Chapter 7
As Zidane's knife spun through the air with a whoosh, the glowing figure laughed. He deflected this knife too with a wave of the bigass sword.
"Hahahahahahaha, you're just like your brother was. Headstrong, righteous… You don't know about his life to the full. You only know what you have observed… what Garland told you."
Zidane stopped halfway from throwing a jagged-edged dagger with a long handle. "What in hell do you mean?"
"Your brother came to us ten years ago. He was young then. Younger than you, even. But a child."
"What do you mean, came to you?" Zidane asked, walking closer.
"I am a certain… celebrity of eternity. But I won't bore you with those details… yet. No, listen and loin as I explain to you a past you never knew about Kuja."
Zidane stopped. "Uh… kay." Freya and Amarant had arrived behind him. They watched carefully.
"You see… Kuja left Terra shortly after banishing you to this planet. He aimed for bigger things, you see. So he came to the Iifa Tree, the home of my… organization."
Zidane eyed the glowing figure carefully.
"We taught him how to use the Mist to create soldiers – the mages who you know well. We taught him how to disguise his true heritage. We taught him how to cause the Mist to become angry, how to make it cause war."
The Genome stared hard at the figure. But he couldn't perceive it… it was like… Mist… Maybe this person was Mist.
"He began making weapons. We supplied him with Mist in places that couldn't channel it, like the village of Dali. We forced the Mist Continent into war for Kuja. But now, he had to repay us. So he sent us a gift. You. He tricked you into coming to the Outer Continent."
"Trick? But nothing bad happened!" Zidane yelled, trying to make sense of this. "Ah, do not be so sure. Once you came to the Tree and fought the 'soul', we were certain that Genomes had powers we could harness. And now… we are making them."
"You're MAKING GENOMES?"
"Yes. But not the kind that Garland made. We are making soldiers, infused with Mist, driven by anger. They have no souls, just like Garland's, but they have one thing his didn't."
"And? What's that?" Zidane asked, knowing that a dagger would no longer do him any good.
"Power enough to burn a city sky high. And so now, our Genomes will conquer this planet, and Gaia WILL be Terra, as Garland wished it to be."
"Why do you care if Gaia becomes Terra?" Zidane asked.
"Hahahahahaha, call it a certain… interest, if you will. Oh, and screw the souls of the first Terra. They may die now, and be absorbed by the Mist. The new Genomes will rule Gaia, and Kuja shall be my unknowing pawn."
"Wait. Tell me something." Zidane ordered. "Why does Kuja want to conquer Gaia? In the roots of the Iifa Tree, after Memoria was destroyed, he had changed."
"That is not something you need to know, Zidane. And so, I take my leave of you now, knowing that my job here is done. Keep up the good work, Tribal."
With a flash of light, the Mist-man left, and in the distance, the skiff charged up and shot into the sky.
The Red Rose continued to sputter and cough as it descended the outside of the mountain range to the oceans below. The storm had increased, and it was even cold here now, so Zidane worried that the engine might freeze up and the ship might plummet. But they touched down on the water with a light splash. The ship accelerated north, treading water quickly. 'It is definitely time to get a new flagship for the Alexandrian armada…' Thought Zidane as the engine locked up briefly and sputtered back on with the sound of gears stripping.
The tech yelled something inaudible over the storm's noise, and suddenly Zidane was lurched to the side as water gushed onto the deck of the old ship. The storm was too strong for the ship to handle.
The heavy sound of thousands of pounds of water slamming against a hull reached Zidane's ears even over the wind and rain. "WE'VE GOT TO DOCK SOMEWHERE! NOW!" The tech yelled, now that he was close enough for Zidane to hear him.
"ARE WE GETTING CLOSE TO ALEXANDRIA!" Zidane asked, gripping the railing tight with his tail. "NO! IT'S STILL FORTY KILOMETERS NORTH BY NORTHWEST!"
"BUT THAT'S ONLY LIKE… THIRTY MILES! ENGLISH KICKS THE CRAP OUT OF METRICS!" Zidane yelled. The tech rolled his eyes. "IT'S STILL THE SAME DISTANCE!"
"THEN FIND A PLACE ON THE SHORE TO DOCK!" Zidane roared, as the wind knocked the ship uncomfortably close to the tipping point. The tech scanned the dim shoreline carefully. A small inlet looked promising. "TURN THE SHIP NINETY DEGREES TO THE LEFT!"
With another lurch, the ship began turning toward the shore. Sight was poor; they might collide. "SLOW THE FUCKING ENGINE DOWN!" The tech screamed. The navigator pulled a lever hard and the engine stopped releasing smoke. "TAKE IT IN EAS-" BAM! The tech slammed into the wall of the cabins and landed on the deck with a dull thud. They had hit the shoreline. But at least they were out of the storm.
Zidane took control of the situation. "CUT ALL PROPELLER POWER! DROP ENGINE TO ZERO! PULL DOWN THE SAILS AND PULL IN THE AFT END WINGS! MOVE!"
The navigator recovered from his flight into the steering wheel and pulled more levers. He then ran to a crank and hit it. The sound of something moving inward under water echoed through the hull. Crew then pulled lines and the sails came down heavy, soaked with rain.
Zidane ran to the front of the deck and found Freya, Steiner, Beatrix, and Amarant huddled down behind barrels. He shook Steiner. "RUSTY! GET THE CREW OFF BOARD! BEATRIX! TEATHER THE ROSE TO ANYTHING STURDY ON SHORE! FREYA, JUMP OFF AND FIND SOMEWHERE TO STAY UNTIL THE STORM ENDS! AMARANT……!" He hesitated before continuing. "GO AND STOP ALL PIPES – WATER MAINS, STEAM SHAFTS, YOU NAME IT! LET'S GO!"
Everyone moved without question. Zidane followed Freya off. "I THINK THERE'S A SMALL CLUSTER OF TREES FURTHER UP! C'MON!" Freya followed the Genome as he raced up the slick, grassy, muddy hill. The trees did offer some protection. In another minute or two, Steiner, Beatrix, and Amarant came running up the hill with the crew. Once they got in, Zidane collapsed on the damp earth.
"GOD DAMN!" He shouted. Freya nudged him. "You don't have to yell anymore, it's quieter here." Zidane lowered his eyelids. And then he caught something out of the corner of his eye…
Something was moving through the sky. A big something. Flares of fire came off the back, leaving bright trails. The dim light glinted off of it. It came closer. Closer… Faster. Faster. And then it stopped directly above the creaking Red Rose. And then, Zidane nearly peed his pants. A great dark eye erupted out of nothing, staring down at the battered airship.
"The INVINCIBLE!" The eye blinked, and a giant red beam shot out, shattering the Red Rose into a million pieces. A shockwave shot in all directions, and rushed past Zidane, knocking him over. The eye vanished with a blink. The object was gone. Worst of all, so was the Red Rose.
"NOOOOOO!" Beatrix shouted. "NOOOOOOOOO! The ROSE!"
Zidane stared, awestruck for a moment, and the collapsed onto the ground.
"Your highness… YOUR HIGHNESS." Poke. Zidane's eyes opened and found Steiner staring into them intently. "It's almost noon, judging by the sun."
"The sun? You see the sun?" Zidane asked. He looked out into the sky. It was a clear blue and the sun was shining warmly down on the continent. It was easily eighty degrees out.
"Yes. The storm ended last night, just after you passed out." Zidane got up and stretched. Then he stared down at the remains of the Red Rose.
Hunks of metal, wood, and cloth were strewn across the shore haphazardly. The wings of the ship were in two completely different places. One had flew almost all the way to the woods where they had slept, and split in two on a rock. The other was completely intact, lying on the beach, slightly in the ocean. But most of the ship was obliterated.
Zidane ran down the hill to the shore to inspect closer. He then noticed Beatrix, Freya, and the crew doing something…
"Pull in that piece there!" Beatrix ordered. One of the crew members leapt into the sea and pulled a large sheet of wood onto the beach. A few crew members were trying to pull the wing all the way onto the beach, but without success.
"I think it's snagged on something." Zidane said. The crew stopped tugging. "I'll dive under and check it out." With that, he took off his shirt, laid two of his three knives on the beach, and dove in. He swam down to the bottom of the sea there, where the end of the wing touched down. A large, jagged rock was stabbed through the wing's cloth. Zidane pulled out his knife and slashed at the cloth, freeing up space. Then, he lifted it above the rock and to the left. He resurfaced. "Pull it out!"
The crew pulled, and it came all the way onto the shore.
Zidane dog-paddled to the beach rather casually. The cool water felt pretty good on this hot summer's day. Right now, he felt like nothing could go wrong… But of course, he still had things to worry about.
He crawled onto the beach slowly, and shook like a dog. Almost all of the water flew off of him. He then spun around and laid on his back, letting the sun warm him…
"Wellwellwell, his highness is up." Beatrix muttered, walking over. "So, I see you helped theses three pull the right wing out of the water."
It then dawned on Zidane that he had no real understanding of WHY they were pulling the shit out of the ocean anyway. "Yeah, um… why are we doing this ANYWAY?"
"Because, if anything CAN be salvaged, it should. The Red Rose was our flagship for years, and- Hey! HEY! Don't yank that propeller, you might bend it! Dive under and make sure it isn't lodged into the ocean floor!" She sighed. "Well, Steiner and I decided last night that we should ask Cid to make us a new ship. And since this one was so special, we thought we would salvage what we could and use it…"
"Ah, kinda like how Cid used the Narciss for the Hilda Garde III?" Zidane asked.
"Yeah." She stared out at the sea in a sort of dream-like state. It was then that Zidane realized he was hungry. "Sooooo…. Do we have any food?" He asked, hopefully.
"Well…" Beatrix began, "There was some on the ship, but most of the hull was annihilated, it's wishful thinking to hope that the kitchen would remain intact."
"Hey, you know…" Zidane muttered. "I think I know what blew up the Rose."
"Yeah, I do too. The Invincible. The eye, and the beam… just like Alexandria…" Beatrix said, gazing at the sky now.
"So, uh, how do we get out of here?" Zidane asked, hoping for an answer.
"Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Freya went to climb the mountain to its peak and see where we are. She's a good jumper, ya know. So, if she can find help, she will, and if not, she'll go to Alexandria on foot. Won't take her too long…" Beatrix said. She went back to ordering the salvage, and Zidane put on his clothes, now thoroughly dry. He grabbed his other two knives and began running up the hill when he realized something. "Oh my god, I left the Ogre on the Red Rose." He turned to stare at the sea. No use worrying about it now.
He decided to take a walk around the area, and try to find food. When he got back with a small assortment of berries, he noticed Steiner chopping at a tree with his broadsword. "Yo, Rusty! What're you doing?"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE JUST WALKED AWAY. VILE SCUM." Steiner was spouting, hacking at the tree with wrath.
"Who… what?" Zidane asked. The knight quit his hacking and put his sword back in its scabbard. "Amarant just LEFT! No care for the others in this adventure! AGH!"
"Where'd he go?" Zidane asked.
"I don't know! He just started walking up the mountain. I watched him go until I couldn't see him anymore. Vile." Zidane just sighed. "Well, he's never been exactly consistent, Rusty."
"That doesn't give him the right to just LEAVE." Zidane nodded his head, stuffing berries into his mouth. "Buh he'll be bakk, he always showz upp." He said behind the food.
Steiner looked at him curiously. Zidane gulped down the food. "Oh, sorry, you want some?" Steiner hungrily grabbed a handful of berries and stuffed them down his throat.
The blond Genome looked north. The mountain range curved west not too far ahead. "Ya know, I think we're closer to Alexandria than you might think…"
Steiner nodded. "Yes. Freya will most likely be back soon." Zidane turned and stared up the mountainside. It was terraced and rocky, with clumps of forest here and there. It looked relatively easy to climb.
"I'm going to climb that mountain." He said. Steiner nodded. "All right. I'll tell Beatrix. We'll continue salvaging what we can. Come back soon."
"Uh, Rusty, I oughtta tell ya… I'm not coming back. I've got to go to Lindblum. Once you guys get back to Alexandria, send a moogle to me and Cid. Then take the Gargant Roo to Lindblum. I'll fly on the Prima Vista, if boss didn't take off…" Zidane explained. "Take care for now."
He waved goodbye as he walked to the bottom of the mountainside. With an acrobatic leap, he landed a good ten feet above the base. He continued this motion pattern all the way to the top of the high mountain. It didn't take him NEAR as long as he thought it would. Once he was on the top of the range, he stared to the northwest. There was Alexandria, the castle's giant sword gleaming in the sun. Zidane looked down this other side of the mountain and found it was much smoother and far more gently angled. With a lunge, he landed on his butt and slid down the mountain, and found he was picking up speed very fast. When he was ten yards from the bottom, he jumped forward and spread his limbs – including tail – out, to break his fall. He landed on all fours catlike.
If Freya had left before he awoke, she surely would have returned to the camp by the time he himself had left. So what was taking her? She wasn't in sight on the plains, or on the mountain. He looked south, wondering if perhaps she had gone too far and missed the place that the little camp was on the far side of the range. Nothing. But then he noticed, with a bit of surprise, and a bit of… not… surprise… that a certain rounded part of the range farther south, near Treno, was spewing a certain substance like Mist into the sky, which was curving down in an arch, and heading into the basin. Well, that weird Mist dood had done what he came to do…
Zidane turned and faced his home city and looked especially hard at the waterfalls. A huge brown and gold airship was docked there. Thank god. Baku had not left. The city was DEFINITELY nearer than the navigator had projected. It wasn't more than five kilometers from where the Genome stood. With a deep breath, he began running to the docks.
He arrived about a half hour later, a bit out of breath, but recovered. Down the docks sat the Prima Vista, bobbing up and down delicately. Zidane dashed down the dock to where it was, and ran head long into the large belly of someone turning the corner out of the city.
"Whoa, there, kid!" Baku shouted, grabbing Zidane after he had bounced back to ensure he didn't fall off the docks to the lake thousands of feet below. The boss steadied his comrade and patted him on the back.
"Watchu doin', runnin' down these docks like that?" He asked. Zidane gulped for some air. "I came… to find you… I…"
"Came to find me? Well I was just at the castle lookin' for ya. See, we're about to head back to Lindblum. I was goin' ta come say goo'bye. But they said you'd gone off on some trip. What's goin' on?"
Zidane was now steady. "Well, we took the Red Rose to the south near Treno, cuz someone said they saw an airship docking in a mountain range. We got there, and it turned out this weird… thing… was bringing back the Mist. So, it ran off in its ship, and we took the Red Rose back north, cuz we had no way of following it, and so we were almost back to the docks on the sea when the storm blew the ship into the shore. And then… The Invincible appeared and blew up the Rose!" Zidane explained. Baku cocked his head. "In…vincible? You mean that weird ship you flew into Memoria?"
"Yeah! Er, well, I THINK it was the Invincible." The Genome said.
"Then how did you get here?" Baku asked. "I climbed the mountain. I need you to take me to Lindblum with you."
"What? Not again!" Baku said, thinking Zidane meant 'run-away-and-join-Tantalus'.
"Nononononono, I mean… I need to see Regent Cid. It's urgent!" Zidane explained. Baku nodded. "All… all right. What about that knight feller and the general?"
"They're fine. I left them at the camp we had down by the sea. They're trying to salvage what they can of the Red Rose." Zidane said. "I'm going to tell Cid everything. And maybe convince him to build a new flagship for Alexandria."
"All right. Get on board, we're heading out." Baku ordered. "Thanks, boss."
Zidane got on board and it took off soon after…
Regent Cid Fabool ripped the letter out of the mail moogle's hand just a few minutes after the Prima Vista came to the docks. He ripped it open. "Dear Regent Fabool, we regret to inform you that a mishap has taken place last night at Tantalus's performance in Treno. Kuja has returned and kidnapped Garnet. We will be arriving in Lindblum soon. RSVP. Sincerely, General Beatrix."
Cid read through again. What an odd letter. It was written in such a calm manner… Well, Beatrix was always good at staying calm. Cid scratched down a letter reading something to the effect of get here NOW and handed it to the moogle.
"Priority, kupo?" The moogle asked. "High." Cid replied. With that, the moogle leaped into the air and flew off.
"ARTANIA!" Cid boomed. The minister ran in. "What is it, regent?"
"Garnet has been kidnapped! Artania, load up the Hilda Garde III, I'm going right n-" He was interrupted by the arrival of a butler who marched in, in a dignified manner, and presented himself low. "May I present to you, the king, of Alexandria."
"Really, don't make such a big deal out of it." Zidane's voice came from behind the butler. He walked in. Cid observed him for a moment in an almost angry survey, and then looked around Zidane, as if he expected something. "What?" Zidane asked. "Where are the others?" Cid countered.
"Well, uh… Two are shipwrecked, one is missing, and another ran off like a jerk." Zidane replied. Cid's eyes widened a bit. "SHIPWRECKED?"
"Yeah… the Red Rose is gone. The… the Invincible blew it up." Zidane said. "You don't mean that ship that you flew into Mem-" "The one and only."
"The Red Rose has been destroyed? My father made that ship for Alexandria's last king before Brahne's husband. Best ship made for years until I perfected steam. But how did the Invincible…?"
"I dunno. It just… appeared…" Zidane muttered.
Cid eased backwards and sat in a puffy armchair in the corner of the dim, warm, red room. "Then I know what I can do to help you… I'll build a new ship!" He jumped up with twice the charisma. "The largest ever made! Twice the power of the Hilda Garde I! Cannons on all sides, giant propellers, and one of the newest things I'm designing… Artania! Blueprint, man blueprint!" The minister ran over to Cid with a large sheet of blue grid paper and a quill. Before Zidane's eyes, a giant ship began to form out of the regent's fingers. It looked to be easily twice the size of the Hilda Garde III and had two sets of wings. A very large balloon was floating above it, and Zidane remarked inwardly that a ship that large would probably need a balloon. After about ten minutes, Cid jumped out of his chair and handed the plans to Artania. "Take this down to Hugo in Primary Shipbuilding! Tell him to begin work IMMEDIATELY!"
Artania ran like a mad dog. "Come, Zidane, I have something amazing to show you! Come!" Cid yelled, running down the hall to the airship area. Zidane followed, but even with his speed, Cid's excitement got the better of the Genome. When they came to a halt in a large room full of working technicians, Cid pointed up to a long, silver shaft, supported from the ceiling by wires. It was about two or three feet thick, with a big round hole in the front. A many-bladed propeller was adorned in this hole. The hole in the back was empty. "That, my boy, is a JET. ENGINE!"
Cid grinned ear to ear. Zidane was just confused. "And… what exactly is… a… jet… engine?" Zidane asked, staring at the shiny shaft. "Well, as you know, steam engines are used to regulate the rotation of the propellers and the movement of the wings and sails of an airship, but the engine doesn't actually MOVE the ship, right?" Cid asked. Zidane nodded. "A jet engine makes its own movement by sucking in air here-" He pointed to the front of the shaft. "And shooting it out the back! Incredible, isn't it?"
Zidane just looked at Cid like he was insane. But it did seem intriguing. "But there is a catch to it… It runs on fuel." Cid said. "Oh, you mean like how the steam engine uses water?" Zidane asked. "Nope." Cid said. "Then what? Coal?" Zidane asked. Cid shook his head. "Nope, but close. No, the jet engine runs on the miracle of… GASOLINE!" He expected Zidane to clap and cheer, but the Genome just cocked his head.
"Oh, I get it, Cid. Just one question though. What in HELL IS gasoline?"
"A wondrous thing, my boy! A substance coming from the earth!" Cid said. "Oil. Flammable, but powerful. If used in a jet engine, imagine the possibilities of an airship!"
"So… you're putting this… thing… on my new airship?" Zidane asked. "Yes. I'll also put a steam engine on to regulate the propellers and wings."
"Cid… Can I ask you something?" Zidane asked. "Of course." "Have you… tested… this thing?" Zidane asked. Cid grinned. "I've installed these babies on the Hilda Garde III. You… wanna give 'em a go?"
"Will I die?" Zidane asked. Cid grinned harder, and then tugged Zidane to a lift to the Hilda Garde's hanger. Sure enough, two big silver shafts rested on each side of the ship's hull. Zidane climbed on board with Cid and got behind the wheel.
"Open the hanger doors!" Cid shouted. A tech nearby did so. "Okay, Zidane, now flip that switch." Zidane did so and the sound of the engines humming to life reached his ears. "Take 'er out." Cid said.
Zidane hit the throttle and the engines on the side burst to life. With an amazing jolt, the Hilda Garde shot out of the hanger. He took it up into the sky above Lindblum. Zidane accelerated the ship and it shot north. Within minutes they reached South Gate. They flew through it and north along the edge of the Treno mountain range. When Zidane was almost to Alexandria, he rolled, literally rolled the ship over the mountain range and shot down to the ocean. He decelerated the engines to null and the ship's propellers lowered it to the ocean. There was the wreckage of the Rose, and there, like tiny ants, were the survivors of the wreck. They were staring up at the ship like it was a UFO.
The Hilda Garde touched down on the surface of the sea near the beach with a burst of water. It inched closer to the shore as Zidane marched out on deck. "Hey guys."
Beatrix stared at the jets on the side of the ship like they were some obscene disturbing monsters. "What in HELL are THOSE?"
"Jets." Zidane replied, tossing a rope ladder over the edge. "They're self-propelling." Beatrix climbed carefully. "Yeah, I saw that because FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT OF THEM."
"Freya or Amarant back yet?" Zidane asked, staring around hopefully. Steiner ran up to the ship. "No! I fear Freya has gotten into trouble."
"She must have been side-tracked…" Zidane muttered. "Well, load everyone and all the salvage on, we're taking off to Lindblum."
In a few minutes they were all on board and Beatrix and Steiner had followed the Genome to the front of the ship. Cid greeted them. "I hope you're all right. Well, let's take her out, Zidane."
Zidane hit the switch and the jets hummed to life. "Uh, word of advise." He said to Beatrix and Steiner. "Hold on to something." With a thrust of the accelerator, the jets flared up and shot the airship out to sea. Zidane turned it south and activated the propellers. With a small leap the ship rose into the air and rapidly came over the Treno Range. A boost from the engines took the ship through South Gate a few minutes later. Zidane dropped the altitude and flew along the river in the King Edward Plains for a while, and then rose it up as they came to Lindblum. With a rapid deceleration, they flew over the city and into the castle docks. Cid nudged Zidane. "Let me take this, it can be a bit tricky. We nearly crashed on our first run."
He grabbed steering and eased the Hilda Garde into the dock after cutting the engines and increasing propeller power. The ship settled in with a bump.
Zidane turned to Beatrix. "Fun, huh?" Beatrix shook her head. "Well then you'll love the news I have for you." She cocked her head slightly. "Cid's installing them babies in our new flagship." Beatrix almost cried.
"I think we'll have the ship done in a few weeks. It may take longer, though… Burmecian forces are massing in the northern mountains, and mining has been short lately, all thanks to SOMEONE." Cid stressed, eyeing Zidane.
The Genome sighed. "I apologized already, Cid."
The regent smiled. "I know, but it's fun to piss you off."
Kuja sat amongst several other Genomes, watching a play in the heart of a newly established city near Conde Petie, called Luxor, populated by many historians and artists, sitting in the middle of the desert, in an oasis. The city had several theatres, the most popular being 'The Leviathan.' The play currently being performed was one called 'The Wastes of the Foreign World', a classic by Lord Avon, about a traveler who explored the Forgotten Continent with a band of sailors and became enveloped in a war between the western clan of warlords and the eastern marauders.
Kuja smiled wide as another Genome spoke. "The plan is going smoothly. If you're ready, we can begin the genetic engineering process."
"Viett was right, the Mist fuels stronger Genomes. We must up the ante here. Begin production. The Iifa Tree is ready, I think. Be proud, my friends, you, myself, and my… dearest brother… are the last of a royal breed. We will own the planet soon."
On stage, the actors continued their lines, unaware to the schemes of the Genomes. "I say, Gokyo, if thou art ready for the war, then thou haft a steady heart and a strong mind. Will thou defend the east from the evil west?"
"Indeed, fair Ryaldo, thou art wise and true." He trailed off in his lines as Kuja turned back to his crew.
"Kyon, the Burmecians are ready to attack Alexandria. It's perfect. While both sides are weak from war, we'll strike Lindblum. Soon, my friends. Now, let us retire to my palace. The night grows old and we weary."
Kyon, a black haired, tall, older-looking, red-robe clad Genome with several katanas on his back, as well as a lance, nodded. "The fleet will be ready soon, milord."
Kuja smiled wider still.
END