PART XX

Day had broken and the four hiding heroes had not been found. They had spent the time in the sewers beneath the city, which were suitably huge and impossible to explore. Cid had decided to take a look above, and was peering into the streets.

"So what now?" Bootus asked glumly. "We can't escape. The Raven is completely destroyed."

"Don't remind me." Cid grumbled from the ladder he was perched on.

"Well, remember why we're here." Zinkata replied. "We have no reason to give up yet. We have to go and confront Lich, and discover his plan."

"I think somebody else should make up our plans from now on." Voldos moaned.

"Hey!" Zinkata protested. "We don't really have a choice!"

"If we're running away from Lich, we need an escape route. We don't have one anymore." Bootus stated. "So we can't go through with your idea."

"Wait a minute!" Exclaimed Cid. "Yes we can! One of the passenger airships is coming in. Must have been left here when Lich attacked the city! He must have been using it to get his troops around. If we could steal that-"

"Then its settled." Zinkata smiled. "We attack Lich, persuade him to tell us his plan, and then leg it back to the airship, stealing it and escaping. Piece of cake." The others looked sceptical.

Vivli had awoken locked in a room on the airship. It was much smoother than riding on the Raven so at least she hadn't been sick, but her situation was just as bad. She'd spent a large amount of her time crying. She didn't know what had happened to her friends in San D'Oria or her family in Kazham. Everybody she knew might be dead. Everybody but Olose, who had now become evil and almost killed her, twice. She had felt so strongly about him, and she had lost him once, only to discover he suffered a fate worse than death.

The door to the cabin swung open, and Olose strode in confidently. He was still dressed in the black armour, but without the helmet. He sat on a crate in the corner of the room. Vivli cowered across the room.

"Sleep well?" Olose asked.

"Go away." Vivli managed to say through her tears.

"I thought I could tell you some things." Olose said to her.

"What could I possibly want to know?" She sobbed.

"What we're going to do to you." She looked up in fear as Olose said this. "Don't worry, we won't kill you. You're special. You are our gift to the great Lord Chaos. When he returns, we will present you to him, and he may do as he pleases with you." Vivli shuddered. "He has an urge for vengeance a million years in the making, and you will be the first thing he gets to take it out on." Vivli looked to the door, and to Olose. He was sat at the back of the cell, on a crate. She bolted for the door, making it out and slamming it behind her. Olose burst through in pursuit.

Vivli ran into the main hold, that seemed to now be transporting multiple crates. She dove behind one, and cowered, pulling her knees up to her chest to make herself as small as possible. She heard Olose's footsteps and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

"What's this?" He asked with a mock laugh. "You're trying to hide?" He paused, and sniffed the air. "As a werewolf, my senses are enhanced beyond anything you can imagine. You have a very unique scent on a ship full of monsters." He paused again as he caught it. "Oh. A very pleasant one." Vivli cringed and felt her entire skin crawl at the slime dripping from Olose's voice. She heard his foot steps getting louder and frantically looked around her. She saw a plank of wood resting against one of the crates. She grabbed it, swinging it just as Olose came into view. She struck Olose in the face with it and ran, throwing the plan to the floor. Olose didn't stop for a second, shaking the strike off as if it was nothing. He lunged, grabbing her by the tail. She yelped in pain. He pulled her and held her tightly. She squirmed, but couldn't move. "Come with me." He said it as if she had a choice. She was helplessly dragged onto the deck. He grabbed her by the neck and held her out of the side, dangling high above the city below. "I could drop you now. Claim you escaped and jumped when forced to. Nobody would disbelieve me." Tears streamed down Vivli's face as she struggled in fear. "Give me one reason not to." Vivli was too afraid to speak. "One reason, girl. Tell me now, or you die."

"Because I love you!" She wept. Olose's eyes widened. He pulled her back and threw her across the deck. She crashed down painfully.

"Love me?" He laughed. "You're sick and twisted. How can you love me? Look at what I am." He walked closer to her, and picked her up again. She screamed in a combination of pain from being thrown across the deck and fear. He held her out again, over the side. "Don't lie to me. If you once had a pathetic crush like you claim, then the man who had that crush on is dead." He paused. "Give me one good reason not to kill you." He paused. "Speak!" He bellowed. Vivli was sobbing in fear. The airship was descending into the city.

"B-b-b-b-b-b-" She tried to speak, but was too afraid.

"It would be an awful waste to let you fall, but I'm willing to do it." Olose said evilly.

"Because I'm afraid!" She sobbed.

"Why is that a reason?" Olose asked. "Why do I care?" Vivli's mind started racing. She could see Olose was deadly serious. The next few moments would decide whether she lived or died.

"Because you're afraid." She managed to say. Olose pulled her back.

"What?" He snarled.

"You're afraid of me." She said. "I'm a Light Warrior. You're afraid I can stop you. That's why you want to throw me over the edge. Because you're afraid I'll escape and defeat you and your masters." Vivli was an avid reader, and had read enough stories (and had enough experience) to know challenging an evil creature was something they could not ignore.

"Afraid of you?" Olose laughed. "You're a pathetic little girl. You can't even use a sword. You sit back and heal your friends. You rely on them to fight for you. What could you do to me?"

"What could I do to Chaos?" She asked. "I defeated him, didn't I?"

"You used your friends!" Snapped Olose. "Friends that will soon be dead!" He thrust her out over the edge again. "If you can defeat me, why don't you do it now? Why? Because you can't! You're powerless!" Vivli's heart beat picked up again, racing. Her plan had failed. He paused, and pulled her back in. "I will let Chaos kill you." He dragged her away. "Your fear has amused be sufficiently." Vivli let the tears stream down her face as she sobbed in disbelief. He had just been toying with her for fun. He hurled her into her cell, and left her curled up, sobbing.

Voldos, Zinkata and Bootus crept into the Chateau. They had left Cid to plan the theft of the airship while they went to discover Lich's plan. They had seen the big airship land just before entering, and so were expecting a lot of movement as the troops transferred from the ship to the Chateau and vice versa. Luckily there was very little of this. They reached the throne room, and listened outside intently.

"Kary, you have failed!" Boomed the voice of Lich.

"The victory in Kazham is temporary." Kary reassured Lich bitterly.

"They won in Kazham?" Whispered Zinkata to Voldos. "I can't believe they attacked so quickly!"

"At least the others are safe." Voldos said in response.

Vivli was thrown into a cell in the dark dungeons beneath San D'Oria.

"Who are you?" Vivli sobbed as she got up. "You're not Olose. Olose was kind and caring. He'd never hurt a friend. He'd never hurt me."

"Why can't you get this through your pretty little head?" Olose snarled, marching towards Vivli. She shrunk away. "I am Olose Sampson. I'm not another personality. I haven't replaced him. I am him. Simply, I discovered power. I am the same person, whether you like it or not." He turned to leave. Vivli stood again.

"Don't you think I know?" She cried after him. "I've done my research! I'm a white mage, it's my job to read about curses and illnesses. I know about the werewolf curse. I know that your blood runs stronger if you feel negative emotions. But that power you have, you can only have it if you block out every bit of good from your body! You aren't Olose! You're his dark side! But you can't crush the good side entirely. It's too strong!" Olose stopped, turning around. It almost looked as if tears were forming in his eyes.

"It would be wise to not concern yourself with me." He said. "If you get the opportunity, strike me down. Don't try and turn me back. My power now is too great to be broken." He turned and left, locking the cage door behind him. Vivli ran to the bars, watching him leave. Was it the old Olose who had just spoke to her? She slumped back down in defeat.

The three Light Warrior's heard somebody else enter the room.

"Ah, Nameless, I hope you have news for me that is slightly more positive." Lich announced through what sounded like gritted teeth.

"I have a gift." Olose smiled. "She's in the dungeon right now. I made sure her spirit was sufficiently broken."

"Good. Chaos will be pleased." Lich remarked. "More so than with our other failure."

"Ha!" Kraken boomed. "Kary may have failed, but my armies are prepared. We can march on Bastok as soon as you feel ready."

"We shall wait, Kraken, my friend." Lich said with a hand held up. "Tiamat has nearly reconstructed the wind crystal. When he is ready, he will rip the land from here and lift it into the air. From there we will mount our attack."

"This girl," Snarled Kary, "She is the Princess of Kazham no?"

"That is correct, ma'am." Olose answered.

"Good. I have a serious issue to settle with her sister. I shall see to it that she suffers greatly." The party could hear that Kary was slithering out of the room.

"Wait!" Lich roared. "Do not kill her."

"Oh, I won't kill her." Kary remarked.

"Did you hear that?" Voldos quickly whispered.

"Nah, I wasn't paying attention." Bootus said sarcastically.

"They've kidnapped Vivli." Voldos growled.

"Bloody typical." Sighed Zinkata. "No originality some people."

"Come on." Bootus muttered. "Guess we had better go and save her again."

Vivli pulled her knees up to her chest as Kary approached her. She shook. Kary was holding five swords in her five remaining arms.

"Did you enjoy your trip?" The fiend asked.

"What do you want?" Vivli mumbled, shaking in fear. Will this never end? her brain asked, almost overloaded from so much fear.

"Did you know I once had six arms?" Kary asked. Vivli nodded sheepishly. "Your sister cut one off."

"Go Dedji." Vivli uttered under her breath.

"She isn't here for me to take out my vengeance on. You are." Kary unleashed flames, burning into Vivli's body. She screamed in pain. "Settle down, I won't kill you, but I will bring you as close as I can."

"HELP!" Vivli yelled in agony.

"Set her down!" Zinkata ordered. Kary spun around.

"Ah, the Light Warriors." She said as Vivli fell over with a thump. The beaten mithra quickly started casting a healing spell on herself. "Is this some ill conceived rescue plan?"

"Actually we wanted to know what you were up to." Voldos said with a smile. "But we found out, so it kinda turned into one."

"Bah! You're predecessors may have defeated me a million years ago, but this time, I shall be the victor!" Vivli ran to join the four, hugging Zinkata tightly as she wept. Kary advanced on the four heroes.

"Not today, Kary." Bootus smirked as he slammed shut the prison door. The keys had been left in from when Kary entered, so he locked it and the four ran. Kary blew apart the metal bars and shot after them.

"You will not escape me!" She boomed.

"Shall we kick her ass?" Bootus asked.

"Let's." Zinkata said, and the four stopped, turning. Vivli panted in tears.

"I want to go!" She wept, still severely shaken up.

"No. We're standing and we're fighting. It's about time we reminded the fiends how powerful we really are!" Zinkata snapped. It was the first time Vivli had noticed him so cold heartedly disregarding her emotions, but she knew he was right.

"Very well, let's see what you're made of!" Kary spat.

Voldos opened the battle blasting arrows at her. She cut them out of the air with her multiple swords. Zinkata ran in, and attacked. She blocked him with her five arms, but failed to disarm him as she had done all the others.

"Impressive." She admitted. Bootus thundered in, taking a hit and grabbing one of Kary's arms. He snapped it backwards, breaking her wrist. She dropped another sword. "Most impressive." She spat in pain. "But it is no match for this!" She blasted Bootus back with a powerful fireball. Vivli quickly got about healing the fallen galka. Voldos charged in and two fought Kary. It wasn't easy to get through her four armed defence in the narrow corridor, but she couldn't strike at them easily either. A fiery shield blew out, knocking the two back. Kary let flames engulf her, and her broken wrist healed. "See? You cannot defeat me." She stated. Voldos and Zinkata dived at her the second the flames faded, stabbing her in her chest.

"Looks like we're taking a decent stab at it." Zinkata smirked.

"That was a terrible pun." Voldos remarked.

"Shut up." Zinkata shot as Kary screamed in pain pulling back.

"Bah! This isn't over!" The bleeding fiend announced as she fled.

"Now can we go?" Requested the still deeply upset Vivli.

"What's wrong?" Zinkata asked. "You seem really shaken up."

"Kazham was burnt to the ground! They attacked and-" Zinkata cut her off.

"Kazham is fine. Kary lost there." Zinkata reassured her. Vivli, sniffed, and continued to cry.

"And that man. The werewolf. It's Olose." She wept. "He's turned evil! He almost threw me off the airship!"

"Olose?" Bootus exclaimed in disbelief.

"Lich has shown him the power of the werewolf curse, but doing so corrupted him." Vivli exclaimed through tears.
"Look. It's alright." Zinkata put his arm around the little mithra. "You'll be fine. Let's just get out of here. I'm sure we can turn Olose back to our side." Vivli continued to cry.

"I'm sure." She managed to say. The four began to move quickly down the darkened corridor.

They emerged and headed for where the large airship was docked. They ran up onto the deck easily meeting with no resistance. Goblins were dead all around. Cid stood there with a smile.

"I'm not a useless old man, you know." He barked as they got onboard.

"Of course not." Zinkata muttered. "Let's get out of here!"

"This thing is huge." Whistled Voldos, sounding impressed.

"Quite different from the Raven, isn't she?" Cid admitted. "She's called Goliath, a fitting name I guess." The Goliath slowly rose into the sky, and cruised off across the air.

Vivli took this new break to drop down, defeated. She was exhausted, and her spirit had been completely shattered.

"Come here." Zinkata said. He still wasn't any good at being comforting, but knew between himself, Bootus and Voldos, he was the best one to try. Vivli wondered over to him. Zinkata held her in his arms, not in a romantic way, but almost the way you'd hold a child when he or she had scrapped a knee or cut an elbow. "Come on. What's wrong. You've been through bad stuff before."
"But this time I was so scared." She confessed. "Everything scared me. I've never been put through something so stressful or scary, not on my own. He held me off an airship! I was dangling off the edge of an airship as he told me he had never felt anything for me and I was just a pathetic little girl." She started sobbing again. "He was-" She paused. "I lo-" She paused again. She didn't quite know how to express her feelings about him. "He betrayed us. He even told me how it was him, and not some new personality. But I know. I know it's his own hatred taking over. I know Lich made him do this."

"Viv, I know what it's like to see someone that close to you betray you." Zinkata said firmly.

"Of course you do. Your father figure. I really must look like a little girl with a crush." She muttered.
"No." Zinkata stated. "Of course you don't. It sounds like they put you through Hell. Sounds like they were trying to break you. To crush you. So you wouldn't be able to do anything."

"You don't understand how bad it was." Vivli tried desperately to explain. "Olose was not just scary, but creepy too. If I hadn't seen him with my own eyes, I'd never of known it was the same person! How can hatred change somebody that much? To such an extent he told me to kill him, not to try and get the old him back. He told me it was impossible."

"Come on. Since when have we believed the word of the bad guys? If he says its impossible, we'll find a way to do it. We'll bring Olose back to us." Zinkata was surprised by himself for being able to be this kind to Vivli.
"Thank you." The tiny mithra said, trying to edge a smile, but failing. Suddenly, something rumbled.

Zinkata ran to the edge of the ship, looking out. Voldos and Bootus were already there. Vivli struggled weakly to her feet, feeling completely drained and so barely able to stand.

"You're going to want to see this, Li." Voldos cried in awe. Vivli stumbled over, and her eyes went wide.

The ground below had been torn up, and was floating in front of them.

"Tiamat." Vivli whispered in shock.

"Tiamat?" Zinkata repeated.

"Tiamat had a floating sky fortress back when the Light Warriors first fought the fiend." Vivli explained.

"I remember overhearing something like that." Bootus said.

"So, what you're saying is the wind crystal is on that island?" Voldos asked.

"Wow. You figured it out." Vivli sounded genuinely shocked.

"I think I should be insulted." Voldos muttered.

"Diddums." Bootus said in his most irritating tone of voice.

"What do you want to do?" Called Cid.

"Lich said they were going to use this island to mount their attack, right?" Bootus asked.

"Yeah, something like that." Zinkata said in response.
"Then we strike!" The galka cried. "We attack!"

"What?" Vivli sounded hysterical. She was so frightened all she wanted to do was retreat to Windurst, and curl up in her room at the monastery to never emerge again.

"We'll never get another chance at this. That island there has just risen. It's unarmed. It's ripe for an attack!" Bootus explained.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Bootus." Voldos conceded.
"Then let's do it!" Zinkata cried. "Sorry Viv, but you'll be able to pull through fine. You always do." Vivli felt a little better at this vote of confidence. "Put us down Cid! We're gonna stop this thing before it can begin!"

Author's Note: Right, sorry to make another one of these, but I need a favour. Tiamat's gender: anybody know what it is? So far, I've managed to avoid the pronoun use when referring to Tiamat (I think), but now s/he's going to become more prominent, I need to get it right. I've heard him/her referred to as both, and I really don't know. So, if anybody does, it would be appreciated. Otherwise, I'll just make him male, because that was my assumption when I fought him on FF1.

Also, is everybody alright with understanding who's meant by 'Li'? The reason some people call her that is because that's what I get called on FFXI by the others. (My name's Leigh, pronounced the same as Li, hence the nickname 'Vivli'. Means they actually call me 'Li' not 'Viv', but that might not have been very clear). This is because I want to use 'Li' as its more of a reference to our FFXI games for a story based on those four characters, but want to make sure everybody feels its okay since 'Viv' is the better and more natural shortened version.

Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope you guys can help me out!