Oooo yeah, I did a fanart of Zidane and owl-Kuja (it's based on this fic obviously!). The link is in my profile so go check it out okay? It's also a kinda bad sneak preview because the pic is based on the first paragraph of the next chapter! It doesn't give much away but hey, it'll give you a few clues!
The battle for Gaia gets underway…oh the suspense! YOU BETTER REVIEW THIS CHAPTER! Or else…I'll set my livid Eidolons on you and it WON'T be pretty. Lol.
Chapter nine
"Lets have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."
- Abraham Lincoln
He awoke very slowly, probably because he was so tired and wasn't ready to wake yet, and also because someone was calling his name over and over and it was really pissing him off so he rolled onto his other side only to get a nasty shock of falling off the branch he had slept on and tasting dirt and leaves in his mouth.
A gentle fluttering sound cued the entrance of his older brother.
'It's happened,' he said.
Zidane sat up and rubbed his face. 'What?'
'She has summoned the Eidolons. The news has only just come.' He paused awkwardly. 'Zidane, I'm sorry. You'll have to leave right away.'
Zidane stared at the owl in disbelief, speechless.
'I know you're not ready. No one expected it to happen this soon. But your friends left about a month ago; hopefully they will be ready to defend Gaia. We have to give it everything we've got.' Another pause. He shifted. 'You should say goodbye to Mikoto now.'
He doesn't think I'll live.
'I know you'll win Zidane. I have faith in you. But Mikoto…she's…upset.'
Zidane got up soundlessly and made his way back to the village, Kuja resting on his shoulder. Zidane could feel his talons digging into his shoulder but he didn't mind; he owed the man – bird…everything. If it wasn't for his brother he would still be a shambled wreck, love sick and foolish. Now he was so much more. He would be a hero once again.
For the first time in two months he entered society again. Nothing had changed, which for some peculiar reason surprised him. The squat, thatched houses rimmed the trickling stream still, chocobos cried out peacefully, the odd murmur of conversation drifted on the air and Genomes and Mages alike wandered around doing just that, or business.
It took a while but some of his brothers and sisters noticed the lone figure with the beautiful owl on his shoulder, standing uncertainly on the outskirts of their village. Two girls and a boy strode over to him while the Mages hung back, partly out of fear and respect. The Genomes said nothing but bowed their heads slightly, lifting their eyes to meet his.
'I'm fine,' Zidane said quietly, and walked past them feeling like a god.
He knew where to go. And when he reached the place, she was there as he expected. He sat beside her and heard the bridge creak slightly and sway under his weight. The stream gurgled contently and the silver fish swam along with the gentle current, the water plants bending slightly as if being blown by a breeze.
Zidane looked at her face that was downcast, her blue eyes fixed on the stream below. She looked sad.
'How are you?' he asked softly.
Mikoto looked across at him and he thought he saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes. She looked away quickly, ashamed.
'Hey,' he said uselessly but it was too late and now she was sobbing quietly into the crook of her arm. 'Hey,' he said again, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. 'Don't cry. It's okay.'
'No it's not,' she sniffed, and tried to pull away from him. 'It's not okay.'
His shoulder felt light and he wondered when Kuja had left them.
'How do you expect me to win if I don't have my little sis' backing me?'
She had covered her face with her arm but he thought he heard a muffled laugh merged with her weeping. 'It's not fair,' she replied finally. 'I don't want you to go.'
He hardly heard what she said but understood how she must feel and pulled her to him again more forcefully this time, removing her arm from her face at the same time. She retaliated a little but in the end gave up and let him hug her to his chest.
'It's my choice. I want to go…I have to go. I…I love her so much…I can't let her suffer anymore.' He couldn't bring himself to say her name, even after all his training and a flicker of doubt passed over his mind. Zidane gripped his little sister's shoulders and pushed her away gently so he could see her tear streaked face. 'I won't die,' he said with a grin. 'I promise.'
She looked at him. She whispered: 'I know you wont. I just…I'm scared for you.'
He laughed. 'Don't be. I'll be fine.' More slowly, 'I have to go now, but I'll come back when it's over. And we'll have dinner on this bridge, okay?'
Tears leaked from her eyes again and she nodded.
Zidane got up and walked away, the snowy-white owl landing gracefully on his shoulder once more.
Mikoto stared after her two brothers and whispered, 'Goodbye,' to the wind.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Everything had been a blur at first. The flashing lights had done a good job of disorientating her and she was unsure at where she was, she was quite sure was no longer in her room. She could feel the air around her throbbing, like an enormous force was pushing against it. She could feel an immense pressure enforce strain upon every inch of her body and she found herself being pulled further up into the air by her amulet. It made her back arch and her legs and arms dangle immobile downwards. She felt both heavy and light at once.
The whiteness that had surrounded her dissipated and she found herself floating with no restraints except thin air over her castle. Sweat began to pour over her and a series of strangled sobs erupted from her as she turned her head to face the sky and squeezed her brown eyes shut. She couldn't even scream. I'm going to fall! Oh please gods don't let me fall!
The crystal on her necklace began to glow and cast a pale blue light around her. It pulsed in a sequence that picked up speed. She could physically feel each wave it released sweeping across her body and fluttering her hair and clothes. Opening her eyes she saw ominous clouds form and roll at a terrifying speed from all directions, gathering above Alexandria. They were black as coal and seemed to have a life of their own, curling and twisting, layering over one another like fighting animals, letting the claps of thunder rumble angrily through their bodies and letting the sudden flashes of lightening streak down to the ground, there and then not, like a serpents tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. They cloaked Alexandria in darkness, as if it were night.
The rain came then, unlike any rain she had ever seen. The drops of water were the size of a baby's fist and made an indomitable uproar as they hit roofs, streets and people alike. She could hear screams of surprise below. She closed her eyes as the drops hit her face with alarming force. In a few seconds she was drenched, her cream dress sticking to her body and her long hair flailing wetly behind her. She had never felt so helpless in all her life.
The Falcon Claw, which pulsed faster than a heartbeat, wrenched so violently that Garnet thought her neck might snap, and as she thought that a concentrated beam of blue light exploded from the crystal, reaching its one, long finger up into the thunderclouds. The sheer force of this ray slowly pushed Garnet to the ground. Now she found herself in the main square of Alexandria, but she could not stand because of the pressure the beam was applying to her body. The feeling of helplessness continued as she lay with her back on the soaked cobbles and opened her eyes slightly to look up at the bruised clouds above.
'My Lady!'
She heard it only faintly through the incessant hum the beam was emitting and the clattering of rain upon the surfaces. She turned her head very slightly and saw her general, mouth agape but eyes focused and ready for anything.
'Bea-' she tried to reply but her throat was dry and her face was dumb.
'My Lady,' Garnet heard her yell. She was just a few feet away from her. 'I…I…' She was at a loss. 'What shall I do?'
It's too late, Garnet thought, there's nothing you can do…but…
She mustered her strength. 'S-save…people…and… y-your…self…!'
Beatrix looked stunned and adamant all at once. 'I will not leave you!'
Even after everything I put her through…she stays with me. Tears pricked Garnet's eyes. 'Go!'
She could make out the silhouettes of people now; gray and hazy in the rain, white faces eerily peering at her in fear and confusion. They were her people; she could not let them die! They must live!
'Go!' she cried as loud as she could again. She could feel the pressure of the beam increasing. It wouldn't be long now. 'Go! Go!'
Beatrix gave her one last look and turned to the crowd of Alexandrians and started shouting things at them Garnet couldn't hear. They scattered hurriedly and she found herself alone in the cobbled square being hailed with monstrous raindrops and deafened by unpredictable claps of thunder.
Finally, the inevitable happened. The beam above shivered as if it had been struck. It crackled and snapped loudly, the blue ray became jagged and sparks flew from the quivering line, it looked like it was electric. Then with one final shudder it expanded suddenly and at an alarming rate, cutting through the ebony clouds and sheet of rain. A blue oval now dominated the whole of Alexandria, it was the length and width of the castle but very flat and it shimmered very gently, it was like looking into the ocean.
Garnet gasped abruptly as the portal disconnected itself from her necklace and hovered inches from her chest. She slid herself slowly free of it and scrambled to her feet. Standing before the magnificent portal she felt very insignificant and full of dread; she knew what was to come out of it.
Frozen suddenly to the spot, she faced a dilemma; did she stay and fight these beasts; or run and try to reach a safety and aid the citizens of Alexandria? Both options seemed to lead her down the road of failure but just as she was about to choose the latter the window rippled and a giant claw swooped down and grabbed her tiny form and pulled her into the portal, not even giving her time to scream.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They had heard the crackle and snapping, seen the pale blue beam expand and seen the ripple but they had not witnessed the massive claw. Nor did they know where Garnet was. Momentarily they were struck stupid by the sheer size of the portal and disorientated by the amount of Alexandrians screaming and swarming around them, desperately trying to get away from the azure window.
'We should go then,' the Dragon Knight suggested, brandishing her spear. 'If what Kuja said is correct, the monsters will soon flood out and we should protect the citizens in the area, perhaps even distract the Eidolons; make it easier for Zidane.'
Steiner adjusted his helm and unsheathed his sword glancing at Amarant who had just appeared from the haze of rain. 'Garnet should be near the portal as well.'
Silence.
'You shouldn't think of her,' Eiko said. She wore loose fitting clothes over solid armor; her purple hair was tied back, wisps of it rimming her face, 'She is probably insane by now, she was the one that summoned those things remember?'
Steiner looked at the cobbled street, now filling with puddles and listened to the noisy drumming of the rain against his armor.
'I know it's difficult,' the little mage comforted. 'But…now…that's Zidane's duty.'
'Then let's all hope he strong enough to destroy her,' Freya concluded and set off suddenly in a sprint down the street, spear pointed forward in a deadly fashion.
Eiko bounded off after her, flute in hand, equipped with the latest protective amulets and white magic. Amarant took another pathway to the portal, not even acknowledging his partners. Vivi looked up into to Steiner's eyes, whispered: 'Be strong. For Garnet.' Then disappeared into the sheets of metallic rain.
Steiner nodded to himself, perked up, gripped his sword and followed lead with courageous thoughts.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They were as awesome as she had remembered. Monstrous and menacing they had appeared one by one from the portal, ripping through its magic boundaries and stepping with a colossus thunk onto the street below, making the puddles spurt into the air.
Eiko was standing at the mouth of one of the numerous side streets that opened out into the square, now seeming tiny with the Eidolons dominating it. She had witnessed the first Eidolon appear, Ifrit, his rich brown fur fluttering in the wind as his foot seared through the cobalt window and shook the ground. He emerged fully then, pouncing onto the cobbles, immediately alert, scanning his surroundings with amber eyes, his mouth pulled back to bare his white fangs. It seemed to Eiko like he was grinning a grin she only saw in her nightmares.
And then, as if the god of fire had been a signal, hordes of monsters flooded out, crossing the boundaries of their world and entering Gaia, shrieking and screaming their wild cries that smeared into one terrifying and abysmal sound that made Eiko's stomach grind in revulsion and horror. Hundreds of feet drummed upon the slick ground, their eyes wide and angry. She recognized some: the blade-winged horse Amdusias, the thick shelled Adamantoise, the bulky form of Behemoth, Catoblepas with the twisted horns, Cerberus with its drooling fangs, the many eyed Malboro, the fiery Stilva, the –
But they were upon her now and she couldn't just watch anymore. She cast protect quickly upon herself and felt the auto-haste take control of her actions. She moved by them swiftly, looking for her compatriots. Eiko knew she was no match for these beasts alone, and it would be useless for her to even try and fight, but she knew that her white mage skills were far greater than her compatriots and they would need her healing skills desperately in a time like this.
She dodged a Stroper's moss-green tentacle and heard it rush over her head, looking up she saw the monstrous face of a shell dragon and rolled to the side, feeling the cool wetness of the rain soak into her clothes – not that it mattered, she was soaked from the incessant rain anyway.
Woosh
A Taharka swiped its armored tail at her. It managed to push her back into the Shell Dragons armored back but its attack power was mostly absorbed by her protect. The Shell dragon whirled on her just as the Taharkas floating form made a lunge for her. She threw herself beneath its belly and slid along the wet cobbles until a snake-like Ralvurahva slammed its thick tail before her face. She felt the earthquake and thought; I should cast shell on myself, just as the full impact hit her. She cried out and felt a large portion of energy drain away.
There was a clang and shriek. Eiko looked up and saw a bedraggled looking Steiner standing with his back to her, his sword raised, the blood of the Ralvurahva oozing down its blade.
She picked herself up and cast Curaga on them both, followed by Shell and Regen. She could hear Freya battling and screamed her name as loud as she could. It would be best if they fought together, they would be surrounded yes, but they were stronger fighting as group. Perhaps that was why Freya had moved closer to the pair.
Flicker: a bright flash. Another was coming.
Suddenly, the whole of her left seemed to dance and orange hues spilled over the ground. She glanced to the left while trying to defend herself from the Shell Dragon's monstrous bulk and saw a line of houses engulfed in flame. Ifrit stood among the raging fire and roared to the black clouds above.
Not even the rain could put Ifrit's flame out, Eiko thought miserably.
Here is came now, quite quickly, unhesitant in what it…she had to do. Shiva. Her beautiful form gracing the sky with sparkles of ice, a frosty trail sweeping across the ground and Eiko jumped into the air to avoid it, watching as it crystallized the Dragon before her. She felt like laughing spitefully but another three monsters, all teeth and claws and fiery eyes, replaced it.
Freya and Amarant were with them now and Eiko found herself in the center of a small circle her friends had formed, there she cast Curaga every other round and Shell and Protect whenever she could, commanding them to jump occasionally whenever Shiva released another ice spell.
A cry made her look up and a Red Dragon was approaching from the sky, it's massive, black talons directed at her. She screamed in spite of herself and braced herself for the pain but instead she heard it wail. It had been struck down by a ferocious lightening attack and suddenly Vivi was there. He joined the circle and gave Eiko a little wave before pummeling the surrounding beasts with elemental attacks that left them bewildered and weak.
Flash, flash: two at once?
Freya leapt into the air, waited only a moment, and then threw down her spear with deadly precision, wiping out a little ring of monsters that had been pushing persistently against their circle. High above she saw hundreds of them, bundling over to where the five of them stood battling. Occasionally there would be a knot of monsters in the square where an Alexandria soldier or two would be defending bravely.
She hit the floor again just as two more Eidolons emerged from the portal: Atomos, it's huge mouth gaping open like a bottomless pit, rimmed with jagged teeth, it was horrific, and Odin, its eight legged horse taking great strides across the city, his elongated sword ripping through houses and the streets.
Oh gods, Freya found herself thinking in despair as she ripped through another snarling beast. They will destroy us all.
'We have to distract them!' the group heard Steiner cry. 'Before they annihilate the entire city!'
'We cannot – argh – destroy them!' Amarant argued amidst fighting.
Eiko cast another round of Curaga and threw another Ether at Vivi. 'No, but we can't keep this up forever! Let's just see if we can stop them from destroying the city!'
Leviathan flew from the portal at such an alarming rate it destroyed many of the monsters that stood in its path and crashed through several buildings. Ramuh came out soon after, his staff crackling and emitting immense amounts of electricity, making his white beard curl and shiver like octopus legs.
'I'll go after Ifrit and Shiva!' Vivi cried above the din and was about to leave when Eiko screamed about coming with him. He grabbed her armored arm and teleported them both to where the opposing elemental Eidolons were wrecking havoc amid an uproar of screaming.
Freya leapt above the monsters and, avoiding burning houses and taking care with the iced ones, jumped from roof to roof in the direction of Odin. Steiner looked after them for a moment then signaled for Amarant to go to Ramuh while he took care of the water serpent.
He thought of Beatrix suddenly, wondering fleetingly where she was, then ran into the crowd of snarling beast, sword ready, thinking, Zidane, where are you?
IS THEIR SITUATION HOPELESS? WHERE EXACTLY IS ZIDANE:looks at next chapter: WHY IS HE THERE? You will know soon…Will the Eidolon possess Zidane? WHAT IF HE DIES? Sorry this chapter was a little disjointed. Please review…please? PLEASE!
Oh yeah, and guess who saw Green Day live at the weekend...? ME! GREEN DAY ROCK Y'ALL THEY WERE AMAZING! I HAVEN'T SLEPT BUT ITS WORTH IT!