Chapter 7: The Sword at Last
The night continued uneventful and everyone awoke a little after dawn. Mikoto and Vivi had the last watch and had already gotten breakfast going. They greeted the still sleepy warriors as they sat down by the fire. Miranda shot out of the tent and wolfed down her food.
"Slow down!!" Kristin said. "What's the hurry?"
"Mmf, gotta get the sword, gulp, the sooner the better," she said between mouthfuls. In a few minutes she was done and was gearing herself up. "Can't be too careful you know. Could be monsters or snakes or something in that cave."
Chris stood up and geared up as well. "Well in that case, I guess I should come along, too."
Kristin also stood. "Me too!"
Miranda smiled at her friends. "But you guys haven't finished eating yet! I'm ready to go now."
"Maybe we should all go," Freya suggested.
"But the cave or cavern might be too small for all of us," Fratley pointed out. "How 'bout this, five in five out. That way the five outside can prevent anything into coming in."
Freya nodded her approval. "Alright. Who should go with them? They need two more."
"Freya, you go with them," Fratley said. "They need a seasoned fighter with them. I'll stay and help the others. Hm…that leaves Amarant, Kuja, Mikoto, Vivi, and Eiko."
"We'll need a magic user," Miranda suggested. "Kristin is really the only one so far that would use magic more."
"Well, that leaves Kuja, Mikoto, Vivi, and Eiko."
Mikoto backed away. "I'm not going into a cave," she said. "Can't stand the dark. Besides, I'm not that great in magic."
Vivi joined Mikoto. "M-me n-neither."
"Kuja or Eiko…Kuja or Eiko…" Fratley debated. He turned to the four. "Who do you guys want?"
"Eiko!" Miranda, Chris, and Freya yelled.
"Kuja!" Kristin yelled said at the same time.
Eiko grinned and bounded toward the group. "Three against one! Yay!"
Kristin pouted. "Then I'm not going!"
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Aw! Come on!"
Kuja walked up to Kristin and took her hand. "Milady, I think it would be wise if I didn't go. My magic is very powerful, and I could accidentally destroy the cave. Please go on with your friends. I'll be fine out here."
Kristin stared entranced at Kuja. Chris and Miranda groaned.
"Another good reason is that Kristin would be distracted during a battle," Miranda muttered.
Freya picked up her spear. "Let us depart, shall we?"
They followed the Burmecian Dragon Knight toward the waterfall. Miranda gazed upward, amazed at how high the drop was. The group walked along the side of the mountain and reached one side of the waterfall. Eiko spotted a small ledge a little way above them. Freya jumped up and disappeared behind the rushing waterfall. She came back quickly and gave them her report.
"There's a cave in there alright," she said. "Seems pretty large to me. We'll need a torch. There's no light at all inside it."
Vivi came up to them with a couple of torches. Freya, Fratley, and Amarant helped the four others up to the ledge. They wished them good luck and watched Freya's group disappear behind the waterfall.
"I hope they make it out all right," Mikoto said.
In Alexandria Castle, doctors and nurses bustled down the hallways. Regent Cid and Hilda had come to see Garnet. They sat on her bed opposite of Zidane. She smiled at them weakly and coughed when she tried to speak.
Hilda gently place her hand over her lips. "Shush now dear. We don't want to ruin your beautiful voice, now do we?"
"Rest, dear," Regent Cid said. "It be best if you slept."
Garnet nodded and closed her eyes, falling soundly asleep.
Zidane looked at Doctor Tot. "How is she doing?"
Doctor Tot checked over the charts and shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid she's not getting better. But, she's not getting worse either." He sighed. "I don't know how much longer she'll hold out."
Steiner and Beatrix walked in quietly and looked questioningly at them. The look on their faces was enough. Beatrix walked to Garnet and stroked her head. "Everything is peaceful in Alexandria, Regent Cid. The people are going about their business as usual, but everyone has sent some gifts for Garnet, hoping she'll get better soon. The Tantalus group are practicing a performance for her once she's better."
Zidane gave a small smile. "I haven't seen the gang in ages. Nice to know they're here."
"Yes, I suggested the idea to Baku and he happily obliged," Regent Cid said. "They're in Lindblum right now."
Hilda gazed out the window. The sun was out shining and the clouds were a cheerful blue, contrasting sharply with the atmosphere inside the room. "I wonder how the others are doing. There's not cure at the moment, right?"
Doctor Tot nodded sadly. "It seems to be that way. I'm still researching those books you brought me from Daguerro. But in the meantime, we'll have to count on man made medicine."
"Beatrix, I think we should go back to patrolling the castle," Steiner said. "We can't have anything happen while our queen is in her present condition."
"Yes," Beatrix replied. They saluted and left the room.
Zidane sighed. "I hope the others are okay."
Freya held the torch aloft and walked cautiously into the dark cave. Once inside, they could here the constant drip and the faint sound of the rushing waterfall behind them. They walked down a rocky passageway, taking care not to slip on the slippery floor. Eerie silence surrounded the adventurers, broken only by the occasional drip of water.
Eiko shivered. "Gee, it's cold, damp, and scary down here," she said after a while.
Miranda walked beside her. "I know. I wonder how much lon-"
Her words were cut short by a loud roaring noise ahead. They quickly drew their weapons and stood stock still, tensing as they heard the sound of hooves clatter toward them. A gigantic three-headed monster with dragon wings and a horse's body came hurtling toward them. They jumped out of its way and quickly got to their feet as the monster turned around.
"Miranda!" Freya yelled as she brandished her spear. "Go to the direction where the monster came from! The sword is probably hidden there!"
"But what about you guys?" Miranda yelled.
Freya disappeared above them as she jumped up to a ledge. She readied her spear. "Just go! We can handle it!"
Miranda gulped and took off, holding the torch aloft to show her the way. She could hear the battle going on behind her and kicked up some extra speed. I've got find that sword! She rounded the corner and gasped at what she saw. A cave of crystals sparkled in the torch's light. Several identical sword hilts were amid the crystals. Miranda's eyes roved over the cave and walked up to a sword hilt in a dark corner. Her hands trembling, she drew the sword, and gazed at the wondrous blade. Double-edged, sharp enough to split a hair, the blade seemed to glow and come alive. The stone on the hilt glowed bright and a voice seemed to come within it. Miranda understood it all and knew she had picked the right one.
Sheathing the other sword, Miranda took off back to where she come from, hoping her friends were all right. She gasped in horror. Everyone except Chris was down, who was trying to dodge the monster's deadly hooves.
"Is that all you can do?" he yelled challengingly at the monster. "You probably have three heads because if you had just one, you'd be dumber than a doornail!"
The enraged beast charged at Chris, catching him in the stomach. He slumped against a stalagmite, gasping for breath.
The monster made a charge for him again, but roared in pain. Miranda had come up behind him and slashed across his back, blood spewing everywhere (ech…gross…). The beast whirled around to face his attacker, only to find empty space.
"Hyaaaaah!!!" Miranda yelled as she came down and decapitated one of the heads. She landed neatly to the ground and stood between Chris and the now two-headed monster.
Kristin staggered up, leaning heavily against the wall of the gigantic cavern. She recoiled in horror when she saw the head laying in a pool of blood on the ground. (have to rate this pg now…) She quickly regained her composure and checked on Freya and Eiko. She gave them each a hi-potion and they were soon up, watching as Miranda fought the monster.
Kristin picked up her rod. "Miranda!" she yelled. "Get out of the way! I want to try my summon powers!"
Eiko looked at her incredulously. "What?? Now??? You've never even summoned before!"
Kristin grinned at her. "Can't be that hard. Now who should I summon…"
Eiko sighed. "Well, try Shiva or Ifrit. Any others might destroy this place."
Kristin nodded. "Alright! DIAMOND DUST!"
Shiva appeared and used her powers to freeze the monster momentarily. Miranda took the chance and leaped high into the air, striking down on the monster with all her might as she came down. With an agonizing scream, the monster disappeared, along with the other head lying on the ground.
Miranda hurried to Chris and helped him up. "You okay?" she asked worriedly.
He gave her a wry smile and stood up slowly. "If you consider aching all over with bruised ribs and a massive headache okay…I guess so."
Freya, Eiko, and Kristin ran toward them. They stopped and admired the blade Miranda held in her hand.
Miranda smiled and hugged them all. "Lets get back to the others. They've probably heard the commotion."
They quickly left the cavern and in a few minutes emerged into the bright sunlight. The ones waiting outside hurried over to them as they made their way down.
Vivi jumped with joy when he saw the sword in Miranda's hand. "Yay! You found it! But what are you going to do with the other sword?"
Miranda shrugged as she wiped the blade on the grass. "I think we should get back to Alexandria Castle and rest up. I can give them their sword back."
"Looks like you guys battled hard," Fratley said as he helped Mikoto attend to everyone's wounds.
"Ugh!" Eiko said. "I'm all dirty and grimy and covered with gore!" She walked to the stream and waded in. "I'm goin' take a dip and clean myself off some."
Miranda inspected herself. "I'd better, too." She shuddered. "That was the grossest thing I had ever had to do in my life."
She dipped her hand in the water. She suddenly found herself swimming in the stream and looking at a grinning Chris.
She swam toward the bank. "So you think you're so cool, huh? Well, why don't feel a little cooler!" she yelled as she pulled him into the stream.
Eiko, Vivi, and Kristin smiled as they watched the two splash each other laughing. "Now they're going to get a new change of clothes."
Mikoto walked up to them with a towel as Chris and Miranda walked out of the stream. "Dry yourselves off by the fire," she said smiling. "We're going to have to spend another night here. Freya took some damage when that monster slammed her into the wall."
The two walked to different places and changed. They returned and sat across from each other by the fire. Eiko, Vivi, Kristin, and Kuja went out to find some more fire wood while Mikoto and Fratley tended to Freya. Amarant had sauntered off to who knows where (hehe….).
Miranda unsheathed her sword and gazed at the magnificent blade. "I wonder who could have made this weapon."
Chris shrugged at her. "I think some dude with a spirit of fire or something like that."
"Hm…" She sheathed her sword and leaned against a tree. "So what did you think of that monster?"
"Harder than it looks!" he laughed. "For a moment there I thought I was a goner! I thought you were an angel to take me to heaven when I saw you jump down."
Miranda smiled. "Came in at the nick of time, huh?"
He folded his arms behind his head. "I think I could have handled it."
She rolled her eyes. "Suuuure…"
"What were you thinking when you attacked that monster?"
"I was so mad at what that monster had done that I couldn't stop myself. One moment I was on the ground watching in horror, the next think I know I'm in the air about to slice that monster's head off."
Chris shook his head. "You jumped as high as Freya you know that?"
She looked at him wide eyed. "Really? Golly…"
"You're going to have to teach me that!"
She shook her head ruefully. "I don't think I could."
They heard Kristin telling Kuja how she had summoned Shiva. Vivi was going 'wow!' and 'whoa!'
Miranda shook her head. "That Kristin."
The wood gatherers entered the campsite and laid the fire wood a little away fire. Evening was falling, and everyone returned and helped prepared supper. Miranda had to keep Chris away from the cooking.
After they had eaten, Miranda got up and yawned. "I'm so tired," she said sleepily. "I'm going to go ahead and get some shut eye."
"Don't worry about the watch," Fratley said. "You have free night."
She smiled. "Thanks. G'night!"
"Night," everyone except Amarant called back.
Eiko roughly nudged him. "Go on and say good night! You're being so rude!"
Amarant snorted. "Huh, I don't have to do anything a squirt tells me."
Eiko glared at him. "What was that??? Say that in my face spaghetti head!!"
He ignored her. "I'm going to go ahead and get back to Alexandria. Tell them you're coming." With that he left the camp site and disappeared into the Evil Forest.
"D-do you think h-he'll be a-alright?" Vivi said worriedly.
"That old geezer?" Eiko said huffily. "Remember when we were in Ipsen's Castle? Zidane had to go back and find him. Huh! Thinks he's so tough…"
"Do you guys mind!" Miranda's voice yelled from the tent. "Can't a girl get some sleep?"
"Sorry!" they loudly whispered back.
Author's Note: Well, we got the sword. Now for the search of Democlese and to find a cure! ::sighs:: This is going to be a very loooong fic…people have to find weapons…gotta fight monsters…learn new stuff…disappear…::covers her mouth:: did I say that? ::turns away whistling:: I didn't say anything…better quit before a blurt out the whole story! Well, see y'all in Chapter 8!