Chapter 6:

Eiko sat on one of the seats on the deck of the airship.  Vivi, Cahira, Dagger, Flynn, and Blank accompanied her.  She sighed mournfully; the days seemed to be more painful as this awful adventure continued onwards.

Princess Dagger walked over to her and gave her a brief hug.  "It's going to be okay, Eiko.  We're all here for you, you know."

Eiko looked out over the Madain Sahri, where the airship hovered.  Her eyes were hollow and emotionless as she said, "I lost my family so long ago… when I was just little.  But even then, Mog was still with me.  But… she died.  So, the moogles and Cid and Hilda became my family… and I have lost all of them in the matter of a few weeks."

"Don't give up, Eiko!" Dagger scolded.  "You haven't lost everyone!  Uncle Cid was your adopted father, and he's my mother's uncle, though probably not by blood, so that makes us family!  You haven't lost everyone!"

Eiko turned her face towards Dagger, taking a moment to register what the beautiful woman just told her.  Her empty face split into a pleased yet sad smile.  "No, I guess I haven't, have I?"

The Desert Palace

Black Waltz No. 1 entered the newly designed thrown room in the Desert Palace.  He carried his little bell with him, but something about his manner showed that he was now more sane than he had been when he ran into Zidane all those years ago.

Behind him, Black Waltz No. 2 entered, bowing deferentially to the new owner of the Desert Palace.  He did not utter a word, like No. 1, and they both stood there, silently and respectfully, waiting for their other counterpart to speak for them.

The genome-summoner lounged gracelessly on the throne, one leg on the floor and the other looped over one of the arms.  He wore a simple white tunic, and he brushed his incredibly light, feathery blond hair out of his face, a movement that incredibly resembled one that Kuja would have made.  He nodded towards the door, his icy eyes glittering with expectation.

Black Waltz No. 3 entered and bowed low before the throne.  "My master.  I live only to serve."

"Indeed," the man picked a piece of fruit off of the tray that another monster had brought in earlier.  "And now that I have repaired you, you will live to serve me."

"W-we ask only one favor, my lord," Black Waltz No. 1 cut in quickly, but softly.

He smile.  "And what is that?"

"Revenge on Zidane!" Black Waltz No. 2 spat out.  "We have been broken down and lifeless all these years because of the little thief."

"How quaint.  Revenge.  That's so simple, my friends.  That's too simple," He bit into the fruit and spit a seed out, hitting No. 2 in the head.  "I have a much more wonderful, extravagant plan.  But yes, you will get your revenge on my dear Uncle Zidane in the same move that I will get my queen.  If you listen closely, I will tell you how…"

Madain Sahri

Flynn stared over the edge of the airship, his feet hooked under the edge of the seat, and his whole upper torso and head hanging over the side of the ship.  He swayed his auburn head from side to side and shouted.  "Woo!  This makes you dizzy!"

"Flynn!" Cahira yelled, grabbing him by the waste.  "I don't even want to know what your parents would do to us if we let you fall out of the side of the airship.  You come up here this minute, young man!"

That was the longest sentence Eiko had ever heard her say, and she smiled, thinking that Cahira had finally found her calling in life: watching over the adventurous young boy.  She turned to Vivi, who was sitting next to her.  "Where should we go now?  I don't even have any idea of where to start… our only clues are the notes."

"Well, I would say to Burmecia.  Freya and Sir Fratley have created quite a spy network with their rats.  I would imagine that they know something about what is going on.  If we go talk to them, they will surely be willing to help us.  Besides, I'm sure someone there might be able to find something that we have missed on your notes," Vivi pointed out.

Eiko nodded.  "You're probably right.  Ever since they finished remodeling Burmecia and setting up the new government of Cleyrans and Burmecians combined, their spy network has become renowned."

"She might even be willing to send one of them with us."

"Okay, then.  We'll go to Burmecia."

Alexandria Castle

Zidane tucked his middle daughter, age ten, into bed and kissed her cheek.  "Goodnight, Emerald.  Sleep well."

"Daddy, tell me a story!" Emerald laughed at him.

"You're getting to old for stories."

"No, I'm not!" Emerald argued.

Zidane just laughed.  "How about we make a bargan?  I have to go tuck your little sister into bed.  I'll send Steiner in to tell you a story!"

"Yea!  Uncle Steiner tells the best stories!" Emerald clapped her hands.

"All right, then."  Zidane held out his hand to her.  "Deal?"

Emerald smacked his hand.  "Deal!"

"Good night, Emmy."

"'Night, Daddy."

As Zidane walked out of the room, he noticed that Steiner was standing outside the door with a smile on his face.  "You knew I was going to send you in to her, didn't you?"

"It's become a ritual, my prince."

"Yes, yes it has.  All right.  You go take care of Emmy.  I'll go take care of Jade."

Steiner saluted him.  "Yes, my prince."

Zidane walked into his youngest daughter's room, and stepped up to the bed, where he knew she was hiding.  Almost every night, Jade would hide under the covers and wait for him to try and find her.  The little six-year-old was rambunctious and adorable, and no one in the palace could resist her.  He snuck up to the bed and pulled the covers away, saying "Boo!", but Princess Jade wasn't there.  Confused, Zidane looked around the room, and as his eyes passed the window, he saw a figure quite a ways away, flying.  He blinked his eyes in astonishment.  "A Black Waltz?  Jade!  Jade!"

The Desert Palace

"Don't be afraid, little one," the master of the palace, said, stroking Jade's little face.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Jade spat out.  Living in the comfort of her palace, and with the manner of her mother and her sister's to guide her, Jade had ended up being quite a willful little girl.  "My daddy will come rescue me!  And when he does, you will be the one who is afraid."

"What a sweet child," He laughed.  "I wait for your daddy to try and rescue you.  But more, I wait for your sweet cousin, Eiko."

Author's note:  The character of Jade is owned by Kimeiko.  I have permission to use her.