Mallory leapt into Yona's back early the next day and started towards the Mist Continent. Kuja stood outside with her and waved as she lifted off. "Why are you staying here?" she yelled to him. "Because I get the feeling our friends are going to stop by for a visit soon," he yelled back. "Unless of course, you destroy them!"
"I'll do my best!"
The red dragon flew screaming into the sky and vanished into the clouds.
Mallory concentrated hard on Zidane, or what she could remember of him. She did that almost halfway across the ocean. Then she almost sprang off the dragon in excitement. "They're in Lindblum!" she hollered to Yona.
~ All right. That's where I'll take you. ~
I hope my gut feeling is right, she thought. I don't want to have to search the whole continent….
* * *
"Drop me off here, so no one gets suspicious," she told Yona. He landed and crouched so she could get off, right inside the airship gates. ~ Just call me when you need me. ~ Then he flew back out the gates to do lord knows what. Mallory straightened her feathers and marched trough the street, concentrating again. "…Lindblum castle! That's where they are!"
After boarding an air taxi she marched up to the castle, stopping all the guards that tried to get in her way. "…By the telescope at the top," she said again after more thinking. She ran through the castle, being guided by some invisible force, for she had never even been to Lindblum before. There, at the top, she saw the monkey boy and the girl who mysteriously looked exactly like Princess Garnet talking by the telescope. Well, the girl wasn't talking, more ignoring. She walked up silently behind them and Zidane nearly jumped out of his skin when she spoke. "Ha! I've found you!"
Zidane turned and looked her over. "Who're you?"
"I am called Mallory. I work under Lord Kuja," she said, bowing as she introduced herself. Zidane looked her over again. "How about you stop working for Kuja and come work for me?" he winked. The girl smacked him on the back of the head. Mallory now saw that she was really Princess Garnet.
"Why, Princess, fancy seeing you here." Garnet didn't say anything, she just looked sad, as if to say 'I wish I were back in Alexandria.'
"I do apologize, but my mission is to kill both of you and your friends. Prepare to meet your maker," she started a spell in her hands. Naturally, Zidane and Garnet bolted into the castle. "Damn it…" Mallory sighed as she turned to chase after then. They were fast, but Mallory cast a float spell so she flew over every obstacle. She quickly caught up with them. "Do stop running, you're only making it harder for yourselves."
They both ran into what Mallory assumed was the royal chamber, and slammed the door. Mallory dropped to her feet and blew the door down with aera. There she saw the throne drop into the room below. She leapt into the hole it had left and flew over to the door, blocking the way out that all of them had been heading for. There were eight of them she realized. A burly knight, the Burmecian, the princess, Zidane, a little Summoner, a black mage, a big lard ball, and a hulking lizard man with a red afro.
"What a troop," Mallory shrugged. "But I have to kill you all."
"Oh yeah?!" the little Summoner squeaked. She charged at her waving her little fists. Mallory simply held her hand out and held her there by her head, the little horn safely between two fingers. Her fists were about a foot away from her body however ferocious the little girl was. Mallory pushed with her hand and threw the girl to the floor. The black mage cast a weak fira spell that was reflected and shot back at him, sending him flying.
"Is that the best you can do?"
Zidane seemed enraged. His tail lashed restlessly and his eyes narrowed, almost glowing. He slowly pulled his dagger from his sheath and took a step forward. "You want some?" he snarled.
"I'd love some," Mallory smirked as she readied herself. She caught him on fire, but he didn't seem to care, he threw himself at her and slashed wildly with the dagger. The cast thundaga and he flew back a few feet, twitching on the floor. "Poor little monkey," Mallory said softly. "You really are no match for me…"
She leaned over and looked at his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. She felt almost sorry she had done it. She hadn't really wanted to, after all. She was about to cure him and apologize when his eyes shot open and he lunged at her, sinking the dagger deep into her stomach. She feel back and gripped the hilt. Zidane got up and pulled it out of her. She sat back on the ground, covering her wound, as blood dripped out of her mouth. She took a few shaky breaths and was about to cure herself when she found out she had been silenced. She took another breath and lost consciousness, falling to the floor in a bloody heap.
"I'll do my best!"
The red dragon flew screaming into the sky and vanished into the clouds.
Mallory concentrated hard on Zidane, or what she could remember of him. She did that almost halfway across the ocean. Then she almost sprang off the dragon in excitement. "They're in Lindblum!" she hollered to Yona.
~ All right. That's where I'll take you. ~
I hope my gut feeling is right, she thought. I don't want to have to search the whole continent….
* * *
"Drop me off here, so no one gets suspicious," she told Yona. He landed and crouched so she could get off, right inside the airship gates. ~ Just call me when you need me. ~ Then he flew back out the gates to do lord knows what. Mallory straightened her feathers and marched trough the street, concentrating again. "…Lindblum castle! That's where they are!"
After boarding an air taxi she marched up to the castle, stopping all the guards that tried to get in her way. "…By the telescope at the top," she said again after more thinking. She ran through the castle, being guided by some invisible force, for she had never even been to Lindblum before. There, at the top, she saw the monkey boy and the girl who mysteriously looked exactly like Princess Garnet talking by the telescope. Well, the girl wasn't talking, more ignoring. She walked up silently behind them and Zidane nearly jumped out of his skin when she spoke. "Ha! I've found you!"
Zidane turned and looked her over. "Who're you?"
"I am called Mallory. I work under Lord Kuja," she said, bowing as she introduced herself. Zidane looked her over again. "How about you stop working for Kuja and come work for me?" he winked. The girl smacked him on the back of the head. Mallory now saw that she was really Princess Garnet.
"Why, Princess, fancy seeing you here." Garnet didn't say anything, she just looked sad, as if to say 'I wish I were back in Alexandria.'
"I do apologize, but my mission is to kill both of you and your friends. Prepare to meet your maker," she started a spell in her hands. Naturally, Zidane and Garnet bolted into the castle. "Damn it…" Mallory sighed as she turned to chase after then. They were fast, but Mallory cast a float spell so she flew over every obstacle. She quickly caught up with them. "Do stop running, you're only making it harder for yourselves."
They both ran into what Mallory assumed was the royal chamber, and slammed the door. Mallory dropped to her feet and blew the door down with aera. There she saw the throne drop into the room below. She leapt into the hole it had left and flew over to the door, blocking the way out that all of them had been heading for. There were eight of them she realized. A burly knight, the Burmecian, the princess, Zidane, a little Summoner, a black mage, a big lard ball, and a hulking lizard man with a red afro.
"What a troop," Mallory shrugged. "But I have to kill you all."
"Oh yeah?!" the little Summoner squeaked. She charged at her waving her little fists. Mallory simply held her hand out and held her there by her head, the little horn safely between two fingers. Her fists were about a foot away from her body however ferocious the little girl was. Mallory pushed with her hand and threw the girl to the floor. The black mage cast a weak fira spell that was reflected and shot back at him, sending him flying.
"Is that the best you can do?"
Zidane seemed enraged. His tail lashed restlessly and his eyes narrowed, almost glowing. He slowly pulled his dagger from his sheath and took a step forward. "You want some?" he snarled.
"I'd love some," Mallory smirked as she readied herself. She caught him on fire, but he didn't seem to care, he threw himself at her and slashed wildly with the dagger. The cast thundaga and he flew back a few feet, twitching on the floor. "Poor little monkey," Mallory said softly. "You really are no match for me…"
She leaned over and looked at his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. She felt almost sorry she had done it. She hadn't really wanted to, after all. She was about to cure him and apologize when his eyes shot open and he lunged at her, sinking the dagger deep into her stomach. She feel back and gripped the hilt. Zidane got up and pulled it out of her. She sat back on the ground, covering her wound, as blood dripped out of her mouth. She took a few shaky breaths and was about to cure herself when she found out she had been silenced. She took another breath and lost consciousness, falling to the floor in a bloody heap.