'Ok, so we're all ready to go.' Zidane butted in from Freya and Amarant's heated argument about who had brought what. They turned to him and nodded, subdued. Garnet laughed at the two of them and put another potion in her back-pack, just in case.

'You remind me of little kids!' she explained when they looked at her and Freya smiled slightly. Yes, when she had first met Garnet, she had just thought, oh great, another princess running away from her duties but it was impossible to keep that attitude around her. Her simplicity and innocence – that had been taken away from her now – had been, and still was, very sweet and made you want to protect the girl.

'Ok, lets go before I stop running!' Vivi's voice interrupted and they looked at him, he never made joked about dying. But then they noticed his fingers entwined with the blue-haired girl next to him. Cid wont be pleased with that, thought Zidane as he laughed and started to walk off the air ship and onto the earth next to the very active Iifa tree.

'Come on then, let's go!' He shouted and started running towards the danger. And danger it was…

Garnet rushed up to Zidane as he fell backwards and an explosion of ice shattered around him. She dodged several ice shards that shattered near her until one broke in front of her, barring her from Zidane. She screamed in panic and hit the ice shard with all her might. It moves slightly, making room for her to slip through gap it left between it and another next to it. Throwing herself towards the hole, she broke through it, ice shattering around her and cutting her face like a razor. There was Zidane. She crouched next to him and finally managed to get her thought together to cast a simple spell, Shell. She heard ice hissing behind her and she turned round to see Vivi melting the ice so the rest of the group could catch up with them.

'Garnet?' Zidane croaked out and she turned round again to see the guy lying there, he touched her bloodied cheek 'why is Shiva attacking you?' You're her master.' Garnet bit her lip and shook her head

'No… Kuja is.' She whispered, full of sadness. Then she burst out crying, knowing that she was in so much danger and that she couldn't let her guard down, and crying was for little kids. She burst out crying and couldn't stop while the world became an ice field around her. 'He said that if I loved him, I'd give him my Eilodons. He'd let them out on his trips, make sure they were looked after.' Tear stained eyes looked at Zidane 'I'm so sorry. I'm so bloody sorry.' She wept into her hands again.

Zidane got up painfully and rubbed her back. Suddenly, he felt a healing sensation in himself and looked around, there stood Eiko, chanting a healing spell at him.

'Hey you. Get up. This is no time to sleep!' she said and tugged at Zidane so he was standing again. She knelt down next to Garnet and whispered in her ear. Then pulled Garnet up too. 'We'll get them back. They've known and loved you for longer that they've known Kuja.' She said and smiled at Garnet.

'Thanks Eiko.' Garnet replied and smiled at her. Suddenly, she noticed how much Eiko had grown. When she had met Eiko she was no taller than Garnet's hip, but now she was almost as tall as the princess.

'You know what to do, Princess Garnet.' Eiko mocked and took a few steps back. Garnet took out her staff and started to call to her old Eilodons. They came to her one by one, wary, suspicious of this character they known so well but knew so little about anymore.

It took a long time For Garnet to embrace each of them and make them trust her again. Bahamut eventually bowed to her and vanished by her side. Ark was very stubborn but eventually he, too, trusted this princess again. Time was something the group had. Garnet and Zidane, both knowing Kuja's mind, knew he would be just waiting for them, not trying to stop them or anything.

They pressed on, deeper into the flailing roots of the Iifa tree…

Kuja twirled a lock of his own hair round his finger. They were coming, and soon they would be through the door in front of him. Then they would get a surprise he looked across to the child who lay asleep on the floor.

'Mummy's coming sweet.' He said and touched her cheek. She flinched away from the cold Kuja's fingers were surrounded by.