Author's note: Sorry for the long delay in updating. School's been a little
crazy. But I have the next few days off so watch for more of this story to
appear soon. For updates on any of my stories, look at my member profile.
Thanks so much for your reviews! Please review this chapter as well, it's
my motivation to keep writing it.
~Chapter Fifteen~
Five days later, Beatrix, Steiner, Garnet, Zidane, Ellie and Blank gathered at the training platform of the castle. The area, outside and uncovered, was flooded in rich orange and red colors as the sun began to rise. It was early, and the dew had still not left the leaves of the plants framing the battle area as Beatrix and Ellie traveled towards the center of the floor, swords in hand. Everyone had been talking eagerly on the way up the stairs as reports were coming in from Treno, predicting the war to be coming within a week, yet as soon as the fighter took the floor, silence flooded the area.
Beatrix had kept to her word, and had trained with Ellie three times a day since the meeting. She had been easy on her at first, allowing her necessary time to rebuild her strength, but by the morning of the forth day, Ellie had almost become too much for her to handle. An excellent swordswoman and even better in combat without a blade, Ellie's years of training had paid off well, although Beatrix still came out the winner of every match. Barely. And now the two squared off yet again, Beatrix determined to throw everything she had at Ellie to see if she was ready.
"One," Beatrix began.
"Two," Ellie replied.
"Three."
And they fought, so swift that even Zidane's thief eyes had trouble catching everything as it happened. Beatrix was pushed back a few feet, then regained it and knocked Ellie onto her back, only to have the girl leap up and begin striking at her again.
"She's fantastic," Zidane suddenly heard being whispered to him, Dagger's breath tickling his ear. Zidane only nodded, a shadow falling across his face.
What's going to happen when she sees her father again? He wondered to himself. She'd stop at nothing to kill him . . . His thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar sound to his left. He glanced over at Blank, who was leaning up against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. Zidane could see his eyes following Ellie's every move . . . or not so much her moves, but her . . . Zidane reached out and hit Blank on the arm, pulling him out of his stare. Blank glanced at Zidane and then chuckled, shrugging at him.
"Hey, she's cute," he said, before turning back to watch the fight. Zidane glared at him, brotherly instinct kicking in somewhere in the back of his mind, and then turned back to the fight as well. Beatrix and Ellie were still going at it, both refusing to loose ground. This continued for 10 minutes, both surprising the other as well as the crowd with maneuvers they had never seen before.
"You know Dagger," Blank said loudly, catching Steiner's attention. "She'd make a better bodyguard than old rusty over here," he said, and began to laugh loudly along with Zidane and Garnet. Steiner stamped his foot angrily.
"I am the Queen's bodyguard!! No one else-"
"Oh put a can in it," replied Zidane, kicking the rear end of Steiner's armor, putting a dent in it.
"Look what you did you mongrel!" the knight began yelling furiously.
"What? It makes your ass look smaller!" Interjected Blank as they all began laughing harder. Steiner, red in the ears, stood with his fists clenched for a moment before calming down at the sight of Garnet laughing.
Maybe its for the best that he came back, he thought. At least she's happy. His thoughts were interrupted by noises from the arena. Battle cries were now emitting from Ellie and Beatrix, both sweating but showing no slowing down. All eyes traveled back to the girls as all proper fighting etiquette was thrown aside and primal instincts took over. Ellie was advancing on Beatrix, pushing her closer and closer to the edge of the fence. Beatrix, her face twisted as she blocked each blow, suddenly lunged at Ellie, only to have her blade rebounded back at her.
And as quickly as it started, it was over. Beatrix swung towards Ellie's head, a little too close for comfort, and Ellie dodged it, kneeling and balancing herself on her hands as she swept her leg under Beatrix's, knocking her flat on her back. Before Beatrix could react, she leapt back up and kicked Save the Queen away from the general's reach, and pressed her own sword flat against her opponent's neck.
Ellie stood over her, the tip of her blade hovering over Beatrix's neck. Both were breathing hard, their throats dry and unable to speak. Beatrix looked up at her, a sick feeling forming in her stomach at the sight of Ellie's face. Her hair, must like Beatrix's, clung to her forehead with sweat, but under it her eyes were dark, and devoid of emotion.
Ellie withdrew her blade and offered her hand to Beatrix, sensing the tension in the air. They shook hands briefly before turning back to the crowd, Ellie avoid Zidane's eyes.
"You think you're ready?" Blank asked when Ellie reached them. She was silent for a moment, before quietly answering.
"Yeah," she said, nodding, then glanced at Zidane's grim face. "I'm ready."
~Chapter Fifteen~
Five days later, Beatrix, Steiner, Garnet, Zidane, Ellie and Blank gathered at the training platform of the castle. The area, outside and uncovered, was flooded in rich orange and red colors as the sun began to rise. It was early, and the dew had still not left the leaves of the plants framing the battle area as Beatrix and Ellie traveled towards the center of the floor, swords in hand. Everyone had been talking eagerly on the way up the stairs as reports were coming in from Treno, predicting the war to be coming within a week, yet as soon as the fighter took the floor, silence flooded the area.
Beatrix had kept to her word, and had trained with Ellie three times a day since the meeting. She had been easy on her at first, allowing her necessary time to rebuild her strength, but by the morning of the forth day, Ellie had almost become too much for her to handle. An excellent swordswoman and even better in combat without a blade, Ellie's years of training had paid off well, although Beatrix still came out the winner of every match. Barely. And now the two squared off yet again, Beatrix determined to throw everything she had at Ellie to see if she was ready.
"One," Beatrix began.
"Two," Ellie replied.
"Three."
And they fought, so swift that even Zidane's thief eyes had trouble catching everything as it happened. Beatrix was pushed back a few feet, then regained it and knocked Ellie onto her back, only to have the girl leap up and begin striking at her again.
"She's fantastic," Zidane suddenly heard being whispered to him, Dagger's breath tickling his ear. Zidane only nodded, a shadow falling across his face.
What's going to happen when she sees her father again? He wondered to himself. She'd stop at nothing to kill him . . . His thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar sound to his left. He glanced over at Blank, who was leaning up against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. Zidane could see his eyes following Ellie's every move . . . or not so much her moves, but her . . . Zidane reached out and hit Blank on the arm, pulling him out of his stare. Blank glanced at Zidane and then chuckled, shrugging at him.
"Hey, she's cute," he said, before turning back to watch the fight. Zidane glared at him, brotherly instinct kicking in somewhere in the back of his mind, and then turned back to the fight as well. Beatrix and Ellie were still going at it, both refusing to loose ground. This continued for 10 minutes, both surprising the other as well as the crowd with maneuvers they had never seen before.
"You know Dagger," Blank said loudly, catching Steiner's attention. "She'd make a better bodyguard than old rusty over here," he said, and began to laugh loudly along with Zidane and Garnet. Steiner stamped his foot angrily.
"I am the Queen's bodyguard!! No one else-"
"Oh put a can in it," replied Zidane, kicking the rear end of Steiner's armor, putting a dent in it.
"Look what you did you mongrel!" the knight began yelling furiously.
"What? It makes your ass look smaller!" Interjected Blank as they all began laughing harder. Steiner, red in the ears, stood with his fists clenched for a moment before calming down at the sight of Garnet laughing.
Maybe its for the best that he came back, he thought. At least she's happy. His thoughts were interrupted by noises from the arena. Battle cries were now emitting from Ellie and Beatrix, both sweating but showing no slowing down. All eyes traveled back to the girls as all proper fighting etiquette was thrown aside and primal instincts took over. Ellie was advancing on Beatrix, pushing her closer and closer to the edge of the fence. Beatrix, her face twisted as she blocked each blow, suddenly lunged at Ellie, only to have her blade rebounded back at her.
And as quickly as it started, it was over. Beatrix swung towards Ellie's head, a little too close for comfort, and Ellie dodged it, kneeling and balancing herself on her hands as she swept her leg under Beatrix's, knocking her flat on her back. Before Beatrix could react, she leapt back up and kicked Save the Queen away from the general's reach, and pressed her own sword flat against her opponent's neck.
Ellie stood over her, the tip of her blade hovering over Beatrix's neck. Both were breathing hard, their throats dry and unable to speak. Beatrix looked up at her, a sick feeling forming in her stomach at the sight of Ellie's face. Her hair, must like Beatrix's, clung to her forehead with sweat, but under it her eyes were dark, and devoid of emotion.
Ellie withdrew her blade and offered her hand to Beatrix, sensing the tension in the air. They shook hands briefly before turning back to the crowd, Ellie avoid Zidane's eyes.
"You think you're ready?" Blank asked when Ellie reached them. She was silent for a moment, before quietly answering.
"Yeah," she said, nodding, then glanced at Zidane's grim face. "I'm ready."