Chapter 2
Visitors from Afar
They strolled in one by one all in a perfect line.
Dragoon, knight and Qu.
As they filed in there was a loud bang at the door.
Startled, Beatrix flew down the stairs followed closely by Steiner clutching his Excalibur tight.
Running down the stairwell, armed ready for battle Steiner stopped dead in his tracks "Beatrix" he shouted out.
She stopped; the way he called her name still sent shudders down her spine. The man she loved... shaking the thoughts from her head Beatrix wiped the tear of happiness from her eye. After a short pause she replied in a faint voice "...Yes..."
"What's wrong?"
"Oh. Nothing" she commented remembering her thoughts with a little smirk.
"I..."
"What is it Steiner?" She looked at him puzzled.
"..." He thought, "Should take the lead."
"Very well" Beatrix moved aside so he could proceed.
She always was a sucker for a leader. But alas Steiner was no leader just an odd man. She sighed and carried on down the stairwell.
As they approached the door they wondered what they would find. No one considered war the land was at peace.
As they stood by the door gazing into each other's eyes they longed to know what was on the others mind. Steiner took a step forward, Beatrix too. Getting closer and closer to each other she longed for love he longed for a companionship.
As Steiner lent towards Beatrix she prepared for what was to follow...
BANG! BANG!
Forgetting their duties they both jumped to attention. Quickly resuming their positions by the door and 1 2 3...
The door flung open to reveal a small scrawny little woman.
"...Lani...?" Beatrix called.
"What took you guys so long I'm freezing to death out here!" she shouted as she strode into the castle.
"Hey." Steiner realised, "You're the one that wanted to kill Queen Garnet!"
"No sweat." She glanced at Steiner, "I've changed" turning to Beatrix. "Now where's Red?" she quizzed as she searched around for him.
"Amarant" she paused "Is busy with the others" Beatrix finished.
"And they are?" Lani replied sarcastically.
"In the drawing room" Steiner interrupted.
Beatrix turned "Yes. They are in the drawing room." giving Steiner a piercing look.
Lani not having the faintest idea where the drawing room was ran bounding up the stairs.
Beatrix and Steiner dashed after her. "Lani!" Beatrix shouted, "Where are you going!"
Lani picked up the pace. She turned to check how close Steiner and Beatrix were when SMACK! She ran straight into a pillar at the top of the winding staircase. Within seconds she was flat out on the floor. As Beatrix and Steiner closed in Beatrix let out a little chuckle. "That stopped her" she followed it up with.
Steiner the caring man that he was peeled Lani up off the floor and slung her over his shoulder. "What?!" he looked at Beatrix's expression.
She turned sharply on the spot and marched off down the hall.
"Women!" Steiner said out louder than he expected. Lani lifted her head and started to pound Steiner on the back "PUT ME DOWN!!" she screamed "PUT ME DOWN!!"
Steiner unable to control her as she squirmed in his arms dropped her to the ground with a thud.
"What the hell was that for?" she screamed at him.
"If you're kicking and screaming it is quite difficult to hold on to a little obnoxious youngster," he started.
"What did you just call me?" She paused waiting for an answer, "I said what did you just call me!"
Steiner stared up the hall way lost in thought not hearing Lani screaming at him.
"HAY! TIN BRAIN!" She was turning red with infuriation.
Steiner turned and followed Beatrix's path down the hall. Lani got to her feet her little legs sprinting along as chased after him. "Wait!" she puffed, "wait for me" "...Please."
She stopped to catch her breath. By this time Steiner was at the other end of the hall, too far away for her to catch up.
As Steiner approached the drawing room he could hear them all talking away without him. Was he not part of their adventures not so long passed? He sighed.
"I am part of this team" he said to himself he took a deep breath and strode into the drawing room.
"Steiner!" everyone was happy to see him back. For the first time in a long while Steiner managed to pull a faint smile to his friends. "Hey everyone what have you been up to?" he chirped.
"Steiner it's been awhile" Freya spoke out from the corner.
"Hello everyone" he spoke out. "Where's Master Vivi?" Steiner Questioned looking around the room. "I so would like to hear everything that he has been up to."
Eiko could not hold back any longer a tear fell from her puffy eyes.
Steiner turned to face Dagger "Your majesty" he stammered looking at her. She closed her eyes and turned away. "I'm very sorry Steiner" she tried to fight back the tears. "Why what has happened?" he cried, "why wont you tell me what is going on?"
There was an awkward silence among the group, facial expressions being exchanged.
"HEY!" Lani burst in, "you left me behind! I had to ask the room service people the way here!" Lani looked around "why so glum people?"
"Red!" She perked up grabbing hold of his arms "You left me behind!"
"There's no fooling you is there?" He exclaimed.
Steiner looked around the room trying to make eye contact but no one would look at him. He looked like a lost puppy.
At last he turned to the one who surely would answer. "Zidane..." he cried, "Where is Vivi?"
Zidane could not stand to see him in pain any longer. "Come with me Adelbert," he said softly. Zidane lead Steiner down the hall to the lounge room. "Would you like a brandy Albert?"
Steiner shook his head. "Just tell me the truth please."
"It is not as bad as it seems" he protested. Steiner's lip started to tremble.
"Please Zidane." he fell into a chair.
"OK then" he gulped, "there was an accident." Steiner's face felt like it was on fire. He couldn't make sense of this. Where was Vivi?
Visitors from Afar
They strolled in one by one all in a perfect line.
Dragoon, knight and Qu.
As they filed in there was a loud bang at the door.
Startled, Beatrix flew down the stairs followed closely by Steiner clutching his Excalibur tight.
Running down the stairwell, armed ready for battle Steiner stopped dead in his tracks "Beatrix" he shouted out.
She stopped; the way he called her name still sent shudders down her spine. The man she loved... shaking the thoughts from her head Beatrix wiped the tear of happiness from her eye. After a short pause she replied in a faint voice "...Yes..."
"What's wrong?"
"Oh. Nothing" she commented remembering her thoughts with a little smirk.
"I..."
"What is it Steiner?" She looked at him puzzled.
"..." He thought, "Should take the lead."
"Very well" Beatrix moved aside so he could proceed.
She always was a sucker for a leader. But alas Steiner was no leader just an odd man. She sighed and carried on down the stairwell.
As they approached the door they wondered what they would find. No one considered war the land was at peace.
As they stood by the door gazing into each other's eyes they longed to know what was on the others mind. Steiner took a step forward, Beatrix too. Getting closer and closer to each other she longed for love he longed for a companionship.
As Steiner lent towards Beatrix she prepared for what was to follow...
BANG! BANG!
Forgetting their duties they both jumped to attention. Quickly resuming their positions by the door and 1 2 3...
The door flung open to reveal a small scrawny little woman.
"...Lani...?" Beatrix called.
"What took you guys so long I'm freezing to death out here!" she shouted as she strode into the castle.
"Hey." Steiner realised, "You're the one that wanted to kill Queen Garnet!"
"No sweat." She glanced at Steiner, "I've changed" turning to Beatrix. "Now where's Red?" she quizzed as she searched around for him.
"Amarant" she paused "Is busy with the others" Beatrix finished.
"And they are?" Lani replied sarcastically.
"In the drawing room" Steiner interrupted.
Beatrix turned "Yes. They are in the drawing room." giving Steiner a piercing look.
Lani not having the faintest idea where the drawing room was ran bounding up the stairs.
Beatrix and Steiner dashed after her. "Lani!" Beatrix shouted, "Where are you going!"
Lani picked up the pace. She turned to check how close Steiner and Beatrix were when SMACK! She ran straight into a pillar at the top of the winding staircase. Within seconds she was flat out on the floor. As Beatrix and Steiner closed in Beatrix let out a little chuckle. "That stopped her" she followed it up with.
Steiner the caring man that he was peeled Lani up off the floor and slung her over his shoulder. "What?!" he looked at Beatrix's expression.
She turned sharply on the spot and marched off down the hall.
"Women!" Steiner said out louder than he expected. Lani lifted her head and started to pound Steiner on the back "PUT ME DOWN!!" she screamed "PUT ME DOWN!!"
Steiner unable to control her as she squirmed in his arms dropped her to the ground with a thud.
"What the hell was that for?" she screamed at him.
"If you're kicking and screaming it is quite difficult to hold on to a little obnoxious youngster," he started.
"What did you just call me?" She paused waiting for an answer, "I said what did you just call me!"
Steiner stared up the hall way lost in thought not hearing Lani screaming at him.
"HAY! TIN BRAIN!" She was turning red with infuriation.
Steiner turned and followed Beatrix's path down the hall. Lani got to her feet her little legs sprinting along as chased after him. "Wait!" she puffed, "wait for me" "...Please."
She stopped to catch her breath. By this time Steiner was at the other end of the hall, too far away for her to catch up.
As Steiner approached the drawing room he could hear them all talking away without him. Was he not part of their adventures not so long passed? He sighed.
"I am part of this team" he said to himself he took a deep breath and strode into the drawing room.
"Steiner!" everyone was happy to see him back. For the first time in a long while Steiner managed to pull a faint smile to his friends. "Hey everyone what have you been up to?" he chirped.
"Steiner it's been awhile" Freya spoke out from the corner.
"Hello everyone" he spoke out. "Where's Master Vivi?" Steiner Questioned looking around the room. "I so would like to hear everything that he has been up to."
Eiko could not hold back any longer a tear fell from her puffy eyes.
Steiner turned to face Dagger "Your majesty" he stammered looking at her. She closed her eyes and turned away. "I'm very sorry Steiner" she tried to fight back the tears. "Why what has happened?" he cried, "why wont you tell me what is going on?"
There was an awkward silence among the group, facial expressions being exchanged.
"HEY!" Lani burst in, "you left me behind! I had to ask the room service people the way here!" Lani looked around "why so glum people?"
"Red!" She perked up grabbing hold of his arms "You left me behind!"
"There's no fooling you is there?" He exclaimed.
Steiner looked around the room trying to make eye contact but no one would look at him. He looked like a lost puppy.
At last he turned to the one who surely would answer. "Zidane..." he cried, "Where is Vivi?"
Zidane could not stand to see him in pain any longer. "Come with me Adelbert," he said softly. Zidane lead Steiner down the hall to the lounge room. "Would you like a brandy Albert?"
Steiner shook his head. "Just tell me the truth please."
"It is not as bad as it seems" he protested. Steiner's lip started to tremble.
"Please Zidane." he fell into a chair.
"OK then" he gulped, "there was an accident." Steiner's face felt like it was on fire. He couldn't make sense of this. Where was Vivi?