*Lindblum Theatre District, earlier in that year
Freya Crescent stood with the members of Tantalus in the square listening to them converse about this and that. After paying them a meager fee, she was an "honorary" member of the group. Basically, this allowed her to travel with the group in her airship, which meant she could cover ground more quickly in her search for Fratley…
"Is that who I think it is?!" Marcus exclaimed suddenly, pointing his finger to the air cab station. Blank and Cinna both gasped in response. Freya followed their gaze to see a boy, about thirteen year of age with blond hair unevenly cut to fall about to his chin, come meandering out of the air cab station. He limped slightly as he did, as if sustaining some sort of injury. She soon realized that the group was running to meet him halfway, so she quickly followed them.
"Zidane?!" Marcus called out as he ran. "Is that you?!" Zidane looked up just in time to get swamped by a bear hug.
"Damn, Zidane!" Cinna tried to hug him too. Zidane grunted slightly, as if in pain.
"Hey, Zidane? You okay?" This was Blank, of course. "Ease off a little, guys." Marcus and Cinna stepped back.
"Thanks," Zidane nodded. The entire groups' eyes widened.
"Zi-zidane?" Marcus finally inquired. "What happened to you?"
"Lotsa stuff," Zidane shrugged. They continued to stare. "Wha-hut? Is there something in my teeth?"
"Yeah," Cinna nodded. "Maybe that's it…" Zidane rolled his eyes and turned to Blank for an explanation.
"You, uh…sound different," Blank shuddered. "I guess your voice is changing."
"Yep," Zidane grinned. "No more female roles for me—" His voice cracked up a couple octaves as he said this. He dropped his head forward. "Always the way…I've spoken too soon."
"So…" Blank inquired softly. "Didja find it?"
"Find what?" Cinna asked, confused.
"No…" Zidane's breath escaped in the deepest tone his voice carried. Everyone was silent for a moment, seeing Zidane as a tired veteran of the road, as opposed to the happy-go-lucky boy they had known him as.
"You should sit down," Blank led him towards the bench. "You don't look so good."
"So, Zidane, where've you been?" Marcus asked casually as Zidane sat down slowly.
"Everywhere," he laughed half-heartedly.
"And nothing?" Blank prodded.
"That's right. This fool never had his day."
"Zidane…I'm sorry I said that…" Blank noticed a fresh mark on Zidane's shoulder. "What happened to you?" He motioned to the wound. Zidane looked at what he was pointing at before he answered.
"Oh. I had a skirmish with a couple of serpions on the way in. I am fine, by the way."
"You don't look so fine," Cinna said.
"So…now what, kiddo?" Marcus sat down next to him.
"Yeah," Blank chorused. "What do you plan to do now?"
"I was on my way to see the Boss," Zidane answered.
"Are you nuts?!" Cinna shouted.
"Come on, Cinna," Marcus rolled his eyes. "We already knew that."
"They are right, Zidane," Blank cut in. "You are in no condition to see the Boss now! Look, we'll pay for a night at the inn, okay? You need to rest and you need to think."
"Think?" Zidane laughed. "I've done nothing but think for the past two weeks… I need to see him before I lose my nerve."
"Nerve? You never lose your nerve, goofball," Marcus shoved him playfully.
"Really, Zidane—" Cinna was cut off.
"Don't try to stop me, you monkeys," Zidane stood up. "You should know better by now."
"I'll come with you," Blank stood up too. "And don't try to stop me." The others watched the two go before following themselves. Freya followed as well, slightly confused.
"Marcus, did he ignore me on purpose?" she asked once she figured out what was bothering her.
"I doubt it!" Marcus laughed. "You should feel lucky he didn't notice you, though. It's not like him to ignore women…"
"Oh," Freya responded. "So…who is he anyway?"
"Who, Zidane? He's one of us. Or was for a while. He left us about six months back without much of an explanation to why. I hope the Boss lets him back in…we're hurting for his help."
"So he's a good actor then?" Freya didn't exactly ask, since she now figured that he was some stuck up ham. She didn't want to hear anymore about him.
"Yeah, good actor, better thief," Marcus winked mischievously. "I think you'll like him, actually. He's really funny."
"Well…funny-looking," she suggested. "But that's to be expected of this group."
"He-eeey!!"
***
Blank went ahead of Zidane as they entered into the realm of
the Boss. Baku didn't see them come in; he was doing something at the
table."Hey, Boss," Blank said. "Someone's here to see you." Baku turned around to see whom he was talking about. He grunted and turned back to his work.
"You can leave, Blank," he said. Blank looked like he was about to object, but Zidane flicked his head, motioning for him to leave. Once the door shut, Baku addressed his reckless charge:
"You had fun stretching your wings, eaglet?"
"That's a good metaphor, Boss," Zidane smiled slightly. "For you at least."
"Don't push it," Baku stood up and turned to him. "I figured ya do something like that eventually, that's why I wasn't surprised. Didja want something?"
"I…uh…never did find what I went off looking for," Zidane started.
"So you gave up?" Baku snorted.
"No, I ran out of places to look," Zidane hung his head. "I've come back, Boss…"
"Finally came to yer senses, huh?" Baku crossed his arms.
"Maybe, maybe not. Is it sensible to hope you'll let me back in?"
"Nope. You broke our number one rule, buddy," Baku fought to maintain his seriousness as he watched Zidane's face fall. "Runnin' off without telling anyone where yer goin'? Big no-no."
"I didn't know where I was going," Zidane apologized, too tired to argue that several other rules were also "number one."
"Hmm…well, you never officially left the troupe," Baku rubbed his chin in thought as he spoke. "Alrighty then, here's your belated punishment." With that, he punched the teen in the stomach, sending him falling hard on his butt, wincing in pain.
***
Outside, the other Tantalus guys, who had their ears pressed
to the door, reacted to the sounds within as if each of them were in Zidane's
place. Freya just observed, somewhat appalled at the behavior of these humans.
The sooner I find Fratley, the better…***
Zidane slowly picked himself up off the floor, and stared angrily
at the Boss, who had gone back to what he had been doing as if nothing had
happened. "The Hell…!" Zidane yelled at him. "I came through all that, for this?" Zidane was about to complain more, but Baku silenced him with a smile.
"Welcome home, Zidane," Baku said. With those words, all anger and confusion left Zidane's face. He found himself smiling back, despite his black eye and bleeding lip.
"Glad to be back, Daddy," he crooned.
"Zidane?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't you ever, ever, call me that again."
"Sure thing, Boss," Zidane nodded. Baku punched his shoulder lightly, although it still nearly knocked him over. After watching the boy regain his balance, Baku pointed at the bunk that had been his for so many years.
"Sleep. Now," he commanded. For the first time in months, Zidane did as he was told.
*Alexandria Castle, the next year
Garnet stared out the window, ignoring the call to dinner. She hadn't been hungry since her father died two months ago; her mother seemed to have had the opposite problem. Sure, Garnet ate, but she couldn't eat prepared meals at the table like she was supposed to. It was because Roger wasn't there. It was because of this painful reminder that he was no longer with her. Garnet could no longer bring herself to read her wonderful romance stories, she could no longer dream about her perfect prince who was coming. If this is what growing up is about…I don't want it. Daddy? Why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave Mother and myself alone like this? Garnet hugged the post of her bed and started to cry again. When she managed to get her breath back, she sang to herself. Because now all she could do was sing, because the only comfort she could ever find was in her voice.
*Alexandria Castle, a month later.
Kuja took a deep breath as he stepped out of the Queen's chambers, where he had just spent the best and worst moments of his life: the best, because he had finally ensured his path to victory; the worst, because he had to look at that disgraceful elephant of a woman the whole time. He shuddered as her image, and her awful smell, flashed through his memory. It was yet another dreadful thing about this planet, that a woman could look like that. Such a thing would never happen on the planet Terra. Then again, no one on Terra has looked like that, he thought as Princess Garnet was caught in his sight for the first time. There she stood in all her radiant glory, bearing no possible resemblance to the Queen. She was about the same age as he was when he'd started looking for her he realized amusedly. He watched her traverse the hall with a lightness in her step that demanded the comparison to a fairy. The stream of true black silk that fell from her head swished gently back and forth with each step, opposite the direction that her wide hips swayed. Oblivious to him, she tilted her chin up as she ascended the stairs to her chambers, exposing the engaging elegance that was her profile to his view. Not until the door closed behind her was he able to pull his stare away. Wow…
He then descended into the hall and made his way towards the great stairway. He himself was now oblivious to that was around him, as he remained spellbound by her sheer splendor. He remained in this reverie until he was shoved suddenly and roughly into the wall. He turned quickly to find himself at sword-point. He quickly realized that it was no ordinary blade that hovered uncomfortably close to his throat. His eyes followed the gleaming length of cold metal to the hands that held it so casually by the magnificent hilt that marked it as the legendary Save the Queen. From those hands, his gaze climbed up her torso, lingering ever so slightly at her supple bust, to the strong, yet feminine face framed by shimmering, brown hair. He stared deep into the dark depths of her good eye for a moment before inquisitively cocking his head to the side as far as he dared move it.
"General Beatrix?" he inquired in a sensual voice.
"That I am," she nodded briskly. "Kuja, is it not? Do as I say, for I will not hesitate to run you through. My instincts do not allow me to trust you."
"Do you always act at whim?" he asked, his tone unchanged.
"I am still alive, am I not?" she cocked her one eyebrow. "My first impressions are rarely incorrect. And your name most definitely spells evil."
"It does not. There aren't even any shared letters between the two." She loosed a gentle chortle as she pressed one hand against his chest just beneath his armor to push him back against the wall. The sword tip left his throat to alight on his skin at the place where his ribs parted. This was a less lethal position, but it offered a more painful proposition.
"I am not known for my patience, Kuja," Beatrix warned with a sweet smile. "I know you mean the Queen harm; tell me: what is it that you're after?"
"Why should I harm the Queen?" he shrugged partially. "She is paying me, after all." His skin was collecting heat where her hand pressed against him. He quite suddenly realized that arousal was creeping through his veins at only her touch.
"I hear you are a powerful mage…" Beatrix was not convinced. He found her prodding intriguing, and her force fascinating, although he was at the receiving end of it. However, he thought he knew what she wanted to hear now.
"So I've come to offer my services to the Queen in her time of need, just as any loyal citizen should."
"I hear you are from another place," Beatrix's voice now held a hostile tone, like she could tell he was playing on her sense of purpose. She pressed the business end of the Save the Queen closer to him. He sucked in his gut to avoid being impaled.
"General, I reside in Treno, and I admitted that I am being paid. I don't see why that does not satisfy you."
"It does not satisfy me because my intuition requires me to kill you," she replied coldly. "The deception is there." He had no doubt in his mind that she would kill him, and being trained in white magic, she might not be affected by some of his spells. Not that he wished to engage in physical battle just yet…
"If you were to kill me," Kuja closed his eyes, "I'm certain Queen Brahne would be most displeased." The cold point left his stomach to be sheathed at her side, and her warm hand left his chest to help sheathe it.
"Do not think I have stopped watching you," she said flatly. "You may go for now." He bowed elegantly.
"Thank you," the wondrous tone had returned to his voice. He continued down the hall until he reached the door, where he stopped to look back at her. Their eyes connected for a drawn out moment. Beatrix stared for an eternity into the deep blue that turned to ice as she neared the window to his soul. But his soul was not bared at the window; rather, it was peeking out, trying to get a glimpse of hers without being seen. She had never known a man to be able to hide so much and so little at the same time, and she was convinced that it could not be a good thing. When the door closed behind him, she closed her eye as well, attempting to imprint his window into her memory.
Kuja descended the staircase towards the night outside. Although Beatrix paled in comparison to the princess's goddess-like beauty, he knew this: never could Garnet hope to contain in her two gorgeous eyes what Beatrix held in her one. He had a feeling that he was going to enjoy his visits to Alexandria after all.
