Author's Notes: Back for Chapter six, huh? You must be REALLY bored,
hehe....anywho, I have this weird feeling that if I don't start making my
chapters longer this story will end up being like 36 chapters long....which
is a bad thing...so, I'm going to try and make them longer, okay? Anywho,
on with the story!
Title: Memories Long Forgotten
Author: KaBunny
E-mail: Alexandra_Miyoko@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13 (for swearing of course holds hands over ears My virgin ears!!)
SDA (Standard Disclaimers Apply)
Chapter Six: Ruckus
Zidane turned around quickly to look at Dagger, who nodded her head at him. She pulled her dagger out as did Zidane. Both of them ran out the door, Dagger behind Zidane.
Zidane scrambled outside and looked down the alleyway, leading back the way he was walking before Dagger had fallen on him. There were shadows moving along the wall, a lot of them. He turned back to Dagger who was looking down the other direction of the alleyway. Two children were running toward them and both of the girls were hysterical. 'No info there,' Zidane thought just as the little girls stopped in front of Dagger, panting heavily.
"What happened?" Dagger asked, quite calm for the current situation. She had kneeled down in front of the smallest of the girls and set a hand on her head.
"My m-mummy! She, she's hurt!" the older girl managed to whimper out. The younger one was crying far too heavily to answer any questions.
Dagger stood up and turned around to Zidane. Her eyes said everything, so Zidane took off down the alleyway where the little girls had emerged from. Dagger followed after him, not even two feet behind.
As Zidane took the corner, he slide slightly from the speed and the tight turn he took. When he caught his balance he saw the woman the two girls had referred to. He ran over to the woman and dropped his dagger as he kneeled down in front of her. She was underneath part of the bell from the tower.
Dagger kneeled down next to the part of the bell covering the woman. She glanced to Zidane before putting her hands under the edge of the bell. She began pulling upward with all her might.
The bell lifted slightly off the ground as Dagger pulled a little harder. It gave just enough room for Zidane to pull the woman out from underneath the large metal bell. When he had gotten her completely out of harm's way, Dagger dropped the bell with a loud clank. She sighed of relief as she wiggled her fingers from inside her gloves. They would be sore later.
The brunette moved toward the woman and rolled her over. She removed her gloves and placed two fingers on her neck. She turned to regard Zidane, who was sitting on the ground on the other side of the woman. "She's still alive," Dagger replied, relief swimming in her serious eyes.
"Praise Alexander, but what are we going to do now?" Zidane asked, staring back at the beautiful girl.
"I can help, but you must promise not to tell anyone of this secret," Dagger said, her face completely serious.
"Okay," Zidane responded, giving her a strange look. What could she possibly do to help an injured woman?
Dagger placed one hand above the woman's chest and one hand above the woman's stomach. As her hands floated above the injured woman, a glittery white light was emitted from them. In a matter of seconds, all the blood, bruises, and cuts on the woman had disappeared. Dagger removed her hands just as the woman's eyes fluttered open. She sat up suddenly, looking around in bewilderment.
"What, what happened?" she asked, still looking around until her eyes fell on Zidane and then Dagger.
"We found you pinned beneath the tower's bell. I pulled the bell off of you and my companion removed your body from beneath it," Dagger answered, smiling slightly at the woman. "Might I inquire as to how the bell fell upon you?"
"There was a ship that was running off of steam! It flew at the castle and knocked the bell on the tower off. I ran out of the house when it began to shake from the airship's descend toward the castle and that's when the bell fell on me. Where are my children?!" the woman asked, quite alarmed. She began to look around frantically.
"They are safe," Dagger replied, with that calm demeanor again. She set her hands on the woman's shoulders as the woman directed her eyes back to Dagger. "They should be waiting just outside the city. You should go look for them, but be careful. My companion and I will look further into the trouble at the castle."
"Thank you! Oh, thank you!" the woman sobbed, hugging Dagger. Dagger wrapped her arms around the woman and glanced at Zidane, who was watching the whole exchange with longing. "I will never forget you! Alexander praise you!"
"Please go, and hurry," Dagger murmured, releasing the girl and standing up, dagger in hand. The woman wiped her eyes as she stood up and ran off the way that Zidane and Dagger had come.
Zidane grabbed his dagger and stood up now. "That's quite a secret you keep."
"And you promised to keep it," Dagger muttered, glancing up at the broken tower off of the steeple. "I suspect you are a man of your word."
"You suspected correctly," Zidane answered, still staring at the brunette. "How do you plan on getting into the castle?"
Dagger flinched as a flash of someone saying something hit her. ~"How do you plan on getting out of the castle?"~
"Are you okay?" Zidane questioned, taking a step toward Dagger. He was ready at any moment to catch her just in case she passed out like she did before. But, this time she shook her head and looked up at him.
"I'll be fine. Let's get moving," Dagger answered, walking toward the steeple with the broken bell tower. She walked inside and climbed up the ladder to reach the rooftops. She then glanced at the castle before turning back to regard Zidane who was just climbing up and out onto the roof. "It was an airship that was run on steam. The woman was right. Look at the size of it and it's sitting on the theater ship."
Zidane turned and looked at the castle just as Dagger began moving toward it. It seemed that somebody had put boards up across the roof to gain access into the castle so they could watch the play for free. Good thing too because without the boards, they would've been out of luck.
They eventually reached the castle after a few minutes of unbalanced and rather ungraceful walks across rooftops and boards. Dagger was now standing on the castle wall and looking down into the courtyard. It was empty except for two people. One was dressed in pink and Dagger didn't recognize her, but she did recognize the small boy from earlier.
"Vivi and Freya are down there! I wonder what happened," Zidane said, before moving along the castle wall toward a tower. He ran down the staircase in the tower and out the door before he took off toward Freya and Vivi. They seemed to be having a conversation and Freya didn't look too happy.
Zidane stopped and bent over, heaving a huge sigh. He then stood back up straight as he attempted to catch his breath. Instead his nearly fell into Freya when Dagger ran into him. "M-my apologies! I was looking....I mean, I thought I saw....my sincere apologies," Dagger muttered, bowing before him.
Zidane shook his head and gave a small laugh before turning around to look at Freya and Vivi. Freya did look quite upset at something and Vivi was looking up at him in a questioning manner. "What happened here?"
"It was a strange tailed-man," Freya said, her voice slightly raspy. "And, and.....Fratley...he was...traveling with him. They took the princess."
"That had to have been my brother with Fratley, but *why* did they steal the princess?" Zidane asked, placing his hand on his chin in thought.
Dagger glanced up as she heard voices yelling at one another from above. She couldn't make out what they were saying but one sounded completely emotional and the other was more stern, but still gentle. It was a male and female.
The brunette turned back to the three tossing out ideas and decided to get their attention. "Excuse me," Dagger muttered, stepping into the center of the group. "Um, I do believe that I hear arguing....from above."
Dagger pointed upward to the large balcony where she had heard the voices coming from. They were still barely audible, but none of them could make out what they were saying.
~~~~~~
"Steiner.....how could this happen again?" Beatrix asked, wiping her eyes with the backs of her gloved hands. "The queen will surely have me beheaded for allowing this to happen twice."
"No, she will not because I will not let her," Steiner replied, rubbing Beatrix back gently. "Besides, we will set out on a search for the princess. Eiko will not be lost as Garnet was."
"But, but, who will guard the castle while we are gone?" Beatrix questioned, turning her watery eyes onto Steiner. "I have failed my kingdom twice!"
"It is my kingdom to protect too! That means I have also failed it, but I refuse to sit here like we did last time," Steiner said, smiling at Beatrix slightly. "This time we will do as we should've have done last time our princess was stolen. We will get our princess back at all cost. We cannot lose another one!"
"I often wonder what had become of Garnet. I often wonder if Eiko would've been much more happy had she not had to take over for her sister. Now, I fear that Eiko will receive the same fate Garnet did," Beatrix murmured, wiping her eyes again. "I guess history does repeat itself. And since that saying has proved true then my history of failing my kingdom will repeat itself once again."
"No! Our destinies are our own to shape! Last time we took this sitting down, but his time we fight and win! You understand me?" Steiner asked, setting his hands on Beatrix's shoulders and staring into her soft brown eyes.
"Steiner.....you must be my strength if I go with you....," Beatrix muttered, staring back at him.
"I will always be your strength whenever you need it," Steiner replied, smiling at the pretty general. "We leave at sunrise so pack what you need."
~~~~~~
"They are going to follow the ones who captured the princess," Dagger said, turning back to look at the three.
"I'm going with them!" Freya replied, her face serious again. "I am going to track down Fratley and fix this whole mess."
"I'm coming with you Freya," Zidane answered. "I must find my brother at all costs. Vivi?"
"Of course, Zidane," Vivi responded. "I am already well compensated and I do owe you my life."
"What about you Dagger?" Zidane asked, turning to look at the brunette.
Dagger looked up the balcony again before she looked at Zidane. She shook her head before looking down at her clasped hands. "I will think on it, tonight. I will meet you at the theater."
Dagger turned and wandered out of the courtyard of the castle. She stared at the ground as she walked back to the theater by herself. She had much to think on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That would be the end of Chapter Six....It's a little longer than normal, but I guess I'm going to be keeping this the normal length....or somewhere around this! I don't need four million chapters.....unless, you know, you don't *mind* four million chapters....hehe, hope you liked it...now I need sleep....I had 5 hours last night and it ain't cutting it....
Stay Tuned for Chapter Seven: Bedtime Stories.....Dagger tells Zidane a bedtime story.....Dagger leaves Tantalus and Zidane isn't too happy about it....why? you ask.....well, you just have to wait until next chapter!
Ja ne! (See you!) ~KaBunny
Title: Memories Long Forgotten
Author: KaBunny
E-mail: Alexandra_Miyoko@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13 (for swearing of course holds hands over ears My virgin ears!!)
SDA (Standard Disclaimers Apply)
Chapter Six: Ruckus
Zidane turned around quickly to look at Dagger, who nodded her head at him. She pulled her dagger out as did Zidane. Both of them ran out the door, Dagger behind Zidane.
Zidane scrambled outside and looked down the alleyway, leading back the way he was walking before Dagger had fallen on him. There were shadows moving along the wall, a lot of them. He turned back to Dagger who was looking down the other direction of the alleyway. Two children were running toward them and both of the girls were hysterical. 'No info there,' Zidane thought just as the little girls stopped in front of Dagger, panting heavily.
"What happened?" Dagger asked, quite calm for the current situation. She had kneeled down in front of the smallest of the girls and set a hand on her head.
"My m-mummy! She, she's hurt!" the older girl managed to whimper out. The younger one was crying far too heavily to answer any questions.
Dagger stood up and turned around to Zidane. Her eyes said everything, so Zidane took off down the alleyway where the little girls had emerged from. Dagger followed after him, not even two feet behind.
As Zidane took the corner, he slide slightly from the speed and the tight turn he took. When he caught his balance he saw the woman the two girls had referred to. He ran over to the woman and dropped his dagger as he kneeled down in front of her. She was underneath part of the bell from the tower.
Dagger kneeled down next to the part of the bell covering the woman. She glanced to Zidane before putting her hands under the edge of the bell. She began pulling upward with all her might.
The bell lifted slightly off the ground as Dagger pulled a little harder. It gave just enough room for Zidane to pull the woman out from underneath the large metal bell. When he had gotten her completely out of harm's way, Dagger dropped the bell with a loud clank. She sighed of relief as she wiggled her fingers from inside her gloves. They would be sore later.
The brunette moved toward the woman and rolled her over. She removed her gloves and placed two fingers on her neck. She turned to regard Zidane, who was sitting on the ground on the other side of the woman. "She's still alive," Dagger replied, relief swimming in her serious eyes.
"Praise Alexander, but what are we going to do now?" Zidane asked, staring back at the beautiful girl.
"I can help, but you must promise not to tell anyone of this secret," Dagger said, her face completely serious.
"Okay," Zidane responded, giving her a strange look. What could she possibly do to help an injured woman?
Dagger placed one hand above the woman's chest and one hand above the woman's stomach. As her hands floated above the injured woman, a glittery white light was emitted from them. In a matter of seconds, all the blood, bruises, and cuts on the woman had disappeared. Dagger removed her hands just as the woman's eyes fluttered open. She sat up suddenly, looking around in bewilderment.
"What, what happened?" she asked, still looking around until her eyes fell on Zidane and then Dagger.
"We found you pinned beneath the tower's bell. I pulled the bell off of you and my companion removed your body from beneath it," Dagger answered, smiling slightly at the woman. "Might I inquire as to how the bell fell upon you?"
"There was a ship that was running off of steam! It flew at the castle and knocked the bell on the tower off. I ran out of the house when it began to shake from the airship's descend toward the castle and that's when the bell fell on me. Where are my children?!" the woman asked, quite alarmed. She began to look around frantically.
"They are safe," Dagger replied, with that calm demeanor again. She set her hands on the woman's shoulders as the woman directed her eyes back to Dagger. "They should be waiting just outside the city. You should go look for them, but be careful. My companion and I will look further into the trouble at the castle."
"Thank you! Oh, thank you!" the woman sobbed, hugging Dagger. Dagger wrapped her arms around the woman and glanced at Zidane, who was watching the whole exchange with longing. "I will never forget you! Alexander praise you!"
"Please go, and hurry," Dagger murmured, releasing the girl and standing up, dagger in hand. The woman wiped her eyes as she stood up and ran off the way that Zidane and Dagger had come.
Zidane grabbed his dagger and stood up now. "That's quite a secret you keep."
"And you promised to keep it," Dagger muttered, glancing up at the broken tower off of the steeple. "I suspect you are a man of your word."
"You suspected correctly," Zidane answered, still staring at the brunette. "How do you plan on getting into the castle?"
Dagger flinched as a flash of someone saying something hit her. ~"How do you plan on getting out of the castle?"~
"Are you okay?" Zidane questioned, taking a step toward Dagger. He was ready at any moment to catch her just in case she passed out like she did before. But, this time she shook her head and looked up at him.
"I'll be fine. Let's get moving," Dagger answered, walking toward the steeple with the broken bell tower. She walked inside and climbed up the ladder to reach the rooftops. She then glanced at the castle before turning back to regard Zidane who was just climbing up and out onto the roof. "It was an airship that was run on steam. The woman was right. Look at the size of it and it's sitting on the theater ship."
Zidane turned and looked at the castle just as Dagger began moving toward it. It seemed that somebody had put boards up across the roof to gain access into the castle so they could watch the play for free. Good thing too because without the boards, they would've been out of luck.
They eventually reached the castle after a few minutes of unbalanced and rather ungraceful walks across rooftops and boards. Dagger was now standing on the castle wall and looking down into the courtyard. It was empty except for two people. One was dressed in pink and Dagger didn't recognize her, but she did recognize the small boy from earlier.
"Vivi and Freya are down there! I wonder what happened," Zidane said, before moving along the castle wall toward a tower. He ran down the staircase in the tower and out the door before he took off toward Freya and Vivi. They seemed to be having a conversation and Freya didn't look too happy.
Zidane stopped and bent over, heaving a huge sigh. He then stood back up straight as he attempted to catch his breath. Instead his nearly fell into Freya when Dagger ran into him. "M-my apologies! I was looking....I mean, I thought I saw....my sincere apologies," Dagger muttered, bowing before him.
Zidane shook his head and gave a small laugh before turning around to look at Freya and Vivi. Freya did look quite upset at something and Vivi was looking up at him in a questioning manner. "What happened here?"
"It was a strange tailed-man," Freya said, her voice slightly raspy. "And, and.....Fratley...he was...traveling with him. They took the princess."
"That had to have been my brother with Fratley, but *why* did they steal the princess?" Zidane asked, placing his hand on his chin in thought.
Dagger glanced up as she heard voices yelling at one another from above. She couldn't make out what they were saying but one sounded completely emotional and the other was more stern, but still gentle. It was a male and female.
The brunette turned back to the three tossing out ideas and decided to get their attention. "Excuse me," Dagger muttered, stepping into the center of the group. "Um, I do believe that I hear arguing....from above."
Dagger pointed upward to the large balcony where she had heard the voices coming from. They were still barely audible, but none of them could make out what they were saying.
~~~~~~
"Steiner.....how could this happen again?" Beatrix asked, wiping her eyes with the backs of her gloved hands. "The queen will surely have me beheaded for allowing this to happen twice."
"No, she will not because I will not let her," Steiner replied, rubbing Beatrix back gently. "Besides, we will set out on a search for the princess. Eiko will not be lost as Garnet was."
"But, but, who will guard the castle while we are gone?" Beatrix questioned, turning her watery eyes onto Steiner. "I have failed my kingdom twice!"
"It is my kingdom to protect too! That means I have also failed it, but I refuse to sit here like we did last time," Steiner said, smiling at Beatrix slightly. "This time we will do as we should've have done last time our princess was stolen. We will get our princess back at all cost. We cannot lose another one!"
"I often wonder what had become of Garnet. I often wonder if Eiko would've been much more happy had she not had to take over for her sister. Now, I fear that Eiko will receive the same fate Garnet did," Beatrix murmured, wiping her eyes again. "I guess history does repeat itself. And since that saying has proved true then my history of failing my kingdom will repeat itself once again."
"No! Our destinies are our own to shape! Last time we took this sitting down, but his time we fight and win! You understand me?" Steiner asked, setting his hands on Beatrix's shoulders and staring into her soft brown eyes.
"Steiner.....you must be my strength if I go with you....," Beatrix muttered, staring back at him.
"I will always be your strength whenever you need it," Steiner replied, smiling at the pretty general. "We leave at sunrise so pack what you need."
~~~~~~
"They are going to follow the ones who captured the princess," Dagger said, turning back to look at the three.
"I'm going with them!" Freya replied, her face serious again. "I am going to track down Fratley and fix this whole mess."
"I'm coming with you Freya," Zidane answered. "I must find my brother at all costs. Vivi?"
"Of course, Zidane," Vivi responded. "I am already well compensated and I do owe you my life."
"What about you Dagger?" Zidane asked, turning to look at the brunette.
Dagger looked up the balcony again before she looked at Zidane. She shook her head before looking down at her clasped hands. "I will think on it, tonight. I will meet you at the theater."
Dagger turned and wandered out of the courtyard of the castle. She stared at the ground as she walked back to the theater by herself. She had much to think on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That would be the end of Chapter Six....It's a little longer than normal, but I guess I'm going to be keeping this the normal length....or somewhere around this! I don't need four million chapters.....unless, you know, you don't *mind* four million chapters....hehe, hope you liked it...now I need sleep....I had 5 hours last night and it ain't cutting it....
Stay Tuned for Chapter Seven: Bedtime Stories.....Dagger tells Zidane a bedtime story.....Dagger leaves Tantalus and Zidane isn't too happy about it....why? you ask.....well, you just have to wait until next chapter!
Ja ne! (See you!) ~KaBunny