Chapter 5: A Reunion Unwanted
by: Vivi's Girl
A small girl sat up in her bed, feeling the warm morning sun caressing her face. She stretched, glancing around the small room in the Blue Narciss.
Zidane wasn't back yet.
The small girl, known as Eiko, hopped out of bed, her cheaks puffed out and with her hands on her hips. "Zidane sould be back!" Eiko yelled out, then right after remembering the two sleeping people by her. She didn't want to wake Freya or Amarant up.
Eiko walked out of the room, onto the ships deck. "Zidane didn't tell me he would be gone this long! Ack! And Dagger is with him too!" Eiko began to sulk. "Why does Zidane have to like her? What does she got that I don't got?!"
Eiko started to head off the ship, to the Black Mage Village. She was going to go find Zidane, where ever he may be, and give him a peice of her mind.
~ ~ ~
Ayame looked up. She hasn't left the cemetary all night and it seemed, that was the first time she moved in the last few hours.
The sun had just risen over its peak, shinning it's soft glow over the shades of darkness from the night. The wind was blowing through the trees, making a peaceful sound as the leaves moved with each motion.
Ayame looked back to what she had been staring at for what seemed forever.
Vivi's grave.
Sure, she knew she couldn't do anything, but she still felt responsible. Even after Mr. 288's talk, she still had a feeling of guilt deep inside of her.
She glared her amber eyes at the grave, as if waiting for Vivi to jump out of the deep covered up hole in the ground...alive. Not dead. Alive and cheerfull with joy in his eyes. She wished she could just see him one more time. To look into his eyes. Eyes that were full of life and curiousity of the world around him.
Eyes that would never look upon the world again...
Ayame's thoughts were taken away as she heard footsteps behind her. She also heard another sound that thuded onto the ground after each footstep.
Mr. 288.
Ayame stood up and turned around to look at the black mage.
"Ayame," he started, with a slight pause afterwards, "have you not been to bed yet? It's already morning and you haven't gone to sleep yet, have you?"
Ayame was about to say something but Mr. 288 stopped her. "Don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes that you can barely keep them open."
Ayame nodded, even though she didn't want to go rest, she decided to humour him. "Alright, I'll go get some sleep."
Mr. 288 nodded and moved out of the way to let her through.
Ayame walked out of the cemetary, leaving Mr. 288 behind, intending not to go to a room and sleep. She couldn't.
Ayame walked around the small village awhile, not sure what she was doing, but it didn't matter to her.
She was too busy thinking.
~ ~ ~
Zidane was the first to wake up. He yawned then jumped off the top bunk of the bed in the inn. He raised his hands high in the air above his head, stretching from his restless sleep that night.
Zidane examined the room, gazing over the other people in the small room. Everyone was still sleeping.
Dagger looked peaceful in her dreams, sleeping on the bottom bunk.
Quina, for some odd reason, had ploped himself on the floor, a big smile on his white face.
"No doubt dreaming about food," Zidane said quietly outloud with a shake of his head.
He looked over to a wooden chair, a little shabby looking, and the wood being worn away. Steiner was sleeping in it. Zidane wasn't really surprized by Steiners constant mumbling of his sworn duty to protect the princess. Even in his dreams ol' Rusty was still the same as he was awake.
Zidane sauntered out of the inn, walking around the calm village for a while, just enjoying the scene of the small village and the fresh air.
As he was walking past the Medicine shop, he noticed Black Waltz No. 4 sitting on the pathway looking over its edge into the stream.
Zidane strided over and sat down next to her, but it seemed she was too deep in thought of something, that she didn't notice. This amused Zidane and to get her attention, he patted her on the back.
This really surprised her, and she almost fell into the water below.
Zidane chuckled, "Jeez, what world did you fly off to?"
She looked startled. "Z-Zidane...? You're Zidane, right?"
Zidane nodded at her query.
"so, No. 4, this is where you headed after...you know..." Zidane's gaze turned from her face to her back. He couldn't see all of her back because of the dress she was wearing, but peaking up through the top of the cloth, close to her neck, he noticed bloody and ragged scars.
Scars he knew would never fully heal in more ways then one.
"Please..." she started, head lowered, now playing with her hair with a sign of discomfort, "please don't call me No. 4..."
Zidane was puzzled at first, but after a moment he figured what she meant.
"Alright, then what should I call you?"
She was about to speak, but someone else answered for her.
"Ayame."
The two people by the water looked up at the figure walking towards them.
Ayame stood up. Zidane also, a second later.
Ayame nodded, then turned to face Zidane. "Yes, call me Ayame..."
Zidane nodded, as if approving it. "Ayame, huh? That's a beautiful name." Zidane smiled at her.
"Zidane," Mr. 288 looked over to Zidane, "if you want, before your friends awake, you can go visit Vivi..."
Zidane's cheerful face fell into a hole of gloom at Vivi's name. "I think I will."
Zidane was about to start walking to the cemetary to visit his deceased friend, but was stopped short by a high and shirll voice of a little 6 year-old.
"Zidane! Where have you been?! You never came home last night! That's no way to treat a lady! You could've at least told me you were gonna stay the night here!" Eiko yelled that in what seemed like one breath.
"Eiko...I..."
Eiko ran up to Zidane and looked sweetly at him, a little releived Dagger wasn't with him. "But it's okay now, Zidane. I forgive you. Just--" Eiko stopped mid-sentence as soon as she glanced over and saw someone familiar. It was a girl.
With a steepled hat...
a long red and black dress...
light brown hair that was short in back and hung long in front...
no wings on her back, but Eiko knew what rested on there before...
"Oh my gosh! It's you who almost killed Vivi before Kuja did!"
Ayame took a step back away from Eiko.
Eiko resumed her yelling, "How could you?! Vivi never did anything to you! Don't you have guilt for what you did?!"
"Eiko!" Zidane screamed at the small child.
Ayame took another step back, feeling all her sorrow returning as tears bristled her eyes.
She turned and ran out of the Black Mage Village.
Zidane stared after Ayame for a few seconds then turned to Eiko.
"Eiko!" And with that, he ran after Ayame.
Eiko stopped yelling with her cheeks a little flushed. "But...I...Oh great! Now he's mad at me! Eiko felt like hitting herself, even though she was a bit confused as what was going on.
Mr. 288, who hadn't said a word since Eiko arrived, just fixated his eyes at the two people who were now running through the forest.
~ ~ ~
No! This can't be happening!
I can't let what a little girl says make me feel like this...can I?
Ayame ran through the dark forest, not thinking where she was heading, but being careful so she wouldn't run into a tree.
I shouldn't let what Eiko said to me affect me.
I know that I didn't mean to injure Vivi so badly, Vivi could've fought back.
But he was recovering...
Too weak to fight...
and all because of me.
Ayame let out a sob while still running. Her lungs began to hurt and her side ached.
She saw the clearing of the forest, showing her that she would almost be out.
She started to slow down, and then eventually, she tripped over a tree root.
Now on all fours, a pain seized up her legs and the palms of her hands hurt.
She sat up, noticing that her dress was slightly ripped now. Ayame brought her dress up slightly to get a glimpse at her knee, where her skin is slightly torn and bleeding.
She put her dress back down, then looked at her hands, where a pain stung. Her grey gloves were also torn, revealing her hands which were also stained crimson.
Ayame tryed to stand, but just ended up sitting again. Her one leg hurt so much now, from trying to put pressure on it, that it gave her the idea it was sprained.
"Great...it looks like I'll be here a while..."
Ayame sat there on the ground for a few moments before she heard a noise behind her. Alert, she turned around to face what was behind her.
It was a Zaghnol. Its large body has ready to attack and with its eyes staring evilly right at Ayame.
Ayame screamed. She couldn't run away and she wasn't quite sure how to use magic without her staff.
But I could try...
Ayame raised her hands and closed her eyes, concentrating hard on her power deep inside. But just as she felt hot thunder dancing around her outstreatched hand, Ayame's concentration was cut short and only a few sparks went out in a few directions.
Ayame's eyes snapped open to see what had disrupted her and found Kuja, standing only a few feet away, staring intently at her. He didn't even care about the monster he had just slaughtered behind him. The Zaghnol made one last attept to try to hit Kuja, but failed. The Zaghnol spasmed before finally laying still, showing the stillness of death.
Ayame glared at Kuja, a mixture of feelings coming to her.
Fear, anger, hatred, sadness..."Kuja..." was all Ayame managed to say.
Kuja smirked. "Nice to see you again, No. 4."
"M-My name i-is Ayame..."
"Hmm? You renamed yourself?" Kuja chuckled. "Nonsence! You will always be a Black Waltz!" Kuja began striding over to Ayame. "Now, my No. 4...you will come with me and I will fix you up, and you will serve me once again!"
"Wh-What are you go--"
What am I going to do to you? It doesn't matter, you won't remember any of it, so why explain?" Kuja cackled then finally reached her, grabbing her by the neck then pulling her up off the ground. Ayame let out a gasp, and Kuja smiled as he started to carry her in his arms, walking back to his silver dragon that rested near by...
~ ~ ~
Zidane ran swiftly through the forest, trying his best to follow Ayame's trail.
"Ayame!" Zidane ran faster. "Darn that Eiko! Ayame?! Where are you?!"
Zidane stopped suddenly as he saw a corpse of a dead Zaghnol.
"What...happened here?"
He started to walk towards the dead Zaghnol to get a better look and to see if maybe Ayame was nearby, until he heard a sudden scream from above.
"Hmm?" Zidane looked up, and through the green leaves attached to the sienna colored trees, he saw a dragon...but what caught his eye was Kuja and the outcrying black waltz he was holding.
"No! Damnit!" Zidane started to run again, heading for the Blue Narciss.
When he finally made it to the Blue Narciss, he startled Freya and Amarant who were inside.
Freya turned her gaze over to Zidane a little worried by the way he entered.
"Zidane? What's the matter?"
"No time to explain...just go to the Black Mage Village and tell everyone I'll be gone for a while!"
"But Zidane...why-"
"Just do it!"
Freya nodded and Amarant shrugged, and they walked reluctantly out of the ship.
Zidane ran up to Blank, a little out of breath from all of the running he had been doing.
"Blank..."
"Yo! Zidane! What's up?"
"Blank, follow Kuja."
"Kuja? Why?"
"Please, just do it Blank, I'll explain on the way."
Blank nodded then went over to the ship's steering wheel.
Kuja is not going to get away with this...Zidane thought, feeling his hatred burning inside him. You took away Vivi, you won't take away Ayame too...
~ ~ ~
Kuja opened the door to his room inside the Desert Palace and walked in, the room lit up brightly. In his arms was Ayame, who was clearly unconcious.
Kuja sighed. "A shame I had to knock her out." Kuja looked down at her with a smirk, "You should've stayed still."
Kuja walked to the back of his room and chained her wrists from old rusty chains on the wall.
Ayame was now hanging against a wall, unable to do anything about it. One reason being, she was unconcious.
"Soon I will have my weapon back and I will prevail in my mission." Kuja laughed once more before turning and walking away out of the room.
Ayame stirred around a little and tryed to move.
...?
She opened her eyes and turned her gaze up to the chains around her wrists.
Ayame looked to the door that Kuja was now walking out of. Kuja closed the door, which made all of the light in the room vanish, leaving Ayame in the dark room, her eyes now blazing like burning coals in a cavern of shadows.
~ * ~
There you have it. Chapter 5. Now I hafta go work on six ^.^ Now, will Zidane get to Ayame in time and save her? Will Ayame get free? What will the others do at the Black Mage Village do when they find out what Zidane is doing? What is Kuja planning to do?! Answers to this and a lot more in the next chapter of Amber Eyes and Blue Wings! ^.^ Please review! ^.^ Oh, and I drew a cover thingy to my story and if you wanna see it and see what my Black Waltz No. 4 looks like, go to the site www.angelfire.com/rpg/BlackWaltzNo4sPage/titleofaeanw.html. Some of you might have already seen it (you know who you people are! ^.~) K? Okay, now I'll leave you alone. ^.^ Buh-bye!!!