"Catalina, I know you're not exactly pleased,"

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

"But I think you should please stop."

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

"Please? It's eight o'clock in the morning. You've been doing this for eight hours straight."

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

The other male knight walks in and whispers something to Fratly, who nods and leaves. He turns to me.

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

"Fratly's taking a break, so it's now my turn." He proclaims idiotically.

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

"My name's Malakanya."

BOOM-CRASH!!!!!

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On the Invincible, Zidane slams his fists into the floor and swears. He and the others had been picked up, and followed the signal to find Clara hanging on for dear life to a rapidly breaking tree-branch. After several failed attempts they'd managed to haul her up, only to discover Eiko's theory was correct: She was wearing a costume. She'd taken a few minutes to drop it onto a tree-branch after escaping; it gave her an extra hour to run.

"Well, let's see what Fratly wants. Maybe it's good news." Suggests Garnet, towing her husband into the cockpit. She wasn't feeling much better, as she'd been enjoying the child's company.

Sighing, Zidane presses a few buttons in the pilot's space, and Fratly's head looms in place of outside. "Morning, King Zidane," Says Fratly, sounding tired.

"Cut to the chase, Fratly. What's going on down there?" Asks Zidane, ignoring the dirty look Freya gives him for saying that. Eiko rolls her eyes.

Fratly actually rings his hands. "Before I say, you'd better sit down."

"Why?" Asks Garnet, curious.

"I'll explain when you sit." They do so. "Two nights ago, at about eight o'clock in the evening, we got a report from a moogle. Apparently he had found you Clara's. . .partner."

"Good news, except we no longer have Clara," Snaps Eiko, obviously angry. Fratly sighs and opens his mouth to speak, but a series of loud BOOMS! Cover whatever he's trying to say.

"Ok, what was that?" Asks Freya, rounding on her husband.

"The prisoner. She's been kicking her bed into the wall since midnight." He tries to say something else, but a series of crashes cover his words.

"If she's half as stubborn as Clara, you'll have to deal with that noise for days. No wonder you look so tired." Notices Vivi frankly.

"Look, could you please take her, for more reasons than this?" Asks Fratly, just as a series of booms start up again.

"What's another reason?" Asks Zidane when the sound dies slightly. Fratly sighs and runs his hand down his face.

"We got her costume off after a tip from the moogle. Apparently he befriended her around Chocobo's forest, and she told him some stuff. We've got everything he knows written down."

"Excellent."

"Under the costume. . ." Fratly hesitates, then blurts it out, "She has a horn." Fratly surveys the scene conveyed to him from the invincible. Garnet's fainted, but everyone else is staring at him in disbelief.

"WHAT!?" Asks Zidane, clearly in shock, as if he hadn't heard properly. Surprisingly no one's noticed Garnet's fainted.

"And a tail." Fratly adds, as if that will make Garnet wake. "And boy, was it a challenge getting the costume off. She broke my arm in her sleep." At this point everyone is staring, and I mean STARING. Wide-eyed, open-mouthed staring. "Do you know Queen Garnet's fainted?"

Steiner looks from the Queen to Fratly again as if there was no reason whatsoever to be worried. "We've been searching for young Teresa and Tanisha for years. Are you to saying. . .?"

"Yes, I'm saying I have one. And she's very annoyed." Fratly squeezes the last word out before a series of booms. "She's refused to say a single word since coming into our custody, but the moogle says her name's Catalina." No one says a word for a few minutes, then

"You mean, since the partners are sisters, the older's been under our nose the whole time?" Asks Eiko out of shock.

"Or younger. Catalina here told the moogle she was going to rescue her little sister."

"We'll be there as soon as we can." Confirms Freya, and shuts down the screen. Turning, she discovers that Zidane hasn't moved yet. Frowning, she slaps him. With a yelp he grabs his cheek, obviously recovered. Getting up, he FINALLY notices Garnet fainted.

"Dagger!" He cries, rushing to pick her up. Steiner takes her from his arms.

"Steer the ship so we can get there faster. I'll wake her." He confirms, and walks away to get some water.

Zidane runs to the steering spot as fast as he can and, using his thoughts to control it as usual, mind-shouts 'STEP ON IT!! NOW!!!!!!!!'

The ship jerks into movement so fast everyone who managed to get up topples over. 'Faster,' he tells it grimly. 'Much faster.'

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I should've waited for the bleeding to stop. I groan from the exertion, about twelve miles out to sea. My cut had attracted monsters of all types, drawn by the taste of fresh blood, and it's getting more and more difficult avoiding their waiting jaws. I cut a hard left, narrowly avoiding a monster whose name I don't know, and swim diagonally for a few minutes before getting back on my route headed straight for the Forgotten Continent.

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I look up as the cell door creaks open. I'm greeted by Fatly, Smak-a-kanya, and the female who's name I don't know. They close the door behind them.

Fatly smiles at me, and I feel my skin begin to crawl. He's carrying a chain. Risking glances at the others, I realize they all are. They come towards me slowly, and I back up. They continue to walk towards me slowly, and I continue to back up. Finally I sense the wall behind me, and can go no further.

"Catalina." Fratly greets me, and I nearly begin to shake. I grasp my fear with a strong hand, before it makes me weak. "You're being transferred to Alexandria." He tells me, and frees the chain from its coil. I make sure all my limbs are free, ready for the kill, ready to flee. "Since we cannot trust you won't run away without them, you will be put in chains during the journey there." Over my dead body you will. "You can cooperate, or," And here he raises one hand threateningly, "We can tie you up by force." He advances toward me, chain raised. Instantly I kick him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him in a practiced move.

As if on signal the other two are upon me, grabbing my limbs as I struggle free, tangling me up in their chains. I kick out and punch often, but they are skilled in blocking blows, and go right on trying. Seeing I'm not going to be able to get away, movement jarring my already sore legs, I push off, managing to get out from the corner and roll a few feet away.

Strong hands grab mine, and before I can blink a chain is wrapped around them tightly. I look up, kicking for all I'm worth, into the hard eyes of Sir Fratly. I try to wriggle out of his intense grip, placed on my shoulder once my arms were uselessly stuck crossed on my chest, but can't without my hands. My legs, still kicking and very sore, are putting up all the fight I can manage at the moment.

A hand grabs one leg, it's partner soon joins it, and my right leg stills helplessly. The last knight free grabs my other legs, and force them together. Tying them together just above my ankles is Fratly, satisfied now that I can't wriggle away. They let me go then and I, using both legs in a fluid motion, deliver a powerful kick to Sir Fratly right where I've learned male's shouldn't be kicked.

While Fratly collapses on the floor, doubled over in pain, the other two have my legs again. Together, despite my almost-strong struggles out of desperation, they bend them at the knees until my heels touch the back of my legs, and chain them there, both near the knee and behind the ankles. To make sure I can't squeeze out, another length of chain is wrapped between the length of the one near my ankles and around the bottom of my feet, tied tightly. When they let go I wiggle however I can, trying to get out of the STUPID, STINKING chain, trying to be free. Even the knowledge that I'll see Clara soon is no comfort, as if we're both in separate cells we'll be unable to work together to escape.

As Malakanya picks up Fratly and mutters something to the female about the infirmary, two words run through my head.

I'm doomed.

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Eika: That was FAST!

Clara: Why'd you end it there?

Eika: Because it seemed like the right time. Got inspiration to write insanely on this, and I might have enough juice in me to write yet another chapter.

Clara: All in ONE day?

Eika: All in one day.