Again the redundant disclaimer.

***

Walking through the Mist wasn't as difficult as I'd anticipated. Perhaps my Dragoon Spirit was protecting me from its effects, perhaps it didn't work on those with Wingly blood, I don't know. More likely the former, since Dari and Zack had no problems that I could discern. For us, it was simply a walk through a perpetual fog, nothing more.

"Any idea where we're headed?" Zack asked.

"We have to go through the Ice Cavern," Zidane said, "because North Gate and South Gate have been sealed off."
I glanced at him. "Where do they lead?"

"North Gate leads to Burmecia, South Gate leads to Lindblum." Zidane paused briefly, stabbing a python in the heart. "I grew up in Lindblum, so I know it pretty well."

"I see." That matched what Albert's scouts had managed to uncover. If we made it through the Ice Cavern, we'd get above the Mist. From there, it would be relatively simple to hitch a ride on an airship. I assumed Lindblum was our ultimate destination, since that was Tantalus's home, and Princess Garnet had asked them to kidnap her. I wonder. Queen Brahne has become increasingly unstable, yes, but is that enough for Garnet to want to be kidnapped?

"Um, Mr. Connell?"

I turned slightly. "Call me Jason, Your Highness. What is it?"

"Why did you and your friends come to my aid in Alexandria?" At my questioning look, the princess shrugged. "Most people would have assumed I was being coerced into assisting with my own abduction. And yet you didn't."

I shrugged in turn. "I could say, 'I'm not most people,' but that, while true, is also rather trite. I've always been good at reading people, so it was clear to me from the outset that you were going willingly. As for why we'd help, I strongly suspect that your mother's increasing instability is connected to whatever is about to go wrong here. Not that I expect that hardheaded bodyguard of yours to believe it."

Garnet chuckled. "He is rather stubborn, isn't he?"

"Princess! You shouldn't waste your breath with a criminal!" Steiner snapped.

She glared at him. "Steiner, stop it! He came to help because he believes something is very wrong in Alexandria. Even if he's wrong about that, that doesn't make him a criminal!"

I tuned out the argument. Despite her relative naiveté, we were getting along well enough with the princess. Vivi was a decent sort, and very helpful in a fight; his main problem was that he lacked confidence. Steiner and Zidane, on the other hand, were proving troublesome, albeit for different reasons. Steiner was good in a fight, but he had all the imagination of a brick, and he persisted in his belief that Zack, Dari, and I were there for some nefarious purpose.

Zidane was something else. The young thief, though a highly capable warrior, had quickly shown himself to be something of a skirt-chaser. He was already nursing a pulped nose and bruised temple, the result of making a pass at Dari. The Dark Dragoon had promptly knocked him unconscious, delaying our progress by almost an hour.

I shook my head. What is going on in this crazy world? What is happening in Alexandria that makes the heir to the throne flee? And with the family's pendant, no less. There was something about that pendant that worried me. I could sense incredible power concealed within, possibly, though I doubted it, even stronger than the Dragoons. She's hiding something. I do not for an instant believe it's out of malice, but rather because she's afraid to tell anyone. I was jolted out of my thoughts as we neared the cave.

"Well, well, well, the Iceman comes to the Ice Cavern," a sneering voice said. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Steiner glared at the interloper. "Who are you!?" he demanded.

"His name's Derrick Sands," I told him, "and he's been the bane of my life for thirteen years. I'll deal with him." I stepped forward. "Derrick, what in blazes are you doing here?"

The gang leader laughed harshly. "I saw you going through that weird portal, so I just had to wonder. 'What would Jason the Iceman want with something like that?' I thought to myself. So I used my new powers and followed you through. And here I am."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, new powers?"

"This!" With a flourish, he activated the magic artifact at his neck. The gem glowed brightly, and I was forced to look away. When it faded, to my shock Derrick was standing in the armor of the Dragoon. His armor looked almost exactly like mine, except it was a deeper red, like fresh blood. "What do you think, Jason? Impressive, no?"

"What is he!?" Vivi gasped.

"He's a Dragoon, a Knight of the Dragon, like Zack, Dari ,and me," I said tightly. "So, Derrick, you defeated the Blood Dragon. Am I supposed to bow to your superior power or do something similarly idiotic?"

Sands smirked. "No, you're just supposed to die."

"I think not." Deciding to indulge in some minor theatrics, I raised my voice. "Dragoon Spirit of the Red-Eye Dragon, lend me your power!" There was a burst of flames, and seconds later I too was clad in the armor of the Dragoon.

"Not bad, Iceman." The other sounded amused. "Let's have it out, Dragoon against Dragoon. We'll see who's stronger."

"I have no use for rivalries, Derrick," I said coldly, "but if that's the only way to get you out of our way, so be it." Not waiting for a response, I folded my wings and dove, moving at such a speed that he was barely able to dodge.

"Not bad, Iceman! But not good enough!" Derrick's counterattack came so fast I literally didn't know what hit me until it was past. All I could tell was that I had a deep cut over my right eye. How did he do that!?

Wiping blood from my face, I slowly turned. "You may be skilled with a sword, Derrick, but how about magic? Flameshot!" A ball of fire formed in front of my chest, and I shoulder tackled it into my opponent.

Derrick laughed. "That tickles! Blade of Death!" His sword seemed to elongate, stabbing into my abdomen. I grunted with pain, coughing up blood. "Hurts, doesn't it?" He started to wind up for another spell, undoubtedly to finish me off, when he was trapped in a bubble of wind.

"Gaspless!" Zack hovered in his jade-green armor ten feet away.

"Astral Drain!" Dari's spell healed the cut on my forehead, and soothed the wound in my gut, though that wasn't complete. "We won't let you kill our friend!"

Seeing that he was, for the time being, overmatched, Derrick retreated. "We'll finish this later, Iceman! Crimson Tide!" A wave of red slammed into us, knocking all three of us to the ground. With that parting shot, the Blood Dragoon vanished.

I shed my Dragoon armor and fell to my knees, coughing. How did he get that kind of power!? Even Lloyd couldn't defeat the Blood Dragon. And the local bully gets to harness its power!?

"Cure!" Garnet rushed to my side. "Are you alright, Jason?"

I pushed to my feet. "I think so. Thanks, Garnet." I felt my head. "Healing magic or no, that's going to leave one amazing scar."

Zidane and Steiner gazed at us in awe, for once in complete agreement. "What are you!?" Steiner finally gasped.

"Like I said, we're Dragoons." I waved at my companions. "Each of us represents one of seven elements. Dari is the Dragoon of Darkness, Zack is the Dragoon of Wind, and I am the Dragoon of Fire. As you probably gathered from Derrick's little speech, we are in fact from another world. I apologize for deceiving you on that point, but we had no choice."

Garnet shook her head. "That is quite all right. You did what you had to do."

"Thanks. We are not, however, the original Dragoons. The originals saved humans from the ancient Winglies eleven thousand years ago. Two of them still survive, Rose and Zieg, representing Darkness and Fire respectively. Rose wore a magic choker for reasons I will not go into, and Zieg was caught in a petrification spell at the end of that ancient war, so he spent the intervening millennia as a fossil. The second generation came about almost twenty years ago, during a civil war in which my parents were killed. The leader was Zieg's son, and my adoptive father, Dart Feld, first the Fire and later the Divine Dragoon, which has no element." I nodded to Zack. "Zack's father, King Albert, is one of two Wind Dragoons, the other being his friend Lavitz Slambert, a knight. There are also two Light Dragoons from that journey: Dart's wife, Shana, and Miranda, the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau. The Thunder Dragoon is Dart's maternal grandfather, Haschel of Rouge. The remaining two are not human: Kongol the Giganto for Earth, and Meru the Wingly for Water."

"Are you three the only ones here?" Zidane asked.

I shook my head. "All seven of us came. Laura Trent and Indora the Giganto, Dragoons of Light and Earth respectively, are in Lindblum, so we'll meet them sooner or later. Chris Barton of Rouge, the Dragoon of Thunder, and Meru's daughter Seria, the Dragoon of Water, are in Burmecia. And if I may anticipate another question, the reason we can be Dragoons without our elders loosing their powers is as follows: the seven original Dragoon Spirits made copies of themselves. We don't know how or why, but we're not complaining."

Steiner shook his head in amazement. "I thought Dragon Knights were just highly skilled Burmecian lancers. This is far outside my experience."

Zack laughed. "Don't feel bad, Steiner. It's far outside most people's experience."

"One more thing," Garnet said. "Where did this Derrick get his Dragoon Spirit?"

I sighed. "A Dragoon Spirit is essentially the soul of a Dragon in crystal form. He had to have defeated the Blood Dragon to get it, but I don't see how he could have. Even Lloyd, King Albert's Wingly advisor, wielder of the Dragon Buster, and the most lethal swordsman I have ever seen, couldn't defeat it." I shook my head. "That doesn't matter right now. Let's go before we freeze."

Nothing of particular interest happened until we neared the end of the cavern. The cave was suddenly engulfed in a blizzard, dropping the temperature even further. Garnet, Steiner, and Vivi swiftly succumbed to the cold, falling asleep. Zidane briefly joined him, but soon awakened. We Dragoons were unaffected.

"You okay, Zidane?" Dari asked.

"I'm not sure." The tailed bandit got to his feet, shivering. "I didn't think the Ice Cavern was this cold."

"What I want to know is why it exists in the first place," Zack mused. "We're too far south for perpetual ice cover."

Zidane froze. "Was that a bell?"
"Let's check it out."

The next room, while still bitterly cold, actually had water instead of ice. I carefully searched the walls, looking for any sign of life. Something's not right here. I sense an evil presence. One with powerful magic. "Be careful, guys. We've got company."

"Why aren't you asleep!?" A winged creature resembling an evil version of Vivi dropped into view. "You should be dead by now!"

"Are you the one causing the blizzard!?" Zidane demanded.

The creature rang his bell. "Hee hee, that's right. I am a Black Waltz." He rang his bell again. "Ice giant, Sealion! Come before me!" A huge spike of ice sprang from the ground, shattering to reveal an incredibly ugly monster. "Go, Sealion!"

"Zidane, you handle the Black Waltz!" I yelled. "Zack, Dari, transform!" I curled into a ball and spread out again, wreathed in flame. "Final Burst!" I slammed into the Sealion in a sheet of fire.

"Rose Storm!" Zack's barrier spell gave us a critical edge, particularly me, since the Sealion appeared fond of Ice magic.

"Death Dimension!" Dari's bizarre Darkness attack left both foes literally shaking with fear.

Zidane abruptly started glowing. "My turn! Tidal Flame!" Both opponents went down hard.

I landed, returning to normal. "Zidane, what was that?"

He grinned. "It's called Trance. It's induced by a surge of emotion, and it raises the user's power. The move I used was a Dyne skill."

"I'll take your word for it. We'd better check on the others."

Fortunately, the blizzard had left no lasting effects. Steiner seemed a little stiff at first, but that soon wore off. This was a mixed blessing, however, as he lit into Zidane yet again. "You! What just happened!?"

The thief shrugged. "Nothing."

Steiner clearly didn't believe him. "You're hiding something!"

"I said nothing happened," Zidane insisted.

"You didn't…touch the Princess, did you?" Rusty asked suspiciously.

"Just what are you accusing me of?"

I sighed. Steiner was starting to become a major pain. I could handle Zidane's skirt-chasing antics, but Steiner's boneheaded insistence that Zidane was up to something bad was beginning to grate on my nerves. Zidane's obvious attraction to Garnet added fuel to the fire. If that knight doesn't shut up very soon, I am going to hit him.

Steiner, meanwhile, had earned another scolding from Garnet. "Steiner, he said nothing happened! Why are you being so rude!?"

Steiner bowed his head. "My apologies, Princess."

Yeah, your apologies for getting caught, I thought acidly.

Getting out of the cave raised everyone's spirits. We were on a high plateau, so there was no Mist. The sun shined down unobstructed. I for one was glad of the change; gloomy weather doesn't normally bother me, but the Mist was something else. I am so glad to get out of there.

Garnet pointed down the slope. "There's a village down there."
Zidane saw it, too. "It's called Dali. I've been there before."

"It sounds like you've been everywhere. Let's go visit." She started down the slope when Zidane stopped her.

"You're a princess. You can't just walk in there," Zidane said. "You need a new identity."

That, predictably, got Steiner riled up. He stormed over, knocking Zidane's knife out of his hand. "Insolent fool! The princess need not sneak around! Besides, we are returning to the castle! You leave her alone! And you will address her as 'Princess' from now on, you silly peasant!"

Zack glared at him. "I think it's Garnet's decision as to how she's addressed."

"Steiner, I do not intend to return to the castle," Garnet said. "And I do see Zidane's point. I need a new identity." She held up the knife. "Zidane, what's this?"

"That? That's a dagger. All knives like that are called daggers. Two-handed swords are…"

"Okay, I understand now," she interrupted, smiling. "Okay, then, call me Dagger."

"Should work," I put in. "Certainly not a name for a royal. Which is precisely what is needed," I added before Steiner could object.

***

Dali was small enough to make Seles look like a metropolis. The village was consisted of a few houses, a couple of shops, an inn, and a microscopic farm. We stopped at the inn immediately; the recent battles had tired all of us out.

Zidane walked up to the innkeeper. "Sleeping on the job?"

The man woke with a start. "O-oh, the room is right that way," he said, sounding a bit nervous.

Warning bells went of in my mind. Something doesn't smell right. Why is he so nervous?

A different problem soon distracted me. Dagger hesitated. "Zidane, where do I sleep?"

He waved at the door. "In the same room."

"But Zidane…I mustn't…"

Zidane nodded sympathetically. "I understand how you feel, but these country inns don't have private rooms." He shifted his attention to the Dark Dragoon. "That okay with you, Dari?"

She smiled. "As long as you don't make a pass at me again, yeah."

Zidane shivered. "Don't worry. I've learned my lesson." He went inside and sat down. "Dagger, one question before we go to sleep. Why did you want to be kidnapped?"

Dagger sat on her bed. "If the theater ship hadn't crashed…"

"It would have arrived in the neighboring regency of Lindblum." Zidane stared in disbelief. "You were gonna leave Alexandria!?"

Steiner couldn't take anymore. "I've heard enough. Princess, you cannot trust the words of a thief! He may put you in danger, as he did in the Evil Forest!"

"Hey, I know I screwed up in the forest!" Zidane protested. "But I'll protect Dagger to the end."

The knight wasn't in the least mollified. "It is I who protect the princess, now and forever!" he snarled.

I've had it. Muttering a Wingly curse, I drew my blade and pressed it to Steiner's throat. "My patience is wearing very thin," I said, my voice low and deadly.

Zack nudged Zidane. "Steiner's in for it," he whispered. "When Jason starts talking like that, it means he's really mad. As in, ready-to-break-things mad. He doesn't easily lose his temper, but when he does, you should get out of the way, or you'll get hurt."

"Your demented ranting is getting on my nerves," I continued, just as softly. "Zidane is no ordinary thief. If you can't see that, then I must revise my opinion of your intelligence. Dramatically. Downward." I spun in a circle, bringing the flat of my blade crashing against the back of his head. Steiner fell to the floor, out cold. "Sweet dreams." I glanced at Dagger. "Don't worry, I did no permanent damage. I simply wanted to teach him a lesson. At worst, he'll wake up with a headache." With that, I collapsed on my bed and dropped off at once.

***

Dali was even stranger than my initial impression suggested. The only adult we had yet seen was the somnolent innkeeper. That was odd enough; what was really startling was the farm. It was far too small to feed even one family, let alone an entire village, however small it may be.

I wandered into a pub and almost collided with Steiner, who was for some inexplicable reason stacking firewood. "Since when do knights clean anything besides their armor?"

He turned and glared at me, then looked at the girl at the counter. "I am seeking information. I wish to know what method of transportation is used in this village. I cannot say who, but I must escort someone to the castle."

"Oh? Are you from Alexandria castle?" the girl asked.

"Indeed. I command the Queen's Knights of Pluto." He drew himself up, a comical effect in that rusty armor. "I am Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto."

"Knights of Pluto?" She stepped closer. "Then I guess it's okay to tell you. Go to the observatory outside the village. An old man named Morrid lives there. A cargo ship lands in the field close by."

"The cargo ship? So that piece of junk comes here." Steiner saluted. "Thank you!"

I followed him to the landing field and grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I am taking the princess back to the castle," he snarled.

"Even against her will?" I pressed.

"I must keep her safe."

I stepped in front, blocking his path. "Listen to me, Steiner, because I will only say this once. Taking Dagger back to the castle will not keep her safe. In fact, it will put her in great danger. The Queen wants something from her. She wants it very badly. I don't know exactly what, but I am sure it has something to do with the Royal Pendant. I can sense immense power within it."

"How dare you accuse the queen of such things!" Steiner roared. "The princess must return to the castle, where she will be safe!"

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" I sighed in exasperation. "I don't care whether you believe me or not. Think of this, instead. Keeping Dagger sheltered like this will only harm Alexandria in the end. What kind of Queen will she be if she only knows what idiots like you allow her to see? Look at Zack. He's the heir to the throne, and yet his father has no qualms about sending him into danger. True, this is a special case. The destiny of a Dragoon cannot be denied…what the!?"

"What is it?" Steiner was suddenly wary.

"There's something coming out of the ground."

We ran to investigate, scaring off a couple of villagers in the process. Dari and Zack joined us seconds later. A barrel had risen through a trapdoor. "Almost there."

Dari jumped. "That sounded like Zidane." Steiner started moving. "Steiner, don't…"

Steiner had drawn his sword. Before any of us could move, he stabbed the barrel. "OW!" With a cry of pain, Zidane appeared. "What did you think you were doing!? You almost stabbed Dagger!"
"The princess!?" Before he could say any more, Zidane jumped on his head. Hopping with rage, Steiner started yelling again. "What are you up to!?"

"Something's coming!" Zack interrupted.

It was another Black Waltz. "Princess, come with me! The queen awaits!"

"Another one!" Zidane exclaimed.

"What are you talking about!?" Steiner snapped.

"You were all unconscious from the blizzard! He said he was a Black Waltz!"

The Black Waltz glanced at him. "So you are the one who defeated Number 1? I am Black Waltz Number 2! My power and magic make me far superior to Number 1! Resistance is futile!" He attacked, sending a Fire spell into me.

"Nice try, freak," I growled, transforming. "This is how you use Fire. Final Burst!"

"Blizzard Sword!"

"Free Energy!"

"Gaspless!"

"Astral Drain!"

The Black Waltz didn't last long. This is getting ridiculous. "Zidane, get your friends onto that airship. We'll fly escort."

"Okay."

"Come on, folks." I lifted high into the air, glad to be flying again. I was comfortable enough on the ground, but the sky was truly my element. As I said before, nothing beats crossing the skies under your own power. This is more like it. No Black Waltz is going to beat three Dragoons in the sky.

"Jason!" Zack yelled. "There's a Black Waltz chasing the cargo ship! Zidane and the others beat it off, and now it hijacked another ship."

I spun. "Blast it! All right, everyone, full speed. I think Zidane's going to try and beat it through South Gate. We'll have to run interference."

I never thought I'd find myself fighting a pitched battle five hundred feet in the air, but there it was. The Black Waltz briefly drew alongside the cargo ship and tried to cast a spell, but Vivi's fire magic bounced it away. The it was a chase inside the gate. Come on, come on.

We won the race, just barely. The Black Waltz charged up another spell, but managed to send it backward, damaging his own ship. Its airship bounced off the closing gate and exploded in a spectacular fireball. We were home free.

***

Author's note: Longer than I expected. Next, the Festival of the Hunt, and Laura and Indora rejoin the group.

Sorry if I get some of the details wrong; I haven't played Final Fantasy 9 in quite some time, and the farthest I have ever gotten is Pandemonium.

Biggest change planned: Beatrix will play a much larger role. I wish the game let you have her for the duration.

Thanks for the review.