Yes, this is chapter 8...I am exactly 58 words short of 25,000 now...
*Lindblum, yet another year or so later
"Check it out, boys!" Baku announced to his crew. They all looked up at the brand new theatre ship. "This is the Prima Vista! She's our ticket outta debt and into glory!"
"Somebody has delusions of grandeur," Marcus muttered.
"Um…Boss? How did we afford an airship?" Blank wondered, fearfully.
"Well, I pulled some strings, made some contacts, but hey, if we can work outside of Lindblum, it'll be worth it."
"You mean we got more into debt to get out of debt?" Blank groaned. "Why am I not following this thinking process?"
"Look, it's a good idea, guys; I said so."
"Boss," Marcus started, "I don't think—"
"Shaddup! This is our ship and we are her crew! And now we're gonna make somethin' of ourselves, even if it means a little hard work!" The new crew chorused a groan. All except for one...
"Hush," Zidane breathed. "She's beautiful." With that, he slowly walked the length of the ship, taking in its detailed decoration.
"Gwahahahaha," Baku laughed. "How come I only ever have one happy camper, hmm?"
"Because only one of us is short enough to kiss your butt?" Marcus whispered, drawing a chuckle from the others.
"Say, Baku?" Zidane called from across the dock.
"Yeah?" Baku called back.
"Can I fly it?" The others began laughing hysterically.
"Gwahahahahahahaha!" Baku's laughter sounded well above theirs. Then, "No. Of course not."
"Why not?" Zidane whined, sauntering back over to them. The others laughed some more.
"'Cause," Baku shrugged. "You're too young."
"Pleeeeease?" Zidane begged, making a face that a basset hound puppy would give three paws to be able to use. Even Baku looked like he might waver for a moment.
"We'll see," Baku said without commitment. Zidane stopped pushing the issue; he knew he had taken enough ground for now…
*Alexandria Castle, a year later.
"Rise, Aldebert Steiner," the king said solemnly, "Now Captain of the Knights of Pluto, the esteemed guardians of the Royal Family." Steiner rose, as the king bided, and turned to face the assembled audience of the court. He could feel the pride of the moment swelling in his chest and he could hardly control his excitement, but he did control himself, for it was his duty as a knight. He listened to the rest of the ceremonial words, staring straight forward as a soldier would, except when he glanced to the side to see that Princess Garnet was not paying attention. He wondered about it for a moment, but then decided that twelve-year-old girls probably couldn't stay interested in this sort of thing for long.
Garnet watched two the sparrows that were preening each other in the window and sighed softly. She was definitely happy that Steiner had obtained his position, after working so hard for it, but she couldn't remain focused on the moment. Her mind kept wandering the fantasies she had stored away in her imagination. She kept wondering about things…about love. Not just love, but the kind of love she had read about in the stories she cherished. They were her only escape from the boredom that the splendor of being a princess provided. Not that she did not like being a princess, like some of the girls she read about; she enjoyed it very much. There were just these times when she wished she had a little more freedom. So, when she was bored, she wondered about her tall, charming prince with dark hair and dark eyes. This is what she had decided on, for she didn't want a white knight, because he'd be too stiff, and she didn't want a peasant, because then she'd have to elope to a distant land where she'd never become queen and if she ever wanted to see her family again, she'd end up dying. No, she wanted a prince, who spoke only with comfort or importance, not with the rambling nature of a nobleman, but when he did speak, it would be with a low gentleness that would tame wild beasts. He would have a calm demeanor that no problem could disturb. He would be incredibly strong with an impressive build, so if anything should happen to her, he would fearlessly overtake his opposition to rescue her.
The sparrows took off from the window, setting out for the sky. Garnet sighed again, trying to turn her attention back to the ceremony. She'd have to wait for her own romance, she knew she was pretty young and she had time. Most princesses didn't meet anyone until their eighteenth birthday, although many met their princes sooner. The trick was not to get into peril early, or else she'd definitely get a knight in shining armor. Evading the peasant was easier: I mustn't ever disguise myself as a man. To get the prince, she'd have to be strong in her own right, but sweet and helpless in his strengths. For now, all she could do was study to be Queen and daydream.
*Outside a nobleman's domain, some time afterwards, but same year.
"They're gaining!!" Blank called down from his position. The Prima Vista's engines roared with the power of their output as they drove the ship onward away from Lord Homely's Manor. Unfortunately, Lord Homely's personal fleet was in hot pursuit.
"Yep," Zidane agreed, looking out the bridge window. "There's one coming in on the port side."
"Jes' peachy," Baku grunted as he maneuvered his ship at top speed. As he said this, a loud BANG! rocked the airship. "What was that?!" Baku demanded of Marcus who had just come running in.
"Um…I was just about to tell you that Cinna says the engines couldn't take much more, but I guess they just did."
"Ooh, it got better," Zidane commented, turning around to watch Baku.
"WHADDYA MEAN THE ENGINES BLEW?!" Baku yelled. "CINNA? I'M COMIN" DOWN THERE!!"
"Is now a good time to start screamin', suga?" Ruby asked from the stairs.
"Zidane, hold her steady! I'll try not to be long," Baku ran out.
"Who? The ship, or Ruby?" Zidane called jokingly after him, as he reached for the wheel.
"Zidane, you smaht-ass!" Ruby let go of the railing and actually walked over to Zidane, just so she could hit him on the head. Then she grabbed his arm to hang on to for dear life. Zidane, however, has completely cool now. He was finally piloting.
"Hurry, Boss!" Blank yelled. "They've caught up on the port side!" Zidane glanced at the ship that had drawn along side them. The Prima Vista was losing both speed and altitude, so the other ship knew they were in trouble. They were preparing to board the theatre ship. Nopesies, I don't think so. Zidane dropped the ship down and swerved it to the port side, going down and underneath the enemy ship. Ruby screamed. So did Blank. Zidane adroitly smoothed out the dead ship's descent, sending them skimming over the plateau only twenty feet above.
"Zidane!" Blank wailed. "What are you doing?!"
"Omigod!" Ruby clutched Zidane's body in a panicked death-grip. "We ah gonna dieeeee!" Zidane pried his arm out of her grasp and tried to keep the ship from losing more altitude.
"Please, Ruby," he attempted to calm her. "Can't you see I'm trying to drive?"
"Tryin'?" she jumped back. "Tryin'? How 'bout a lil' succeedin', suga?" Zidane laughed aloud as the ship plunged over the edge of the plateau and into the mist cover with only a few feet to spare. They descended into the mist, Zidane guiding the Prima Vista out of the sight of their pursuers. The bridge was silent as the young blonde sailed the ship out over the river and softly landed there in the blanket of the mist.
"Zidane…" Ruby breathed in disbelief. Blank sauntered down the staircase, the same expression of wonder etched into his features.
"How…?" he shook his head, knowing he'd never understood how his friend got away with these things.
"Oh!" Ruby got past her admiration into celebration, as she squealed with delight. "Zidane, honey! You did it! You did it!" She grabbed him in a hug, and rocked back and forth excitedly.
"Dang, Ruby! A little air there!" Zidane laughed despite himself. "It wasn't that big a deal." A whirring sound cam from deep within the air ship as Baku re-entered the bridge.
"Nice job, Zidane," Baku nodded. "We almost killed ourselves when you took that spill. I think I'll take it from here."
"Aw, man…" was all Zidane could say as he tramped out of the room with his hands in his pockets.
*Tantalus Hideout, several months later.
Zidane scribbled the last sentence into his note, despite the dim light. As he set the pen down and reached for his pack, a sound caused him to freeze.
"Where're you going?" Blank's voice whispered through the darkness.
"Out," Zidane stated simply, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Out? At this hour?" Blank asked, coming closer so he could see his friend. Zidane only nodded and looked away. "You're…you're not coming back…are you, Zidane?" Blank sighed, starting to realize what was going on.
"I don't expect you to understand, Blank," Zidane looked at the floor. "But I owe this…to myself. I'm sorry."
"After all we've done for you?" Blank asked anyway.
"I said I'm sorry, but there are things I gotta know, answers I gotta find, and I won't find them here."
"Zidane…" Blank looked away for a moment before looking back. "You're so lucky to have us, people who care about you. Believe me, after everything that happened to my parents… Well, I had no place to go. I had no home. Now, my brother, don't go throwing us away for silly fantasies." Zidane looked up into Blank's eyes, although they were barely visible.
"I'm sorry about your family, Blank. I truly am, and I understand your point of view… but…" Zidane placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "But, at least you know what happened to your family, at least you have a history with your parents. I don't know. I must find out."
"Your leads are your name and your blue light!" Blank voice rose slightly. "How can you expect to find anything? I hate to say it but…"
"Go on," Zidane hung his head. "You're probably right. Go on."
"They…they didn't…want you," Blank choked on the words. He knew that it was painful for anyone, even a lifetime orphan, to hear. "But we want you, Zidane; you're one of us." Zidane looked Blank in the eye again.
"No matter what happens, I'll come back," he promised. Blank shook his head.
"That is one cruel world you're going into all alone, by yourself, Zidane!" Blank's voice rose again.
"Not so loud," he admonished. "I'll be fine. I always am."
"Always?" Blank's fists were shaking with urgency. "Will you never learn?"
"What do you mean?"
"The only 'always' is that you are pushing it. How many more always, Zidane? How many more times until you've gone too far and…always becomes forever?" Zidane looked at the wall with the same depth in his eyes that one gets from looking at the place where the ocean meets the sky; Blank's heart grew heavy, for he realized there would be no changing his friend's mind.
"Perhaps you're right, Blank," Zidane spoke with a gentle conviction. "Perhaps I am an abandoned love-child off to meet a pointless end at the hands of a heartless humanity. Then, perhaps I am a long-lost prince beginning his epic journey home to his failing, forgotten fatherland. Anything's possible from here, so I owe it to myself to find out who I am, where I come from, and where I should be going."
"And that's what you owe us? Heart attacks and sleepless nights?"
"Mom," Zidane teased. "I said I'd come back. If those words aren't good enough for you, well, there is nothing I can do about that."
"I can't believe you just said that to me," Blank whispered hoarsely. There was an uneasy silence as Zidane quietly shouldered his bag and made his way to the door. As his hand touched the handle, he looked back at Blank one last time.
"Wish me luck?" he asked hopefully.
"I suppose…even a fool has his days," Blank responded begrudgingly. Crestfallen, Zidane opened the door.
"Thanks," he replied sadly. "I'll remember that." And then he disappeared into the night.
*Treno, late in the next year
The red mage shifted uneasily in the front hall of the flagrant mansion. However, he had a lead, and Kuja had been more humane with him once he had started bringing in the leads, no matter how far fetched they seemed. The servant beckoned him follow, so he did, from the magnificent foyer through the lofty halls and up the ample staircase to the exquisite balcony where Kuja stood sipping wine. The servant nodded and left.
"What do you have?" Kuja asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"This was hard to get, but it was a strange occurrence within the week of the date you mentioned," the red mage bowed low. Kuja turned around, looking very interested.
"Continue…"
"Well, security has been random in Alexandria since the king has become ill, so rumors have been seeping out like mucous."
"Like the one about how Princess Garnet is really dead and they just found a replacement?" Kuja asked. He had taken special interest in that one.
"I suppose, only this is a docking report. Again, about a week after the dates we decided on, a storm-wrecked boat drifted in towards the harbor carrying two passengers."
"What's so strange about that?"
"There had not been any storms for over two months. One of the passengers was reported dead; nothing is said about the second one."
"Hmm," Kuja smiled, trying to hide his excitement. This is starting to sound like a full-blown conspiracy. "Who was the reporter?"
"That's the other strange thing. Normally the harbormaster reports such things, but the reporter was none other than Doctor Tot."
"The princess's tutor?" Kuja could barely believe what he was hearing. The red mage had no idea what he has uncovered…I'm through with him for now. "Hmm, I'll need to talk to the doctor then…you are relieved. Does two million sound about right to you?"
"Two million?!" the red mage's report and jaw dropped to the floor. He thought for a moment that he must have been dreaming.
"I take it that's good," Kuja waved for him to shoo. "Go on, I'll send it to you later today." The hired man slowly stumbled down the stairs, back to the foyer, and out the door. Kuja could barely contain himself. In fact, he couldn't.
"Mwahahahahahahahahahaha!" his laughter rang through the chambers like the sound of wedding bells, and he was just as ecstatic as any bridegroom. "O Great One, O Garland? I've found my summoner! You didn't think I'd manage, did you? Did you?" Ah, Dr. Tot…I'll need to meet with you in person… Kuja went to his hidden stables to get his Silver Dragon. It was finally time to begin his glorious revenge.
