"We are here."
"Here, are we."
"Now get off!"
"Get off, now!"
Zorn and Thorn practically pushed Zidane of the ship and Mallory slid out of a hatch under the ship. " See you've decided to join us, Mallory," Freya said when she saw her. "Guys, we've got a situation on our hands, " Zidane started. "We need to get in and out real fast, got it?" Amarant, Steiner, and Freya all nodded in agreement. "We need to head south, through the Seaways Canyon," Mallory said, pointing south. "Then we head towards the sunset, and follow the winding trail."
"Have you been here before, Mallory?"
"No, it's just…By concentrating on a place or person, I know where it is. That's how I found you in Lindblum, Zidane."
"Ah, I was wondering about that."
"Well, if we are on a tight schedule I recommend we get moving," Freya said.
"She's right, let's go."
* * *
At the end of the winding trail, sure enough, was Oeilvert. The quintet ran up the stairs and through the big door, slashing down monsters on their way.
Meanwhile…
"…But I do hate keeping promises…" Kuja said softly. Everyone left behind still in their cells, feared for their lives. "You see, this palace is home to a magnificent hourglass…As the sand falls, the floors of your cells will slowly open…Isn't that a marvelous way to kill you? Well? Goodbye, my sweet, lovable morons…"
Eiko pounded on the door of her cell. Vivi sat in the corner shivering. Dagger paced restlessly. Quina licked its fork.
Regent Cid was hopping around outside the cells. "I've got to reset that hourglass!" he croaked. He hopped down the hall to a small room where he saw the key resting on the cage of a hedgehog pie. "Oh, damn…Maybe it won't see me if I don't move…" he sneaked and sneaked and sneaked until he had the key in his slimy little hands, then he went to the scale in the corner. He would need to use it to get to the hourglass. He put the stone, sand, and iron weights on the scale and hopped up to the hourglass, resetting it, thus saving his comrades.
Back at Oeilvert…
"Is this it?" Zidane said, picking up the Gulug stone and examining it. "I think so," Mallory said, looking over his shoulder. "That's how Kuja described it to me…"
"Well then, we should be off as soon as possible," Freya suggested.
"Indeed," Steiner agreed.
"Wait," Mallory said, holding her hand up to quiet them. "I hear something…Like a…motor?"
The words had barely passed her lips when a huge ship with a giant blade mounted on the front soared down at them out of nowhere. "Incoming!" Zidane yelled as he pushed everyone out of the way. The ship crashed right into where they had been standing, its blade sunken deep into the solid stone floor. It pulled back and removed its blade, only to crash into the wall just inches above them after they ducked. "Move, move, move!" Zidane yelled as he tired to get to the door. Everyone else followed. The ship smashed into the wall right next to the door, causing debris to fall into their path. There wasn't much, but they couldn't move it while avoiding the ship. "We'll have to fight it, I think," Freya said, swinging around her spear. "Looks that way," Zidane said, drawing his daggers. They all readied their weapons and charged at it.
Back at the Desert Palace…
"I'm so relieved…" Dagger said as the cell opened and the floor closed. "Thank you, Uncle Cid," she smiled when she saw him. "My pleasure. I'm glad to see you're all still in one piece."
Eiko, Vivi, and Quina all piled out of their cells. "Air! Fresh, cool AIR!" Eiko shouted, inhaling deeply. Mog flew out behind her. "Kupi, kupkup, kupopo!" she said. "Oh, really?" Eiko replied. "What did Mog say?" Dagger asked.
"She said that we should get out of here before Kuja finds us."
"I don't think we need Mog to tell us that…" Vivi said, adjusting his hat nervously.
"She right though. We need leave," Quina said.
"I'm guessing Kuja all ready knows we're out," Dagger said. "He'll probably send a monster to get us or something…" she said, wringing her hands.
"Then let's get moving!" Eiko said, jumping up. Everyone headed to the large corridor at the end of the hall in the room. There were two angel statues and a candlestick. Eiko lit all three candles and a little red gem in the silver stick started glowing. She pulled it out and they continued on their way.
Back at Oeilvert…
Ark was just a pile of bent metal on the floor now. Everyone sat against the wall, exhausted, and healed himself or herself. "Well, I'm glad that's over," Zidane sighed. "Thanks for helping out, Mallory."
"No problem, I owe it to you."
"We should be going, if we wish to see our friends alive," Freya said, standing up.
"She's right, you know," Amarant said, breaking his usual silence.
They all stood up without another word and made there was back to the Hildagarde.
"Do you have the stone?"
"Stone, do you have?"
"Yes, yes. Keep your hats on," Zidane said as he watched Mallory hide out of the corner of his eye.
The Hildagarde lifted off into the sky and slowly made its way back to the Desert Palace. Zidane watched over the edge as deserts and ice caps passed below him. "I never really noticed before…but Gaia really is a beautiful place…."
They entered the airship dock and landed softly. The ramp was pushed out onto the dock itself. Mallory sneaked off onto the ramp and walked down with Zidane.
Waiting for them at the teleporter was Kuja.