It's here! And it's pretty long, considering I've already had one about
Burmecia. It would be even better if I hadn't been planning to do my
Spanish revision in this time. Ah well, I'll go with the flow. And thanks
to RavynCrescent for mentioning me in her into to 'I'll Never Tell!'
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BURMECIA: A YEAR LATER
"Good day Freya" greeted one of the shopkeepers. "What brings you here?"
"Morning" Freya replied. "I'm looking for Zidane. He's run off again."
The shopkeeper laughed. "For someone on parole, he sure gets out a lot. I think I saw him tailing Fratley earlier."
Freya sighed, and thanked the shopkeeper as she left. It had been almost a year since she'd plucked the tailed boy from Gizmaluke's Grotto, and his punishment was almost up. She'd known it wasn't going to be an easy task to keep the boy in check after his apology to Master Gizmaluke.
It had seemed so honest and heartfelt, that even Fratley was having second thoughts about punishing the boy, until they'd left. The minute Master Gizmaluke was out of sight, Zidane had scowled and complained about wasting his time on a squid. He hadn't meant a word of his apology, and it didn't look like he'd willingly give up old habits.
* * *
As Freya walked through the town, her mind wandered over last year. The first six months had been the hardest. Zidane had tried to escape several times, and refused to do anything even relating to work. Eventually, she'd managed to get him to pay off the broken bells by getting him a job at the local theatre. It seemed that it was finally making a difference . . . until Freya found out he was getting spoiled by the young girls that worked there too.
* * *
After she and Fratley had dragged him back. The three had fought till the late hours of night. Eventually, Fratley had gone home, and left the two in silence.
"Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself Zidane?" she had snapped at him. "You take one step forward, ten steps back."
Zidane had frowned, and crossed his arms. "Nobody tells me what to do. I aint a slave." Freya had laughed at that. "Is that what you think we're doing?" she asked.
Zidane was puzzled. "It is."
"Believe it or not, everyone is just trying to help you do something good with your life" Freya answered. "Course, you're not making it any easier."
Zidane looked down. "I just want out of here, and then to where ever my hometown is."
"Your . . . hometown?"
And that's how it had started. Zidane had blurted out his past, without meaning too. He'd never told Freya before, mainly because he was still mad at her for cutting his hair and keeping him prisoner. But that night, he let it all out. Finally, Freya returned the favour by explaining her own past. And somehow, an unspoken respect had emerged between the two.
* * *
"If you're looking for Zidane, I saw him heading to the gym" a Burmecian said, as Freya past him. "I think he was following Sir Fratley."
"The Gym?" Freya wondered, then groaned. "Just what I need."
* * *
"Ah!" Zidane shouted, flying across the floor.
Fratley smiled, and came out of his fighting position.
"Just be glad I used the flat blade of my spear," he said to the fallen thief, and went to help him up.
* * *
As Zidane brushed himself off, he asked the Burmecian a question.
"Hey, Frats" he asked. "Why the heck do you always win?"
"Watch your language" Fratley warned, but smiled. "I just have more skill Zidane. I've been training most of my life. You've been training less than a year. Give it time."
Zidane sighed, and walked to the side of the building, and watched Fratley take up a stance. Freya hadn't been ecstatic about Zidane taking fighting lessons, especially when that generally went under the 'pleasure' category. Like it or not, Zidane was still on parole, but somehow, he'd been able to con Fratley into training him. He'd managed to find a stance that worked, and a few halfway decent moves, but he still couldn't beat the Burmecian. And Zidane was not a patient person.
Just then, he felt a strong hand sharply cuff the back of his head.
As he held it in pain, he heard Freya's voice.
"I thought I said you couldn't come here!" she scolded.
"Since when do I listen to you?" snapped back Zidane, still holding his head, but smiling none the less.
Fortunately, Fratley noticed Freya's appearance, and walked towards them.
"Freya, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Hello Fratley" Freya answered. "Actually, I was looking for Zidane. I've been checking the dates, and his parole ends tomorrow."
"It does?"
The two Burmecians looked down at the boy, now on his feet.
"That means I get to leave, right?"
Freya rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"All right!" Zidane shouted, jumping up and down. "I'm a free man."
Suddenly, he stopped, and looked down. "But I can't leave, aw man!"
Fratley was puzzled. "Why not? Its all you've been talking about since you got here."
Zidane scratched the back of his head, and grinned sheepishly.
"Cause I promised myself I wouldn't leave till I beat you in a spar."
The two Burmecian's stared down at the small thief, and burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha!" Freya gasped. "We're never going to get rid of you!"
"Hey!" Zidane snapped. "I'll do it! Just you wait!"
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The three turned their heads as the owner of the scream leapt into the Gym, and raced towards them.
"An Ironite's flown into the city!" she cried. "You have to stop it!"
Freya and Fratley looked at each other, and ran towards the door, jumping out into the town.
Zidane just stood there, stunned. Finally shaking off his surprise, he ran after them.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
* * *
The two found the monster upturning carts in the square. It resembled a pink dragon, and seemed rather annoyed at the fleeing Burmecian's around him.
But as the creature raised a claw to strike, a large spear struck into his side. Roaring in pain, he turned to see two more rats in fighting stances. With lightning speed, one dashed towards the creature, and swiped its spear back.
The Ironite roared again, and sped towards them.
"Its going to use wing!" shouted Fratley. "Look out!"
Fratley's warning came not a minute too soon, and Freya jumped away from the creature. However, the creature turned, and hit Freya with its tail, sprawling her across the ground.
Fratley let his guard down and rushed towards his love, not noticing the monster readying for a flame attack.
"Freya!" he shouted. "Freya, are you all right?"
Freya nodded weakly. "Of course I am. I am a Dragon Knight."
"Lookout!" shrieked a voice.
The Burmecians eyes widened as the Ironite let loose a stream of flame. Acting purely on instinct, Fratley jumped, clutching Freya.
Zidane watched as the two landed beside him, and watched the Ironite near them.
"What happened to Freya?" the boy asked.
Freya smiled. "I forgot that Burmecians and you aren't the only creatures with tails" she answered.
Zidane turned to the Ironite.
"No . . . body. Picks on Freya . . . but ME!" he shouted.
Suddenly, his body seemed to glow with a fierce light, and the three could only watch as Zidane was absorbed into it.
Finally when the light died down, Zidane looked at himself in surprise. He looked the same, but . . . different. He felt so powerful."
"Could that be trance?" Fratley gasped. "But I thought it was just a legend!"
* * *
In the battle, Zidane felt something in his mind unlock. A memory, of how to do something . . .
Focusing his powers at the Ironite, he shouted the two precious words.
"Free Energy!"
Beams of multicoloured light seemed to attack the creature from all sides. The Ironite could do nothing to stop the onslaught. When at last the attack was over, Zidane leapt towards the dragon, and with one quick swipe of his blade, the creature was no more.
As Zidane panted from the fight, he felt Fratley walking towards him. He turned to the Burmecian.
"What Fratley?" he asked.
Fratley didn't answer. Instead, he went into his fighting stance, and merely stated.
"Fight me."
Zidane blinked. "What?" he asked.
"Trance" Fratley replied. "I want to see how I match up."
'Trance? So that's what happened. What the heck does it mean?' Zidane wondered, but got into his own fighting stance.
"Bring it on!" he shouted.
* * *
Fratley leapt at the boy, his spear no longer held by the flat. Zidane should have been sliced in two. But with speeds the boy couldn't understand, he jumped out of the way.
Just then, Zidane felt his power getting ready to leave. He only had one more move before this newly gained power left him. He had to make it count. Reaching into his mind once again, he readied one more Free Energy.
"Take this Frats!" he shouted, flinging the attack straight at his friend. It was too much for the Burmecian to take, already weakened from the fight with the Ironite. As he fell to one knee, panting heavily, Zidane felt trance leave, and collapsed to the ground, wiped out.
To be continued . . .
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Wow! A chapter of Girl of 1000 pasts, and The Beginning in one week! Not bad considering me. Anyway, next up, Zidane leaves Burmecia, and wonders where to go, noticing a rather odd dust storm on his way . . . R&R!
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BURMECIA: A YEAR LATER
"Good day Freya" greeted one of the shopkeepers. "What brings you here?"
"Morning" Freya replied. "I'm looking for Zidane. He's run off again."
The shopkeeper laughed. "For someone on parole, he sure gets out a lot. I think I saw him tailing Fratley earlier."
Freya sighed, and thanked the shopkeeper as she left. It had been almost a year since she'd plucked the tailed boy from Gizmaluke's Grotto, and his punishment was almost up. She'd known it wasn't going to be an easy task to keep the boy in check after his apology to Master Gizmaluke.
It had seemed so honest and heartfelt, that even Fratley was having second thoughts about punishing the boy, until they'd left. The minute Master Gizmaluke was out of sight, Zidane had scowled and complained about wasting his time on a squid. He hadn't meant a word of his apology, and it didn't look like he'd willingly give up old habits.
* * *
As Freya walked through the town, her mind wandered over last year. The first six months had been the hardest. Zidane had tried to escape several times, and refused to do anything even relating to work. Eventually, she'd managed to get him to pay off the broken bells by getting him a job at the local theatre. It seemed that it was finally making a difference . . . until Freya found out he was getting spoiled by the young girls that worked there too.
* * *
After she and Fratley had dragged him back. The three had fought till the late hours of night. Eventually, Fratley had gone home, and left the two in silence.
"Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself Zidane?" she had snapped at him. "You take one step forward, ten steps back."
Zidane had frowned, and crossed his arms. "Nobody tells me what to do. I aint a slave." Freya had laughed at that. "Is that what you think we're doing?" she asked.
Zidane was puzzled. "It is."
"Believe it or not, everyone is just trying to help you do something good with your life" Freya answered. "Course, you're not making it any easier."
Zidane looked down. "I just want out of here, and then to where ever my hometown is."
"Your . . . hometown?"
And that's how it had started. Zidane had blurted out his past, without meaning too. He'd never told Freya before, mainly because he was still mad at her for cutting his hair and keeping him prisoner. But that night, he let it all out. Finally, Freya returned the favour by explaining her own past. And somehow, an unspoken respect had emerged between the two.
* * *
"If you're looking for Zidane, I saw him heading to the gym" a Burmecian said, as Freya past him. "I think he was following Sir Fratley."
"The Gym?" Freya wondered, then groaned. "Just what I need."
* * *
"Ah!" Zidane shouted, flying across the floor.
Fratley smiled, and came out of his fighting position.
"Just be glad I used the flat blade of my spear," he said to the fallen thief, and went to help him up.
* * *
As Zidane brushed himself off, he asked the Burmecian a question.
"Hey, Frats" he asked. "Why the heck do you always win?"
"Watch your language" Fratley warned, but smiled. "I just have more skill Zidane. I've been training most of my life. You've been training less than a year. Give it time."
Zidane sighed, and walked to the side of the building, and watched Fratley take up a stance. Freya hadn't been ecstatic about Zidane taking fighting lessons, especially when that generally went under the 'pleasure' category. Like it or not, Zidane was still on parole, but somehow, he'd been able to con Fratley into training him. He'd managed to find a stance that worked, and a few halfway decent moves, but he still couldn't beat the Burmecian. And Zidane was not a patient person.
Just then, he felt a strong hand sharply cuff the back of his head.
As he held it in pain, he heard Freya's voice.
"I thought I said you couldn't come here!" she scolded.
"Since when do I listen to you?" snapped back Zidane, still holding his head, but smiling none the less.
Fortunately, Fratley noticed Freya's appearance, and walked towards them.
"Freya, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Hello Fratley" Freya answered. "Actually, I was looking for Zidane. I've been checking the dates, and his parole ends tomorrow."
"It does?"
The two Burmecians looked down at the boy, now on his feet.
"That means I get to leave, right?"
Freya rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"All right!" Zidane shouted, jumping up and down. "I'm a free man."
Suddenly, he stopped, and looked down. "But I can't leave, aw man!"
Fratley was puzzled. "Why not? Its all you've been talking about since you got here."
Zidane scratched the back of his head, and grinned sheepishly.
"Cause I promised myself I wouldn't leave till I beat you in a spar."
The two Burmecian's stared down at the small thief, and burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha!" Freya gasped. "We're never going to get rid of you!"
"Hey!" Zidane snapped. "I'll do it! Just you wait!"
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The three turned their heads as the owner of the scream leapt into the Gym, and raced towards them.
"An Ironite's flown into the city!" she cried. "You have to stop it!"
Freya and Fratley looked at each other, and ran towards the door, jumping out into the town.
Zidane just stood there, stunned. Finally shaking off his surprise, he ran after them.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
* * *
The two found the monster upturning carts in the square. It resembled a pink dragon, and seemed rather annoyed at the fleeing Burmecian's around him.
But as the creature raised a claw to strike, a large spear struck into his side. Roaring in pain, he turned to see two more rats in fighting stances. With lightning speed, one dashed towards the creature, and swiped its spear back.
The Ironite roared again, and sped towards them.
"Its going to use wing!" shouted Fratley. "Look out!"
Fratley's warning came not a minute too soon, and Freya jumped away from the creature. However, the creature turned, and hit Freya with its tail, sprawling her across the ground.
Fratley let his guard down and rushed towards his love, not noticing the monster readying for a flame attack.
"Freya!" he shouted. "Freya, are you all right?"
Freya nodded weakly. "Of course I am. I am a Dragon Knight."
"Lookout!" shrieked a voice.
The Burmecians eyes widened as the Ironite let loose a stream of flame. Acting purely on instinct, Fratley jumped, clutching Freya.
Zidane watched as the two landed beside him, and watched the Ironite near them.
"What happened to Freya?" the boy asked.
Freya smiled. "I forgot that Burmecians and you aren't the only creatures with tails" she answered.
Zidane turned to the Ironite.
"No . . . body. Picks on Freya . . . but ME!" he shouted.
Suddenly, his body seemed to glow with a fierce light, and the three could only watch as Zidane was absorbed into it.
Finally when the light died down, Zidane looked at himself in surprise. He looked the same, but . . . different. He felt so powerful."
"Could that be trance?" Fratley gasped. "But I thought it was just a legend!"
* * *
In the battle, Zidane felt something in his mind unlock. A memory, of how to do something . . .
Focusing his powers at the Ironite, he shouted the two precious words.
"Free Energy!"
Beams of multicoloured light seemed to attack the creature from all sides. The Ironite could do nothing to stop the onslaught. When at last the attack was over, Zidane leapt towards the dragon, and with one quick swipe of his blade, the creature was no more.
As Zidane panted from the fight, he felt Fratley walking towards him. He turned to the Burmecian.
"What Fratley?" he asked.
Fratley didn't answer. Instead, he went into his fighting stance, and merely stated.
"Fight me."
Zidane blinked. "What?" he asked.
"Trance" Fratley replied. "I want to see how I match up."
'Trance? So that's what happened. What the heck does it mean?' Zidane wondered, but got into his own fighting stance.
"Bring it on!" he shouted.
* * *
Fratley leapt at the boy, his spear no longer held by the flat. Zidane should have been sliced in two. But with speeds the boy couldn't understand, he jumped out of the way.
Just then, Zidane felt his power getting ready to leave. He only had one more move before this newly gained power left him. He had to make it count. Reaching into his mind once again, he readied one more Free Energy.
"Take this Frats!" he shouted, flinging the attack straight at his friend. It was too much for the Burmecian to take, already weakened from the fight with the Ironite. As he fell to one knee, panting heavily, Zidane felt trance leave, and collapsed to the ground, wiped out.
To be continued . . .
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Wow! A chapter of Girl of 1000 pasts, and The Beginning in one week! Not bad considering me. Anyway, next up, Zidane leaves Burmecia, and wonders where to go, noticing a rather odd dust storm on his way . . . R&R!