind her. "Follow me."
"Zidane, what are you thinking?!" Beatrix came towards him, noticing an odd light in his eyes. "Are you even thinking at all!? We can't send her out there. She's not trained to lead a troop. We don't even know how well she excels with a sword."
Zidane watched as Sarah flung the door open, the racket of shifting armor following in her wake. He watched his oldest daughter's head bob from sight before he turned without a word, heading back up the stairs.
"Zidane!" Beatrix shouted, walking after him. "Zidane, this is no time to be careless or conceding. This is an emergency. With one princess missing, we are in danger of more going missing. You have to keep the girl's here-"
"I know what I'm doing," Zidane said, not even looking over his shoulder. Beatrix stopped abruptly at the base of the stairs, watching Zidane walk away as if he was cool and collected. Zidane arrived at his chambers and paced a few moments. Slowly, he came to his nightstand, pulling the wretched uniform into his hands. He pursed his lips, however, discarding it into a rumpled mess. Zidane lowered himself to the edge of the bed. "Well, Kuja... I think you and I should have a chat."
There was only a beat of unmoving silence before the king felt himself become overwhelmed with the familiar burning sensation. He collapsed across his bed, drifting into a fevered state as he transcended from his body to the man he wanted six feet below his own misery.