Chapter3
Prayers and Thoughts
"Cid promised to bring Vivi here this morning so I went to take a stroll round the kingdom before Vivi arrived" he paused briefly, "as they set off from Lindblum they developed an engine failure in the new model of airship he was working on" Steiner's head fell. "So. Their." he could not bring himself to say it. "NO NO! Steiner" Zidane interrupted. "Cid was severely hurt he is currently in Dali being well looked after"
"Vivi on the other hand was not found." What do you mean not found?" Steiner leapt to his feet. Zidane took a step back from the scene. "They think that he must have fallen over board." Looking out the window he carried on "Cid will hopefully be able to tell us more if he recovers"
"What do you mean if he recovers?" "Steiner his injuries were very extensive" he turned to look at the sorry state before him. "They do not know if he will make it through the night."
"..." Steiner could not say anything, the more he tried the worse it got. His throat felt so dry and scratchy, the thoughts dwelling in his head. He sat and thought for a minute. "We must go in search of Vivi."
"But." Steiner cut Zidane off.
"He is out there and he needs our help!" He stood up, "he would do the same for you. Zidane he is out there all alone! We cannot leave him out there for the beasts to get him" he could not believe the look on Zidane's face.
"I can't go Steiner" he mumbled.
"You are going to leave your friend out in the woods for the beasts to get! I cannot believe you Zidane Tribal. I was right all along about you!" he turned to leave "I will take the others. Garnet will surely come! May she reason with your conscience"
He jumped into Steiner's path "Wait!" Steiner tried to push past. He looked into Zidane's deep blue eyes. "There's more. Isn't there?" Zidane withdrew from Steiner's path.
He cleared his throat "Garnet and I..." he paused. This is going to be hard, just come out and say it he told him self. "Garnet and I are going to have a baby." Steiner's expression went from desperation and sorrow to a cold blank stare. He didn't know how to respond. Vivi out there all alone he cold not think about being happy for a second. "." He thought "congratulations." He managed.
"You're the first to know." He stammered. "That's why we decided to call a reunion. Catch up on news and make our announcement."
Steiner nodded. "I will not tell anyone." He took Zidane's hand in his. "This is your news I wish you all the best Zidane"
"Thank you Albert. I really appreciate it." Suddenly remembering the guests in the other room Zidane lead Steiner back to the Drawing room.
When they arrived they party were indulged in gossip and brandy. "Garnet!" Zidane shouted bounding up to his beloved "don't drink that filth" he whisked the glass right out of her hand.
"Zidane" she whispered to him looking at the confused quests "It's only dandelion and burdock"
Zidane withdrew "Sorry" he muttered.
"I'm..." She had to make an excuse.
"On a diet!" Steiner explained. Looking at Garnet he carried on "when I was last here Garnet told me how she hoped that her new diet she was trying would work out."
Zidane and Dagger looked relieved. Steiner understood that at a time of crisis good news should wait until the situation at hand was dealt with in the correct manner.
"Why in heavens name are you on a diet!" Beatrix looked cross. "Zidane how could you let her think of loosing weight!" Looking almost motherly to Dagger she pointed out "Dear you are perfect as you are. There is no need for you to even mention the word diet"
"I know it is silly really" She kept up the charade "I just wanted to try it and see if it actually worked. Anyway, everyone knows diets do not work" she looked at the unconvinced faces.
Quina's stomach started to rumble. "I think someone's hungry" Freya laughed.
"Tasted many foods but no nice as Alexandria's" Quina blushed.
"I think it's about time we ate." Dagger concluded. "Why don't you all go and freshen up after your long and tiring journey?"
The servants of the palace showed the friends to their rooms.
"Steiner" Dagger called, "could I talk to you for a second."
Steiner halted greeting everyone as they passed by. Beatrix turned her head away as she passed him pretending he was not there.
"Zidane has told me" Steiner told Queen Garnet. "He did not mean to and I have sworn to keep it a secret from the others."
Garnet turned to Zidane trying to sneak out of the room. "Zidane!" she shouted, "Don't go sneaking off come here now!"
Escape plan foiled he returned to her side head hung low.
"This is a difficult time for us all your majesty" Steiner pleaded. "Zidane was merely trying to calm one down." Looking at Zidane he continued "I accused Zidane of not caring for master Vivi and he had to tell me why he would not accompany me in a quest to find the poor sir"
"Is this true?" she turned to look at the man she loved.
"Yes," he stated, "I had to tell him. You would have sooner or later any way."
"And why would a baby affect travelling?" she questioned. "The pregnancy is only a month or so into the schedule."
"Darling" Zidane begged, "You are not going. You will stay here with Eiko. I know she is not keen on adventure that may not come with a reward."
Silence fell on the group.
Steiner bid his goodbyes and headed for his room to get cleaned up for dinner that evening.
Dinner was dreary and silent. Most pondered over the Dandelion and burdock earlier that evening.
After dinner the travellers were exasperated. Making their weary way to their rooms.
Wandering round her room Eiko looked lost and upset. She felt the tears come creeping down her face as she stared at the moon high in the sky.
"I wonder" her voice trembling, "if Vivi can see the moon tonight?" She couldn't hold it in any longer she fell to the floor weeping away; even though she had held on as long as possible she was disappointed in herself.
A shadow reflected down from the window above, Eiko too upset hardly noticed the figure emerging behind her. The shadow growing bigger. A soothing voice called out to her "don't cry."
When she turned she flung herself into daggers arms. "I miss Vivi!" she cried. "I know" dagger responded. Dagger held Eiko as she wept she began to sing softly.
"So far and away, see the bird as it flies by."
"Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky." Eiko joined.
Sitting under the moonlight they sang softy together several times over until sleep was setting in and the birds began to sing. Eiko half asleep made her way to the soft silk covered pillows. Dagger looked up to the moon and prayed that Vivi was safe and could hold on a little longer.
As she opened her eyes she felt a little reassured that Vivi was going to be all right.
She shut the balcony and drew the curtains and slipped quietly out of the room.
Eiko was fast asleep in another world.
Prayers and Thoughts
"Cid promised to bring Vivi here this morning so I went to take a stroll round the kingdom before Vivi arrived" he paused briefly, "as they set off from Lindblum they developed an engine failure in the new model of airship he was working on" Steiner's head fell. "So. Their." he could not bring himself to say it. "NO NO! Steiner" Zidane interrupted. "Cid was severely hurt he is currently in Dali being well looked after"
"Vivi on the other hand was not found." What do you mean not found?" Steiner leapt to his feet. Zidane took a step back from the scene. "They think that he must have fallen over board." Looking out the window he carried on "Cid will hopefully be able to tell us more if he recovers"
"What do you mean if he recovers?" "Steiner his injuries were very extensive" he turned to look at the sorry state before him. "They do not know if he will make it through the night."
"..." Steiner could not say anything, the more he tried the worse it got. His throat felt so dry and scratchy, the thoughts dwelling in his head. He sat and thought for a minute. "We must go in search of Vivi."
"But." Steiner cut Zidane off.
"He is out there and he needs our help!" He stood up, "he would do the same for you. Zidane he is out there all alone! We cannot leave him out there for the beasts to get him" he could not believe the look on Zidane's face.
"I can't go Steiner" he mumbled.
"You are going to leave your friend out in the woods for the beasts to get! I cannot believe you Zidane Tribal. I was right all along about you!" he turned to leave "I will take the others. Garnet will surely come! May she reason with your conscience"
He jumped into Steiner's path "Wait!" Steiner tried to push past. He looked into Zidane's deep blue eyes. "There's more. Isn't there?" Zidane withdrew from Steiner's path.
He cleared his throat "Garnet and I..." he paused. This is going to be hard, just come out and say it he told him self. "Garnet and I are going to have a baby." Steiner's expression went from desperation and sorrow to a cold blank stare. He didn't know how to respond. Vivi out there all alone he cold not think about being happy for a second. "." He thought "congratulations." He managed.
"You're the first to know." He stammered. "That's why we decided to call a reunion. Catch up on news and make our announcement."
Steiner nodded. "I will not tell anyone." He took Zidane's hand in his. "This is your news I wish you all the best Zidane"
"Thank you Albert. I really appreciate it." Suddenly remembering the guests in the other room Zidane lead Steiner back to the Drawing room.
When they arrived they party were indulged in gossip and brandy. "Garnet!" Zidane shouted bounding up to his beloved "don't drink that filth" he whisked the glass right out of her hand.
"Zidane" she whispered to him looking at the confused quests "It's only dandelion and burdock"
Zidane withdrew "Sorry" he muttered.
"I'm..." She had to make an excuse.
"On a diet!" Steiner explained. Looking at Garnet he carried on "when I was last here Garnet told me how she hoped that her new diet she was trying would work out."
Zidane and Dagger looked relieved. Steiner understood that at a time of crisis good news should wait until the situation at hand was dealt with in the correct manner.
"Why in heavens name are you on a diet!" Beatrix looked cross. "Zidane how could you let her think of loosing weight!" Looking almost motherly to Dagger she pointed out "Dear you are perfect as you are. There is no need for you to even mention the word diet"
"I know it is silly really" She kept up the charade "I just wanted to try it and see if it actually worked. Anyway, everyone knows diets do not work" she looked at the unconvinced faces.
Quina's stomach started to rumble. "I think someone's hungry" Freya laughed.
"Tasted many foods but no nice as Alexandria's" Quina blushed.
"I think it's about time we ate." Dagger concluded. "Why don't you all go and freshen up after your long and tiring journey?"
The servants of the palace showed the friends to their rooms.
"Steiner" Dagger called, "could I talk to you for a second."
Steiner halted greeting everyone as they passed by. Beatrix turned her head away as she passed him pretending he was not there.
"Zidane has told me" Steiner told Queen Garnet. "He did not mean to and I have sworn to keep it a secret from the others."
Garnet turned to Zidane trying to sneak out of the room. "Zidane!" she shouted, "Don't go sneaking off come here now!"
Escape plan foiled he returned to her side head hung low.
"This is a difficult time for us all your majesty" Steiner pleaded. "Zidane was merely trying to calm one down." Looking at Zidane he continued "I accused Zidane of not caring for master Vivi and he had to tell me why he would not accompany me in a quest to find the poor sir"
"Is this true?" she turned to look at the man she loved.
"Yes," he stated, "I had to tell him. You would have sooner or later any way."
"And why would a baby affect travelling?" she questioned. "The pregnancy is only a month or so into the schedule."
"Darling" Zidane begged, "You are not going. You will stay here with Eiko. I know she is not keen on adventure that may not come with a reward."
Silence fell on the group.
Steiner bid his goodbyes and headed for his room to get cleaned up for dinner that evening.
Dinner was dreary and silent. Most pondered over the Dandelion and burdock earlier that evening.
After dinner the travellers were exasperated. Making their weary way to their rooms.
Wandering round her room Eiko looked lost and upset. She felt the tears come creeping down her face as she stared at the moon high in the sky.
"I wonder" her voice trembling, "if Vivi can see the moon tonight?" She couldn't hold it in any longer she fell to the floor weeping away; even though she had held on as long as possible she was disappointed in herself.
A shadow reflected down from the window above, Eiko too upset hardly noticed the figure emerging behind her. The shadow growing bigger. A soothing voice called out to her "don't cry."
When she turned she flung herself into daggers arms. "I miss Vivi!" she cried. "I know" dagger responded. Dagger held Eiko as she wept she began to sing softly.
"So far and away, see the bird as it flies by."
"Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky." Eiko joined.
Sitting under the moonlight they sang softy together several times over until sleep was setting in and the birds began to sing. Eiko half asleep made her way to the soft silk covered pillows. Dagger looked up to the moon and prayed that Vivi was safe and could hold on a little longer.
As she opened her eyes she felt a little reassured that Vivi was going to be all right.
She shut the balcony and drew the curtains and slipped quietly out of the room.
Eiko was fast asleep in another world.