Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: Mwhahahaha! Already thinking of...somewhat of a sequel....GOD
I'M EVIL!!! Although my sequels never turn out how I plan them, my original
sequel for Malevolence's Waltz involved Vivi becoming a vampire....just kidding!
But my other idea was just as stupid. Oh well. I'm going to be introducing some
new, but hopefully familiar character's in the next few
chapters....MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Feel free to AIM or e-mail me, I love feedback and suggestions!!!
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`
Chapter 4: Betrayal
*`*`*`*`*`
It had been nearly twenty years since Steiner, Vivi and Zidane had last set foot in
Ice Cavern. Frost clung to all the plants' leaves outside the entrance, caught in the
eternal iciness, never able to decay or melt, nor were they able to grow. They
were caught in suspended animation by the hoarfrost, an immortal winter. Ipsen
examined the clear, beautiful icicles that hung from the entrance in awe.
The Ice Cavern seemed so much less inviting than before, the cold seemed to
come from the entrance in biting, howling gales. Vivi gulped and looked to
Zidane.
"D-do we have to go in?" Vivi asked.
Zidane shivered. "Hey, I have no sleeves on my shirt and I'm still going!" Zidane
chuckled nervously and went in.
"Come Master Vivi," Steiner urged and drew his sword. "We have nothing to
fear."
Vivi nodded, but still felt as though they were getting themselves in over their
head. "But Steiner, remember last time we came in here?"
"Yes," Steiner nodded. Ipsen had all ready went inside with Zidane.
"After Zidane beat Black Waltz No. 1, the wind and ice went away inside the
cave," Vivi murmured.
"Hm," Steiner said, rubbing his chin. "Well, even if we run into him, I'm sure he's
no match for us now."
"S'ppose you're right..." Vivi muttered and led the way into the cave.
*`*`*`*`*`
Zidane and Ipsen were all ready half way through the cave when they decided to
stop for a moment to wait for Vivi and Steiner. Zidane shivered and hugged
himself to keep warm, still shaking violently. "D-damn, so freakin' cold in
here...."
Ipsen offered Zidane his trench coat. "Here, I've still got my sweater." the waltz
said against the howling wind.
"Hah, thanks," Zidane said and took the coat graciously. He sighed and leaned
against the wall nonchalantly, no longer worried about keeping warm.
"Why did you leave without us?" Vivi called and hobbled up the ice slick paths,
clinging to the wall for support. Steiner wasn't having a much better time, armor
made for very clumsy movement on ice.
"Heh, sorry," Zidane apologized and stood up.
Vivi slipped and fell on his rump with a small grunt, inducing chuckles and
laughter from the rest of the party. Ipsen ambled over to his father and offered a
hand up, easily and naturally keeping his balance on the slick ice.
"Thanks," Vivi said and continued to hold the wall as they continued deeper into
the cave, the wind becoming fiercer and more biting by the moment. The black
mage looked around a listened a moment. Besides the howling wind, there was
no other noises. No scraping of claws, no animalistic grunting, no monsters.
"Hey, where'd all the monsters go?"
"I dunno, but I'm glad there's none here," Zidane said. "At least last time you
could stand."
"Hey, come on, it's alot more slippery than last time," Vivi whimpered.
"Sh!" Ipsen hissed as they skated onto a narrow path deep in the cavern. A voice
called out to them.
"Where's the girl?!" Kuja laughed from a high perch.
"Kuja!" Ipsen snarled and spread his wings. The heroes unsheathed their
weapons, both mages holding their staves high. The waltz was the first to take a
motion, flapping powerfully against the bluster to attack his former friend. "You
betrayed me you son of a bitch!!!"
Kuja laughed and easily struck him down with a Flare spell. Ipsen fell with a
grumble, but quickly got up and spread his wings. "Humph, persistent. This
won't do at all."
Kuja merely smiled and raised his hand. Ipsen fell from the air with a pained
groan, his mind going blank, memories and all pushed back, a dream-like
dialogue echoed in his head.
'It works.'
What works?
'Nothing.'
What do you mean? Who are you?
'No one. Nothing.'
It's you.
'Yes.'
Kuja...
'You can't escape.'
Escape what?
'Your fate. You are...'
No. Do your own work.
'You will....'
No.
'You can't....'
I am.
'Try.'
...I....I can't...No...I lose...
...I....
...I...
...I...
I only exist to kill....
"What did you do to him!?" Vivi demanded, his son was laying in a pathetic heap
in the snow.
"Hah! You shouldn't worry about what I did to him," Kuja chuckled. "You should
be more concerned about what he's going to do to you! Wake up!"
Ipsen twitched and opened his eyes; they were a burning, emotionless, orange.
He got out of the snow, chunks and bits of ice still clung to his sweater and
wings. The waltz gripped his staff firmly in his taloned hand, awaiting orders.
"No...Ipsen, snap out of it!" Vivi cried.
"He can no longer hear you," Kuja taunted.
"I'm not letting you get away with this again Kuja!!!!" Vivi shouted and ran
toward the man, only to be stopped by his son. Ipsen raised his arm and
smacked Vivi across the face with his staff, boring a deep cut across Vivi's face.
The black mage fell into the snow.
"Master Vivi!" Steiner said and reached out. "How could you do this to your own
father Ipsen!?"
"Kuja's controlling him Rusty!" Zidane shouted as Ipsen raised his staff and
pelted Steiner and Zidane with a flurry of magic attacks. Zidane easily
outmaneuvered the attacks, always having had a sharp eye and quick wit, but
Steiner was too slow, constantly being hit with the strongest blows. The knight
toppled over into the ice, leaving Zidane to fight the waltz alone. He cursed.
"Goddamn it!"
Kuja was watching from a high perch, a smirk across his face. He laughed and
raised his hand in a melodramatic pose. Ipsen began conjuring a Flare spell
to dispose of Zidane. Zidane narrowed his eyes at Ipsen, beginning to feel tired
in the cold air. He panted, when a familiar sound reached his ear. The whimsical
jingle of a bell seemed to penetrate the howling wind and settled it, echoing
throughout the cavern with a peculiar and long sound.
The ice on the pond cracked and shattered, Sea Lion sprung forth from the pool,
fur glistening and tusks bared. It bellowed as Kuja let a Flare spell leave his palms,
aimed at the massive creature, but it missed and hit the frozen waterfall,
causing it to shatter and expose a shallow cavern behind it. A crystal, beautifully clear
and glimmering sat on a sculpted ice pedestal, a serpentine figure had been
expertly etched into the side. Sea Lion whirled around and snapped its teeth at
Kuja. The man laughed and extended his hand, the crystal floated through the air
and landed in his grasp.
"Hah! This little scavenger hunt is turning out to be easier than I had expected!" Kuja
cackled and closed his bony fingers around it.
Ipsen was glaring at Zidane, a spell still conjuring in his claws. Suddenly, a voice,
snappish and sharp echoed throughout the chilled air. "No Kuja! You're not getting
away with that! Sea Lion, take care of Odin!"
The beast reared up and smacked Ipsen, whose attention was completely focused
on Zidane, down with a swift motion of her wing-like flipper. The waltz hit the
ground with a sickening thud as Kuja merely watched in disgust. "Good help is
so hard to find," he muttered and began to make his leave, but was stopped in
his tracks when a block of clear ice materialized over the exit.
"I told you, you're not getting out with that crystal," the voice snarled as its
source stepped out from the shadows in a high corner. Black Waltz No. 1 spread
his wings, yellow eyes narrowed at the intruders.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: What the hell!? What are you doing there!?
1: Hey! Its your freaking story, you tell me!
Neo: Erm....you're....going to hug me!
1: o_O Eh, no.
Neo: Oh, well. That's what I made Ipsen for!
Ipsen: I don't wanna be evil anymore!!! This sucks! First I'm good, then I'm evil,
then I'm good, then evil! MAKE YOUR MIND WOMAN!
Neo: I'm not a woman! I'm a skinny little teenage girl that dresses like a guy!
Ipsen: Sadly enough....that's true.
Neo: Hey now! That's not nice!
Ipsen: Neither is making me kill people!
Neo: *with ghetto accent* Oh no you di'nt!
1: Oh, yes he did!
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: Mwhahahaha! Already thinking of...somewhat of a sequel....GOD
I'M EVIL!!! Although my sequels never turn out how I plan them, my original
sequel for Malevolence's Waltz involved Vivi becoming a vampire....just kidding!
But my other idea was just as stupid. Oh well. I'm going to be introducing some
new, but hopefully familiar character's in the next few
chapters....MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Feel free to AIM or e-mail me, I love feedback and suggestions!!!
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`
Chapter 4: Betrayal
*`*`*`*`*`
It had been nearly twenty years since Steiner, Vivi and Zidane had last set foot in
Ice Cavern. Frost clung to all the plants' leaves outside the entrance, caught in the
eternal iciness, never able to decay or melt, nor were they able to grow. They
were caught in suspended animation by the hoarfrost, an immortal winter. Ipsen
examined the clear, beautiful icicles that hung from the entrance in awe.
The Ice Cavern seemed so much less inviting than before, the cold seemed to
come from the entrance in biting, howling gales. Vivi gulped and looked to
Zidane.
"D-do we have to go in?" Vivi asked.
Zidane shivered. "Hey, I have no sleeves on my shirt and I'm still going!" Zidane
chuckled nervously and went in.
"Come Master Vivi," Steiner urged and drew his sword. "We have nothing to
fear."
Vivi nodded, but still felt as though they were getting themselves in over their
head. "But Steiner, remember last time we came in here?"
"Yes," Steiner nodded. Ipsen had all ready went inside with Zidane.
"After Zidane beat Black Waltz No. 1, the wind and ice went away inside the
cave," Vivi murmured.
"Hm," Steiner said, rubbing his chin. "Well, even if we run into him, I'm sure he's
no match for us now."
"S'ppose you're right..." Vivi muttered and led the way into the cave.
*`*`*`*`*`
Zidane and Ipsen were all ready half way through the cave when they decided to
stop for a moment to wait for Vivi and Steiner. Zidane shivered and hugged
himself to keep warm, still shaking violently. "D-damn, so freakin' cold in
here...."
Ipsen offered Zidane his trench coat. "Here, I've still got my sweater." the waltz
said against the howling wind.
"Hah, thanks," Zidane said and took the coat graciously. He sighed and leaned
against the wall nonchalantly, no longer worried about keeping warm.
"Why did you leave without us?" Vivi called and hobbled up the ice slick paths,
clinging to the wall for support. Steiner wasn't having a much better time, armor
made for very clumsy movement on ice.
"Heh, sorry," Zidane apologized and stood up.
Vivi slipped and fell on his rump with a small grunt, inducing chuckles and
laughter from the rest of the party. Ipsen ambled over to his father and offered a
hand up, easily and naturally keeping his balance on the slick ice.
"Thanks," Vivi said and continued to hold the wall as they continued deeper into
the cave, the wind becoming fiercer and more biting by the moment. The black
mage looked around a listened a moment. Besides the howling wind, there was
no other noises. No scraping of claws, no animalistic grunting, no monsters.
"Hey, where'd all the monsters go?"
"I dunno, but I'm glad there's none here," Zidane said. "At least last time you
could stand."
"Hey, come on, it's alot more slippery than last time," Vivi whimpered.
"Sh!" Ipsen hissed as they skated onto a narrow path deep in the cavern. A voice
called out to them.
"Where's the girl?!" Kuja laughed from a high perch.
"Kuja!" Ipsen snarled and spread his wings. The heroes unsheathed their
weapons, both mages holding their staves high. The waltz was the first to take a
motion, flapping powerfully against the bluster to attack his former friend. "You
betrayed me you son of a bitch!!!"
Kuja laughed and easily struck him down with a Flare spell. Ipsen fell with a
grumble, but quickly got up and spread his wings. "Humph, persistent. This
won't do at all."
Kuja merely smiled and raised his hand. Ipsen fell from the air with a pained
groan, his mind going blank, memories and all pushed back, a dream-like
dialogue echoed in his head.
'It works.'
What works?
'Nothing.'
What do you mean? Who are you?
'No one. Nothing.'
It's you.
'Yes.'
Kuja...
'You can't escape.'
Escape what?
'Your fate. You are...'
No. Do your own work.
'You will....'
No.
'You can't....'
I am.
'Try.'
...I....I can't...No...I lose...
...I....
...I...
...I...
I only exist to kill....
"What did you do to him!?" Vivi demanded, his son was laying in a pathetic heap
in the snow.
"Hah! You shouldn't worry about what I did to him," Kuja chuckled. "You should
be more concerned about what he's going to do to you! Wake up!"
Ipsen twitched and opened his eyes; they were a burning, emotionless, orange.
He got out of the snow, chunks and bits of ice still clung to his sweater and
wings. The waltz gripped his staff firmly in his taloned hand, awaiting orders.
"No...Ipsen, snap out of it!" Vivi cried.
"He can no longer hear you," Kuja taunted.
"I'm not letting you get away with this again Kuja!!!!" Vivi shouted and ran
toward the man, only to be stopped by his son. Ipsen raised his arm and
smacked Vivi across the face with his staff, boring a deep cut across Vivi's face.
The black mage fell into the snow.
"Master Vivi!" Steiner said and reached out. "How could you do this to your own
father Ipsen!?"
"Kuja's controlling him Rusty!" Zidane shouted as Ipsen raised his staff and
pelted Steiner and Zidane with a flurry of magic attacks. Zidane easily
outmaneuvered the attacks, always having had a sharp eye and quick wit, but
Steiner was too slow, constantly being hit with the strongest blows. The knight
toppled over into the ice, leaving Zidane to fight the waltz alone. He cursed.
"Goddamn it!"
Kuja was watching from a high perch, a smirk across his face. He laughed and
raised his hand in a melodramatic pose. Ipsen began conjuring a Flare spell
to dispose of Zidane. Zidane narrowed his eyes at Ipsen, beginning to feel tired
in the cold air. He panted, when a familiar sound reached his ear. The whimsical
jingle of a bell seemed to penetrate the howling wind and settled it, echoing
throughout the cavern with a peculiar and long sound.
The ice on the pond cracked and shattered, Sea Lion sprung forth from the pool,
fur glistening and tusks bared. It bellowed as Kuja let a Flare spell leave his palms,
aimed at the massive creature, but it missed and hit the frozen waterfall,
causing it to shatter and expose a shallow cavern behind it. A crystal, beautifully clear
and glimmering sat on a sculpted ice pedestal, a serpentine figure had been
expertly etched into the side. Sea Lion whirled around and snapped its teeth at
Kuja. The man laughed and extended his hand, the crystal floated through the air
and landed in his grasp.
"Hah! This little scavenger hunt is turning out to be easier than I had expected!" Kuja
cackled and closed his bony fingers around it.
Ipsen was glaring at Zidane, a spell still conjuring in his claws. Suddenly, a voice,
snappish and sharp echoed throughout the chilled air. "No Kuja! You're not getting
away with that! Sea Lion, take care of Odin!"
The beast reared up and smacked Ipsen, whose attention was completely focused
on Zidane, down with a swift motion of her wing-like flipper. The waltz hit the
ground with a sickening thud as Kuja merely watched in disgust. "Good help is
so hard to find," he muttered and began to make his leave, but was stopped in
his tracks when a block of clear ice materialized over the exit.
"I told you, you're not getting out with that crystal," the voice snarled as its
source stepped out from the shadows in a high corner. Black Waltz No. 1 spread
his wings, yellow eyes narrowed at the intruders.
*`*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: What the hell!? What are you doing there!?
1: Hey! Its your freaking story, you tell me!
Neo: Erm....you're....going to hug me!
1: o_O Eh, no.
Neo: Oh, well. That's what I made Ipsen for!
Ipsen: I don't wanna be evil anymore!!! This sucks! First I'm good, then I'm evil,
then I'm good, then evil! MAKE YOUR MIND WOMAN!
Neo: I'm not a woman! I'm a skinny little teenage girl that dresses like a guy!
Ipsen: Sadly enough....that's true.
Neo: Hey now! That's not nice!
Ipsen: Neither is making me kill people!
Neo: *with ghetto accent* Oh no you di'nt!
1: Oh, yes he did!
~NeoNaoNeo