A LONER MEETS HIS MATCH
By The Pezman
Note: I speculated lot on what the game didn't say (such as Amarant's attitude during his trek
through the castle, also what the fire shrine was like). I had a party of Eiko, Vivi, and Dagger
during the castle. I also don't remember all of the dialogue and how Amarant was when Zidane
entered, so I speculated here also.
"Zidane," I said simply.
"Amarant?"
"I'm going alone."
"What?"
"The key to Terra is supposed to be in here somewhere, right?"
"Yeah..." The fool still hadn't realized what I was proposing.
"Let's see who finds it first. Take your team. I'll get there before you do."
That annoying knight-what was his name? Stinner? Steiner-piped up for the first time.
"Amarant, you selfish, ignorant fool!"
"Calm down, rusty," Zidane cut in.
"But-but-but..." the knight trailed off. I mentally acknowledged him for shutting that guy up.
When you're alone, you don't have to listen to idiots who couldn't hold themselves alone in a
fight against a bandersnatch. It only made me want to do this further. As I was thinking about
how great it would be to finally be rid of the first person to beat me (not once, either, but twice),
that same person was contemplating the situation.
"Sorry Amarant. Can't let you do that."
Oh no. He wasn't going to beat me again. Not a third time. "That's too bad. I'm going
anyway." And, disgusted with Zidane and all the rest, I walked up towards Ipsen's castle.
As I ascended the exceedingly long stairwell, I perceived what I could about the grounds for
our running race. Two castles smashed together. As if there was anything special about that.
When I teamed up with Lani, the two of us had trekked through Fossil Roo and even went
through the disgusting Conde Petie marriage ritual. If two castles smashed together was going to
stop me, I'd sooner bow down to Zidane and hail him as a king. No, I'd beat him all right, and
then I could walk away from him and his pathetic band of nothings for good.
I entered the doorway, not bothering to open any chests. I needed nothing. Let Zidane waste
his time getting items, probably ones that won't benefit him anyway. More time for me. Now that
I didn't have just a long stairway to ascend, I didn't bother to look for any details as I walked
through the first door I saw. The room I walked into was big, no doubt. But again, I wasted no
time looking around the room and went straight toward the first mode of transportation I saw: a
pole. I slid down it and continued. And that's the way it went, my eyes only intent on the
doorway or stairwell that I hadn't reached. The monsters I met along the way were no cakewalk,
to be fair, but I was able to subdue them easily enough. And then, I finally reached a room that
had a doorway and a small inlet which held a stone statue. Ignoring the statue, I walked straight
into the room. Aha, what had we here? For the first time since outside, I closely examined the
room I was in. Pulsating green material covered the floor, and I spied something light reflective
on the far end of the room. Reaching it, I examined what was actually four mirrors. Wait, there
was writing on the back... My power is protected by... I didn't even read any farther. It was
obvious I had found Terra's key. And no sign of Zidane anywhere. Well, that would show him.
Cold hard fact that I, by myself, had beaten him and his teammates to the goal. I had beaten him.
For those two times where he had shown who was supposedly the better man, well, I'd just
nullified them. Now I leaned against the wall and waited.
By The Pezman
Note: I speculated lot on what the game didn't say (such as Amarant's attitude during his trek
through the castle, also what the fire shrine was like). I had a party of Eiko, Vivi, and Dagger
during the castle. I also don't remember all of the dialogue and how Amarant was when Zidane
entered, so I speculated here also.
"Zidane," I said simply.
"Amarant?"
"I'm going alone."
"What?"
"The key to Terra is supposed to be in here somewhere, right?"
"Yeah..." The fool still hadn't realized what I was proposing.
"Let's see who finds it first. Take your team. I'll get there before you do."
That annoying knight-what was his name? Stinner? Steiner-piped up for the first time.
"Amarant, you selfish, ignorant fool!"
"Calm down, rusty," Zidane cut in.
"But-but-but..." the knight trailed off. I mentally acknowledged him for shutting that guy up.
When you're alone, you don't have to listen to idiots who couldn't hold themselves alone in a
fight against a bandersnatch. It only made me want to do this further. As I was thinking about
how great it would be to finally be rid of the first person to beat me (not once, either, but twice),
that same person was contemplating the situation.
"Sorry Amarant. Can't let you do that."
Oh no. He wasn't going to beat me again. Not a third time. "That's too bad. I'm going
anyway." And, disgusted with Zidane and all the rest, I walked up towards Ipsen's castle.
As I ascended the exceedingly long stairwell, I perceived what I could about the grounds for
our running race. Two castles smashed together. As if there was anything special about that.
When I teamed up with Lani, the two of us had trekked through Fossil Roo and even went
through the disgusting Conde Petie marriage ritual. If two castles smashed together was going to
stop me, I'd sooner bow down to Zidane and hail him as a king. No, I'd beat him all right, and
then I could walk away from him and his pathetic band of nothings for good.
I entered the doorway, not bothering to open any chests. I needed nothing. Let Zidane waste
his time getting items, probably ones that won't benefit him anyway. More time for me. Now that
I didn't have just a long stairway to ascend, I didn't bother to look for any details as I walked
through the first door I saw. The room I walked into was big, no doubt. But again, I wasted no
time looking around the room and went straight toward the first mode of transportation I saw: a
pole. I slid down it and continued. And that's the way it went, my eyes only intent on the
doorway or stairwell that I hadn't reached. The monsters I met along the way were no cakewalk,
to be fair, but I was able to subdue them easily enough. And then, I finally reached a room that
had a doorway and a small inlet which held a stone statue. Ignoring the statue, I walked straight
into the room. Aha, what had we here? For the first time since outside, I closely examined the
room I was in. Pulsating green material covered the floor, and I spied something light reflective
on the far end of the room. Reaching it, I examined what was actually four mirrors. Wait, there
was writing on the back... My power is protected by... I didn't even read any farther. It was
obvious I had found Terra's key. And no sign of Zidane anywhere. Well, that would show him.
Cold hard fact that I, by myself, had beaten him and his teammates to the goal. I had beaten him.
For those two times where he had shown who was supposedly the better man, well, I'd just
nullified them. Now I leaned against the wall and waited.
