Chapter Twenty-Four

The occupants of the Royal Alexandrian Airship took shelter in the rather spacious mess hall from the rain. They would be docking within the hour at Burmecia. Zidane ushered Sarah into the room and hawked over her until he was pleased with the oatmeal bowl she had decorated in granola and fresh garden berries. She quickly found Beatrix, who was looking over maps of intricate and forgotten roadways of the Northern Passages of the Mist Continent. Zidane glanced around at the lounging soldiers. Steiner and Freya had gotten themselves hot apple cider and spoke quietly together at a table. Dante had fallen into the grasps of Alex's attention and she fanatically explained her cards to Dante. Luckily, the young boy had some leftover knowledge of the game from his school yard days, but he was much more of a marble shooter. But across the room, near the very back, sat Eiko by herself. She stirred a cup of tea rather mindlessly, looking towards the wall of windows that sported the open air unfurling before the airship. Raindrops splattered against the panes, reflecting the ruminations everyone in the room felt uncomforted by. Zidane shifted his feet back and forth and found himself walking towards her.

Eiko noticed him rather quickly. To her, he stuck out like a sore thumb. A shining beacon in a vastly dark and empty sea. But Eiko averted her eyes just as quickly, deciding her already sweet tea needed more sugar cubes. Zidane pulled himself onto the bench across from her, folding his arms out in front of him. He watched her slender fingers nervously stir her silver spoon about the cup. Zidane could only watch her. And she was well aware he could see right through her. His daughters and many loyal subjects all admired Eiko, thinking she was so well composed, so intelligent- but deep inside he still saw a little girl who was frightened but eager.

"How are you?" Zidane asked and she paused at the question, looking at him with sharp blue eyes.

"I should be asking you that," Eiko replied, delicately replacing her spoon on the saucer. A crack of thunder rang out overhead. "You're the only who has had his lights knocked out, a virus inserted into your bloodstream, and had a daughter go missing."

Zidane tapped his knuckles to the table, rattling her tea cup. "Yeah, so things are tough all around. It's never a good sign, though, when the Princess of Lindblum is silent." Eiko pursed her lips and Zidane sighed, setting his head into his hand. "My daughter's insulted you, Eiko. And you might like to pretend you're some invincible force, but I know those words struck a chord. Bad things were said in the heat of the moment..."

"You don't have to explain," Eiko shook her head. "I was once a thirteen and sixteen year old girl myself, Zidane. In a way, the entire carpet of their world has just been yanked out from underneath them. It's not why I've been quiet."

"Then what's on your mind?"

The way a bolt of lightning outside the window illuminated the side of his face almost had Eiko sighing. His complexion was clearing up nicely from the bruises and scratches. His lips finally weren't chapped and scabbed. His stitches would be due to come out soon, too. Even the scar across his neck was fading into something that had been apart of his skin his whole life. The way his blue eyes fell over her, Eiko couldn't help but feel rather meek. Pensively, she licked her lips.

"I've just been thinking about the current events... and well, it's had me thinking about the past," Eiko looked to the window, following the streaks of rain. "Do you remember what I used to be like, Zidane?"

"What, when you were a kid?" Zidane arched his eyebrows. Eiko had a sorrow in her blue eyes, almost. "'Course I do. You never could shut up or stop those antsy feet. You never stopped smiling, either."

Eiko sighed, lowering her eyes to her tea. "I wish I could still be that same little girl. How dearly I wish I didn't have to feel this burdened. I still dream that I'm with the moogles, living in that rubble like it was a fancy castle in and of itself. Life was almost simple back then. When Sarah and Bella said those words to me, Zidane, I realized... I've effectively erased the person I once was."

Zidane placed his hand on her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I still see you, Eiko. You can't erase the part of yourself that I know. None of us are the same people we were seventeen years ago. But we didn't lose that part of ourselves... we simply moved on."

"I feel like I gave up," Eiko looked at him with a face of hurt.

"Sometimes it might look like giving up, but it shares a fine line with letting go, Eiko."

Tears brimmed her eyes and she rubbed at them furiously, her face flushing. Eiko's cheeks became red and she shook her head, carefully looking around to be sure no one was aware of her crying. "I'm sorry," She said, rather strained, as she retrieved a hanky from her waistband and tenderly dabbed her eyes and nose. "The last words Arabella spoke to me before she disappeared were that I had ruined everything. That I had... destroyed your family..."

"We're gonna get her back," Zidane said. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince himself, however. "We can't let Kuja win with his little mind games, Eiko. We can't let him fracture us and drive us apart. We didn't let him take Dagger and we didn't let him take you. We sure as hell won't let Bella do this."

Eiko smiled in the next moment, still mopping her tears away. "How can you always be the one to take the role as the leader? How can you always find the words to help us keep moving? After everything that's happened, Zidane, you're the one who should be suffering the most."

"I'm not the only person who has suffered, though," Zidane looked around the large mess hall. "And I'd wager to say, nobody got that happily ever after that was always promised in the books. Total crock of shit."

"You... don't think I've destroyed your family, do you, Zidane?" Eiko looked to him, almost desperate for the affirmation. He could see how Eiko had muddled down in her thoughts. There was a crack in her mask. Eiko's childhood wasn't all smooth sailing after Regent Cid and Lady Hilda had taken her in. Though she finally began receiving her proper nutrients and even the education she so desperately wanted, the Lindblum Castle operated much differently than Alexandria's. Zidane hadn't forced his daughters to attend many etiquette classes or speech lectures. Beatrix made sure they had done the bare minimum, at least. Zidane had been much more inclined to focus on his daughter's studies in arts, history, literature, and sciences. But Regent Cid and Lady Hilda, upon finally having the child they thought they never would, had put adamant pressure on Eiko to look and speak a certain way. Over the years of Eiko's constant tutoring and forced saunters about the castle, it began to stick like glue to who she was. By Eiko's eighteenth birthday, she had become a reserved young woman, always with poised lips and a straight back, with eyes that observed more than lips that spoke. Regent Cid had been quite successful in creating an apt young person to take the throne and the total emboidment of Lindblum as a world leader. But in that moment, Zidane couldn't help but think at what cost?

"No," Zidane shook his head, smiling sadly. "This family's always been a little fractured but... we're stronger than this."

Another crack of thunder had Eiko looking out the window. She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know what I'd do if we didn't get Arabella back, Zidane." Her round blue eyes were glossy in the storm's light. "I know I shouldn't think like that but... it seems to be all my mind can taunt me with. If we fail to get her back... I'll blame myself for the rest of my life, Zidane. Of all your daughter's, I am the most bonded to Arabella. In a way, it's like... she's my own blood."

"The moment we land, we won't waste a second," Zidane told her. "We'll head directly to the Northern Ports. At this point, we've had to have caught up with Bella if she's still going by foot."

Eiko pressed her knuckle to her quivering lips for a moment before she stood. "If you'll excuse me..." Eiko said, abruptly turning and leaving the room. Zidane stared after her until a flash of lightning drew his eyes away. He blinked rapidly and sighed, coming to his feet and approaching the large window. Burmecia was in full sight now with its jagged and intricately carved buildings. Churchs spiraled towards the sky and the gold leaf on the castle gleamed in the dreary downpour Burmecia was accustomed to.

Zidane brought his hand forward to skim against the cool glass, pursing his lips.

Where are you, Arabella?

...

Bella and Fauna stopped to take a break beneath a large oak tree that shielded them from the storm that continued on across the rolling plains. Bella sighed, sitting down against the trunk and pulling her boots off. Her socks were soaked and her ankles were starting to rub in her rigid and wet shoes. Fauna took the time to squeeze her red hair out, but otherwise, her bodysuit didn't look so much as damp despite the hours they had spent trudging through the downright miserable weather. Bella let out a curt cough, whisking rain drops away from her hairline and ridge of her brow.

"Perhaps only a few more hours of walking," Fauna said, leaning out from beneath the cover of the trees momentarily. "You'll feel much better once you reach the boat, Your Highness."

Bella opened her backpack and grimaced upon seeing her cheese was damp. Her stomach was gurgling, though, so she ate it despite it tasting rather washed out. Fauna observed the young girl. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold rains and sharp winds. Her thick black hair was windblown around her heartshaped face. The older woman crossed her arms over her chest and inspected Bella as she broke another crumb of cheese off for herself. At thirteen years old, Bella was quite lanky and slender. Not nearly enough meat on her bones. She had always been that way, though, no matter how much buttered bread or milk Zidane had given her.

"You're going to get ill," Fauna told her, making Bella pause. "Don't you have an umbrella? Or perhaps a more suitable coat?"

Bella pulled back her hardend coat to reveal her dusty, wet, and tired cotton dress. She shook her head at Fauna, a wet strip of hair sticking to her temple. "No, I only have clothes like this."

"Hmph, what I'd expect of a girl with no mother..." Fauna shrugged.

I want Arabella to arrive with no broken spirits. Watch your words.

The red headed woman tensed and cleared her throat. "No matter. You should change your clothes so at least we can continue with you wearing something warm. You won't do well with a cold in the middle of the ocean."

Bella nibbled on her cheese for a moment as she stewed inside her mind. After a beat, she nodded and set to pulling out different kinds of dresses. She realized, however, she only had a half of a stocking. As she recounted her steps, she remembered it had been the stocking that had been designated the protector of her cheese. But now, it was lost on the other side of the mountain range. Fauna looked around them, glancing towards the road that had been vacant their entire way. Bella had expected to see more people on her journey. But she knew she hadn't chosen an ideal season of travel. Bella rustled about in her backpack, hopeful she had brought more stockings, but she only had the damp pair on her legs and the singular stocking dangling lamely from her hand.

Carefully, Bella manuevered out of her heavy and wet overcoat, allowing it to simply slump to the ground. She grabbed her backpack and rounded the thick tree to change in privacy. As she fumbled with the buttons on her dress, she gazed out towards the coastline that was only a few miles off. The foamy white tides washing towards the land were turbulent from the rain and a ghastly fog seeped across the surface. Bella wasn't able to see far into the sea, but she watched it toss and turn like her own internal conflictions. The sea was so vast, stretching far beyond the eye's sight. What lay beyond it? Hurriedly, Bella staggered into a gray satin dress with long sleeves and chose to replace at least one of her stockings for the sake of being dry. She ruffled her damp black hair from her face, bundling her wet clothes up and jamming them into her backpack. Her fingers ran over the mediocre patchwork her father had done to mend the bag nearly twenty years ago. She stared at it for a moment and sighed. She missed her father. She wondered what he was doing- what he was thinking? Was he angry at her?

Bella returned from around the tree to find Fauna holding her sopping wet coat. Beneath it, the woman's slender fingers flicked back and forth, producing sparks. "I think I've warmed this up for you," Fauna held the garment out to the rather shelled-out looking princess. "Are you ready to move on? We have just a few more hours to go. We cannot miss the boat."

She was surprised to find the coat was quite toasty as she shrugged back into it, hurling her backpack over her shoulder. Bella nodded quietly to Fauna as she buttoned her coat, looking out towards the rain that fell over the planet. Together, the unlikely duo stepped back onto the pasty wet path, continuing north. In the distance, Bella could see an Alexandrian airship descending into Burmecia, disappearing behind the spectacular castle that sported sharp edges and gilded ridges.

"You know," Fauna said as the raindrops glided down her red locks. "You're the luckiest princess."

Bella almost wanted to roll her eyes. She pursed her lips, directing her sight forward as they continued on the lonely and wet road. "How's that?"

Fauna grinned down at the young girl who barely reached her elbow. "Not being the first born has its perks. You'll never have to worry about inheriting that kingdom. Sarah will take on all the responsibility. She's quite fertile, as well, I'm sure she and Dante would make plenty of heirs. You can do as you please, Arabella."

Bella blinked rapidly as a rain drop came across her face. "How much do you know about my family?"

Fauna seemed so proud of herself as they kept walking. "It's my job to act as a sponge for Kuja. I am the leader of his people, afterall. I know all your birthday's, your favorite foods, your leisure activities. Even how often you brush your teeth. Someone should take Alexandra to a dentist, by the way."

Bella had tried for many days now to not allow herself to think of her family. In some ways, she was convinced she would never see them again. Even with the working plan in her mind, Bella was certain they wouldn't want anything to do with a girl who took flight from the castle without even so much of a letter. Bella was sure Sarah was saying 'good riddance!' and Alex was already making plans to take her room, which the youngest argued had the best view. From their prospective, in the darkness of her thought process, Bella knew that she had probably hurt them. But she knew this was for the best.

Bella raked her wet hair from her face. "What was your life like before you worked for Kuja?"

The smile on Fauna's face quickly dissipated. For a moment, she seemed almost confused by the question. She watched the road unfurl before them as she pondered her words. Bella wasn't sure what to make of her puzzling reaction. Fauna pursed her lips.

Seamstress. You were a seamstress.

"I used to sew clothes," Fauna finally said. "I used to make garments for important people. Just like you."

"In Alexandria?"

"Mhm," Fauna answered, rather absently.

Bella walked through a murky puddle, splashing dirty rain water onto her black stockings and staining them. She grimaced at her boots before looking to Fauna again. "Did you ever meet my mother?"

"The most beautiful Queen the throne has ever seen," Fauna nodded. "Of course. She was a kind queen who graced the streets with her dazzling looks. She had every man's neck in Alexandria snapping when she walked by to greet local businesses. How your father managed to swindle a woman of that caliber is beyond me. You resemble her the most. I have no doubt you'll grow up to be the spitting image of beauty your mother once was."

"How do you know my father?" Bella asked. "Does he know you work for Kuja?"

Fauna chuckled at the question as she mosied around a mound of pasty dirt. "I met him through passing... fate, maybe. He's aware of my line of work. It's strained our relationship for some time."

"Are you interested in my father... as a suitor?" Bella felt her cheeks grow hot at the thought.

"Maybe at one point," Fauna shrugged. "Your father is rather handsome. But I'm no good with children. I'd never be able to fill the shoes as a step-mother. Especially with an act so hard to follow."

"I couldn't imagine my father ever re-marrying," Bella shook her head, flinging strands of wet hair against the frame of her face. "I think my mother was the one and only for him."

"Maybe so," Fauna replied. "Only time will tell that, Arabella, like it does so many other things."

And in silence, the two continued through the misty downpour, disappearing along the curve of the coast, into the dense fog.

...

The Burmecian Castle was nearly in havoc upon the arrival of the Royal Alexandrian Airship. Soldiers darted about everywhere with arms full of weapons to pass out. Scholars wrote furiously on parchment pressed against the wall, trying to record every moment of the pressing matter. Beatrix met with Burmecia's War Counsel. Zidane and Steiner helped sharpen blades. Eiko spoke with field medics. Everyone was quite busy. Sarah hadn't been to Burmecian Castle in nearly seven years, when she was a very young girl. Alex was still learning to walk the last time she had been there. The castle was dark and moody compared to the vibrant and open-air castle of Alexandria. Sarah found herself wandering the halls, passing glossy windows with only a view of rain. The torches cackled in the hallways. It was the only thing to be heard. Fleetingly, hurried soldiers and nurses raced by Sarah without even paying any mind to her. Sarah finally found the northern facing windows of the castle and she stood by herself in the empty hallway with tall vaulted ceilings, decorated in dark purples and glowing golds. The coastline was just barely visible from the window. Sarah wiped the fog away from the glass as she spied the small dot of the Northern Ports. Their next destination. She was anxious to begin the walk.

Sarah cradled the Raven Claw in her palm, tilting the spectacular gem back and forth, admiring the ridges and facets. Fleeting memories of her mother swirled past her. She could still hear that soft delicate voice of her's and the way she would sing Sarah to sleep. Sarah could almost feel her mother's soft hands running over her cheeks and through her thick long hair. It didn't seem so long ago, in the moment, when Sarah was last held in her mother's arms. Just days before her untimely death due to her illness. Even when she was growing breathless and tired from the virus, she still found the energy to sing sweetly to her daughter's and comfort them despite her growing discomfort in her skin. It was so unfair that she was gone, Sarah thought. How was a girl supposed to grapple without her mother? Though her father had done a miraculous job with the girls, nuturing them and caring for them, while balancing an entire kingdom on his shoulders, Sarah couldn't help but feel the empty hole in her where her mother had once been. Zidane could never replace her, no matter how hard he tried. And in many ways, Sarah was aware her father knew this. Sarah sighed, looking back out the window.

She was frustrated. How dearly she needed her mother's advice in that moment. Was Sarah doing the right thing? Was she acting appropriately in her role as princess and a sister? Sarah wondered most of all if her mother would be proud of who she was. Sarah stared through the rain, her mind wandering to Bella. Where was she in this miserable weather? Was she healthy? Was she safe? Was she being fed? Where on Gaia could her sister possible be in that moment? The feeling of not knowing only frustrated the young princess more.

"There you are," A tall, dark figure appeared beside her. Sarah was startled, but she cocked her head up to the comforting sight of Dante. His brown hair was damp and wavy on top of his head. He looked very tired, as well. Sarah was sure her face reflected the same exhaustion and she became acutely aware in the moment that her hair was as wild as a rat's nest. "The crew's about done packing up. We are just missing you."

"I didn't mean to wonder so far, I..." Sarah paused for a moment, pursing her lips. "I just wanted to put my eyes on the Northern Ports."

Dante joined her in looking out the window. "I've never seen them before, either. Actually doesn't look too far. It's hard to imagine this is the edge of the Mist Continent. I've never been this far before."

"Once I step foot out of this castle, it will be the furthest I've ever been before."

Dante glanced towards Sarah's hardened face as she gazed out the window. Her eyes nearly begged for something to appear before her. Answers, perhaps. Or maybe she was reviewing memories. Dante reached his hand out, tenderly placing it to the small of her back. "Are you alright?" But he quickly stumbled over his words. "Sorry, that was a stupid question..."

"I'm okay," Sarah said, inching closer to Dante to feel his warmth. "I just want to find Bella."

"I think luck is on our side with this final walk," Dante told her. Confidentally, he pressed his hand flat to Sarah's back, relishing in the feeling of being close to her. "I've got a good feeling, Sarah."

Sarah smiled in the next moment, which lifted Dante's heart. Cautiously, she lifted her hand to gently carress his cheek. "If you're feeling hopeful, then so I am, Dante."

The two young people smiled softly at each other. Though, maybe, they had the faintest glimmer of hope in their hearts, they still knew they had a long journey ahead of them. Dante dipped down carefully and pressed his lips to Sarah's. For the young forge apprentice, he felt as if life was suddenly a fast-paced game. Growing up with very little, he had no idea he would become familiar to the princess of Alexandria, kissing her beneath the tall and moody vaulted ceilings of the Burmecian Castle. For Sarah, she never imagined she would ever find a comfort more luxurious than castle life. They continued with their deep kiss, meeting each other's lips over and over again. It was almost like something of a promise. A bond that delved deeper than the dark inks of Lord Avon's writings.

Zidane rounded the corner in the next moment on the search for the two missing party members. He was exhausted but he knew there was no time for a nap. Time was of the essence and they had none to spare. Alex had thrown a fit upon being told she would stay at the Burmecian Castle. Luckily, Freya had whisked her away to show her the secret stash of chocolate frogs the chefs kept in a hidden pantry. Zidane paused abruptly, however, as he gazed down the end of the hall, towards the wall of windows that let in the brilliant light of the daytime storm. Just in front of the windows, he spied his daughter wrapped in Dante's arms, her lips locked with his. Zidane felt his heart beat heavily in his chest and hurriedly he back pedaled behind the corner of the wall, pressing himself to the cool brick. It was already difficult grappling with the thought of Bella missing and the idea of Kuja running rampant again. But Zidane felt it was entirely impossible for him to wrap his head around his first daughter's romance. He knew the day would come, but he felt completely unequipped. Sarah was growing up too fast for him. His first born. She was the first to walk, the first to talk, and she had hit the ground running. Cautiously, he peaked around the corner to find the young people still enraptured with each other.

"Maybe Cinna was right..." Zidane murmered. "Maybe there will be wedding bells come spring..."