Chapter Twenty-Six
Night waned on in Madain Sari. The orchestra of creatures showed no signs of letting up. On the floor of the forgotten house, several bodies lay buried beneath thin blankets, backpacks acting as pillows. The adventurers stirred in their sleep, somewhat on the brink of restless nightmares. They dreamed of their own beds back at home, the familiarity of what they once used to know. In Madain Sari, it was cold and quiet, lacking the warmth of life itself. The princess herself was in turmoil. She lay with a furrowed brow, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her head was cocked to the side.
Her dreams greeted her again with the images of a prosperous city built among the rocks. A city of community, traditions, and pride flashed before her. She could see the people wearing their ceremonial garb, holding candles and incense, and marching in unison towards the Eiodolon Wall. She saw scenes of total normality, where the children played and frlolicked amongst the many courtyards of Madain Sari. Women wore their hair pinned to the nape of their neck and shopped with wicker baskets dangling from their arms. The men went to work studying, praying, and doing the burdensome chores of fishing and construction. It was a city of harmony. But she saw it in the distance. Dark clouds as vast as the galaxy spread out in the distance. And wearily the people of Madain Sari began to notice more and more, yet what could they do? They continued to pray in their traditional garb, in gusty breezes, in chilling downpours, and in days of stifling heat. But there was no stopping the testaments of Gaia.
Sarah felt so dizzy as she found her footing amongst the courtyard again. It all seemed so real but so discombobulated. She staggered forward, towards stairs that would take her upwards. She ran her hands along the flat smooth rock walls that had once stood. They seemed so sturdy, it was hard to imagine they could be blasted to pieces. Sarah raced up the stairs, glancing down to the bustling life in the alleyways. No one looked to Sarah. It's as if she simply wasn't there. She watched an elderly woman with dark hair shine boots beneath the shade of her porch. Another woman swept the walk path, ordering her son to pick the weeds and hack down the little shrubs. Sarah stopped at his intersection that would take her into another tier of the mountain, where more houses lay. Soon, she would be above the Eiodolon Wall. A young girl caught her attention climbing the stairs behind her. She was wearing a dark brown cloak and her long black hair fell down her back. She was very young. The girl tilted her head and Sarah knew instantly it was her mother. She looked exactly the same as the young girl painted on canvases around the castle. Sarah was stiff, nearly holding her breath.
"You could follow her," Came a voice behind Sarah. She gasped sharply and staggered away. On command, she reached for her sword, but she realized it wasn't there. Standing before her was a man with silver hair that fell over his shoulders. He was ghastly pale with purple rings surrounding his eyes. A purple cloaked draped him, but Sarah could see through the slit, a very poor looking body. Put back together almost in desperation. It didn't look human. The man closed the cloak, tilting his head to look at her. "You could... see what she's going to do."
"Who are you?" Sarah asked, her voice plagued in doom.
"You know who I am," He spoke with a voice of velvet. Sarah was almost shaking from where she stood. "Say it. Say who I am."
"Kuja..." Sarah said very faintly.
Kuja smiled. "I have finally figured you out, my little canary. Through your father, I've finally learned enough about you to understand you... to realize I'm not using you to your fullest potential. You are a capable swordsman... possibly better than your father. You are powerful, Sarah. Much more than you realize; than you're allowed to exert."
"You're doing what you did to my father," Sarah staggered back, bumping into a wooden fence behind her. "You're trying to recruit me against my own people."
"They hold you back," Kuja nearly shrugged.
"Stop it," Sarah shook her head. "I would never join you, Kuja. Not after everything you've done to my family."
"Then I feel really bad that I have to do this," Kuja's face, however, looked anything but sorry.
In the dark house, Fauna's red hair glowed as she came in through the slightly ajar door. Everything was so quiet. She gazed over the still bodies pensively, aware anybody could have very fine tuned ears. She spied Beatrix by the back door, facing away. But just by the nearest wall lay Princess Sarah. Steathily, Fauna crept around Dante. She held her breath as she manuevered towards Sarah, her leg flaring in pain. She reached down to place her palm to the side of Sarah's neck.
"Hey!" Dante shouted and suddenly everyone scrambled up from where they lay. He leapt forward, wrapping his arm around Fauna's neck. He was too late, however, as Fauna managed to send a shock into Sarah.
"No! Goddammit!" Zidane reached for Sarah, holding her head upwards. He felt little jolts and pricks of shocks as he inspected Sarah's neck where a vertical running sore now bore out. Zidane looked to where Fauna was held in a head lock in Dante's arms. She was in rough shape and in no condition to wiggle out. In frustration, Zidane punched her.
"Zidane!" Beatrix reached for him. Fauna laughed, spitting blood onto Zidane's boot.
"What did you do to her?!" Zidane demanded as Eiko inspected the princess.
Beatrix drew her sword, holding the very point beneath Fauna's scraped and scabbed up chin. "And don't you dare think about saying tricks and tales again." Fauna was quiet, trying to catch her breath. Zidane shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You don't need a mirror to know how bad you look right now, Fauna," Zidane said. "Is this how far you're willing to go for Kuja? You're willing to die for him?"
"I don't want your pity," Fauna replied through clenched teeth, tilting her chin against the end of Beatrix's blade. "If you're going to kill me, just do it."
"It's not that easy," Beatrix said, pricking the sword against one of her scabs. Fauna winced. "We want information. And we'll know if what you're saying is a lie. So it's better to come clean now: where is Princess Arabella?"
Fauna smiled. "She is contained. And alive. I suppose that's all you need to know."
Beatrix looked to Steiner. "Comb the area. Freya, go with him. Be careful. There may be other goons like her about." Zidane and Beatrix worked on tying Fauna up, securing her to table leg. Sarah was beginning to stir, her head resting in Eiko's lap. Zidane was immediately at her side. Dante and Beatrix worked together to wipe some blood from Fauna's face and fetch her some cool water.
Sarah's eyes slowly came open and she blinked rapidly. Her sight was bleary, but she was able to make out the face of her father. Zidane looked utterly relieved to see her awake. He reached down, gently carressing her cheek. Immediately, tears sprung to Sarah's eyes and she gripped her father's wrist.
"I saw her..." Sarah whispered. "I saw Mother... and she was no more than a five year old girl... living here in a beautiful, prosperous city..." Zidane ground his teeth together anxiously. Eiko watched her intensely. "And I saw Kuja... he was there, Daddy, in Madain Sari with me. He wanted me to join him..."
Zidane felt so endlessly angry. He viciously looked across the room with flames in his eyes. Beatrix felt the heat of it as she dabbed the blood away from Fauna's forehead. Dante set a bowl of water on the table, gazing towards the rather lucid Sarah.
"What did you do to her?!" He barked, coming to his feet. Eiko worked on cleaning the tender sore on Sarah's neck. "Did you just put the same virus inside of her?!"
Fauna let out a ragged cough, tilting her head away from Beatrix's aid. Her shoulders slumped, overcome by great exhaustion. "No..." Fauna lifted her head to look at the seething Zidane. "It's inherently different."
"What does it do?" Zidane asked sharply.
"Only time will tell," Fauna fell against the table leg, gazing towards the rustling Sarah. "Time will tell..."
...
Steiner scrambled up onto a precarious stack of rubble, gazing out into the ruins. He looked back and forth, wishing the moonlight had less cloud coverage. He let out a sigh as again, no sight of a body came to him. He felt panic washing over at him at the thought of Bella being no where to be found. If Fauna was here, surely Bella was, too. Steiner looked across to a tall stack of what used to be pillars. Freya was perched atop with milky moonlight spilling over her blue coat.
"Anything?" Steiner called.
Freya shook her head grimly. "Nothing from here. Let's search towards the Eidolon Wall." Deftly, Freya leapt down to the cleared path and watched as Steiner painfully mosied his way back down. He let out a sigh as he pressed his boots back to the solid ground. "You take the low ground. Follow the path, look in all the crevices. I'll take to the higher grounds."
"Excellent idea," The duo hurried on to the last remaining courtyard. Freya split off to the left, leaping highly above the pillars and to comb the area surrounding the Eidolon Wall. Steiner set off looking over the descreated walls of the once beautiful courtyard. He pushed brick away, which clattered to the ground in clouds of dust. As he turned to scan the area, he recalled all those years ago when he had first arrived to Madain Sari with Dagger. It had been an eye opener. And it had created a greater respect for the planet he inhabited. Maybe Sarah was right. Maybe this deserved to be rebuilt and restored.
Steiner sighed as his searched procured nothing and grimaced at the idea of the last remaining portion of the courtyard, which was a tall heap of rubble. Dark shadows reached over the rigid and uneven surfaces. He slowly approached it, taking his time to secure his footing. His gloves scraped against the rock, sending pebbles to clunk off his helmet. Never did Steiner see himself doing this twenty years later. He figured he'd be getting too old for this. Yet, he persisted, out of his desire to be loyal to those who, he believed, had saved his life all those years ago. Steiner's hand grappled to the crest of the heap and with great effort, he pulled his weary self up.
When he did, he was face to face with a sideways and tied up, concerned looking princess. Her big brown eyes flooded with relief, however, at the sight of Steiner. And Steiner himself was overcome with joy. He scrambled onto the heap and knelt beside Bella, using a small hunting knife to cut her wrists and ankles free. She rubbed sorely at her blistering red wrists before she reached for the cloth around her mouth. Bella leapt towards Steiner, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I'm so glad to see you!" She cried out. Tenderly, he hugged her back. "I thought I'd never see anybody I loved again, Steiner."
"We're all here," Steiner smiled, looking down at the shaking girl. "Come on, you didn't think we would allow Kuja to take you from us, did you?"
Bella weakly grinned behind her tears. "I'm so sorry, Steiner."
"Me, too, Your Highness."
...
Sarah was propped up against the wall now, sipping on water. Fauna had passed out from exhaustion and slumped at an awkward angle from the table leg. Zidane sat in a chair, bobbing his knee. Eiko paced with a book in her hand. Dante sat beside Sarah, polishing a sword rather anxiously. And Beatrix pensively watched the door. It was creeping into the early hours of morning. Everyone had, at best, caught an hour or two of rest. Everyone's nerves were shot. Many were at breaking point. The gauze taped to Sarah's neck burdened Zidane and he sighed, lowering his head. How could he allow this to happen? Kuja was pulling all the wrong cards from his deck. He sincerely this time wanted to cut Zidane down by his knees. Kuja was right, though. Zidane was weak. He was incapable of protecting those he loved. And he had proven he couldn't save what was left his family. The girls were slipping through his fingers, no more than mere strings of thread. Eiko paused, looking over the top of her book at Zidane. He was a wreck. And she was drowning in guilt.
The door flung open in the next moment and everyone tensely gazed that direction. Freya appeared from the dark night, tilting her hat up on her head. She stepped aside to allow Steiner to squeeze by. In his arms, he held a small and meek looking Princess Bella, whose cheeks were rosy, her face dirt smudged, and her wrists in searing condition. Zidane was to his feet in a moment, racing to Bella's side. He enveloped her into him and he ran his hand through her knotted black hair. Bella closed her exhausted eyes, taking in the familiar scent of her father.
"Bella!" Sarah's hoarse voice rang out and she staggered to her feet, pressing hand to Bella's arm. Sarah's eyes were wet as she smiled. "By the gods, it's really you. We've found you!" Sarah had Steiner place Bella down on a pallet and quickly, the oldest sister wrapped her in thin sheets, laying beside her. "Bella, you have to tell us everything you know."
"Maybe she should rest," Zidane suggested, kneeling beside Sarah.
"No," Bella shook her head, propping herself up on her elbow. She gazed towards the incapcitated Fauna and pursed her lips. She then looked to her father. "We have to go to the Iifa Tree, Daddy. It's the source of all this chaos. The only way to stop it and truly be free is to stop Kuja." Zidane never thought he'd hear one of his daughter's say this to him. He blanched at the very thought. "Even if we kill Fauna, there will be more of those like her. I've seen them. About a dozen of them. All dressed like Fauna and obeying Kuja's command. I'm the only one who can unseal the Iifa Tree. But together, we can stop him."
"Wait-" Sarah shook her head. "You ran away from home because..."
"Yes, because I'm the only one who can get in there," Bella nodded. "I was going to betray Kuja. Learn enough about him, discover his weak spot."
Beatrix crossed her arms over her chest. "Clever and bold plan for a thirteen year old."
"Daddy, when you first encountered Kuja, what did his body look like?" Sarah looked over her shoulder.
"He looked human enough," Zidane shrugged.
"That's certainly not the case anymore," Sarah shook her head. "When I saw him in my dream, I saw inside his cloak for just a moment. He's all mutilated. He doesn't even look human. That may be our upperhand. We could easily defeat him in combat, up close. Kuja thrives on long distanced attacks. He wants to keep us at bay."
"By the gods, Zidane, have you been raising princesses or warriors?" Beatrix looked to him. Dante couldn't help but snicker.
"I have to do this, Daddy," Bella looked to him. "I'm the only one who can stop this."
Sarah pressed her hand to Bella's shoulder. "We have to do this. I'm not letting you go alone. I'm in."
"Make that three," Dante grinned.
"My duty is to protect the princesses, I shall follow," Steiner bowed his head.
"As representative of Burmecia, Princess Arabella and Sarah, you have my loyalty," Freya pressed her hand to her chest.
Beatrix smiled very weakly. "For Alexandria, Your Highnesses."
"If this is how the cycle of peace, harmony, and education is restored, I will fight for what I believe," Eiko told them, holding her book tightly in her hands. All eyes fell on Zidane now, who was quiet. His eyes had grown glossy and he looked between his two determined looking daughter's. Of course, his heart wanted to swell with pride. But he couldn't help but feel woefully angry that Bella and Sarah had to do this. The burden of the entire world had teetered off his shoulders and toppled onto their's. He hated himself in that moment, but he wanted to redeem it all.
"We have to do this," Zidane finally said. "We'll start making preparations. Training and healing. Kuja will know we're coming. But he can't stop us."
...
The sounds of a curtain scraping against a rod had the young girl stirring in her large poster bed. A bright light fell across her face and she furrowed her brow, turning her head away. She heard the sound of muted thuds against the floor and then the creak of a wardrobe opening.
"Princess Alexandra, it is time to rise. Breakfast shall be served within the hour," The maid said. Alex sighed. She was greeted by the sight of rain again. Nothing spoiled her mood more than constant rain. She wanted to go outside, but that was never on the agenda of a princess residing in Burmecia, obviously. Alex sat up, her white night gown sagging on her. "Good morning, Your Highness," The maid greeted, pulling a green velvet and yellow silk dress from the wardrobe. "I trust you had a good nights rest. And I surely hope you're hungry, Your Highness. We have prepared a special breakfast for you, little one."
Glumly, Alex pulled herself from bed, looking to the dress presented outwards to her. Alex hated velvet. It was heavy and itchy. She thought she might as well wear the curtains instead. But her father had made her promise not to make a fuss and despite being a horrible mood, she did her best to comply. Alex began unlacing her night gown as the maid collected stockings and flats for Alex.
"I will need to modify the dress once you have it on, Your Highness," The maid told her. "The tail hole simply will not be large enough for you. You see, my tail is so thin compared to yours. I'm like an olive branch, but you are an oak tree. You have a very nice tail, do you know that, Your Highness?"
Alex paused from undressing herself and looked to the maid. Never before had someone complimented it before. She and her father, of course, had a special bond over being tailed-humans, but never had anyone so much as commented to the unique attribute. Slowly, she smiled, rather shyly. "What's your name?" Alex asked.
"Arowyn," The maid replied gently, bringing a set of dark gray stockings to be paired with dark shiny buckle shoes. "And I am humbly at your service as your caretaker, Your Highness. I wish to make your stay as enjoyable as possible."
"Are there any kids around here I can play with?" Alex asked, stepping out of her night gown and pulling on the dreaded dress. To her surprise, however, the interior was sewn with silk, and the dress felt rather delightful. Arowyn zipped the back for her, offering the stockings out. Alex sat on the edge of the bed and began rustling into them.
"I'm afraid not in the castle."
"May I go down to the city to play? Please?" Alex's big brown eyes looked to Arowyn.
"I cannot let you leave, I'm sorry. Do try to understand."
Alex sighed and nodded, reaching for the freshly polished shoes. The clack of the buttons snapping together was satisfying to the princess, at least. She tried to look for the little things, like her father had always told her about. She stood now before Arowyn, who was smiling maternally at the child. She knelt and fixed the dress on her shoulders and looked to the back. Gingerly, with a small pair of scissors, she made the tail opening just a bit wider and Alex's tail was able to come through.
"You look lovely," Arowyn grinned. "We have oatmeal prepared for you with the choice of strawberries, blue berries, oats, syrup, and chocolate shavings." It did sound very appealing to the young girl who had refused dinner the night before. Arowyn reached her hand out. "Come now, let's start the day right with a proper meal."
Together the two entered the wide and empty hallways. There were several crests, tarps, and paintings adorning the walls. The chandeliers cast ample light to fight away the darkness of rain. There were pedastools of artifacts and busts of renowned heroes and figures of ancient past. Alex still hadn't quite learned the lay out. It all seemed backwards from what she knew in bright sunny Alexandria.
"Tell me, Your Highness," Arowyn's light, almost mystical voice, rang out through the tall rafters of the castle. "What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have hobbies or interests?"
"Can you just call me Alex?" The young princess gazed up at the tall slender Burmecian. The maid pursed her lips for a moment. "If you're going to be my full time caretaker, we should be more personal, right? I will call you Arowyn, if you will call me Alex."
"It... It doesn't seem proper," She shook her head. "Please, tell me what you like to do."
"Well," Alex huffed, watching as ahead, an archway began to take shape, leading towards the dining hall. "I like to play Tetra Master." Arowyn didn't say anything. "It's a card game."
"Oh, yes, I remember now," Arowyn nodded.
"Does anyone here play? I'd love to play against someone."
"I'm afraid not," Arowyn told her. "Children here are more interested in jacks and marbles."
Alex hunched her shoulders in near defeat and thought for a moment. They appeared in the dining hall. The king and queen of Burmecia stood in the presence of Princess Alexandra. They greeted her with warm grins. Alex looked to Arowyn. "Is there a piano in this castle?"
Arowyn chuckled lightly. "Princess Alexandra, music is a gift to the Burmecian people. It is but the essence of life and community; jubilation and total heartbreak. Allow me to find but the best piano for you, Your Highness. But for now, please, enjoy your breakfast. Perhaps you'd like to try our customary foods, as well. I see a freshly baked lemon bread on the table." Arowyn smiled gently, giving Alex a pat on the back. The princess went on to breakfast for more of an appearance. Despite everyone's cheerful and helpful attitude, Alex couldn't shake the sorrow and fear she had for her family, that rattled her to her very core. Nothing seemed right, no matter how hard she tried to think about something else.
I wish we could all just go home.