Disclaimer: Hiya! I don't own FF9, just Ariana.
Author's Note: Have fun reading this chappy. ---doh, wussa chappy!?!
Blinking in the sunlight, Ariana stepped out of the barrel and put out a hand for Zidane who grabbed it and also pulled himself out. Dagger had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Zidane.
He put his hands in the air and exclaimed, "What?!"
She shook her head, and started walking towards a huge airship that was parked outside of Dali. "Wonder what's wrong with Dagger," Vivi said to Ariana, watching the princess sulk away.
"I don't know, Viv," Zidane said, and started walking after the princess. Ariana started to glare at him, but then thought better of it, and instead she got on her knees and handed Tuggle to Vivi.
Then she whispered something in his ear, and when she was finished, Vivi nodded, and waddled over to where Dagger and Zidane were apparently arguing. Ariana looked at Steiner now, who was pacing around in a circle. "What's up with you?" she asked him.
He stopped pacing and glanced over at her. "Hush, woman! I'm trying to concentrate," he said.
"Don't call me woman. My name is Ariana, and if you really don't wanna call me that, then at least call me Ari. Just never, EVER call me woman. Understand me, you sexist fiend?" she fumed.
Steiner was cringing, staring at her in bewilderment. "Yes..."
Right on cue, Ariana looked over to see Dagger jumping up and down screaming. Steiner immediately got up and ran over to her. "Your majesty! What's wrong?"
"There's something in my pants! I think it's an oglop!" She shrieked, and hopped around some more. Ariana looked at Vivi, and Vivi returned her look. They both started giggling, and finally Tuggle leaped from Dagger's pants and bounded over to Ariana, jumping into her arms.
"Okay then! Heh. So where is this ship heading?" Ariana asked Steiner, still snickering.
"To, uh, L-Lindblum. Yes, it's going to Lindblum," he replied, his voice shaky.
She nodded. "Well that's convenient. Did you ask some one?"
"Yes," he said. "The old man in the shack on Observatory Mountain told me."
"I see," Ariana said.
Suddenly Ariana was caught off guard as another one of the Black Waltz's, like the one she'd met in the ice cavern, zipped around in front of her, and was moving about erratically. It turned to Dagger and said, "Princess Garnet, the castle awaits you."
"You were all sent by Brahne?" Ariana asked it.
"What? What are you talking about," Steiner said, looking dumbfounded. (in other words looking normal - hehe)
"You were all unconscious from the blizzard. He said he was a Black Waltz!" Zidane said.
Then the second Waltz spoke in an eerie, rasping voice, "Are you the one who defeated Number 1? I am Black Waltz Number 2! My power, magic, and speed make me far superior to Number 1! Resistance is futile! If you don't come now, Princess, you will regret it."
Dagger then stamped her foot and responded, "I will not return to the castle!"
Steiner said something stupid as always, and the Waltz got very mad. A battled then ensued, but the Waltz refused to injure the princess in any way, and this really made Ariana mad, so she put double force in her attacks. After they finally defeated it, the Waltz coughed out it's last words (W-why) and finally fell over in a pitiful heap.
"Did my mother really send them to capture me?" Dagger said, half talking to herself.
"Yep!" Ariana almost said, grinning. However, she caught herself in time to say, "Did I almost say that out LOUD?"
Steiner was doubled over, recovering from the fight, and managed to stammer out, "Princess, it was just some evil bandit trying to use you in it's latest scheme. Nothing to worry about I'm sure."
"Um, Steiner?" Ariana said, poking him.
"Yes?"
"IT JUST TRIED TO KILL US!!" she shrieked, "SO WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT?!"
"Not with me, Steiner, the Captain of the Pluto Knights, around," he said, beaming with pride, one eyebrow raised.
Ariana shook her head, and looked down. "Riiiiiiiight, well we'll see."
Zidane walked over to them again, and said, "Well, if this ship's going to Lindblum then we'd better hitch a ride. Everyone wait here while I go ask if we can ride with them."
"Wait!" Steiner shouted. "I'll do it. I am only doing this for the Princess's benefit, so I'll go ask for a ride, not you."
Dagger then said, "Steiner... He was so adamant about going back to the castle before...An airship full of barrels like the ones I saw at the castle... Steiner was against going...Zidane, is this ship really headed for Lindblum?"
"No, it'll probably take us straight to Alexandria," he replied. "Just trust me though."
"If you say so, Zidane," Dagger said.
Ariana sat on the cool grass to wait for Steiner, and as she sat, Vivi came over to sit beside her. "Awaiana?" he said, quizzically.
"Yes, Viv."
"Those dolls they were making underground...Do you think they looked like me?" he asked, his head hanging.
"No! Of course not, Vivi. They looked completely different. You're so much cuter, and they're clothes were weirder," Ariana replied, trying her best to comfort him. She put her arm around him, and said, "The ships moving! I wonder what Steiner's up to."
Zidane then said, "Alright, come on you guys. We have to get on the airship."
Ariana nodded and stood up, Tuggle sitting on her shoulder, and she grabbed Vivi's gloved hand, helping to pull him up from his sitting position. Together, the four of them walked over to the waiting cargo ship. A ladder was hanging off the side of the ship, and Vivi was the first one to climb on.
"Hurry!" Zidane shouted, "It's lifting off." Then Dagger climbed on to the rope, followed by Zidane. Ariana looked up to see him grab the princess's butt, and say "Ooh, soft." She was angry now, and reached up to pull Zidane's tail.
"Ow!!" He yelled and glared down at her, "Why'd you do that for!?"
"Sorry," she said innocently, "I thought it was part of the ladder." He looked away and she made faces behind his back as she climbed the rest of the way. She was still making twisted faces, until she realized Zidane had turned around to look at her. Then she made her face completely blank and began humming as if nothing ever happened. Tuggle tittered on her shoulder all the while.
Author's Note: Have fun reading this chappy. ---doh, wussa chappy!?!
Blinking in the sunlight, Ariana stepped out of the barrel and put out a hand for Zidane who grabbed it and also pulled himself out. Dagger had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Zidane.
He put his hands in the air and exclaimed, "What?!"
She shook her head, and started walking towards a huge airship that was parked outside of Dali. "Wonder what's wrong with Dagger," Vivi said to Ariana, watching the princess sulk away.
"I don't know, Viv," Zidane said, and started walking after the princess. Ariana started to glare at him, but then thought better of it, and instead she got on her knees and handed Tuggle to Vivi.
Then she whispered something in his ear, and when she was finished, Vivi nodded, and waddled over to where Dagger and Zidane were apparently arguing. Ariana looked at Steiner now, who was pacing around in a circle. "What's up with you?" she asked him.
He stopped pacing and glanced over at her. "Hush, woman! I'm trying to concentrate," he said.
"Don't call me woman. My name is Ariana, and if you really don't wanna call me that, then at least call me Ari. Just never, EVER call me woman. Understand me, you sexist fiend?" she fumed.
Steiner was cringing, staring at her in bewilderment. "Yes..."
Right on cue, Ariana looked over to see Dagger jumping up and down screaming. Steiner immediately got up and ran over to her. "Your majesty! What's wrong?"
"There's something in my pants! I think it's an oglop!" She shrieked, and hopped around some more. Ariana looked at Vivi, and Vivi returned her look. They both started giggling, and finally Tuggle leaped from Dagger's pants and bounded over to Ariana, jumping into her arms.
"Okay then! Heh. So where is this ship heading?" Ariana asked Steiner, still snickering.
"To, uh, L-Lindblum. Yes, it's going to Lindblum," he replied, his voice shaky.
She nodded. "Well that's convenient. Did you ask some one?"
"Yes," he said. "The old man in the shack on Observatory Mountain told me."
"I see," Ariana said.
Suddenly Ariana was caught off guard as another one of the Black Waltz's, like the one she'd met in the ice cavern, zipped around in front of her, and was moving about erratically. It turned to Dagger and said, "Princess Garnet, the castle awaits you."
"You were all sent by Brahne?" Ariana asked it.
"What? What are you talking about," Steiner said, looking dumbfounded. (in other words looking normal - hehe)
"You were all unconscious from the blizzard. He said he was a Black Waltz!" Zidane said.
Then the second Waltz spoke in an eerie, rasping voice, "Are you the one who defeated Number 1? I am Black Waltz Number 2! My power, magic, and speed make me far superior to Number 1! Resistance is futile! If you don't come now, Princess, you will regret it."
Dagger then stamped her foot and responded, "I will not return to the castle!"
Steiner said something stupid as always, and the Waltz got very mad. A battled then ensued, but the Waltz refused to injure the princess in any way, and this really made Ariana mad, so she put double force in her attacks. After they finally defeated it, the Waltz coughed out it's last words (W-why) and finally fell over in a pitiful heap.
"Did my mother really send them to capture me?" Dagger said, half talking to herself.
"Yep!" Ariana almost said, grinning. However, she caught herself in time to say, "Did I almost say that out LOUD?"
Steiner was doubled over, recovering from the fight, and managed to stammer out, "Princess, it was just some evil bandit trying to use you in it's latest scheme. Nothing to worry about I'm sure."
"Um, Steiner?" Ariana said, poking him.
"Yes?"
"IT JUST TRIED TO KILL US!!" she shrieked, "SO WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT?!"
"Not with me, Steiner, the Captain of the Pluto Knights, around," he said, beaming with pride, one eyebrow raised.
Ariana shook her head, and looked down. "Riiiiiiiight, well we'll see."
Zidane walked over to them again, and said, "Well, if this ship's going to Lindblum then we'd better hitch a ride. Everyone wait here while I go ask if we can ride with them."
"Wait!" Steiner shouted. "I'll do it. I am only doing this for the Princess's benefit, so I'll go ask for a ride, not you."
Dagger then said, "Steiner... He was so adamant about going back to the castle before...An airship full of barrels like the ones I saw at the castle... Steiner was against going...Zidane, is this ship really headed for Lindblum?"
"No, it'll probably take us straight to Alexandria," he replied. "Just trust me though."
"If you say so, Zidane," Dagger said.
Ariana sat on the cool grass to wait for Steiner, and as she sat, Vivi came over to sit beside her. "Awaiana?" he said, quizzically.
"Yes, Viv."
"Those dolls they were making underground...Do you think they looked like me?" he asked, his head hanging.
"No! Of course not, Vivi. They looked completely different. You're so much cuter, and they're clothes were weirder," Ariana replied, trying her best to comfort him. She put her arm around him, and said, "The ships moving! I wonder what Steiner's up to."
Zidane then said, "Alright, come on you guys. We have to get on the airship."
Ariana nodded and stood up, Tuggle sitting on her shoulder, and she grabbed Vivi's gloved hand, helping to pull him up from his sitting position. Together, the four of them walked over to the waiting cargo ship. A ladder was hanging off the side of the ship, and Vivi was the first one to climb on.
"Hurry!" Zidane shouted, "It's lifting off." Then Dagger climbed on to the rope, followed by Zidane. Ariana looked up to see him grab the princess's butt, and say "Ooh, soft." She was angry now, and reached up to pull Zidane's tail.
"Ow!!" He yelled and glared down at her, "Why'd you do that for!?"
"Sorry," she said innocently, "I thought it was part of the ladder." He looked away and she made faces behind his back as she climbed the rest of the way. She was still making twisted faces, until she realized Zidane had turned around to look at her. Then she made her face completely blank and began humming as if nothing ever happened. Tuggle tittered on her shoulder all the while.