| The following is a Final Fantasy 9 fanfiction by Kaiya Beck and The Pink
Tonberry. Yay for legal stuff! Some of the characters in this fanficiton
belong to Square Soft. Marco, Kavi, Hope, Jade, and other incidental support
characters belong to the respective authors of this fanficiton. Please do
not distribute this document without my express permission.
The Pink Tonberry mercybrand@hotmail.com After 'Happily Ever After' Chapter 3 (by The Pink Tonberry)
Jade stepped forward boldly. Though his knees were shaking, he raised a gloved fist at the Black Waltz and yelled, "Get outta here! Go on! You're free, so just leave us alone!" "Who are you to talk to me like that, boy?" Sneering, Black Waltz 1 raised his bell and cast the first spell that came to mind. Kavi screamed as fire burst within the group. Fortunately, a shell spell around her and Hope protected them from the fire's destructive force. Marco and Jade were thrown to their feet, both slightly singed. Immediately, Hope counterattacked with his own magic. A lightning spell caught the Black Waltz in the side, spinning him in the air. The Waltz lost altitude immediately, and his weak wings could do little against the momentum of his own fall. With a grunt, Black Waltz 1 landed roughly near where he burst out of the ice. Alexia leapt into action immediately. Now that she and her enemy were on equal footing, she could strike with her deadly sword. As she charged, she raised her weapon with every intent to bury it in the monstrosity's back. However, she'd underestimated the Black Waltz's speed and resilience. One raised a hand and deflected Alexia's blow. "Ah ah ah, little girl," came a throaty growl. He lurched to his feet and glared at the young knight. Though her face showed determination, her uncertainty was evident in her stance. The Black Waltz advanced on her with clenching hands as if intending to strangle the young woman. From behind Hope, Kavi employed a trick she'd heard her father Vivi had used on Captain Steiner's sword. A fire spell danced on the edge of Alexia's blade, much to the knight's surprise. Kavi yelled, "Hit him now, Alexia!" The young knight struck without thought. This time, the Black Waltz was hit with a combination of Alexia's sword technique and the fire spell. He fell back with a deep but cauterized wound on his upper arm. "I'll remember this," the Black Waltz hissed as he recoiled. Still weak from being entombed in ice, he took wing. His retreat was clumsy at best, but before another one of the strange children could attack him, he made it to the top of the zigzagging trail. He only paused to catch his breath before running out onto the steppes. Alexia was half-way up the trail that led to the exit before Marco called her back. "Alexia! He's gone. Let him go." The young prince helped Jade to his feet and dusted the soot from the rogue's skin. "Is everyone okay?" Even to his own ears, his voice sounded weary. "I'm well," Hope replied. "Me too!" Kavi sounded surprised by the assessment. Without Hope's protection, she surely would've been destroyed. The Waltz's power was incredible and familiar in the very heart of her being. His will tugged at hers. It was as if she could feel him trying to pull her out into the open. It took every bit of sense she had to stay hidden behind Hope. "I'm okay, thanks to Hope," Alexia stated with a toss of her hair. "Muh muh muh, 'thanks to Hope,'" Jade mocked Alexia only loud enough for Marco to hear. His friend's expression was disapproving, but a sympathetic pat to the shoulder let Jade know that his feelings were understood. Alexia strode over to check Marco's injuries. Aside from some sooty patches, Marco was fine. However, Jade was bleeding from a long, thin cut on his cheek. He felt the blood tickle down his jaw line and reached up to touch it. Upon seeing the blood on his fingertips, everything sunk in. They could've been killed! His openly frightened expression impressed on Marco the urgency of the situation. "Norlich Heights is just beyond this cavern," Marco explained. "Hopefully, the Black Waltz will avoid Dali. I'm certain he's wounded enough that he won't want to fight anytime soon, so Dali should be safe. We will go there immediately and send word to Alexandria that one of the Black Waltzes still lives." "Then what, Marco?" Kavi asked. The young prince's tail lashed about as he tried to rub some tension out of his neck. "I don't know, Kavi. I'm sorry. We'll just stay in Dali until I figure something out." "Perhaps the Queen will send an airship to see us home safely," Hope suggested. Alexia was only too eager to agree with Hope. "Yeah! That's a good idea! That way we don't have to worry about getting attacked on the way back." "No no no," Marco shook his head. "I don't want mother to know yet. She'd only worry. We'll send word to Lady Beatrix. Your mother will know what to do, Alexia. She always knows what to do in situations like this. It may take some time for the message to get to the castle via MogNet. Would you rather deliver the message, Hope?" Placing a hand on Kavi's shoulder, Hope shook his head in return. "No. I must watch Kavi while she's away from the village. I could send Bobby Corwen if you'd like, but there's no guarantee that she'd be able to deliver the message to the correct person." Jade felt like the proverbial third wheel. He let them discuss their plans while he cleaned the blood from his cheek. "I hope wherever we're going, there'll be a nice place to sit down for a little while and maybe catch a bite to eat. I haven't had anything since breakfast," Jade mumbled after a long silence. Kavi joined Jade and offered him a white handkerchief for cleaning. He turned the offer away with a petty excuse of not wanting to get the cloth dirty. So Kavi tucked the unused square of fabric and studied Jade's wound. "Are you sure you're going to be okay, Jade? It was bleeding so much!" Jade waved it away, trying to sound brave despite the sting. "Nah, it's not deep. I might get a scar. Heh, but that's nothin' compared to my dad's scars." "I'm certain Dali will have some potions," Hope noted. "Let's go then. This is no place for us to be standing around and discussing all this." With a nod to his cousin's suggestion, Marco led the party up the path that climbed the wall in a steep zigzag. Hope escorted the party from the rear to keep an eye on Kavi. Jade sulked behind Marco and behind Jade, Alexia fingered the hilt of her sword nervously. Pausing near the top of the trail, Marco peered at the entrance, searching for an ambush. He proceeded cautiously, tail twitching nervously. Seeing no immediate threat, Marco led the group out into the late afternoon sunlight. They relaxed in the warmth of the sun. Surely, the Black Waltz wouldn't attack them on such open ground. Spotting Observatory Mountain in the distance, Marco speculated Dali was only a fifteen minute walk away. Suddenly, the air was cut by a blast of sound. Everyone drew their weapons and looked about. Banking in the sky was what looked somewhat like a miniature sail boat. As it neared the ground, the grass beneath it was flattened by a powerful wind. It settled, just above the ground, hovering magically while the sails were dropped and bound. From out of the miniature airship stepped a tall young woman dressed in a tight, yellow leather trench-coat, a short red and yellow skirt, and aviators goggles. She pulled the goggles off her head and smoothed back her long, plum colored hair. Her prominent white horn sparkled in the sunlight as she waved to the group. "It's Princess Eiko!" cried Kavi ecstatically. Stumbling through the tall grass, she ran to the tall woman's side and met her with a hug. The rest of the group joined at a more leisurely pace, though they were all glad to see Lindblum's fun-loving princess again. "Hey, kids." She greeted Kavi with a tight hug and then winked to the others. "What are you guys doing so far from home? Garnet would have kittens if she knew you were out here, Junior." Junior was Eiko's private nickname for Marco. She always teased him about how much he reminded her of his late father. Marco wore that nickname with pride. However, the barely-masked flirting that came along with the pet name wasn't accepted nearly as gracefully. "Well, it's nothing she hasn't done," replied Marco with a weak smile. An excuse like that wouldn't work at home and it certainly didn't work out in the field with family. Eiko parted with Kavi and hugged her younger cousin with a tender kiss to his cheek. She leaned back to brush his wild blond hair from his face and shook her head. "It would break her heart to hear that. But I know Garnet. She'd forgive you." Eiko's smile was gentle, despite her disapproving tone. "I heard you guys needed some help. You know, I swear your tail is a trouble magnet. Same went for your dad. Trouble followed him more often than love-struck girls." She tousled the young prince's hair and then stood to consider the others. "So, are you all okay?" "Yeah," Marco mumbled as he combed through his hair to get it to lay in some semblance of order. "How did you know we were in trouble? For that matter, how did you know we were here?" Placing both hands on the back of her head, Eiko laughed. "A lady's not supposed to tell her secrets!" She danced a circle and then admitted, "When you hang out with moogles, you tend to get news really quick." When Eiko had turned that quick circle, the wind had tossed her skirt up over her front for a brief view of her moogle print panties. Jade's eyes went wide and he pressed a finger under his nose to stop a trickle of blood. Hope pulled his hat down over face, pretending not to see. Marco coughed and blushed profusely. Kavi seemed confused, but Alexia just glared at each young man in turn. None of them seemed up to responding, so she sighed and spoke in their stead. "So you've heard about the Black Waltz then, your highness?" Suddenly perfectly serious, Eiko turned to Alexia. "What about a Black Waltz?" Marco tried to step in to disarm the situation, but Alexia was too eager to explain. As she recounted the tale of what happened, Marco shot Jade a worried look. Would Eiko take the news directly back to Garnet? Or maybe she'd enlist her father's help? Either way, word would get back to his mother, and second-hand news about Marco putting his life in peril would wound his mother more deeply than hearing the words directly from the source. He held his tail in his hands, looking troubled and miserable until Alexia finished. "Holy light," Eiko sighed. "Okay, kids. This really is trouble. Have you told anyone yet?" "No, we were just on our way to Dali when you arrived," Marco responded after releasing his tail. "Dali? Why go to that little dive?" "Well, because," Marco was suddenly uncertain of his decision. Sensing this, Hope stepped forward and finished for him. "Because Jade's been injured-" "Twice," Jade interrupted. Hope paused for a moment. "Yes, twice. We were going to Dali in hopes of finding a healing potion there and a moogle through whom to send a message to Lady Beatrix." "Oh, you poor dear." Eiko stepped over to Jade and kneeled before him. "My, my haven't you grown?" She cooed to him as if speaking to a baby chocobo. "Aw, but you have a bloody nose and a cut on your cheek. Anything else? Those are pretty minor injuries." Jade resented the tone in which Eiko spoke to him, but the princess' attention made him blush. "Yeah, I know. It doesn't hurt. I'd sprained my ankle earlier, but we found a potion in the cave, and well, see." He hopped up and down on what was his injured leg. "I'm all better now." Then he felt monumentally embarrassed for hopping up and down like an idiot in front of Lindblum's most eligible bachelorette. "Well, let me heal this cut on your cheek. You're too young to have a scar messing up your handsome face like that." Eiko's hands felt cool on his hot, flushed cheeks. The princess bent her head in prayer and Jade got a good view of her horn for once. It was so unusual to see someone with a horn growing out of the center of their forehead. From what Marco had told him, Queen Garnet once had a horn too, but the former Queen of Alexandria had it removed so she could adopt Garnet as a look-alike for her own lost daughter. Only people of the Summoner's tribe had horns like that. Jade had heard Marco mention at some point that Garnet and Eiko were the only two survivors of that powerful tribe. The white horn began to glow with a silvery, holy light. Jade closed his eyes as the healing magic flowed over him like warm water. It felt so good. He could've melted in her hands. Jade became acutely aware of something stirring below. He choked and pulled away from the princess while trying to hide the arousal bulging in his baggy pants. Eiko put her hands on her hips, ready to scold the young rogue for not letting her finish her healing spell. Then, she noticed where he cupped his hands oh-so-nervously. She couldn't help but laugh. Everyone else joined her and Jade glowered. Why did things like this always happen to him? "Hee hee! No one's ever reacted to my white magic like that. Maybe I should use it more often! Oh, are you blushing Jade? You're so cute. C'mon, don't act so embarrassed. It happens to all guys." She pursued him in a walk as he tromped away through the high grass. Jade called over his shoulder. "You just said no one's ever reacted like that!" "Well, I mean to my white magic. Hey I'm sorry! Jade come back. I didn't mean to embarrass you!" She caught up with Jade and stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. She knelt down in front of him again and looked into his eyes. His own eyes were shadowed with annoyance, but Eiko's warm blue eyes melted that. She bent forward and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "There. I'm sorry, see? No harm done. Pals?" That one little smooch seemed too little like an apology and much more like a tease. Jade wanted more, but didn't dare ask for it from the beautiful woman. "Yeah," he tried to sound cranky, but it's hard to be mad at someone who's lips are so soft and who smells so beautiful, and Ack! Snap out of it man! She's almost old enough to be your mom! Which wasn't a truly accurate estimation. Eiko was only in her mid-twenties, despite acting like a troubled teen with too little free time. "Anyway" he coughed, trying to change the subject. Eiko stood. "Oh yeah. So you were going to tell Beatrix, huh? Not a bad idea, but she's not going to be able to do much of anything without tipping off Garnet, you know? If you guys need some help, I can give some of you a ride in my airship back to Alexandria. Maybe you can work something out through the Knights of Pluto? They're just hair-brained enough that something like this might not get traced back to you." Marco had to admire his fast-thinking cousin for her skill at deceit and misdirection. Hope looked thoughtful and rubbed his chin as she spoke. "There are two--," he looked to Kavi and corrected himself, "There will be three Black Mages in Alexandria if we go there. Together we can set up an enchantment to warn us against a Black Waltz's intrusion. We should have no problem detecting a Black Waltz--especially a Black Waltz as powerful as One." Kavi nodded, looking nervous. "Good idea, Hope. Handsome and smart. I like that in a guy." She winked. "My little airship can only carry three other people, though. The rest of you will have to wait in Dali, or-darn, I'm not sure. I don't want to leave Marco here- -or Alexia. Heehee, you either Jade. But we'll need Hope and Kavi" The older genome raised his hand to interrupt Eiko's train of thought. "I rode Bobby Corwen here from the Village. I can call her and Kavi and I will fly back to Alexandria and meet you there." Eiko nodded once. "Right! Meet us by the gate to the city then. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them that I'd invited you all on a picnic. That should fly. Anyway, Jade, Lexi, and Junior, you guys get in my ship. Help yourself to the taffy. I just bought it from Mary's store." She ushered the teens off to the waiting airship and turned back to Hope, suddenly remembering something. "Hope! Be careful in these woods around here while you're riding Bobby Corwen! There are some mean mandragoras!" Pulling a gyshal green from his jacket, Hope nodded to indicate he heard her warning. Keeping Kavi close, he called out to his chocobo. When Bobby Corwen arrived, Kavi greeted her with a hug. The chocobo nibbled the little gold bells that hung off the Black Mage's hat. While Hope readjusted the saddlepacks, Bobby Corwen plucked Kavi's hat from her head and made a game of keeping it away from the little Black Mage. Hope reached up and casually retrieved the hat from the chocobo's beak. Despite Kavi being older by a few months, Hope had always considered her a little sister. Her shy, sweet demeanor had always made her seem more vulnerable than her sister Jovi. Kavi was the more curious and adventurous of the two, though, so Hope found himself looking out for her more from necessity than pure intention. She looked so much like a baby-faced version of his mother. That too could be a reason Hope felt so protective. Her two, long blond braids framed her cherubic face and darling smile. Neither Kavi nor Jovi showed any outward traits of the Mist monsters that some of the male black mages did. This led Hope to believe that perhaps his father had created them based on his mother's genetic information After securing her hat on her head, Kavi waited for Hope to mount Bobby Corwen. He settled himself in the saddle and then offered Kavi a hand up. When they were both situated, Hope reigned the chocobo toward the wooded areas to the north. As Bobby Corwen jaunted along, Kavi asked, "Hope, how did a Black Waltz get trapped in the Ice Cavern and survive?" Hope had no immediate answer. Initially, he shook his head. Once Bobby Corwen had taken to the air, he said over his shoulder, "Perhaps Vivi had trapped him in the ice. I'm not sure how any of the Black Waltzes were defeated. According to what mother and the older Black Mages have told me, the Waltzes were all very powerful. Two and Three were exceptionally cunning, but when it came to raw, magical power Black Waltz 1 had several times the endurance of his younger brothers." Kavi snuggled into Hope's back and spent the rest of the ride in quiet contemplation. They were very lucky to survive. Certainly they weren't as powerful as the legendary heroes that saved the entire world. Kavi shivered as she considered having to face a Black Waltz one on one. His will nearly overcoming hers was enough to make her feel helpless as it was, but her inability to properly utilize her elemental magic made Kavi downright terrified. She could be crushed so easily by a creature that powerful. What would become of the Black Mages then? Could Jovi produce enough children to secure the race's future? Kavi wasn't sure she herself could face such a responsibility either. Yet, her guardian, Mr. 288 had mentioned that the time would come soon when she would have to engage one of her brothers and and ? Well, she just wasn't sure what would happen or how she was to go about making baby Black Mages. Mikoto had assured her she would know, based on her instincts, what to do when the time came. When had the world suddenly trusted her with so much responsibility, she wondered. At least Hope was nearby for support. He'd pulled her out of more than one mess in their lifetime. She didn't want to take him for granted, but Hope always seemed to be there when she needed him. Nearly half and hour ahead of Kavi and Hope, the other group landed outside Alexandria in Eiko's mini airship. While Eiko secured the sails, Alexia vaulted over the side of the ship and landed lightly on the ground. Jade landed beside her, but Marco took his time disembarking. Their conversation along the way had raised some concerns in his mind that he just didn't want to address. How could his father have failed to defeat the Black Waltz? Now that it was back, would his father's indiscretion come back to haunt him? Marco was worried about his mother's safety, too. Certainly the Black Waltz would remember her. Their mission was to find and retrieve Princess Garnet and bring her back to- Eiko interrupted his contemplation by giving him a reassuring pat. "Hey, don't worry about it, Marco. There's nothing you could've done, right? Everyone gets scared." "Huh? Oh-oh yeah. Well," with a sigh, Marco hopped down from the ship. "It doesn't change the fact that I just stood there and stared at it like an idiot." Alexia was torn. Should she second Marco's opinion or reprimand him for just standing there? She knew he could fight- - granted, not as well as she could, but he was armed. The fact that he didn't act was what made her hesitate. She certainly didn't know what that creature was or how to fight it, but she was ready to attack it all the same. Marco just choked and it was embarrassing for her as his soldier and his protector. Still, Alexia remembered how she was in her first battles. Sometimes there was an uncertainty to be overcome. Is that what Marco had felt? All she could see in him now was his disappointment in himself. Perhaps I should just leave him be for now, she concluded. Unlike Alexia, Jade was quick to try and raise his best friend's spirits. "Look, I was the one who provoked it in the first place. I bet he would've left us alone if I hadn't opened my big mouth." "I'll agree with that," Alexia crossed her arms over her chest, considering Jade with a critical eye. The remark stung more deeply that perhaps Alexia had intended, but Jade did his best to ignore it. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, don't blame yourself. The Black Waltz thing went away and we all survived. That's what counts, right?" "I guess," Marco conceded. He felt like such a failure, though. Jade's words didn't do anything to lighten his heart, but Marco put on a fine front for his friend. The prince's smile is all Jade seemed to need to feel he'd helped. "All right." Eiko climbed out of the airship and pulled off her goggles. "Hope and Kavi should be here in a few minutes. While we're waiting, let's get our story straight. Okay, Junior, I sent a letter to you via MogNet, okay? You invited Jade and Kavi along and Lexi- - well, you're not supposed to leave his side anyway, right? So, that leaves Hope, huh?" Eiko scratched the base of her horn thoughtfully. "I guess he was just visiting from the village when he spotted us from chocobo back." "Or he came to check on Kavi," Marco suggested. Eiko nodded. "That'll work too. I'll leave that up to Hope. He's pretty quick on his feet. So, after we get into the castle, we're going to find your dad, Lexi. Through him, we'll enlist the help of the Knights of Pluto. By Ramuh's beard I hope they don't mess this up" Alexia was quick to jump to their defense, "They haven't bungled a mission in three years now! I'm pretty sure they can handle this." Then under her breath, she murmured, "Hopefully." From there Eiko and Marco discussed their options, but Alexia became distracted by the castle behind her. It rested in the distance quiet and serene in its elegance. The crystal spire glinted as the golden rays of sunlight passed through its flawless prism. She noted the sun would set soon. The sun had already taken on a slightly yellow cast in the west. The haze rising out of the valley made the mountains in the distance dark and indistinct. It was easy to imagine that Alexandria stood as the only city in the world. It was several times higher above sea level than Lindblum and the city at its base sprawled further as well. Everything in Lindblum seemed to be built upwards. Alexandrians feared building up would obstruct their view of the castle, so they were content to spread out. Needless to say, Alexia considered Alexandria the better of the two cities. The air smelled so much more pure here and the waters were as clear as the crystal. Alexandrians were the richest people in culture and loyalty. Let Treno have all its money, what good did it do them when there city was only beautiful in the night? Lindblum had fiercely patriotic members too, but they seemed to rely too heavily on their gadgets and grandiose schemes. Burmecia? Well, since Cleyra was destroyed, the Burmecians really had no claim to any great city. As far as Alexia was concerned, Burmecia was just one big, muddy puddle. There were really no other cities or towns were mentioned in the world. Alexandria had her heart and it always would. After all, she was named after the city. Why would she want to be anywhere else? "Le-e-e-e-xi," Jade called in a sing-song voice. "Gaia to Lex. Are you there, Lex?" When the young soldier turned, she seemed annoyed, but gave Jade her full attention in any case. "Like I was saying, do you have keys to the sub tunnels?" "No. Why?" Alexia asked, suddenly very suspicious of the young rogue. "Because, if we need an escape route, that'd be the best way to go, right? Marco told me that the Queen was taken down there before and there are passages or something that lead all the way to Lindblum." "There will be no need. I don't intend to run away from one Black Waltz. I especially don't need to escape to Lindblum!" Alexia seemed sorely insulted with Jade's alternative plan. "And just what's wrong with Lindblum?" Eiko countered, sounding just as insulted. Alexia straightened as if at attention. "Oh! Nothing your highness." She turned her head slightly, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It's just that, um" "Lexi has a bad case of foot in mouth disease," Jade chuckled. "Shut up, urchin!" Jade turned to Alexia, fully affronted. "I'm not an urchin! My family isn't destitute you know?" "Oooh, big word, Jade. Did you learn it from Marco?" "It wouldn't hurt for you to be nice to me once in a while, Alexia! I'm not just some dumb commoner, you know!" Jade felt the tightness in his chest. How could Alexia say such things? Worse yet, how could she wound him so deeply? If he would've been called an urchin by anyone else, he could've shrugged it off. Alexia's words stung as they usually did. She had a way of hurting him so easily and this time it nearly drove him to tears. Thankfully, Marco stepped between them. This seemed to be the poor prince's role in life; keeping his two closest friends from fighting. It didn't seem healthy for any of them. "Cease and desist! Both of you! This is no time to fight. I mean it." At Marco's words, Jade and Alexia took their respective corners, glaring daggers at each other. Eiko just shook her head and mumbled something about teenagers and hormones. A triumphant 'Kweh!' from above signaled Hope's arrival. Eiko let the
teenagers sort out their feelings while she turned and waited for the
chocobo to arrive from the woods.
And, well, I don't have anything good on Marco or Eiko just yet, but I may later. These URL's are subject to change or not work without notice. I'll try and keep them updated. :) If I come up with some better pictures, I'll be sure and post them here or on my site http://www.ninja-monkey.com. Thanks! |
After
By: The Pink Tonberry
Collab fic between Kaiya Beck and me. It's the Age of Exploration, but Alexandria is suffering from the loss of their king. Their prince, Cederik Marcus Til Alexandros inadvertently wakes an old evil. What will he and his friends do? 2nd Gen. characters!
Rated: Fiction K - English - Adventure/Fantasy - Chapters: 4 - Words: 11,876 - Reviews: 4 - Favs: 1 - Updated: Apr 4, 2002 - Published: Mar 4, 2002 - id: 637821
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Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten
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