Chapter 6 - Goodbye Lindblum, Stay With Us
The entire group sat in the conference room, minus Vivi who hadn't arrived yet. Zidane sat looking aimlessly out of the window, and The Calcutta Knights stood at the door. No-one could find it in themselves to life their own spirits.
"Once Vivi gets here..." Zidane started, but he was interrupted by the mage entering the room.
"Sorry I'm late Zidane." Vivi said quietly, and sat down in the corner, away from the crowd. Minister Artinia got to his feet and addressed the group of fighters that stood in the room.
"As you all know, Lindblum needs a new leader after what happened."
Eiko turned into Freya's arms, and Artinia looked over with compassion in his eyes. He turned back to continue.
"...We need someone who will be able to show the people strength in this time of political uncertainity, someone who is willing to protect Lindblum with their life. There is no time for an election, so we will have to take different measures. I am taking over temporary control for the time being, but it is imperitive that we find someone within the week ahead."
Zidane stood up and started to speak.
"As you also know, Dagger is missing. I'm planning to go after her, find this Troa and put a stop to whatever it is he has planned..."
"Zidane." Kuja said as he interrupted quickly.
"What is it Kuja?"
"You will not be going to save the Queen... not yet anyway."
Zidane looked at him with frustration and confusion lit up upon his face.
"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm going after her!"
Kuja sighed and placed his hands on the table where he was standing. He looked at his brother straight in the eyes.
"Look Zidane, I understand why you want to protect the Queen... Dagger... and I would be the last to stop you going after her and Troa. But you have a greater responsibilty at hand. You have to return to Alexandria and protect it with your life."
Zidane looked around the table for any reaction from his friends. Kuja kept on talking.
"Look at what has befallen Lindblum. Regent Cid and his wife..."
"Hilda!!!" Eiko shouted "Her name is Hilda, and you killed them both!"
Eiko bursted into tears and Kuja hung his head in dark shame.
"Yes... I don't deny that I killed them, even if I was trying to protect you all... Eiko, I cannot make up such a loss to you, but I'm going to try my hardest, alright?"
The young girl turned around, her face reddened by the tear strokes that painted her complexion.
"...What do you mean by that...?"
"I'm going to go and find Dagger."
Zidane looked surprised, almost shocked at his brother.
"Kuja, I can't..."
"Zidane... let me try and save her life. Allow me to try. It's a way in which I can help. I know Troa better than anyone, I have the best chance of making it to him alive."
Zidane closed his eyes and for a moment it looked as if he had proceeded into deep sleep before them all. Then he opened them once again, slowly, and walked towards Kuja at the other end of the table.
"You're planning to go on your own?" he asked Kuja.
"Yes... there is more chance of me getting to him unnoticed that way."
"In that case I'm entrusting Dagger's life to you Kuja. Do what you can to bring her back."
Kuja bowed in front of him and smiled.
"Thank you... your Majesty."
Kuja got up and turned to the others around the table.
"Listen to me. We will go our separate ways, to the places where we are most needed, the places which care about us and need our presence at this time. King Tribal will choose who goes where. I leave you all with the best of luck. Don't get killed."
Kuja walked out of the room, past the Calcutta Knights, and towards the exit of Lindblum Castle on his way to find Troa.
Steiner stood up and walked up to the side of Zidane.
"I want to accompany you to Alexandria your Majesty."
"As do I... Sire." asked Beatrix.
"Alright... Vivi?" Zidane said as he looked at his friend at the side of the room.
Vivi didn't reply, and Zidane had to ask twice more before a reply could be pressed out of the young mage.
"..Y..Yes...?"
"Will you come to Alexandria with us?"
"I will... I need to talk to you though..."
"What is it Vivi?"
Vivi struck them down with whole sordid story of how he had sold the Magiviasi to Troa... how it had been shipped to Lindblum, and how he realised what Troa may be ready to try with the weapon Vivi had developed. He was almost in tears when he finished his story, and Steiner walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Master Vivi... it's not your fault. You didn't create that weapon to kill anyone."
"Hey Steiner, no-one's even dead yet, ok?" Zidane said, and he turned to Vivi.
"Look seriously, don't worry about it. No-one's gonna get hurt, ok?"
Vivi nodded weakly and put his head down. Zidane sighed and turned to the rest of the group.
"Freya, Sir Fratley, can you gather your troops and leave for Burcemia ASAP?"
They nodded and got up from their seat, saying goodbye and walking out the room. There were no fond goodbyes... such was the situation. Eiko and Armarant were asked to stay and look after Lindblum, whilst the Calcutta Knights were taken to go to Alexandria. Blank and Baku remained in Lindblum to protect the city, for it was the original home of Tantalus after all. Everyone was ready... but never would they be ready enough for the shocks that were about to befall them.
The entire group sat in the conference room, minus Vivi who hadn't arrived yet. Zidane sat looking aimlessly out of the window, and The Calcutta Knights stood at the door. No-one could find it in themselves to life their own spirits.
"Once Vivi gets here..." Zidane started, but he was interrupted by the mage entering the room.
"Sorry I'm late Zidane." Vivi said quietly, and sat down in the corner, away from the crowd. Minister Artinia got to his feet and addressed the group of fighters that stood in the room.
"As you all know, Lindblum needs a new leader after what happened."
Eiko turned into Freya's arms, and Artinia looked over with compassion in his eyes. He turned back to continue.
"...We need someone who will be able to show the people strength in this time of political uncertainity, someone who is willing to protect Lindblum with their life. There is no time for an election, so we will have to take different measures. I am taking over temporary control for the time being, but it is imperitive that we find someone within the week ahead."
Zidane stood up and started to speak.
"As you also know, Dagger is missing. I'm planning to go after her, find this Troa and put a stop to whatever it is he has planned..."
"Zidane." Kuja said as he interrupted quickly.
"What is it Kuja?"
"You will not be going to save the Queen... not yet anyway."
Zidane looked at him with frustration and confusion lit up upon his face.
"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm going after her!"
Kuja sighed and placed his hands on the table where he was standing. He looked at his brother straight in the eyes.
"Look Zidane, I understand why you want to protect the Queen... Dagger... and I would be the last to stop you going after her and Troa. But you have a greater responsibilty at hand. You have to return to Alexandria and protect it with your life."
Zidane looked around the table for any reaction from his friends. Kuja kept on talking.
"Look at what has befallen Lindblum. Regent Cid and his wife..."
"Hilda!!!" Eiko shouted "Her name is Hilda, and you killed them both!"
Eiko bursted into tears and Kuja hung his head in dark shame.
"Yes... I don't deny that I killed them, even if I was trying to protect you all... Eiko, I cannot make up such a loss to you, but I'm going to try my hardest, alright?"
The young girl turned around, her face reddened by the tear strokes that painted her complexion.
"...What do you mean by that...?"
"I'm going to go and find Dagger."
Zidane looked surprised, almost shocked at his brother.
"Kuja, I can't..."
"Zidane... let me try and save her life. Allow me to try. It's a way in which I can help. I know Troa better than anyone, I have the best chance of making it to him alive."
Zidane closed his eyes and for a moment it looked as if he had proceeded into deep sleep before them all. Then he opened them once again, slowly, and walked towards Kuja at the other end of the table.
"You're planning to go on your own?" he asked Kuja.
"Yes... there is more chance of me getting to him unnoticed that way."
"In that case I'm entrusting Dagger's life to you Kuja. Do what you can to bring her back."
Kuja bowed in front of him and smiled.
"Thank you... your Majesty."
Kuja got up and turned to the others around the table.
"Listen to me. We will go our separate ways, to the places where we are most needed, the places which care about us and need our presence at this time. King Tribal will choose who goes where. I leave you all with the best of luck. Don't get killed."
Kuja walked out of the room, past the Calcutta Knights, and towards the exit of Lindblum Castle on his way to find Troa.
Steiner stood up and walked up to the side of Zidane.
"I want to accompany you to Alexandria your Majesty."
"As do I... Sire." asked Beatrix.
"Alright... Vivi?" Zidane said as he looked at his friend at the side of the room.
Vivi didn't reply, and Zidane had to ask twice more before a reply could be pressed out of the young mage.
"..Y..Yes...?"
"Will you come to Alexandria with us?"
"I will... I need to talk to you though..."
"What is it Vivi?"
Vivi struck them down with whole sordid story of how he had sold the Magiviasi to Troa... how it had been shipped to Lindblum, and how he realised what Troa may be ready to try with the weapon Vivi had developed. He was almost in tears when he finished his story, and Steiner walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Master Vivi... it's not your fault. You didn't create that weapon to kill anyone."
"Hey Steiner, no-one's even dead yet, ok?" Zidane said, and he turned to Vivi.
"Look seriously, don't worry about it. No-one's gonna get hurt, ok?"
Vivi nodded weakly and put his head down. Zidane sighed and turned to the rest of the group.
"Freya, Sir Fratley, can you gather your troops and leave for Burcemia ASAP?"
They nodded and got up from their seat, saying goodbye and walking out the room. There were no fond goodbyes... such was the situation. Eiko and Armarant were asked to stay and look after Lindblum, whilst the Calcutta Knights were taken to go to Alexandria. Blank and Baku remained in Lindblum to protect the city, for it was the original home of Tantalus after all. Everyone was ready... but never would they be ready enough for the shocks that were about to befall them.